while capitalism does the job to itself. When everything gets really topheavy, it tends to collapse quite efficiently. Since the collapse of 2008 wasn't followed with meaningful reform, another collapse is inevitable. If it's the derivatives casino that goes, then everything will go with it and survival will become a challenge, at least in the short term.

Once a collapse has occurred, the suggestions in that article can be applied. Until it happens, they won't do much good even if by some miracle they can be organized.

amounts of money since that time, and they have. Remember that the top 20% of the rich in the US, UK, and Canada are the "actual" economy; there is no "the consumer" according to the Citigroup "Plutonomy" memo. They may insulate themselves from economic difficulty and take advantage of us as we thrash about. For example, again from the memo, equities are the main asset of the very rich, with housing investments being that of the bottom 80%. I'm no economist but as far as I can tell, the housing bubble and subsequent land grab only enrich the rich and cause them no pain.

Scattered analysis of the Citigroup "Plutonomy" memo:
http://occupyobservations.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-leaked-2006-citigroup-plutonomy-memo.html

Shutting down production would have worked. Technology has advanced so far now that there aren't enough factory production workers to shut the economy down (besides they're lucky to have a job).

It is consumption that would shut them down. If people targeted certain products and companies and refused to buy from them; that would effect their bottom line.

If everyone bought as much second hand goods as they could (either through eBay Craigslist or local flea markets) it wouldn't take very long before the people running this country would notice.

It would take a coordinated effort, but I believe that is what it would take. That and transportation; every time we get into our vehicle and put gas in the car we are supporting the enemy.

to shut down the system, and the targeting of goods is necessary...

Reduce, reuse, recycle, buy second hand. It's not just for the environment anymore it's a strategy. I buy as little as possible and I try to reverse boycott, by that I mean buy from companies that are at least better than some RW owned corporation. It's not easy RWers own a lot of stuff.

We are not terrorists. We are not plotting the downfall of the USA
.Please do not raid my house tonight and arrest me. I have no interest in visiting Cuba, no matter how lovely it is this time of year.
I am not interested in the sport of "waterboarding".

Please note,however; if you intend to torture me, I will gladly name anyone you like as an enemy combatant, in exchange for immunity.

are destroying America and turning it into a corporatocracy/fascist state, eliminating the Constitution/Bill of Rights.

They're snoozing at the wheel while the real enemies kill the country and spread that meme to the entire planet via globalisation efforts.

replace the word "bizarre" with "sinister" and that's where I'm at.
I still have some glowing embers of Hope buried in the Ashes of my old Faith in Democracy.
I truly believe that it is time for Human Civilization to evolve, but the logistics of how we get there from here sometimes brings me down.
Realistically, I don't see any chance of meaningful change , unless support is won from some faction of the wealthy Elites. Some of them must realize we are on a collision course with extinction. The rub is that you would have to convince them that the solution should not involve the marginalization( or outright extermination) of 99% of the population.
a Popular uprising might seem like the thing to do, but let's face it; most people who might hit the streets would be doing so to look for food, not freedom from tyranny . Probably less than 10% of those who post on DU would even consider any action to change to a more equitable system. Most still believe change can be affected from within. besides, such movements are easily hijacked. In fact, one might argue that they must be in order to achieve any significant change( usually just a "new boss, same as the old boss" ). Pick a country in Africa and see for yourself.
to be honest, my plan is to try to learn to live sustainably and try to just drop out of the system. If you don't need money, you cannot be enslaved by the system. That doesn't help my fellow man, but , hell, I'm just a middle-aged Autoworker. Trapped by my own foolish financial choices. Debt really is an effective form of Slavery.
And then , some days, I think that maybe the World isn't as far gone as I sometimes believe.

Hamster-wheel schizophrenia, I guess....

Because together we are STRONGER.

There is safety in numbers.

What will it take for the common people to unite, multiplying our numbers exponentially? What if unions joined together in solidarity? Didn't the nurses union show up to support Occupy or was that in Wisconsin, I can't remember? It could happen though. Change will come at the grass roots level. From the bottom up. When the people get sick and tired of being sick and tired and abused.

Republicans have been using the same old song and dance for a hundred years or more: divide and conquer.