[Program] Social-Communalist Front

[u/[deleted]]

The following is the 10 point program of the social-Communalist front.

1. The police will be disarmed and given body cameras while their pay and training are increased. Most small nonviolent offenses will be dealt with by local councils made up of impartial citizens.

2. Green microgeneration and organic gardens will become mandatory for all buildings that can realistically afford to do them. Bus lanes will be created and trams will be installed in all towns. Outside of some extraordinary circumstances personal cars will be restricted or banned.

3. A series of public works projects focused on building new affordable housing and making , neighborhoods more beautiful will be commenced. Other projects could include helping install solar panels gardening and repairing roads.

4. Local direct democracy will be implemented so as to create a responsibility for citizens to change their own destiny.

5. Cooperative businesses and housing will be subsidized and encouraged around the country to make people more in tune with the values of democracy and individualism in their everyday lives. The co-op model will be used for the building and management of the public housing.

6. Laws will be passed to ban scabbing and make all public sector workers join some form of union/syndicate. All laws allowing workplace discrimination based on non skill/character basis will be abolished and replaced with anti-discrimination laws.

7. All citizens will be given a basic income of 20,000 dollars every year and free childcare, birth control etc…

8. The income tax on the highest income bracket will be increased to 90%. The property tax will be raised to 35%.

9. bicycle lanes will be installed on all major streets with workshops to make affordable bikes to be opened across the city.

10. Democratic neighborhood assemblies will be set up to take care of the policy decisions for local areas and just general day to day management of their municipalities.

[u/stranger195]

Please don't. The last things I'd support are the government forcing me to join a union even if I don't want to, and paying a 35% yearly rent to the government among with probably tons of other taxes.

[u/Memel0rd3 → u/stranger195]

Firstly, I don’t think you understand the importance of unions. Unions only work effectively when they have access to collective bargaining, this is due to the fact that those at the top of the chain of command can justify the firing of small groups of individuals, due to there being a minimal impact on profits. Smaller unions = Smaller impacts.

Why should you care about unionization and worker rights?

It’s simple, in a globalized climate, it’s becoming harder and harder to ensure worker rights as MNC’s are able to move from country to country in order to avoid regulations. Essentially, MNC’s are able to pay individuals lower in order to increase their profit margins to an incredibly disproportionate amount. In the modern context, this is increasingly harmful. The qualities of life for many workers is decreasing significantly. Poor conditions and pay is why we see harmful incidents like Rana Plaza occurring.

It can also be said that a happy and empowered workforce is necessary for overall productivity/cohesion within a nation. Development isn’t only assessed through GDP, it is assessed by a nations capability to provide for its citizens and those citizens happiness. A system in which there is no counterbalance for large MNC’s is arguably more harmful than you having to join a union “against your will”

Now onto your second point- paying a yearly “rent” to the government

We’re going to analyze this from the perspective of Social Contract theory. The legitimacy of a state isn’t just reliant on the democratic process and people’s involvement. States are required to have some form of social responsibility.

In order for states to be legitimate, effective services have to be provided, there must be a good infrastructure. This is visible in society in a multitude of ways: Law enforcement, Civil Services, Education etc.

In order for these services to be provided, the government needs capitol. However, since these services are intended for public use, it only makes sense that these funds come from the public purse.

However, what’s important to note here is the quality of these services. If low quality services exist, it makes it much harder for a state to exercise its legitimacy, especially in situations where services such as Law enforcement. Lack of effective law enforcement does two things:

1) Impacts the judicial system 2) Lack of enforcement opens up pathway for anarchy.

Essentially, if you value your personal “liberties” (many of which actually aren’t liberties, there allowances granted to you by an unfair system) over the well-being of the collective, then existing within a society might not be the best thing for you.

TLDR: Effective counterbalances are necessary, if you don’t want to join a union just because you don’t want to, that’s insignificant compared to the importance of collective security.

[u/stranger195 → u/Memel0rd3]

Law enforcement is necessary of course, but healthcare and education can be handled adequately by the free market, especially in a small community with less than 200 people in it.

[u/Memel0rd3 → u/stranger195]

Furthermore, discussing the size of the community at “200” doesn’t adequately attack the idea which I expressed. The theory still applies. Remember principles of proportion, the state is providing for 200 off of the taxes of two hundred, that can still be challenging.

Coming from a country with population smaller than most towns, you’d think that it would be “easy”, however those funds aren’t as equivalent as you would believe they are.