by Jack Lee
“Unsuccessful rebellions indeed generally establish the encroachments on the rights of the people which have produced them.” – Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson is saying that even with an unsuccessful rebellion some good will come from it, because you’re teaching government how to behave by what you tolerate. This is the first law of democracy (squeaky wheel gets the grease theory) and in extreme cases it authorizes the use of force against an oppressive government. Jefferson was almost casual about the use of force to restrain an errant government. In his letter to James Madison in 1787, know today as ”A little rebellion.” Jefferson wrote, “I hold it that a little rebellion now and then is a good thing, and as necessary in the political world as storms in the physical.”
As we review the conditions and authority for revolution it’s important to note that the Constitutional right of citizens to resist an oppressive government is a [collective] right, not an individual right. [Individuals] should never take it upon themselves to revolt to redress a grievance, no matter how severe they may think it.
The Declaration of Independence lays the out the preconditions for revolution: ”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” (emphasis added). Martin Luther King likewise held that it is the duty of the people to resist unjust laws.
Revolution ought to be the method of last resort: Revolution is messy. It is violent and destructive and that has led prudent minds to impose significant preconditions before such action ought to be considered. Preconditions often change with the times, some stand the test of time.
Consider that the revolution of 1776 was due to England levying a tax on us to pay for their security forces. This tax was a necessity for the King because it was a time when England was nearly broke, suffering from a costly war with France. On our side, the colonists felt they were entitled to consider and approve the tax before it was imposed. Hardly a black and white issue, eh? But, that was the singular justification for the rebellion and all the other reasons fell in behind it. Ironically, it was those [other] reasons that were the first to be enumerated in the Declaration of Independence, “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.” No taxes even mention here.
Further, we read. . .”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.”
The justification to institute a new government was now defined and by reading the letters and papers of Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton it becomes overtly clear.
Alexander Hamilton said American
[resistance] was a natural consequence to redressing violations of “the first principles of civil society” and invasions of “the rights of a whole people,” referring to those inalienable rights.
Jefferson wrote, “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” Is there any doubt they were talking about using force?
So its not a question if force is authorized, the only question is, what shall be the preconditions that necessitates revolution and that depends on the collective core values of people at the time. And we know that times change , people change and so our social values change.
In 1776 a small tax imposed by a King, without the consent of the people was cause enough to go to revolution. Imagine if that were the litmus test today – we would be in a constant state of revolution! California would have been burned to the ground, at least everything South of San Francisco.
To answer what preconditions must exist for insurrection to take place in the United States, in our time, we must first examine exactly what our collective core values are. They define us as Americans. They establish a bright line that government must not cross. But, could the average American define our collective core 
values today?
In the “Arab Spring” revolt in Egypt and other countries of the Middle East was caused first by economic reasons, but the discontent was underscored by Western ideas of inalienable rights that are scarce in this part of the world. Of course their own cultural values as reflected in their Islamic religion served as a unifying force and gave the citizens the authorization to form resistance, as religion is so often given to do.
Over the years American core values have changed quite a bit. Absolutes have been replaced by situational ethics, there’s far less emphasis on Biblical morals and more on humanism. So, to some extent they have become more confusing, if not diluted. They’ve curtained by whipsawed by competing socials and political ideologies. This has been exacerbated by the a sudden surge in population/demographics coming from outside cultures. The massive influx of 15 million illegal immigrants could be seen as muddying the waters of our collective core values. However, what is far worse, is an apathetic majority that is largely ignorant of our founding principles. When applying for citizenship, it is one thing to mouth the words of the preamble, it is another to understand and support them, the same could be said for American born citizens too.
Let’s reflect for a moment on our founding principles as noted in the preamble you once memorized in grade school: “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the
common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Those first three words, “We the people” are so important that they ought to be a consideration for every core value we may hold. When we lose sight of what those three words represent - we lose everything. So, to answer the question, when should the revolution begin, the answer is: When government is no longer of, by and for ”We the people.”
Opinions please.
Excellent!
And, unfortunately for the country, we now have a class of professional politicians more concerned with keeping their offices rather than serving “We the people.”
On BOTH sides of the aisle.
Gonna be a cold day in Hades if I ever vote for an Incumbent again!
Thanks J. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I just started reading an interesting book, that was recommended called, “The Fourth Turning.” Written in 1997, the authors are presenting a case that history has a four stage recurring cycle pattern taking 80-90 years from beginning to end.
According to the authors we are in the fourth stage known as “Crisis.”
The authors Strauss and Howe write:
“Over the past five centuries, Anglo-American society has entered a new era – a turning – every two decades or so….Together the four turnings of the saeculum comprise history’s seasonal rhythm of growth, naturation, entropy, and destruction:
+ The First Turning is a High; an upbeat era of strengthening instutitions and weakening individualism;
+ The Second Turning is an Awakening, a passionate era of spirtual upheaval, when the civic order comes under attack from a new values regime;
+ The Third Turning is an Unraveling, a downcast era of strrengtening individualism and weakening institutions;
+ The Fourth Turning is a Crisis, a decisive era of secular upheaval, when the values regime propels the replacement of the old civic order with a new one.
the authors declare the Crisis can be constructed with this morphology:
+ A Crisis era begins with a catalyst – a startling event (or sequence of events) that produces a sudden shift in mood
+ Once catalyzed, a society achieves a regeneracy – a new counter-entropy that reunifies and reenergizes civic life.
+ The regenerated society propels toward a climax – a crucial moment that confirms the death of the old order and birth of the new.
+ The climax culminates in a resolution – a triumphant or tragic conclusion that separates the winners from losers, resolves the big public questions, and establishes the new order.”
http://www.zerohedge.com/contributed/2012-08-13/fourth-turning-finally
From Amazon. Can’t provide the link since it’s for my personal account.
The Fourth Turning:
“First came the postwar High, then the Awakening of the ’60s and ’70s, and now the Unraveling. This audacious and provocative book tells us what to expect just beyond the start of the next century. Are you ready for the Fourth Turning?
Strauss and Howe will change the way you see the world–and your place in it. In The Fourth Turning, they apply their generational theories to the cycles of history and locate America in the middle of an unraveling period, on the brink of a crisis. How you prepare for this crisis–the Fourth Turning–is intimately connected to the mood and attitude of your particular generation. Are you one of the can-do “GI generation,” who triumphed in the last crisis? Do you belong to the mediating “Silent Majority,” who enjoyed the 1950s High? Do you fall into the “awakened” Boomer category of the 1970s and 1980s, or are you a Gen-Xer struggling to adapt to our splintering world? Whatever your stage of life, The Fourth Turning offers bold predictions about how all of us can prepare, individually and collectively, for America’s next rendezvous with destiny.”
Strauss–Howe generational theory:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strauss%E2%80%93Howe_generational_theory
Since I just began reading this book I can’t at this point say I agree with most of it, but can say I do with some of what I’ve read. The above article from a reader provided me with some of the highlights I have read.
Thought it linked well with your article Jack and the possibility of a coming revolution and why it just may happen.
According the US census it looks like we have about 20,000,000 illegal aliens in the US and if you believe the research of some of Americas most prestigious magazines and their investigative journalists, that use other methodology to track money transfers, and count heads in certain high Hispanic areas, and use that along with the census data, they suspect illegals are under-reported and that we could have over 30,000,000 illegals in the US.
Of course not all of them have jobs, not all of them spend their money here, not all of them obey the laws, not all of them pay taxes, not all of them stay out of jail, not all of them avoid welfare or hospitals that are forced to absorb their medical bills, and this according to a recent book is turning America into a 3rd world country. Of course the far left will deny this and then follow up with you hate poor people or you are afraid of non-white people or some such BS like that, but they never acknowledge the damage done this nation and all the associated costs that must be born by the people who work and pay taxes and are here legally. This is a problem that the far left wants to deflect and simply throw stones at the people asking the hard questions and raising legitimate concerns about where our country is headed.
This is good, but disturbing information Peggy…it looks like my grandchildren are really in for a lot of trouble.
Jack, just throwing this out there–the Cato Institute isn’t a “far left” organization, but they strongly disagree with you on illegal immigration. I find their analysis pretty compelling.
http://www.cato.org/research/immigration
Ann Coulter: With amnesty, elites conspire against the middle class
http://nypost.com/2015/05/31/ann-coulter-elites-conspire-against-the-middle-class/
The current “quiet” revolution being conducted by the conservative movement is formed of a body that is dedicated and determined to return our nation to its founding principles. Individual liberty/responsibility and limited federal powers are at the core of this revolution.
The socialist left has been engaged in their own brand of transformational revolution for decades. They prefer big government solutions and hide behind passing the buck and making excuses. They are now having a hissyfit because we conservatives have dared to create our own revolution to reverse the destruction they have brought to our nation and our nation’s children. The socialists are in decline but will win anyway if we falter or give up.
Press on patriots. The keys to success lie in participation, commitment, and passing the founding principles along to our nations children. Most of us will participate at the local grass routes level by getting involved in the schools, running for local office, writing letters and blogs, sharing with friends and relatives and keeping ourselves informed. We don’t have to resort to violence; we do have to be persistent and patient.
The conservative revolution has been ongoing for at least twenty-five years already, the first phase being to build a large body of dedicated, grounded individuals. We are making making inroads, it’s just not of the type that is immediately obvious. One of the most important accomplishments of this revolution has been through creating change in how the people get information. In this important area conservatives have the momentum and young inspired Americans are leading the charge.
The socialists will not go quietly but they will cower and retreat in the face of strength. Let’s not allow our great nation to fall because of a bunch of ideologically inferior bullies. Socialism fails and has failed everywhere around the world. America is still a bright light in a sea of socialist nations despite the undermining efforts of the socialist revolutionaries.
Good article Jack with a great question for the people of our age.
Thank you Tina, you sure are missed here. Hope you are feeling better soon.
Yes Jack our grandkids probably will have lots of major problems if history does repeat itself like these authors have presented. The only thing I can think to do is to prepare them as best we can now to help them when/if it does happen.
I did get to see a ray of hope for them yesterday when my 12 year old grandson were alone in the car and he asked me if I believed that global warming was caused by man? He’s a straight A student who was in the GATE program before starting junior high. I asked him first what he believed and was rewarded with no he didn’t, because of the research he had done. I told him I didn’t either and why. I told him to always remember to do his own research, not to rely on what his teachers or anyone else says and to not let them bully him into changing what he believes.
I think you’ll understand how thrilled I was and am looking forward to having more of these types of discussions with him and his younger sister when the time is right.
Since my son and daughter-in-law voted for Obama political discussions are not allowed between us. But, lately I’ve been hearing them express very conservative positions like the high taxes they just got hit with since they both have good paying jobs and the problems with the illegals overwhelming our country and state with their presence. It’s like seeing the light going on in their heads and they’re seeing what they voted for and how it is affecting their own kids now and will in the future.
Feels so good! Once a parent always a parent. Our job is never done.
Re #6: Illegal immigrants have contributed more to this country than Ann Coulter ever has or ever will.
http://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/cutting-immigration-myths-down-size
There is a special place in hell for rich people who make money off of denigrating poor people.
Wish I would be around still to vote for this 12 year old.
Conservative POTUS 2040 Demolishes ‘Black Lives Matter’ Narrative:
http://chicksontheright.com/blog/item/29165-black-lives-matter-not-according-to-potus-2040
Interesting to understand our revolution maybe one should go back and read an article from a former vice president.
Henry a. Wallace -The Danger of American Fascism.
Find his article and read it.
The word Liberal is bad because it is anti fascist. It is us the people of the world against the Oligarch which is fascism. Hitler was not a real socialist nor fascist.
Do not forget who funded Hitler. Hitler did not build Germany up the Oligarchs did. Worldwide. That includes Bush family and Ford among many other American companies.
Wake Up Bush false flagged us into his Patriot Act and Obama continued it. If they deny the shadow military gov they are threatened. Our wars are always about business interests like oil.
Remember the 2 who were blocking the Patriot Act? Tom Daschle & Patrick Leahy? Who saw the anthrax letters addressed to them? Tom Daschle & Patrick Leahy.
It was determined that came from the army lab. The FBI gave a lone wolf theory and all of a sudden that man commits suicide? yea right guys wake up.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/18/leahy-anthrax-suspect-did_n_127410.html
We are under the thumb and anyone who sits around and plays this hate the liberals game is aiding them.
All people agree on our freedom, we are no longer free. What do you want to call this new fascist machine?
The revolution is now and it includes everybody but the fascists, oligarchs, whatever ya wanna call them,
Dewey, Henry A. Wallace was called off-center, a doe-eyed mystic, a believer in bizarre religious practices, a hopeless utopian and a bureaucracy-breeding New Deal liberal. Had it not been for Roosevelt’s protection Wallace wouldn’t have lasted two minutes in Washington. “…Wallace was an unreconstructed liberal reformer and New Dealer” qualities that recommended him to Roosevelt.
“….Boos echoed through the convention hall when Roosevelt’s choice of Wallace was announced, and the delegates seemed on the verge of rebellion. It was only after Roosevelt threatened to decline the nomination and Eleanor Roosevelt delivered a conciliatory speech that they grudgingly yielded.”
Dewey, you tend to go to great lengths to find people that support your conspiracy theory about the US being a corporate oligarchy. Like this former head of the Progressive Party. That’s a clue you’re on the wrong track Dewman. The truth isn’t hidden between the history books and extremist chat rooms, it’s right in front of your face. there’s plenty of real stuff to worry about and fix without trying to connect dots that don’t exist.
Honestly, you really don’t want to use Wallace as credible source. He was an anomaly and had he ever become our president we would have been in deep trouble or Wallace would have been impeached.
Full Definition of OLIGARCHY
1 : government by the few
2 : a government in which a small group exercises control especially for corrupt and selfish purposes; also : a group exercising such control
3 : an organization under oligarchic control
American businesses with fewer than 500 employees represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms. That’s a lot of small businesses and 35% of our entire work force is employed by businesses with 100 or fewer employees. Dewey, we are not a corporate oligarch…not yet. Money does buy influence and that results in lousy special interest legislation, but even so, General Dynamics, GE, Ford, Microsoft or Boeing are far from controlling America.
Chris the articles I read from CATO seemed to be addressing immigration from the perspective of the benefits of LEGAL immigration. Are you aware of articles from CATO that address the illegal entry problem? I suggest the following:
“Fix Legal Immigration First”
“Cato and the true costs of low-skill immigration”
“How Do We Control Illegal Immigration?”
We could make better progress if the radical left would stop using this issue politically to demonize republicans and libertarians and dismiss them as racist. The lefts lack of interest in honest examination makes communication and reforms to our immigration policy impossible.
Sad as it is that I even need to point this out, Ann Coulter’s claims in her new book aren’t exactly accurate:
The Center for Immigration Studies, a group that favors reduced immigration much as Coulter does, disagrees with that last point.
In a recent report, the center wrote “It is well established that illegal aliens do respond to government surveys such as the decennial census and the Current Population Survey.”
“For illegals, we estimate 11 to 12 million with 50 to 60 percent from Mexico,” said Steven Camarota, the center’s director of research.
Jennifer Van Hook, who directs the Population Research Institute at Pennsylvania State University, said she believes the number of unauthorized Mexican immigrants living in the United States is 6.3 million-8.3 million. No matter how you slice it, Coulter’s claim doesn’t get any closer to true, she said.
“There is no way it is as high as 30 million,” Van Hook said…
“It is simply not possible for there to be in excess of 30 million Mexican immigrants in the United States,” Passel said. “There are not enough houses available in the country for the 20 or so million more additional Mexicans. Moreover, the Mexican censuses, and surveys are completely inconsistent with such figures…”
Our ruling
Coulter said that America has taken in one-quarter of the entire population of Mexico. Coulter based this on a study that counted all people of Mexican origin in the United States.
But Coulter ignored that 65 percent of those were born in America and about a third came from families in which both parents were born in America. Their immigrant status lay at least two-generations in the past, and America couldn’t “take them in” because they were already here.
We rate this claim Pants on Fire.
http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/jun/02/ann-coulter/no-us-has-not-taken-14-mexicos-population/
Chris its funny you should pick this particular statistic. Coulter went over it in detail on the air and explained her sources. It was really good and the stats included the census and two top award winning investigative reporters. She used credible sources.
There will definitely be a place in hell for mega rich people who take money from poor people to support a life-style that could have fed, housed and cared for tens of thousands.
Bill Clinton received $500K ‘quid pro quo’ donation to Clinton Foundation by speaking at 2014 Happy Hearts charity gala: report
“The former President got a $500,000 donation to his Clinton Foundation from the Happy Hearts charity in exchange for speaking at its 2014 gala, according to The New York Times.
The donation, which was described as “quid pro quo” by the charity’s former executive director, amounted to more than a quarter of the amount Happy Hearts raised at the fund-raiser and eclipsed the $360,000 the rest of the event cost.
“The Clinton Foundation had rejected the Happy Hearts Fund invitation more than once, until there was a thinly veiled solicitation and then the offer of an honorarium,” former Happy Hearts Executive Director Sue Veres Royal told the Times.
“Petra called me and said we have to include an honorarium for him — that they don’t look at these things unless money is offered, and it has to be $500,000,” she said.
The half-million dollars could have built 10 preschools in Indonesia, where Happy Hearts has done most of its work, according to the newspaper.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/bill-clinton-500k-clinton-foundation-speech-article-1.2240077
Jack: “Chris its funny you should pick this particular statistic. Coulter went over it in detail on the air and explained her sources. It was really good and the stats included the census and two top award winning investigative reporters. She used credible sources.”
Jack, she misrepresented the sources. Please read the entire fact check to see how.
Thanks WikiLeaks for exposing the “secrets” this administration is making with other countries that will hurt the US.
REPORT: Wikileaks Exposes Obama’s FAKE Trade Deal And Only 5 Pages About Trade (VIDEO):
http://allenwestrepublic.com/2015/06/02/report-wikileaks-exposes-obamas-fake-trade-deal-and-only-5-pages-about-trade-video/
Go, Gowdy Go!!!
http://chicksontheright.com/blog/item/29220-go-gowdy-go
Gowdy for AG in 2016!!
Peggy at #20: As I recall, Dewey has been trying to warn us about the TPP for at least the past year. None of us (and I include myself in that) ever really bothered to engage him on that subject.
Maybe we should have listened.