The boiling point.

[fear_and_greed]

 

 

Is it time for a new American revolution? How far will the

"have nots" permit themselves to be pushed? What will be the boiling point that ignites the spark that says enough

is enough?

How will it surface and who will lead the charge? How will it spread and develop the necessary strength to overcome the current government structure?

Will 1000 mothers that have lost sons in an avoidable war be the spark? 2000? 10,000? How many will it take?

Will the ever expanding, self appointed role as the worlds policeman simply become too much? Will meddling in the affairs of other sovereign nations under the auspices of freedom take a step too far? Will it be the reintroduction of the draft or when "Axis of Evil" countries are invaded?

Will the racism and prejudice that simmers just below the surface finally explode, divide the nation and set it aflame? Is hurricane Katrina the latest progression from Watts and Montgomery? Are reservations like where the red man is enchained their next step?

Will it be the crushing foreign debt that triggers an economic collaspe? Do broke, beaten down people have anything else to lose?

Can the current education, social security and health care systems provide for the people? Will they finally crack and dump the populace knee deep in the mire?

Will taxation without representation become the catalyst once more?

Will the rape of the environment make living conditions unbearable? Will another natural disaster strike and produce a cataclysm that breaks the fragile underpinnings of society?

Will the rise of the another superpower starting to squeeze the hand of uncle sam so hard make him forget about domestic prolems and concentrate on his shrinking global influence?

Can there be a chain reaction of the above factors that when taken alone don't have the necessary vigor, but collectively do, to compel a movement that starts the change?

Spray on.

[Fairweather]

IN Canada? The US? The world?

 

Here, anyway, it will come in 2006 and 2008. When we vote. If you would like your revolution sooner....bring it on!

[ivan]

when jefferson called for a revolution every 20 years, i think unforutanetly he didn't anticipate the deadly effect of tv, brittney spears, and x-boxes - the people who are getting fucked the most, and therefore should be the critical mass of any revolution, are so thoroughly anesthized by a thousand distractions that i can hardly concieve of them every revolting against a thing. if there will be any revolution, it won't come until after the lights have gone out - when they can't surf the net for porn, spray on cc.com, watch jerry springer, play nhl'06, listen to the dixie chix, participate in inane political conversations about boys kissing, etc.

 

elections are hardly revolutions, at least in a popular sense - they typically involve only very small portions of the total population.

 

hell, has america EVER really had a revolution? that thing in '76 hardly qualifies - it was a very far cry from the massive convultions that wracked european society for decades in the 19th century.

[EWolfe]

That is one of the most succinct statements I have read here in a while.

 

Thanks, Eric.

[ken4ord]

I agree with Ivan, there is essentially no need or purpose for a revolution when americans have everything they "need", or at least believe they need. I am definitely siked to get out of that stagnant country. Even with all those things that you listed off, living in the states is easy, there no fucking way people are going rise up and jepordize there comfortable lifestyle. Say if the poor in the cities rose up, the populace that own a house, have job, have there SUV, children, Xbox and cable wouldn't stand for it and squash any type of major movement. I don't see that there would be any other superpower that could start squeezing Unkle Sam hand a little to tight, say if there was a superpower that was on the rise we would either squash it or allign ourselves with them. This is silly.

 

At first I thought this thread was going to be about the TV show Boiling Point not some trying to figure what it going to take. Shit things would have to go pretty damn sour and I it won't happen in our lifetime.

[bunglehead]

I agree with Ivan, there is essentially no need or purpose for a revolution when americans have everything they "need"....Even with all those things that you listed off, living in the states is easy, there no fucking way people are going rise up and jepordize there comfortable lifestyle....poor....cities rose up.....populace..house, have job,SUV, children, Xbox and cable wouldn't stand for it and squash any type of major movement.

Shit things would have to go pretty damn sour and it won't happen in our lifetime.

 

I agree with this sarcastic, yet altogether accurate asessment. Reminds me of a a guy I used to work for that moved to Mexico in 1966 out of fear of unrest in the U.S.

He moved back in 1973. When I asked him one time why he moved back, he said:

"Because I realized that the revolution had been co-opted by television"

Funny, but kind of true.

[archenemy]

I wonder what would happen if we all agreed to not pay our taxes for one year? We organize and issue a clear statement about how we don't want our money wasted anymore on corporate welfare, $600 hammers, whatever. That might get the government's attention. Somehow, I think that they have forgottent that we are not here for them, they are here for us.

[Stefan]

If you do not vote, or write your congressman, or even run for congress, then you acquiesce to what is going on.

[archenemy]

I know that statement was not directed toward me, but to the general population.

 

Nonetheless, I disagree with you. I think that people have been sold that line of shit for too long. If you think you can discharge your civil duty by taking paid time off work to vote, writing a whiney missive, or becoming another politician, you are sorely mistaken.

 

People accomplish far more lofty goals in many ways other than the three restrictive options you offer--and they are not acquiescing to anything.

[selkirk]

Agreed, but if you don't at least vote than you've given up your right whine later. Even if you do nothing else you should at the very least vote.

[archenemy]

I respectfully disagree.

It is not up to us to decide when a person is allowed to excersize their right to free speech; especially by using our personal values as guidelines for others' right to voice their opinion.

Edited September 13, 2005 by archenemy

[RuMR]

oh be quiet!

[archenemy]

I am voting you off the thread.

[Stefan]

I know that statement was not directed toward me, but to the general population.

 

Nonetheless, I disagree with you. I think that people have been sold that line of shit for too long. If you think you can discharge your civil duty by taking paid time off work to vote, writing a whiney missive, or becoming another politician, you are sorely mistaken.

 

People accomplish far more lofty goals in many ways other than the three restrictive options you offer--and they are not acquiescing to anything.

 

I don't think protesting does jack crap. I remember all those people protesting against the Iraq invasion. Look what happpened.

 

Lobbying is another idea. Oh yeah. That's a winner of an idea.

 

What other ways are there?

[olyclimber]

[cj001f]

I don't think protesting does jack crap. I remember all those people protesting against the Iraq invasion. Look what happpened.

 

Lobbying is another idea. Oh yeah. That's a winner of an idea.

 

What other ways are there?

 

Lobbying doesn't do shit? Protests don't matter? Your ignorance of our political system is showing. Lobbying influences policies in thousands of ways daily.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Agreed, but if you don't at least vote than you've given up your right whine later. Even if you do nothing else you should at the very least vote.

 

The problem is that the candidates who run are groomed and selected for us. When you have essentially two unpalatable alternatives, picked by others, who differ only in the details, what choice is there really?

[archenemy]

I know that statement was not directed toward me, but to the general population.

 

Nonetheless, I disagree with you. I think that people have been sold that line of shit for too long. If you think you can discharge your civil duty by taking paid time off work to vote, writing a whiney missive, or becoming another politician, you are sorely mistaken.

 

People accomplish far more lofty goals in many ways other than the three restrictive options you offer--and they are not acquiescing to anything.

 

 

What other ways are there?

 

I rest my case.

 

Open your eyes and look around you. People volunteer for things they believe in. They start organizations that succeed in helping groups they wish to help. People take time after work to be a Big Brother or Big Sister. They donate money, withhold money from companies they don't want to support, invest in socially responsible funds, start magazines, and plant grassroots movements just to name a few. They vote with their actions, with their money, with their words--not just with a piece of paper that doesn't count for shit anyways.

[Cobra_Commander]

Your presentation would be much more dramatic if you would use the x-axis for temporal data, and have two individual curves for thermal and peg-leg-atal data.

[Jim]

There will be no major changes unless the late-sipping middle class feels some crunch. No, a big crunch. If they can still afford the SUV and the gas, the wide-screen TV, and the mortgage on the McMansion, why care about the have-nots that don't vote? Line that up with the pablum that passes for news, the latest cleb gossip, and Oprah. Well how can a debate on society and goverenance compete with that?

[Alpinfox]

The per capita GDP in the United States is ~$40K. There will be no revolution until people are hungry.

 

Edit: Oops. I see Jim already said that.

[archenemy]

could be.

Although many revolutions or civil unrests were fomented by the have-nots. They are the most angry and have the least to lose. To think that only the middle class can start a revolution is a mistake (I realize you didn't say that and probably don't believe that; but one could interpret the post as saying that--as could my post about not paying taxes).

And of course, wars are often financed by the wealthy.

[Stefan]

I don't think protesting does jack crap. I remember all those people protesting against the Iraq invasion. Look what happpened.

 

Lobbying is another idea. Oh yeah. That's a winner of an idea.

 

What other ways are there?

 

Lobbying doesn't do shit? Protests don't matter? Your ignorance of our political system is showing. Lobbying influences policies in thousands of ways daily.

 

Sure lobbying influences. BUT WHAT ARE YOU DOING ABOUT LOBBY? If you do nothing, or another person does nothing, then you and they acquiesce that the lobby way of influencing government is acceptable.

[Stefan]

I rest my case.

 

Open your eyes and look around you. People volunteer for things they believe in. They start organizations that succeed in helping groups they wish to help. People take time after work to be a Big Brother or Big Sister. They donate money, withhold money from companies they don't want to support, invest in socially responsible funds, start magazines, and plant grassroots movements just to name a few. They vote with their actions, with their money, with their words--not just with a piece of paper that doesn't count for shit anyways.

 

Good examples. That's why I asked. "The vote with your dollar" is a very good example. Government often works with these organizations and is often influenced by them. I like that example.

[archenemy]

There are times when choosing not to participate is a powerful form of dissent.

 

The largest threat that American corporations have faced so far was the 60's hippie movement--they simply didn't buy shit from corporations.

When men stood up and said that they refused to participate in the Vietnam war by not registering for the draft, demonstrations against the war intensified.

By refusing to eat, Ms. Paul (second wave sufferette--I can't remember her first name) brought national attention to her (and 212 others') unlawful imprisonment.

 

Inaction can be a powerful form of action. Refusing to participate sends a powerful message. What would happen if nobody voted? What would happen if nobody went to Iraq? There are more ways to communicate your wishes than the ones I see you posting.