scout86
VIP Member
I was more thinking of the kind of revolution where "We the People" stand up and take the country back from the two major parties.
Don't get me wrong, I think there are SOME good people in both parties who really care about the country and mean what they say. I suspect they are a minority. I think, for most of them, it's about choosing sides and winning. And manipulating the masses as needed to do it. Because winning is winning and the winner gets power and the resources that go with it. I can think of no other explanation for some of the mindless carping that goes on. When it comes right down to it, most of The People, share the same basic values. But very few in politicians seem to want to talk about that.
The best example I can think of comes from the Republican party, but I'm sure there are examples from the Democratic side too. For YEARS, they have talked about things like "law and order". They have stirred up fears of immigrants, minorities, etc. Not directly, but in ways that can mean different things to different people. So, for the most part, it's hard to prove a charge of bigotry. You get enough people worried about crime, losing their jobs, etc, you tell them "Don't worry, we've got this handled" and many people buy into it and follow along. That got us into Iraq. That got people to buy into "trickle down economics". They've accomplished a lot. And they've effectively split the country right down the middle. And they don't even seem to be able to see this is a problem. And then Trump came along, noticed the ground work that had been laid, and decided he could beat them at their own game. And we're seeing the results. ALL of the powers that be are freaked out because this guy has taken over the train and he's not willing to play by any rules but his own. Shoulda maybe seen that coming, although there shoulda been a plan for how to run the country after we invaded Iraq too.
The weakness in this political scheming is that this IS a representative democracy. They can work to manipulate the emotions of the public, but they can't stop us from voting. And I don't think, in the end, they can stop us from making them do the jobs we elected them to do. What the group that @Justmehere linked to is interested in is removing the big money from the system so it's harder for special interest groups to buy politicians. Which I think is as good a place as any to start. We "just" have to be willing to think for ourselves and not be manipulated by fear mongering.
The other place I think we need to start is, as @joeylittle said, by voting our values, as best we can. The two parties have presented us with a miserable choice, for most people anyway. I wish the minor party candidates were doing a better job (where's Ross Perot when you need him? Or Ralph Nader, for that matter?). But, they aren't. I still think the only way a system like ours works for the people is if the people vote for people they believe in and agree with. We're stuck with the slate for this year, I guess, but before the next major election, we need to figure out how to take the country back from the political parties.
