The only way to set up a democracy that works

This is how you set up true democracy…

1) I take responsibility to reach out to the neighbors on my street or in my apartment building, and I’ll set up a time and place where we all can meet weekly to discuss our concerns and hopes. Only a few might show up at first, but if I keep notifying everyone of the time and place of the weekly meeting, more will show up when things start getting rough. And at times of real crisis, ALL will likely come. This will be the beginning of my block council.

After I set up my block council, I’ll reach out to everyone I know and encourage them to do the same where they live. I’ll also take responsibility to reach out, face-to-face, to the people on the next block until I recruit an organizer who will get their block together. In this way, the community-building will spread.

2) Once block councils form, each one can elect a representative to meet with the representatives of the neighboring block councils. They can then discuss the concerns and hopes of the people on their blocks. Ideas will be shared and consensus will start to form. This will be the beginning of the community council.

3) Once community councils form, each one can elect a representative to meet with the representatives of the neighboring community councils. They can then discuss the concerns and hopes of the people of their communities. Ideas will be shared and consensus will start to form. This will be the beginning of the local council.

4) Once local councils form, each one can elect a representative to meet with the representatives of the neighboring local councils. They can then discuss the concerns and hopes of the people of their localities. Ideas will be shared and consensus will start to form. This will be the beginning of the area council.

5) Once area councils form, each one can elect a representative to meet with the representatives of the neighboring area councils. They can then discuss the concerns and hopes of the people of their areas. Ideas will be shared and consensus will start to form. This will be the beginning of the regional council.

6) Once regional councils form, each one can elect a representative to meet with the representatives of the other regional councils. They can then discuss the concerns and hopes of the people of their regions. Ideas will be shared and consensus will start to form. This will be the beginning of the global council.

This simple process of individuals talking to their neighbors to form a community, and those communities reaching out to form broader communities, can cover the entire global population in just these seven steps:

1) Asserting individual sovereignty.
2) Forming block councils.
3) Forming community councils.
4) Forming local councils.
5) Forming area councils.
6) Forming regional councils.
7) Forming a global council.

And each council at each level would need no more than 70 people, and this allows everyone at each level to know each other well. It also allows the voice of every single person to truly matter.

With this seven-tired council structure, the entire population of the Earth, if it were evenly distributed, could be represented by councils no larger than 45 people…

individual (1) x block (45) x community (45) x local (45) x area (45) x regional (45) x global (45) = total people (8.3 billion)

Since populations in different regions (and different blocks) can vary, though, the sizes of the councils at each level would vary. For instance, populous nations such as India and China, if treated as regions, would need councils of up to 70 people…

individual (1) x block (70) x community (70) x local (70) x area (70) x regional (70) = total people (1.68 billion)

And the United States, if treated as a region, would need councils of about 50 to cover the entire population…

individual (1) x block (50) x community (50) x local (50) x area (50) x regional (50) = total people (312.5 million)

As I expand and enhance this article, I’ll explain the very simple rules that would make this system work, and I’ll go into the many benefits it offers. I call this system of government “fractal democracy,” and it is based on the concepts of personal human relationships, anti-hierarchy, decentralization of power, and self-organizing collectivization. It is a way that humanity can cooperate and unite on a global level without the need for artificial states or a troublesome ruling elite.

It’s also as simple as the boogers in your nose, and it has to be that simple in order for people to actually understand it and do it.

Till later, much love….