Lindsay Wheatcroft, Joseph Thomas, and Dix Franks have all asked me what I think of the effort to crowdfund the bailout of the Greek Government.
Edgy answer: Yes, this is a matter that innovators like us ponder almost every weekend, isn't it? The Greek situation is tragic, but a predictable outcome, given the fact that the government that seized power is committed to outdated political paradigms. I think the initiative to crowd-fund the Greek bailout is leading edge. In fact, it hasn't just
#movedtheneedle – it's
#brokenthegauge. Orthodox 20th-century activists should be looking to this initiative as a model for practical, positive, boots-on-the-ground campaigning in the future. Instead of hand-wringing about the "brutal system of capitalist violence that robs people of their labor, wealth, and dignity to serve the interests of a wealthy few, all the while masking its violence behind a patronizing rhetoric of personal financial responsibility" (
#lol #jargonmuch?), this campaign proactively leverages micro-capital, 21st-century social networks, digital platforms, 3D-printing (probably), and a "can do" attitude to mobilize the people into a people's revolution of synergistic, gamified, optimized, actionable solidarity. It recognizes that Big Government isn't going to fix the problem (because it has no capacity to do so, by virtue of its own bureaucratic character and no other external factors), but that the private sector, as a leader in start-up thinking and social innovation, most certainly can.
To be sure, I would have liked to have seen a coordinated effort across Europe (not just the UK), using multiple platforms. Those involved might also perhaps have leveraged broader communications networks by working with larger private sector stakeholders (e.g. Virgin, Goldman Sachs, etc.) to get the word out. But the current effort is a good start worthy of considerable
#failforward applause, and there will certainly be future opportunities to improve the model. It's all
#iterative, really.
