John Macgregor (democracy re-design)
@johnmacgregor.bsky.social
Author, 'The Mechanics of Changing the World: Political Architecture to Roll Back State & Corporate Power'
https://books2read.com/thirddraft
Aussie, journo: NYT, SMH
Designer, anti-poverty projects, Cambodia
#ThirdDraftDemocracy #DemocracyWorks #Vote
https://books2read.com/thirddraft
Aussie, journo: NYT, SMH
Designer, anti-poverty projects, Cambodia
#ThirdDraftDemocracy #DemocracyWorks #Vote
IMO we are at a 'paradoxical moment', analogous to the Great Depression/New Deal. Things are bad, but the table is laid for a social transformation:
1. We have a 300,000-year genetic endowment of equality & co-operation (civilization, monopoly & war are an eye-blink)
1. We have a 300,000-year genetic endowment of equality & co-operation (civilization, monopoly & war are an eye-blink)
November 10, 2025 at 12:18 AM
IMO we are at a 'paradoxical moment', analogous to the Great Depression/New Deal. Things are bad, but the table is laid for a social transformation:
1. We have a 300,000-year genetic endowment of equality & co-operation (civilization, monopoly & war are an eye-blink)
1. We have a 300,000-year genetic endowment of equality & co-operation (civilization, monopoly & war are an eye-blink)
"𝗜𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁."
- 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙋𝙞𝙩𝙠𝙞𝙣, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙮
The Western political system should be seen as being on death watch.
It has delivered us war, inequality & monopoly.
- 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙋𝙞𝙩𝙠𝙞𝙣, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙮
The Western political system should be seen as being on death watch.
It has delivered us war, inequality & monopoly.
November 6, 2025 at 12:31 AM
"𝗜𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁."
- 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙋𝙞𝙩𝙠𝙞𝙣, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙮
The Western political system should be seen as being on death watch.
It has delivered us war, inequality & monopoly.
- 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙋𝙞𝙩𝙠𝙞𝙣, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙮
The Western political system should be seen as being on death watch.
It has delivered us war, inequality & monopoly.
Dick Cheney was state capture incarnate
This resulted in the Iraq War, which killed a million people including 4,400 Americans
A war he profited from greatly
If there's one thing to be inferred from his wretched life, it is that wealth & political power must be consigned to their separate domains
This resulted in the Iraq War, which killed a million people including 4,400 Americans
A war he profited from greatly
If there's one thing to be inferred from his wretched life, it is that wealth & political power must be consigned to their separate domains
November 4, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Dick Cheney was state capture incarnate
This resulted in the Iraq War, which killed a million people including 4,400 Americans
A war he profited from greatly
If there's one thing to be inferred from his wretched life, it is that wealth & political power must be consigned to their separate domains
This resulted in the Iraq War, which killed a million people including 4,400 Americans
A war he profited from greatly
If there's one thing to be inferred from his wretched life, it is that wealth & political power must be consigned to their separate domains
Microplastics in the water, heavy metals in the food chain.
These are not one-offs.
They come from the same place as falling real wages, financial crashes & drug epidemics.
These are not one-offs.
They come from the same place as falling real wages, financial crashes & drug epidemics.
October 28, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Microplastics in the water, heavy metals in the food chain.
These are not one-offs.
They come from the same place as falling real wages, financial crashes & drug epidemics.
These are not one-offs.
They come from the same place as falling real wages, financial crashes & drug epidemics.
Our crises go back to plutocracy: to Organized Money capturing government policy.
If we don’t fix that, we don’t fix much.
Elect someone from the Right—or the Left. They’ll be subject to the same donor pressures that captured Trump, Biden, & all who preceded them:
If we don’t fix that, we don’t fix much.
Elect someone from the Right—or the Left. They’ll be subject to the same donor pressures that captured Trump, Biden, & all who preceded them:
October 23, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Our crises go back to plutocracy: to Organized Money capturing government policy.
If we don’t fix that, we don’t fix much.
Elect someone from the Right—or the Left. They’ll be subject to the same donor pressures that captured Trump, Biden, & all who preceded them:
If we don’t fix that, we don’t fix much.
Elect someone from the Right—or the Left. They’ll be subject to the same donor pressures that captured Trump, Biden, & all who preceded them:
Our political framework seems designed to recycle profitable crises.
Wars, pandemics & financial crashes transfer trillions from poor, middle class & government to the already-rich.
Governments wave it through.
Wars, pandemics & financial crashes transfer trillions from poor, middle class & government to the already-rich.
Governments wave it through.
October 21, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Our political framework seems designed to recycle profitable crises.
Wars, pandemics & financial crashes transfer trillions from poor, middle class & government to the already-rich.
Governments wave it through.
Wars, pandemics & financial crashes transfer trillions from poor, middle class & government to the already-rich.
Governments wave it through.
We don’t have social, economic & environmental problems—we have a democracy problem.
October 20, 2025 at 5:34 PM
We don’t have social, economic & environmental problems—we have a democracy problem.
The hallmark of our era is the transition from flawed democracy to unaccountable elite rule.
(Followed by falling real incomes, Permanent War, mass homelessness, collapsing human health...)
But this remarkable transition is absent from the national conversation (symptoms aside).
(Followed by falling real incomes, Permanent War, mass homelessness, collapsing human health...)
But this remarkable transition is absent from the national conversation (symptoms aside).
October 9, 2025 at 12:28 PM
The hallmark of our era is the transition from flawed democracy to unaccountable elite rule.
(Followed by falling real incomes, Permanent War, mass homelessness, collapsing human health...)
But this remarkable transition is absent from the national conversation (symptoms aside).
(Followed by falling real incomes, Permanent War, mass homelessness, collapsing human health...)
But this remarkable transition is absent from the national conversation (symptoms aside).
My favourite graph: usage of the word 'cure' in English since the rise of pharmaceutical medicine.
The decline was surely because curing illness (being less profitable than treating it longterm) quietly fell out of favor.
The public narrative had to be adjusted.
The decline was surely because curing illness (being less profitable than treating it longterm) quietly fell out of favor.
The public narrative had to be adjusted.
October 6, 2025 at 11:07 AM
My favourite graph: usage of the word 'cure' in English since the rise of pharmaceutical medicine.
The decline was surely because curing illness (being less profitable than treating it longterm) quietly fell out of favor.
The public narrative had to be adjusted.
The decline was surely because curing illness (being less profitable than treating it longterm) quietly fell out of favor.
The public narrative had to be adjusted.
A year on from the publication of my book, getting anyone to think on Level 1 is still hard.
Most people remain fixated on Level 2 (symptoms)—& on leaders, legislation, policy ('treatments'): still believing there will be answers there.
#ThirdDraftDemocracy
Most people remain fixated on Level 2 (symptoms)—& on leaders, legislation, policy ('treatments'): still believing there will be answers there.
#ThirdDraftDemocracy
October 3, 2025 at 11:58 AM
A year on from the publication of my book, getting anyone to think on Level 1 is still hard.
Most people remain fixated on Level 2 (symptoms)—& on leaders, legislation, policy ('treatments'): still believing there will be answers there.
#ThirdDraftDemocracy
Most people remain fixated on Level 2 (symptoms)—& on leaders, legislation, policy ('treatments'): still believing there will be answers there.
#ThirdDraftDemocracy
The US #media is controlled by six companies.
In Italy it’s seven, in Britain it’s four. In Canada & Australia it’s three.
Social is worse again.
You can't vote wisely when all your information is selected for you by billionaires.
In Italy it’s seven, in Britain it’s four. In Canada & Australia it’s three.
Social is worse again.
You can't vote wisely when all your information is selected for you by billionaires.
September 26, 2025 at 11:59 AM
The US #media is controlled by six companies.
In Italy it’s seven, in Britain it’s four. In Canada & Australia it’s three.
Social is worse again.
You can't vote wisely when all your information is selected for you by billionaires.
In Italy it’s seven, in Britain it’s four. In Canada & Australia it’s three.
Social is worse again.
You can't vote wisely when all your information is selected for you by billionaires.
The decline of the West stems, more than anything, from the failure of its version of democracy
Our representative system doesn’t work very well because:
1. Legislatures are capturable by wealth
2. Power attracts non-normal people (dissociated, a bit narcissistic, able to lie easily…)
Our representative system doesn’t work very well because:
1. Legislatures are capturable by wealth
2. Power attracts non-normal people (dissociated, a bit narcissistic, able to lie easily…)
September 25, 2025 at 12:00 PM
The decline of the West stems, more than anything, from the failure of its version of democracy
Our representative system doesn’t work very well because:
1. Legislatures are capturable by wealth
2. Power attracts non-normal people (dissociated, a bit narcissistic, able to lie easily…)
Our representative system doesn’t work very well because:
1. Legislatures are capturable by wealth
2. Power attracts non-normal people (dissociated, a bit narcissistic, able to lie easily…)
Virtually all human genetics comes from before the +.
We're wired for social equality.
That's why outsourcing our decision-making to elites hasn't worked.
#ThirdDraftDemocracy
We're wired for social equality.
That's why outsourcing our decision-making to elites hasn't worked.
#ThirdDraftDemocracy
September 21, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Virtually all human genetics comes from before the +.
We're wired for social equality.
That's why outsourcing our decision-making to elites hasn't worked.
#ThirdDraftDemocracy
We're wired for social equality.
That's why outsourcing our decision-making to elites hasn't worked.
#ThirdDraftDemocracy
The newer democracies are suffering the same decline as their Western counterparts.
That’s because the model they imported contains all the flaws of the original.
The second, Euro-American ‘draft’ of the democratic experiment is reaching senility.
#ThirdDraftDemocracy #Democracy #Plutocracy
That’s because the model they imported contains all the flaws of the original.
The second, Euro-American ‘draft’ of the democratic experiment is reaching senility.
#ThirdDraftDemocracy #Democracy #Plutocracy
September 16, 2025 at 12:05 PM
The newer democracies are suffering the same decline as their Western counterparts.
That’s because the model they imported contains all the flaws of the original.
The second, Euro-American ‘draft’ of the democratic experiment is reaching senility.
#ThirdDraftDemocracy #Democracy #Plutocracy
That’s because the model they imported contains all the flaws of the original.
The second, Euro-American ‘draft’ of the democratic experiment is reaching senility.
#ThirdDraftDemocracy #Democracy #Plutocracy
The 'flee to Mars' thing is not exactly urgent.
The Sun won't destroy the Earth for about a billion years.
That's 14 million human lifetimes away.
Escapism is a neurosis.
The Sun won't destroy the Earth for about a billion years.
That's 14 million human lifetimes away.
Escapism is a neurosis.
September 15, 2025 at 12:15 PM
The 'flee to Mars' thing is not exactly urgent.
The Sun won't destroy the Earth for about a billion years.
That's 14 million human lifetimes away.
Escapism is a neurosis.
The Sun won't destroy the Earth for about a billion years.
That's 14 million human lifetimes away.
Escapism is a neurosis.
If we want to rescue our societies, most reforms being proposed today would be mere punctuation.
Democratic accountability is dead, liberty is vanishing, & governments break their own laws.
Usefully to our politicians & their sponsors, polarisation is rampant.
Democratic accountability is dead, liberty is vanishing, & governments break their own laws.
Usefully to our politicians & their sponsors, polarisation is rampant.
September 13, 2025 at 2:16 PM
If we want to rescue our societies, most reforms being proposed today would be mere punctuation.
Democratic accountability is dead, liberty is vanishing, & governments break their own laws.
Usefully to our politicians & their sponsors, polarisation is rampant.
Democratic accountability is dead, liberty is vanishing, & governments break their own laws.
Usefully to our politicians & their sponsors, polarisation is rampant.
"𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬, 𝐈 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐬, 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫."
- 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐬, 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐬
The ‘left v. right’ division stands alone in its power to shape society—by turning people with a handful of reconcilable differences into mindless, warring tribes.
- 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐬, 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐬
The ‘left v. right’ division stands alone in its power to shape society—by turning people with a handful of reconcilable differences into mindless, warring tribes.
September 12, 2025 at 1:37 PM
"𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬, 𝐈 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐲, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐬, 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫."
- 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐬, 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐬
The ‘left v. right’ division stands alone in its power to shape society—by turning people with a handful of reconcilable differences into mindless, warring tribes.
- 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐬, 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐬
The ‘left v. right’ division stands alone in its power to shape society—by turning people with a handful of reconcilable differences into mindless, warring tribes.
My book contains a few simple ideas:
- Modern politics can't produce the solutions we crave.
- It's not bad leaders & bad policies (they're only symptoms) - it's the design of the system.
books2read.com/thirddraft
- Modern politics can't produce the solutions we crave.
- It's not bad leaders & bad policies (they're only symptoms) - it's the design of the system.
books2read.com/thirddraft
September 12, 2025 at 1:03 AM
My book contains a few simple ideas:
- Modern politics can't produce the solutions we crave.
- It's not bad leaders & bad policies (they're only symptoms) - it's the design of the system.
books2read.com/thirddraft
- Modern politics can't produce the solutions we crave.
- It's not bad leaders & bad policies (they're only symptoms) - it's the design of the system.
books2read.com/thirddraft
#Democracy lost its geopolitical clout because its environmental threats evolved and it did not.
Like an animal species that remains static as those around it develop longer claws & faster speeds.
Failure to adapt, in a moving world, spells not stability but decline.
Like an animal species that remains static as those around it develop longer claws & faster speeds.
Failure to adapt, in a moving world, spells not stability but decline.
September 8, 2025 at 9:59 AM
#Democracy lost its geopolitical clout because its environmental threats evolved and it did not.
Like an animal species that remains static as those around it develop longer claws & faster speeds.
Failure to adapt, in a moving world, spells not stability but decline.
Like an animal species that remains static as those around it develop longer claws & faster speeds.
Failure to adapt, in a moving world, spells not stability but decline.
We don't expect Greenland to export mangoes or a shoe factory to produce diamonds.
So do we think that #media owned by billionaires is likely to produce a savvy public?
Or that #governance controlled by wealth will produce good policy?
So do we think that #media owned by billionaires is likely to produce a savvy public?
Or that #governance controlled by wealth will produce good policy?
September 5, 2025 at 9:59 AM
We don't expect Greenland to export mangoes or a shoe factory to produce diamonds.
So do we think that #media owned by billionaires is likely to produce a savvy public?
Or that #governance controlled by wealth will produce good policy?
So do we think that #media owned by billionaires is likely to produce a savvy public?
Or that #governance controlled by wealth will produce good policy?
'Goliath' is not just contesting us at pingpong: he owns the bats, the table & the players. He wrote the rules.
He can't be defeated within the present system: he *is* the present system.
A system can only be replaced by a system.
#Democracy #DemocracyWorks #TheMechanicsOfChangingTheWorld
He can't be defeated within the present system: he *is* the present system.
A system can only be replaced by a system.
#Democracy #DemocracyWorks #TheMechanicsOfChangingTheWorld
September 3, 2025 at 9:59 AM
'Goliath' is not just contesting us at pingpong: he owns the bats, the table & the players. He wrote the rules.
He can't be defeated within the present system: he *is* the present system.
A system can only be replaced by a system.
#Democracy #DemocracyWorks #TheMechanicsOfChangingTheWorld
He can't be defeated within the present system: he *is* the present system.
A system can only be replaced by a system.
#Democracy #DemocracyWorks #TheMechanicsOfChangingTheWorld
Our oligarchy can be ‘political’ (left-leaning, right-leaning) when needed.
But its main focus is on gaining control of the people, rules & institutions by which politics is made.
That's why our activism & our politics come to so little: we’re not even playing the same game.
#ThirdDraftDemocracy
But its main focus is on gaining control of the people, rules & institutions by which politics is made.
That's why our activism & our politics come to so little: we’re not even playing the same game.
#ThirdDraftDemocracy
September 3, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Our oligarchy can be ‘political’ (left-leaning, right-leaning) when needed.
But its main focus is on gaining control of the people, rules & institutions by which politics is made.
That's why our activism & our politics come to so little: we’re not even playing the same game.
#ThirdDraftDemocracy
But its main focus is on gaining control of the people, rules & institutions by which politics is made.
That's why our activism & our politics come to so little: we’re not even playing the same game.
#ThirdDraftDemocracy
During the last couple of generations, there was a slow, 'boiling frog' transition from democracy & prosperity to oligarchy & scarcity.
It's sometimes called neoliberalism: every human activity -child-raising, leisure time, health - kowtows to profit.
#CivicEngagement #DemocracyWorks
It's sometimes called neoliberalism: every human activity -child-raising, leisure time, health - kowtows to profit.
#CivicEngagement #DemocracyWorks
September 1, 2025 at 11:54 AM
During the last couple of generations, there was a slow, 'boiling frog' transition from democracy & prosperity to oligarchy & scarcity.
It's sometimes called neoliberalism: every human activity -child-raising, leisure time, health - kowtows to profit.
#CivicEngagement #DemocracyWorks
It's sometimes called neoliberalism: every human activity -child-raising, leisure time, health - kowtows to profit.
#CivicEngagement #DemocracyWorks
Lots of talk now about the disintegration of democracy.
I don't think the US has been a Republic or a democracy since (at least) Nov 22, 1963.
A reformist president was murdered in broad daylight, & all 18 subsequent administrations covered it up.
#Democracy #ThirdDraftDemocracy
I don't think the US has been a Republic or a democracy since (at least) Nov 22, 1963.
A reformist president was murdered in broad daylight, & all 18 subsequent administrations covered it up.
#Democracy #ThirdDraftDemocracy
September 1, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Lots of talk now about the disintegration of democracy.
I don't think the US has been a Republic or a democracy since (at least) Nov 22, 1963.
A reformist president was murdered in broad daylight, & all 18 subsequent administrations covered it up.
#Democracy #ThirdDraftDemocracy
I don't think the US has been a Republic or a democracy since (at least) Nov 22, 1963.
A reformist president was murdered in broad daylight, & all 18 subsequent administrations covered it up.
#Democracy #ThirdDraftDemocracy