The Voters' Uprising: President Obama What Are You Thinking?

By Don Hazen, AlterNet. Posted March 23, 2009.

But according to Rich, the Obama administration is stumbling: "Otherwise it never would have used Lawrence Summers, the chief economic adviser, as a messenger just as the AIG rage was reaching a full boil last weekend. Summers is so tone-deaf that he makes Geithner seem like Bobby Kennedy. Bob Schieffer of CBS asked Summers the simple question that has haunted the American public since the bailouts began last fall: "Do you know, Dr. Summers, what the banks have done with all of this money that has been funneled to them through these bailouts?" What followed was a monologue of evasion that, translated into English, amounted to: Not really, but you little folk needn't worry about it. "

There is much outrage across the land and increasing agitation. Many want to know what they can do to channel their frustration and anger in useful and productive ways. Over the next days and weeks AlterNet will be capturing the best of the ideas and organizing, the best writing, opinions via interviews, and novel and compelling experiments designed to face a future that none of us expected, and frankly are not quite prepared for. One interesting idea -- Common Security Clubs -- part study circle, part mutual-aid association and part social-action group, are popping up in communities where people are looking for ways to support each other and take action.

Chuck Collins writes:

"The common security club model was born out of work done in the last few years by people struggling with overwhelming indebtedness. Participants spend some time discussing the root causes of the economic crisis, drawing on readings and materials provided by the network. But they mostly focus on what they can do together to increase their economic security and press for policy changes."

Read a full description of the clubs' goals and activities here.

AlterNet is presenting these four powerful and informative articles and blogs in full text, as a public service.

Each of them originated in other media outlets. Here are the links for each of them, if you wish to read them in their original sites:

Obama Told Us to Speak Out, but Is He Listening?
William Greider, Washington Post

Has a 'Katrina Moment' Arrived?
Frank Rich, New York Times

The Big Takeover
Matt Taibbi, Rolling Stone

We're in This Together
Chuck Collins, On the Commons

See more stories tagged with: obama, tarp, economic plan

Don Hazen is the executive editor of AlterNet.

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