May God forbid either another American Revolution or another American Civil War. The Civil War was fought over secession, and I have already expressed my views (at LinkedIn.com) on that, so I will not opine further here on that matter.
As to a second American Revolution, Thomas Jefferson warned us that it may be necessary to have a revolution every 200 years or so, just to set government again on a sound footing. Here, however, is the danger: This is NOT 1776 and we will never again, in this nation, have group of people like the colonists (many of whom had experience tyranny and oppression first-hand) nor such staid leadership as was present in our Founding Fathers. I cannot imagine what an ill wind might arise were we to take men of power and influence today and ask them to construct for us an entirely new Constitution.
You must remember, if one were to start an armed rebellion, we would not be supporting our nation and our Constitution, for even though many in the battle might hold to the ideals expressed in our present Constitution, it would be necessary to violently overthrow the existing government and establish an new one. That is the nature of violent revolution.
We have a method for changing our government in a non-violent way. You and I have forsaken that way through our own idleness and indolence, through self-serving and an unwillingness to fight the fight for liberty EVERY DAY instead of just when things "get too bad."
Plato warned us millennia ago that for preservation of a republic there are ONLY TWO IMPORTANT QUESTIONS:
1. WHO gets to teach the children, and
2. WHAT do they teach them.
More than an hundred years ago, the American citizenry decided that state-run schools were an acceptable solution for the education of our children. Despite warnings to the contrary, the vast majority of citizens took the path of least resistance and surrendered their children to COMPULSORY MIS-EDUCATION promulgated first by the states, and then, ultimately (under Jimmy Carter), by the federal Department of Education.
When our children are educated by the state, what in your wildest imagination makes you believe that these children will not ultimately be conformed to believe that the government is the solution to EVERY PROBLEM?
This has gone on for so long now that even our colleges of education are wholly contaminated by this philosophy. Almost every new teacher and administrator comes into the state-run school system fully saturated with nothing but foolishness about government, economics, politics, the environment and more.
This present generation in the U.S. has never KNOWN tyranny, never FOUGHT AGAINST tyranny, never really STOOD UP for anything much more than their own SELF-SATISFACTION. (Sometimes that self-satisfaction involves making themselves feel better by "standing up for the poor" or "hugging a tree," but, in the end, it is self-satisfaction.) That's why it is much simpler to establish a solid constitution, a new government, free markets and a sound monetary policy in places like the Czech Republic today than it is to do the same thing here in the U.S. The people in the Czech Republic -- most of them -- experienced 40 years of oppression and tyranny and they know what they DON'T WANT again! Many in the U.S. electorate that voted for Obama, on the other hand, considered their vote of no more significance than casting a vote for their favorite on "American Idol."
I believe there is a way back. I have written an article that describes that way.
It is available here.
Thanks.
2 comments:
I fear you may have missed the significance of our forefathers' warnings, and this may be in part due to the idolization you have placed upon them. They did not exist in a period of history where the Universe granted us noble, wise thinkers. They were simply the wise and noble thinkers of that time, and today, we, too, have our noble and wise among us. Throughout history, and throughout our world today, you can see these great people rise to the surface when called upon by the injustices of their current climate. Perhaps today you have seen the corruption in our government grow beyond your level of tolerance, and before we might give the gift of government to those in countries oppressed, it is necessary that our government is able to serve us. As Thomas Jefferson said, how can one govern another when he is unable to govern himself?
Dear Anonymous:
I certainly do not idolize our United States Founding Fathers. Neither do I miss the point, however, that these men lived in a unique time, under unique circumstances and, most of them, had the benefit of a classical education. This education--accompanied by their own further reading and thinking--gave them an historical perspective on the dangers of democracy ranging at least from Greco-Roman history up through the precursors to the French Revolution.
Sure, there are fine thinking men today, as well. But these thinking men (and women) face a much larger challenge in a nation of more than 350 million--most mis-educated to a great degree.
So, if you are prepared to start a Second American Revolution, then do so. Just be sure you--and those around you--have the courage to carry it through to victory and then, the wisdom, to end it with better government, not a worse one.
As for me, I do not believe that the people's tolerance for bad government has yet reached the point that most would be prepared to rise up and pay the cost of an open (armed) revolution.
Thank you for your comment.
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