Green New Deal

Green New Deal

We propose a long-term, comprehensive vision and policy agenda that will move the United States toward an ecologically and economically sustainable society. The central component of this agenda is a 20 year plan to spend about $1.7 trillion per year (about 9% of GDP) to rebuild the energy, transportation, housing, manufacturing and agricultural infrastructure. The current state of our economic, environmental, political and social problems reinforce each other, making changes to where we are difficult. But the linkages among these issue areas also mean that the best way, in the long run, to get to where we want to go is to address all of these issues simultaneously. Thus we propose a long-term plan, one that requires the construction of a new political movement.

Where we are
  • Economy: Stagnating
  1. Manufacturing declining
  2. Economic inequality worsening
  3. Not enough jobs
  4. Infrastructure deteriorating
  5. Corporate CEOs out of control
  • Environment: Declining
    1. Global warming getting worse
    2. Natural resources disappearing
    3. Ecosystems being destroyed
  • Politics: Less democratic
    1. Corporations & wealthy dominate
    2. Voting rights threatened
    3. Tax system unfair
    4. Military, national security too large
  • Social foundation: Crumbling
    1. Public schools struggling
    2. Health system still malfunctioning
    3. Retirement income under attack
    4. Bias against women, minorities, gays
  • World system: chaotic
    • How we get to ...
    • Economy: Rebuilding program
    1. Building green infrastructure,28 million jobs
    2. Manufacturing revived by infrastructure
    3. Guaranteed job for all, poverty decreasing
    4. Build public banking, energy, housing, etc
    5. Create networks of employee-owned firms
  • Environment: Healing
    1. Eliminating most carbon sources
    2. Building renewable energy and recycling
    3. Ecosystems recovering
  • Politics: More democratic
    1. Money out of politics
    2. National voting rights, fair districting
    3. Taxes on rich, carbon, financial speculation
    4. Smaller military, economic conversion
  • Social foundation: Rising
    1. Public schools expansion
    2. Medicare for all
    3. Double Social Security
    4. Legal protections for all
  • World system: Form regions
    • Where we want to go
    • Economy: Sustainable prosperity
    1. Built green infrastructure, 25 million jobs
    2. Thriving green manufacturing
    3. Guaranteed good job for all -- no poverty
    4. Public control of banking, energy, housing
    5. Most firms employee-owned and operated
  • Environment: Flourishing
    1. No greenhouse gas emissions
    2. Use only renewables energy & recycling
    3. Ecosystems and ecotourism thriving
  • Politics: Democratic
    1. Big firms and superwealthy little influence
    2. Every person can vote and has equal vote
    3. Income from public banks, etc replace taxes
    4. Small military
  • Social foundation: Solid
    1. 15 children per class, free college, pre-k
    2. Medicare and healthy food for all
    3. Comfortable retirement for all
    4. Bias-free society
  • World system: Sustainable regions

    • The political economic theory underlining this agenda builds on work done outside the mainstream neoclassical theory of economics. Instead, we use a production-based theory of economics which puts manufacturing at the center of the economy. Employee-ownership and control (on the Mondragon model) should be the public goal for governance of firms. In addition, a democratic government controlled by the public should control most of our energy, transportation, housing and financial systems and the revenue from these systems should be used to fund the operations of government. This economic democracy complements political democracy, which reinforce each other.

    Please be sure to also check out Brian D'Agostino's website for his book, The Middle Class Fights Back: How progressive movements can restore democracy in America", and his web page further exploring the concept of a Green New Deal. His book is a companion volume to Jon Rynn's book "Manufacturing Green Prosperity"