Seven Steps to Revolution »
Posted by: Radiofreeeuropa 6 months, 1 week ago298 Comments Report this Story
"Those who make peaceful evolution impossible make violent revolution inevitable." -John F. Kennedy sociological research suggests that America may be far more ready for far more change than anyone believes is possible at this moment. In fact,we've already lined up all the preconditions that have historically led to violent revolution.
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Radiofreeeuropa6 months, 1 week ago
FTA- It turns out that, historically, liberal nations make very poor grounds for revolution -- but deeply conservative ones very reliably create the conditions that eventually make violent overthrow necessary. And our own Republicans, it turns out, have done a hell of a job. ...Thanks to 28 years of conservative misrule, we are now at the point where "manifest reality breaks away from anticipated reality;" and the breach is creating political turbulence. The average American has seen his or her standard of living contract by fits and starts since about 1972.
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memestryker6 months, 1 week ago
Yeah, growth of the robber barrons again--in an endless cycle that always produces a backlash by the disenfranchised, whether it's laborers (industrial revolution), homeless and bankrupt (Great Depression), or people seeking human rights (Blacks, women). I wouldn't be surprised at seeing some civil disobedience.
Even in areas known for an abundance of work, people have been laid off, their jobs shipped off-shore. And business is more international than ever, with home offices of former U.S. companies now located in the Bahamas, with special treatment on government contracts--"as if" they were still U.S. companies.
But I don't think it's a simple conservative-liberal thing. I think globalization has hit, and it's something new. And would Obama be a Jimmy Carter, John Kennedy, or what?
The regression to ancient-patriarchal religions worldwide is harming women. They need to start packing heat to level the playing field--to stop violence aimed at them.
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earthlingerer6 months, 1 week ago
Violent revolution in america?
Where can I PayPal my funds to?
I want everything done the way the original constitution was written, though, but let women vote, and no slaves, either.
...and NO people rich enough to continue "dynasties".
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ML20076 months, 1 week ago
MeMe- A lot of what you are saying is basically true, but if women need to pack heat, that is a violent revolutionary act. The reason it is not a "simple liberal-conservative thing" is because we are not in agreement exactly what the definitive nature of each word is. The revolution begins when you begin defining the words and dividing the opposition. It usually starts with pamphlets and local neighborhood meetings. If these politicians don't put a stop to these seven steps, watch for those pamphlets and meetings to crop up overnight.
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libsRfunny6 months, 1 week ago
Interesting. The hackneyed opinion piece opens with a quote by Kennedy, and President who won based upon a platform of reducing taxes, strong military and fighting communism.
Even liberal darling Pete Seeger admitted the U.S. is a far better place in which to live than any communist/socialist state.
Liberals campaigning on a platform of gun control, removing religion from societal concerns and nationalizing industry sure did cause violent revolution, also known as Nazi Germany. Stalin was a murderer of grand, historical proportions, and Castro's "liberal" policy toward AIDs victims is to lock them away form society.
No wonder so many liberals are such wanton fools. Did you notice that during the past 28 years, Democrats mostly held the reigns of power in the U.S. Congress? Like today's Demoncraps, they accomplished nothing of significance.
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Dionys6 months, 1 week ago
"Liberals campaigning on a platform of gun control, removing religion from societal concerns and nationalizing industry sure did cause violent revolution, also known as Nazi Germany"
You might want to go back and research how religion was used by Hitler in (not removed from) "societal concerns." That way you won't look quite as uneducated as you do.
How is Bush's religiously-based, force it down their throats AIDS "policy" any different than Castro's? Ultimately it just leads to more deaths because of ideology.
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Radiofreeeuropa6 months, 1 week ago
As Thomas Jefferson said, the tendency for government to be subverted by "moneyed corporations and banking institutions" he felt was a larger danger than any standing army. Where to begin? 1. A government that represents the interests of the people is not "communist". That's a complete fallacy. Certainly the founders of the US didn't have totalitarianism in mind, they took every caution to subvert it. "Liberals campaigning on a platform of gun control, removing religion from societal concerns and nationalizing industry..." Liberals are fascists (and communists?)? Hitler's first actions were to ban labor unions, throw communists and intellectuals in jail, and beat down the middle class with cheap imported labor...real liberal. (Socialist Workers Party...Patriot Act...Clear Skies Initiative... all sort of the same thing.) Fascism is simply the combining of state and corporate powers as defined by Mussolini.
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cowboygrandpa6 months, 1 week ago
Those are not liberals but conservatives. They are trying to preserve the status quo of government control just like the corporations are doing with this government. Wake up you silly propagandist.
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baddad59Comment removed: User banned.
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Shadowolf6 months, 1 week ago
LeShrub has been amassing the tools that would allow him to be Americas first dictator from the time he was court appointed...Hell, he even SAID he wanted to be a dictator, does anyone really think he'll hand off to a liberal without a fight???
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cowboygrandpa6 months, 1 week ago
Rfe:
I've been for a peaceful revolution since Nixons disgraceful disclosures. Vote them out and keep them out.
It's time for a change for a more liberal thought process at least to the moderate level.
Change is definitely needed. We are becoming a third rate nation under the republican rule.
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libsRfunny6 months, 1 week ago
"Nixon, the war and politicians who start wars without valid reasons! It is time for change!"
Interesting you attack Nixon, the man who got us out of Vietnam (a democrat-run war, btw -- see LBJ and JFK), opened relations with Red China and created the Environmental Protection Agency.
You liberals really should learn facts.
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MajJohn6 months, 1 week ago
As I see it the more we say we're becoming a third rate nation because of.... the more it becomes a self fulfilling statement. As long as we're willing to buy into that partisan crap that the fault lies in one party or the other, we will remain slaves to divisiveness and lack of action. Yes, vote out the incumbents, party has nothing to do with it. Most of our representatives are that in name only. They represent whoever is able to buy them off. We have to make our government accountable again. We need transparency in Washington. We're not going to get it by electing one crook to replace another. It goes back before Nixon Gramps! Remember The Gulf of Tonkin! I want the change defined clearly before I vote for it so as to not be suckered into more of the same thing.
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Radiofreeeuropa6 months, 1 week ago
More FTA- In all the historical examples Davies and Brinton cite, the stage for revolution was set when the upper classes broke faith with society's other groups, and began to openly prey on them in ways that threatened their very future. Not surprisingly, the other groups soon united, took up arms, and rebelled.
And here we are again: Conservative policies have opened the wealth gap to Depression levels; put workers at the total mercy of their employers; and deprived the working and middle classes of access to education, home ownership, health care, capital, legal redress, and their expectations of a better future for their kids. You can only get away with blaming this on gays and Mexicans for so long before people get wise to the game. And as the primaries are making clear: Americans are getting wise.
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MajJohn6 months, 1 week ago
The ruling elite is both conservative and liberal, beholding to different special interests. As log as we spout off it's the liberals or the conservatives fault, we'll get nowhere. It's all our fault for not going to the polls and voting the bums out. We should be disgraced that less than 40% of us vote. The rest of us sit on our a$$ and blame the other guy.
Incidentally what are you implying? At no time in our history are there more of us w/ a higher education. Home ownership is at an all time high as evidenced by the housing collapse, before, those who could not afford to buy, rented. Only 17% of the country is unionized. The union became irrelevant to many. No one is removing legal redress. No one blames Mexicans and Gays. These are smoke screen issues.
Worry about pollution, unsecured borders, jobs going overseas, abuse of eminent domain, & the national debt. We need to quit griping and get a handle on our sovereignty before there's no USA to worry about.
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crespi6 months, 1 week ago
No one blames gays?
Do you READ what conservatives have been saying on Netscape and Propeller?
They blamed HURRICANES on gays!
Christian conservatives right here on propeller. Remember?
We do.
I think that some Liberals are very bad but the ENTIRE Republican party has been taken over by the most abhorrent extremists and THIS is what needs addressing right now.
We can deal with Liberals' "social programs" later.
Right now THE UNITARY EXECUTIVE (or Binary Executive) is one of the GREATEST THREATS to our American way of Government.
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Radiofreeeuropa6 months, 1 week ago
I see it like this, Americans, at the time of the revolutionary war were a divided nation as well. Half the country were the conservative Tory, who, like all of conservatism's proponents, stand against change. They sided with the King. The revolution was conducted by the other half of the country. Are not half the country today disgusted and outraged by the ruling elite?
If serious change is not obvious to the American people in this next few years I believe there is enough steam in the kettle to boil.
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walden36 months, 1 week ago
Interesting. I like the author's premise that revolution can arise due to a disconnect between expectations and results. It lays the groundwork for a sort of a social contract that the governed have with the governors and if the contract is breached and the governed's expectations are damaged the results may be rapid change to correct the imbalance.
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GWHayduke6 months, 1 week ago
I think that we have to realize that revolution is a wildly radical concept to most in the US. The word conjures up images of guilotines, red coats and muskets firing.
We Americans are a complacent bunch with a very high tolerance for being goverened by the incompetent, and an equally high tolerance for injustice.
As long as we can afford to drive a relatively shiny new car, watch our reality television and eat cheap fast meals we are in no danger of a violent movement.
The catalyst for revolution will be economic. Only when we lose power to purchase the things we think we need, will we be motivated to act.
The revolution will not be televised.
Another great post RFE.
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Centinel6 months, 1 week ago
GW,
We are far closer than may be realized. Hopefully the revolt will take place at the polling place this year. This author mentions that if the new leadership does not make significant headway toward reversing this trend, the people will have had 4 more years of seething. It will not take that long! We cannot afford 4 more years. Our "tolerance" has been pushed too far.
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libsRfunny6 months, 1 week ago
"We Americans are a complacent bunch with a very high tolerance for being goverened by the incompetent, and an equally high tolerance for injustice."
Is that why you liberals worship a bumbling oaf like Bill Clinton? You do know Democrats control Congress, right? Lowest approval ratings in Congressional history and completely incapable of accomplishing anything of significance.
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gamahuche6 months, 1 week ago
FTA
There's something implacable, earnest, and righteously angry in the air. And it raises all kinds of questions for burned-out Boomers and jaded Gen Xers who've been ground down to the stump by the mostly losing battles of the past 30 years. Can it be -- at long last -- that Americans have, simply, had enough? Are we, finally, stepping out to take back our government -- and with it, control of our own future? Is this simply a shifting political season -- the kind we get every 20 to 30 years -- or is there something deeper going on here? Do we dare to raise our hopes that this time, we're going to finally win a few? Just how ready is this country for big, serious, forward-looking change?
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gamahuche6 months, 1 week ago
YES!
The change is coming..
Revolution is coming to the USA - Leonard Cohen sang it a long time ago already!
The only thing that has not so far been acknowledged is that this will NOT be a bloodless revolution. We will not just emerge from one day to the next from the dark tunnel into the shining light.
The powers that presently rule are NOT just going to hand over the keys and say "Didn't you do well! Have a nice day! Enjoy!"
Why WOULD they?
But nor will they be able to stop it happening.
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Centinel6 months, 1 week ago
You are right in pointing out that the wealthy plutocrats are not going to give all their power and money up without a fight. Anyone who has any foresight will stock up, lock and load. We will need modern day "minutemen" in every community.
It is better to have a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not have it.
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SonOfTheMask6 months, 1 week ago
If you don't like the way things are going, step up to the plate and be a leader for change...within the democratic process.
Suggesting a bloody revolution is drivel. If the Far Left tries an armed insurrection to try and bring about some socialist paradise, you won't be met with just the police and armed forces...you'll be met by people like me who have the right to bear arms and who believe in a democratic republic with a capitalist economic system.
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hyperbola6 months, 1 week ago
You may be a very small minority given the number of Americans who say, and have been saying for some time now, that the country is on the wrong path.
What is equally interesting is that there is every bit as much frustration and sense of the need for change on the "conservative" side of politics.
The common ground between the two groups seems to be a sense of loss of control of their own lives for the benefit of corrupt corporations and military imperialism.
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SonOfTheMask6 months, 1 week ago
From Day One, there have always been people who believe that the country is on the wrong path for a variety of reasons. Our government and our laws are established to allow citizen leadership to address issues within the framework of democratically elected representatives in a republican system. So step up and advocate solutions to the problems...not "revolution" in the sense of taking up arms to overthrow the government.
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