The Grassroots Manifesto June 11, 2012 How a society treats its least capable and most dependent

members is a true sign of its greatness. How it cares for its least fortunate and most needy citizens reveals its worthiness to be called advanced. Technological invention, development and production indicate a narrow area of evolution. The built environment, while impressive at first blush, shows a degree of successful, cooperative effort. However, this effort can be, and often is, an insight into surface, physical success only. It does not necessarily translate into high moral values. Opportunities offered on a universal level are clearer indicators of a societys humanitarian structure. For example: Is it meeting the five basic needs of all of its citizens? Does it provide adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical attention and education to all? Not superior, but simply adequate. When these five programs are firmly established as guaranteed rights (not privileges), whether one parlays them to great heights or not is irrelevant. Their availability to all, alone, marks a culture as truly advanced. Historically, major breakthroughs and inventions, in almost all areas, do not come from team efforts. They come from individuals, who, over a long period of time and with limited funding, make major discoveries and inventions. Therefore, preparing each and every individual to be not a limited specific, thing, but to achieve his or her best in a personal area of choice, makes ALL capable of contributing to themselves and others on a variety of levels. If, to this guarantee of five, basic rights is added a judicial system that is nonadversarial, and instead of being focused exclusively on winning, a system united in its search for truth, the society created will be both capable and just. This is a society that can support and care for itself. Regardless of the monetary cost to promote and maintain such a society, it costs no more and most likely, less, than our current cultural arrangement. Cultures unlike that proposed here are exorbitantly costly. These, fear-based arrangements have excessive expenses for stress-related maladies, mental health issues, physical injuries, chemical dependency and abuse, and a whole range of crimes against people, property, institutions and, in the final analysis, wasted lives. Our current communities spend more money and resources dealing with and defending against, the results of not having a five-benefit core. Unaffordable amounts of money are spent on security, defense, prisons, courts, weapons,

counseling, legal fees, etc. This is due to the fact that a lack of opportunity and hope leads to despair, anger and violence. The system I am advocating, in addition to a joyful atmosphere of vastly reduced stress, opens the door to a society of healthy, creative, constructive individuals. It is easier and cheaper to proactively thwart problems than to have to foot the bill to clean up and solve problems after the fact. It is not a question of whether to spend money and resources or not. Its a choice of spending less now with fewer problems later (the moral high ground) or to spend more, later, on resulting problems that neednt have arisen at all. Malthus was wrongthe masses that will always be with us need not be poor, needy and disenfranchised. The best investment around always has been and always will be people. And, the return on this investment is immense. If you agree with what I have stated here, please get behind this Grass Roots Manifesto and promote the adoption of this five-benefit program of adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical attention and education for all, now. Lets get on to the next level of evolution, to a social consciousness that values and invests in its citizensfor the immediate and long range benefit of all. Thank you, Don Lubov Spiritshare.net