Public Banking

Article: "Democratizing World Trade and Investment" by Dave Lewit

An introduction to the "Common Agreement on Investment and Society," a document drafted in 1996 in response to the Multinational Agreement on Investment (MAI) as an alternative to MAI and other corporatist "free trade" agreements. This article is from the Winter 2014 issue of the national Alliance for Democracy's journal, "Justice Rising." The theme of the issue was "Global Citizenry Takes On Corporate Global Rule."

Read the full article here.

Article: "Banking in Nine Words" by Dave Lewit

This “slide show” takes you in a few minutes through all features of today’s and tomorrow’s money system: Credit, Interest, Ballooning, Snookered, Scrip, Public-Banking, Democracy, Deservingness, and Transformation.  It’s a people’s look at what insiders (bankers) know and don’t know, and where we need to go for a money system in tune with democracy.

Read the full article here.

Article: "Money and Democracy" by Dave Lewit

Money has been at the heart of almost every popular rebellion since the European settlement of North America. The War for Independence flaunted the slogan “no taxation without representation”.  Shay’s rebellion was a reaction to taxing farmer-veterans to pay wealthy war-bond holders. New England movement for secession—largely based on merchants’ opposition to trade restrictions during War of 1812.  Texas secession from Mexico—white settlers wanted slave labor.  Civil War—Southern planters wanted slave labor.  Indian wars—for land and gold as well as  “manifest destiny”.  And so on.  Each also had an ideological component demanding rights—a basic aspect of democracy, whether principled or rough “freedom”.

Is there another, larger rebellion brewing in America now, in the midst of profit-driven corporate takeover of culture as well as economy and government? 

Read the full article here.

CAIS: Modeling a Democratic Economy

On the positive side, the Alliance campaign includes development and promotion of positive alternatives to corporate globalization aimed at redeveloping and linking local economies. Out of this effort has come the Common Agreement on Investment and Society (CAIS) which features a global network of democratic local system organizations, with five supporting democratic international institutions.

 

The CAIS continues to evolve. Your input is very welcome, especially your experience with local conditions and alternatives. Please explain your suggested revisions, and refer if possible to your experience with local conditions. E-mail< dlewit@igc.org> with your feedback.

 

CAIS Summary and Overview

 

CAIS: Foreword

 

CAIS: A Common Agreement on Investment and Society, Complete Text