Ideas for America Discussion Guide

IDEAS FOR AMERICA DISCUSSION GUIDE

Although the book contains hundreds of ideas, all of them are united under one front; to improve quality of life for all living things. How to study these goals is up to you, but one thing is for sure; we’re going to need many, many different voices to be heard for this work to have a chance to have a positive impact on people’s lives.

You might ask what’s the most important idea or principle of the book? Above all, we need to love and respect one other. The ideas in this book are great, but they mean little without our commitment to treating each other and those who can’t defend themselves well.

What do we need; new authors, participation in college classrooms and Local Papers. It will take hundreds of writers to explore the relatively unexplored themes in this book. I believe there are easily enough themes here for hundreds of full books, if only folks take the time to find and develop them. College classrooms can contribute to the productive debate by doing problem solving and policy analysis in the classroom. The hearts and minds of college students can contribute to elevate the quality and spirit of analysis. Local newspapers can reestablish a new role for themselves by engaging in greater analysis; by helping readers understand how a rapidly changing world affects them. To achieve this, journalists will need a system to continue to develop their knowledge. 

What did you think about the 7 key concerns in the Discussion Guide from the book? What did you think were the biggest points of the book were? Did you disagree with anything I covered? What would be a better approach? Let us know, this is your forum!

Creating Opportunities for the Common Man and Building Healthy Economies

 

“Yes sir, my friends, the meek can only inherit the earth when the John Does start loving their neighbors. You’d better start right now. Don’t wait till the game is called on account of darkness. Wake up, John Doe, you’re the hope of the world.”

-John Doe from the movie Meet John Doe

Chapter Three and Four Concerns

What do you think about these ideas? Start some comments about these ideas and how should they be implemented? Do you have any further ideas we can grow on?

• CREATING WALKING AND BIKE TRAILS-Reflect on the role of the car in American communities. Then look at successful approaches to creating more walking and biking paths. 
• TOWN BASED FUN-Tell how semi-public recreational facilities made for bright summer days in Europe. Then, imagine how that model can work in communities here.
• BOSTON ARTS AND BUSINESS COUNCIL MODEL-Look at how shared housing can be a big plus for young, old and the communities they live in. Then reflect on a number of challenges with regards to this.
• MAXIMIZING LIFE THROUGH EDUCATION-Look at how application of the main points in education can be a boost to communities, including making “every village a university”  through town based learning.
• SUPPORT LOCAL FARMING-Not only do they support local economies and health, but can provide fresh fruit to local schools.
• TIME BANKS AND THE LOCAL ECONOMY-Consider some ways that time banking can contribute to local life and be a part of healthy, local economies. 
• PROVIDING THE 5 BASIC NECESSITIES OF LIFE-Give everyone access to free housing, food, clothes, air, and water? Simple housing like tiny homes, Merton style stackable units, or Japanese locker apartments. Free no frill jeans and t-shirts and winter jumpers. Universal soup kitchens for business owners and the homeless to meet each other. Plus protection from profiteering on water and air. If you want more you work for it, but as a species we should provide the basics for one and another.

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, and the hopes of its children.”

~President Eisenhower

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