Respect individual conscience to end aggressive war funding

 Reimagining Democratic Systems Beyond Revolution

Edelstein's analysis of revolutionary history prompts an important question: Could we create political change without violent upheaval?

I propose a system that strongly respects individual sovereignty while also carrying out collective responsibility. What if taxpayers could direct portions of their taxes that they believe have been misdirected, guided by collective wisdom?

Imagine a society where:

• Citizens create short documentaries about public spending options
• These videos undergo A/B testing for accuracy and clarity
• People vote on which funding priorities better serve the public good
• These collective judgments create a "gradient map" of preferable spending

This approach could reduce resistance to taxation since no one would be forced to fund what they deeply oppose. It also creates accountability - programs seen as ineffective would lose funding.

For environmental concerns, we could implement proportional fees on extraction and emissions, with proceeds shared equally among citizens. Regular polling would determine appropriate fee levels, ensuring democratic oversight of our ecological impacts.

Such a system would:

• End extreme poverty through shared natural wealth
• Create more fluid labor markets (no threat of destitution, depending on employment status)
• Uphold truth and fairness as core societal values

This represents a paradigm shift where citizens function as both sensory and motor neurons in a collective decision-making "brain" - gathering information and directing resources accordingly.

What aspects of this concept might relate to Edelstein's understanding of revolutionary movements and their aftermath?