At some point, anyone who thinks about politics will inevitably ask themselves whether they think “the system” is working. As Americans who participate in democracy, we almost have a duty to think that way. The right to question the system and the right of revolution is taken straight from the Declaration of Independence:
That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is in the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute a 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.
So, when exactly is it time to rise up? When does one reach such a point that working within the system for change is hopeless, and dismantling the system from the outside is the only option? When are efforts to overthrow the system no longer unwarranted and insurgent, but just and revolutionary?
Cross posted at The Seminal
Before we get started, I want to be clear about what I mean by revolution. In today’s enlightened society, a revolution need not be violent (though that certainly is an option). Bloodless coups, non-violent transfers of power, and drastic rewriting of Constitutions and bedrock laws can all be considered a revolution. In fact, the way I most likely see a revolution occurring would be through non-violent legal change. The American people would elect enough like-minded representatives to power who would then rewrite the system and transfer control over to a new government. However, all of these options would inevitably require some form of dissent or civil disobedience on the part of the revolutionaries, and so members of a revolutionary group need to make sure that they would be willing to sacrifice livelihood, freedom, and possibly life for the principles they fight for.
With that said, I’m confident that we won’t see revolution in America for a while yet, for the same reason I don’t advocate for it myself. Simply put, the current system works for too many people.
As much as I hate to admit it, I am not a supporter of a revolution because the system works for me. That’s an incredibly selfish thing to say, but I think it is true. It’s hard to push for for the end of a system that you see a future in. Under the current form of American government, I most likely will be marginally successfully. I can reasonably expect to have a well paying job, enjoy relative security, and be able to pursue the interests that I choose. I think this is true for most of the American public, and so it would be hard for a revolution to gain widespread support with so much contentment.
To support a revolution personally, that future would have to be taken away. I feel there are a few key rights that I hold as especially important. If those were taken away, I’d be up in arms and in the streets. For example, a severe crackdown on the free press in America, widespread use of secret police, or major abridgements in judiciary rights (trail by jury, innocent until proven guilty), if sufficiently authoritarian, would push me quickly towards revolutionary action.
That said, revolutions are rarely perpetrated by the majority, at least at the beginning. The American Revolution was waged, or at least incited, by a dedicated group of wealthy agitators, a distinct minority of the population. If you look at it in a certain way, the American Revolutionaries can be seen as a group of people for whom the system did work, yet they were dissatisfied anyway. They fought for ideals and for more control, even though they by and large did have a future in the British system.
Similarly, there are groups of people in America for whom the system does work in some senses, but who are severely disenfranchised in others, and who may have a legitimate claim to revolution. These include various minority groups who do not see the kind of future that I see, with jobs, property, and security. For them, revolution may be the right option, and I’m not sure I could blame them. However, I don’t think a revolution is imminent. The system is screwed up, for sure, but some minority members have places in the system, and so unity for a cause is hard to come by.
Compounding that, nationalist feelings are less prevalent than they have ever been in our history and the global economy is making an internationalist lifestyle all the more attainable. Most people say they love America, but when push comes to shove, if things really take a turn for the worst here I believe most citizens would simply move abroad. It is hard to imagine a violent and successful revolution happening in the U.S., and it is almost as hard to believe that Americans could come together in great enough numbers to elect revolutionary representatives who would dismantle our system willingly. I hesitate to say that America has become a victim of the status quo, because that status quo works for so many, but it seems that America is farther away from revolutionary change than it has ever been.
Of course, change is still possible in our society, but it comes slowly. Our system is set up to be self-perpetuating, but it also offers the hope of reform in a systematic way. Despite all the problems in our world, Americans can still change their lives and their communities by working within the system. The passion and anger that many Americans feel towards the current administration, and the hopelessness that some feel towards the whole system, is a patriotic response. I still have faith that great change can come from within our democracy, and I work to make it a reality. A second American revolution may be far fetched, but we can still fashion the America that we want on some level.
Readers, am I too selfish in saying I don’t want change because the system works for me? If America went downhill, would you fight to change it or would you move elsewhere? What are your personal beliefs on revolution in America?