what would it take? what would we do then?
Sammyray, who is a regular reader and occasional commenter here put forth the proposition that it is not enough to sweep one party from political hegemony only to sweep another, similarly corrupt party in to replace them. He has said that it is time for revolution in this country. I have entertained that thought myself, and to be blunt, I think that it is coming, but cannot say when. So I ask myself, what would it take to depose the sitting government, its laws and charter? In other words, how do we define the term 'revolution'?
Come now, don't be shy, this is a blatant and shameless solicitation of comments. Try to stay on topic if you can, but I realize that such a broad avenue of thought does encourage some wandering. Is a movement a revolution if it operates outside the existing social and political norms? Is it not a revolution if it accomplishes nothing more than could have been done within the established system? Is it necessary to completely discard the present political system to qualify for the term? Finally, how would you propose to replace the existing government?
I am going to be away this weekend, I may or may not have a chance to look in on this before Monday. I am asking, respectfully, for opinions. Be mindful that while many might agree with you in principle, the devil usually is in the details.
Have some fun with this.
Stay focused.
Come now, don't be shy, this is a blatant and shameless solicitation of comments. Try to stay on topic if you can, but I realize that such a broad avenue of thought does encourage some wandering. Is a movement a revolution if it operates outside the existing social and political norms? Is it not a revolution if it accomplishes nothing more than could have been done within the established system? Is it necessary to completely discard the present political system to qualify for the term? Finally, how would you propose to replace the existing government?
I am going to be away this weekend, I may or may not have a chance to look in on this before Monday. I am asking, respectfully, for opinions. Be mindful that while many might agree with you in principle, the devil usually is in the details.
Have some fun with this.
Stay focused.
posted by eccentric recluse at 11:43 AM
13 Comments:
Thank you for stopping by the Paddy Wagon. It is soft-core noir type stuff...
No need to feel akwar - I think you should intrude anytime.
It's in his honeymoon phase you understand... pretty soon we'll be throwing shit at each other and sleeping with the neighbors.
Okay then, you're post here....
I'm not a political girl, but if the revolution means the drugs are good - I'll be there... for like, five minutes... ten tops.
All I can say is part of me wants to bury my head in the sand and shake my knees at what's in store for us as far as political norms are involved.
I hate typo's.. but I do it all the time.
thanks for stopping in. I get the feeling that notion of a revolution is something that everybody wants, as long as they get what they want....
come back and post again.
every generation needs a good revolution to give it some definition. i think a revolution is usually a huge change in society, government and country and has to be huge, to impact as many people as possible.
i answered your question about the flipping off of masochist maggie on my comments.
nice choice of song! njoy your w/end!
I don't think there's much wrong with the system of government, it's just that the people in it need to be cleaned out every now and then as they all get corrupt over time. Tow things I'd change are no more lobbying and paperclipping a declaration of war on France to an eduication reform bill.
Revolution would be fun, maybe I'd get off school because the rebels took the strategically important Richard Montomery High School as a base of operations. Although in a bit of a valley, we are near everything...
Well I think the government in the United States IN PRINCIPLE is nearly as good as humans can invent.
As Wooz said, we need to get rid of the fucktards in office.
Beyond that, I think the real possibility exists for the country to finally BE a democracy. Computers and the internet can allow, for the first time in history, the people to actually vote and make decisions. Why not actually have referendums once a year, or once a month, and let the people vote the policies and actions of the government? Then we would no longer need to electoral college bullshit, nor would we need idiotic crapshoot campaigning among various states.
Here's (currently) why we don't have such a system: because the previously mentioned fucktards don't want to lose their power, their pay, and the ability to pursue their agendas earthwide. Face it: we wouldn't be fighting with Iraq if the People had voted on it and made the decision.
And AMEN on getting rid of special interests. The fucktards in Washington act like car salesmen half the time. And the rest of the time they act like fucktards.
My opinion, based on nothing much, is that a real revolution would be pretty difficult right now. Our government is just too big, too sophisticated, too tied to the economy, which is also, not, too big, but pretty big, and the military is too powerful. Revolutions in history took place on a smaller scale than what we have to work with this time. Conditions are not bad enough, although we all (rightfully) whine and complain, to put the majority of people in the mood to risk everything they have. Yet. I have always noticed that for the most part, the only people interested in a complete upset are of course those who are currently not doing that well and figure a change, any change, would be for the better, for them at least. This is why Bob Dylan's song Time's They Are A'Changin' had such power, because it spoke directly to those people, going so far as to reassure them that the tables will turn. The peace movement in the Sixties was powerful, no doubt, but across the nation it meant, to most people, simply fashion and musical tastes, and the numbers just weren't there to make the revolution go, and we all got absorbed, sadly, except for my old friend who lives in a school bus in Santa Cruz, and an smattering of herbal specialists here and there. (joke)
But then, who knows?
Okay, you say I've been tagged...I guess you mean tagged to answer this question?
If so, let me see....hmmmmm....The only way to get rid of our existing government is thru a militia takeover. Voting only does so much. If you do your research, voting for the president, senate or congress is all done thru the electoral college. Our votes don't mean squat. The electoral college is suppose to take our vote into consideration, but that doesn't always happen. So voting isn't an option for getting the existing government out. Therefore, the only way to get the government out is to overthrow it.
Another way is if a state or states ceceeds from the union like the south did in the civil war. It is in the constitution that states CAN do that. But that would take a whole lot of rallying and pull from the senators, congressman and governor from the state or states that choose to ceceed.
My humble opinion.
"You say you want a revolution, welllll, we all wanna change the world."
I'm coming back to post again. Hope that's ok!
How the hell are we going to overthrow the damn government unless you people are going to come up with a plan???
Think, people!!
E_N:
You are welcome anytime.
E_R
ER, Interesting thing to think about! My first thought was a very silent revolution. Some group gettng a hell of a lot more power than they should have. Maybe the passionate but extreme religious bunch that seem to have the ear of most of DC.
I do wonder if maybe it will come in the form of a economic revolt. You know, the haves against the have nots. That wouldn't be as silent I don't suppose. And may be a lot nearer than we think.
I haven't even considered what form the democracy might take under either of these....
JB
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