I am not enthusiastic about either of the candidates or their potential alternates. Not to mention the raft of 'unelected officials' that inevitablely seem to follow in their train…
Perhaps it's high time that we revisit these first two paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence:
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the natural law and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.--That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate, that governments long established, should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.”
Thank you for your kind words. And thank you for offering to stand as a Green MP. It's high time to get Rishi Sunak and the Tories out of power, isn't it?
Revolution will only come about when the Army turns on the government, or at least does nothing while the people overthrow it. Just like it did, or didn't do, in England, France, and Russia.
With every new imperial war, with every mandatory DEI training in the military, with each subsequent failure to help a veteran wounded in body or mind, that day just comes closer, and no one will see it coming before it gets here.
I like this recipe for revolution... We play the billionaires' game against them and screw them over with boycotts, strikes, mass protests and keep spinning the narrative through the indie journos. But we do gotta organize ourselves much better than we've ever done before. Voting for Jill Stein in the US might just be the key to uniting diverse factions.
Yes, unifying the "left" or the "people" as I prefer to call them is essential. We do need someone to stand up as our spokesperson, and I think Jill Stein is perfect for the job this time around.
You're welcome. I think a similar tactic could be used to squeeze Justin Trudeau and his party out of Parliament in Canada, sort of how the Australian Greens have forced their "duopoly" by taking in enough seats to influence legislation. But shutting down the Tar Sands pipelines might do it by itself!
I wish. The Green Party is in a shambles and has lost a lot of people's confidence, including mine. And Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the NDP (faux left at this point), can be pressured to do the right thing, but it doesn't seem like his heart is in it. A lot of the left/green in Canada feel politically homeless. I certainly do.
That sucks. It might be time to build a new party or see if there's someone out there willing to step up and take over the Greens or NDP and actually lead the left. Maybe it's you? ;-)
Agreed that power cedes nothing without a fight. But like you said, instigating violence straight out of the chute is only going to squash the revolution before it truly begins. The people have to know their limitations and their strengths. Our true strength is our numbers. That's why the non-violent tactics of BDS and striking can be very effective if they're 1.) universal and 2.) kept up long enough to do the necessary damage to the Empire. We have to convince ourselves that we're capable and willing enough to do whatever it takes. The "guerilla warfare" tactic works because it does wear down the powers-that-be, but in the 21st century I wonder how long the powers-that-be will put up with it before dropping a nuclear weapon or similar device on the people, destroying our unity and hope for a better future. That's the tightrope we're walking in 2024. An effective spokesperson for the people such as Jill Stein could help us all navigate that thin line, IMO. Whether we like it or not, we like our "leaders" and icons that help us focus during times of war, and taking out the bourgeoisie is going to be a war that won't be fought and won overnight. We're committing to a long haul.
Let's hope so. They still have the "nuclear football" and the codes. We'll have our deer rifles. And the vast majority of Westerners don't like to get their hands dirty let alone bloody. A war of attrition may make them long for the good ol' days of Imperialism. That's why I say it can't be just bullets or ballots. It must include brains and compassion (heart) as well.
An "Army of Common Sense". That's a good name for it. A coalition of groups and other coalitions that are unified in exerting pressure where it needs to be done. And gathering and posting the info and intel such as boycott lists in one place for ease of sharing is very much needed. Perhaps you've found your calling, Ted!
I agree that Substack could be a good place to organize the indie journalists to help spread the word among groups and coordinate actions on a large scale.
I am not enthusiastic about either of the candidates or their potential alternates. Not to mention the raft of 'unelected officials' that inevitablely seem to follow in their train…
Perhaps it's high time that we revisit these first two paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence:
“When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the natural law and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.--That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate, that governments long established, should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.”
youtu.be/buvSIrFi0Hw
A great summary. I'll vote Green in the UK for the same reasons (and offered to stand as a Green MP).
Thank you for your kind words. And thank you for offering to stand as a Green MP. It's high time to get Rishi Sunak and the Tories out of power, isn't it?
Yes! Global strike is the way to go...
Revolution will only come about when the Army turns on the government, or at least does nothing while the people overthrow it. Just like it did, or didn't do, in England, France, and Russia.
With every new imperial war, with every mandatory DEI training in the military, with each subsequent failure to help a veteran wounded in body or mind, that day just comes closer, and no one will see it coming before it gets here.
I do believe you're right. Every time the government treats one of our vets like cr*p, that's one more revolutionary for the cause.
I like this recipe for revolution... We play the billionaires' game against them and screw them over with boycotts, strikes, mass protests and keep spinning the narrative through the indie journos. But we do gotta organize ourselves much better than we've ever done before. Voting for Jill Stein in the US might just be the key to uniting diverse factions.
Yes, unifying the "left" or the "people" as I prefer to call them is essential. We do need someone to stand up as our spokesperson, and I think Jill Stein is perfect for the job this time around.
Ballots, brains and BDS, and strikes and Jill Stein...could be a recipe for success. Thanks for posting.
You're welcome. I think a similar tactic could be used to squeeze Justin Trudeau and his party out of Parliament in Canada, sort of how the Australian Greens have forced their "duopoly" by taking in enough seats to influence legislation. But shutting down the Tar Sands pipelines might do it by itself!
I wish. The Green Party is in a shambles and has lost a lot of people's confidence, including mine. And Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the NDP (faux left at this point), can be pressured to do the right thing, but it doesn't seem like his heart is in it. A lot of the left/green in Canada feel politically homeless. I certainly do.
That sucks. It might be time to build a new party or see if there's someone out there willing to step up and take over the Greens or NDP and actually lead the left. Maybe it's you? ;-)
Some of us are actually working on it, although I haven't heard much about it lately. Obviously I'm not the lead.
Agreed that power cedes nothing without a fight. But like you said, instigating violence straight out of the chute is only going to squash the revolution before it truly begins. The people have to know their limitations and their strengths. Our true strength is our numbers. That's why the non-violent tactics of BDS and striking can be very effective if they're 1.) universal and 2.) kept up long enough to do the necessary damage to the Empire. We have to convince ourselves that we're capable and willing enough to do whatever it takes. The "guerilla warfare" tactic works because it does wear down the powers-that-be, but in the 21st century I wonder how long the powers-that-be will put up with it before dropping a nuclear weapon or similar device on the people, destroying our unity and hope for a better future. That's the tightrope we're walking in 2024. An effective spokesperson for the people such as Jill Stein could help us all navigate that thin line, IMO. Whether we like it or not, we like our "leaders" and icons that help us focus during times of war, and taking out the bourgeoisie is going to be a war that won't be fought and won overnight. We're committing to a long haul.
Let's hope so. They still have the "nuclear football" and the codes. We'll have our deer rifles. And the vast majority of Westerners don't like to get their hands dirty let alone bloody. A war of attrition may make them long for the good ol' days of Imperialism. That's why I say it can't be just bullets or ballots. It must include brains and compassion (heart) as well.
An "Army of Common Sense". That's a good name for it. A coalition of groups and other coalitions that are unified in exerting pressure where it needs to be done. And gathering and posting the info and intel such as boycott lists in one place for ease of sharing is very much needed. Perhaps you've found your calling, Ted!
I agree that Substack could be a good place to organize the indie journalists to help spread the word among groups and coordinate actions on a large scale.