Forum Post: Thomas Jefferson advocated "A REVOLUTION EVERY TWENTY YEARS" - so the "Second American Revolution" that he called for is kinda long overdue, isn't it?
Posted 13 years ago on Nov. 6, 2011, 2:43 p.m. EST by TIOUAISE
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The 3rd U.S. President (1801-1809) and author of the Declaration of Independence was convinced that American democracy, in order to stay healthy, needed a regular general OVERHAUL. (Note : An "overhaul" is NOT an "overthrow" and I personally am totally and unequivocally committed to nonviolent action. Nonviolence is not the path of the coward and the weak, it is the path of the strong and the brave.)
On Wikipedia, under “Second American Revolution”, can be found these little-known facts: “A second (or third, or fourth) American revolution was conceived early on as attainable via the Article V Convention, as set forth in the U.S. Constitution. Occasional conventions were envisioned by many of the country’s founding generation of leaders to be a sort of institutionalized avenue toward THE IDEAL OF REVOLUTION EVERY TWENTY YEARS, often attributed to Thomas Jefferson. According to Samuel Williams of Vermont (1743-1817), it was to be the means to accomplish periodic constitutional adaptation to changing times.”
After 200+ years, isn't "constitutional adaptation to changing times" kinda LONG OVERDUE?
We The People have "A RIGHT AND A DUTY" to DEMAND it!
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 Laws of Nature 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 shewn, 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. July 4, 1776.
Better late than never. Now that its here, the question is how do we get it right?
That is indeed the question.
I have a few ideas, one of them being that of a NATION-WIDE REGERENDUM to establish a Commission that would overhaul the whole system and rewrite the Constitution. Everything would be on the table - NO SACRED COWS. They would have the power to recommend dissolving Congress, the Senate, the Supreme Court, the Pentagon, the works.
And once they had a "blueprint for a New America" to propose, then there would be a new referendum to vote on it.
I would suggest a simpler message of merely amending our existing constitution, starting with an amendment to get the money out of politics.
Good point! But after 200 years, why not go all the way with a "general overhaul", just to be sure we haven't missed anything... After all, our country is in crisis.
My concern is that the whole system is so corrupt to the core that PIECEMEAL REFORM will never suffice.
An amendment is not piecemeal reform. Its major. Changing the voting age, ending slavery, those were big deals. Getting the money out of politics will be a hard fight, one that will need tremendous pressure and require a complete overhaul of Congress and most state legislatures. That's not small ball by any means.
Agree. But what do we do with "the rest of the mess"? If we don't do a thorough cleaning job NOW, won't it come back to haunt us?
It does not have to be violent or physical. Financial, psychological ,and cyber warfare should be considered
Did anyone look at this part of my post? "Financial, psychological ,and cyber warfare should be considered"
OWS should study closely the teachings of Gandhi and Martin Luther King.
It is clearly evident to me that you are a gentle soul. I am a former Marine, and as one, I probably understand the value of the violence of action better than anyone who is not. But it is also clear to me that violence is not in the lexicon of your expressions, either in images or in symbols. A word to the wise. Visionaries often have a difficult time finding their place in their own time. They are like poets, who all too often are not recognized until long after they have departed our presence leaving only their wisdom or their grace behind. I will share this with you: Do not confuse evolution with revolution. For they are different. And do not confuse truce with peace. For they also are not the same. The only thing war ever prevented is Peace. And the only thing revolution ever created was the environment for new life to sprout where death had already laid its cold touch to end. The success of this movement is guaranteed. The real question is: What shall we do with it once we have achieved it?
Une fois, j'ai eu l'occasion comme un jeune homme de rencontrer une vieille femme qui est devenue très célèbre pour son travail avec les pauvres en Inde. Je ne citerai pas son nom. Elle avait à la douane où j'ai vécu et depuis son avion a atterri à notre aéroport, on m'a donné une opportunité très brève pour parler avec elle. Elle m'a demandé: «Enfant, avez-vous des questions à me poser?" J'ai été stupéfait qu'elle a même parlé de moi, mais j'ai répondu: «Oui Mère. Comment fait-on pour changer le monde?" Elle sourit doucement à moi et a répondu sans hésitation: «On change le monde, d'abord, par soi-même en mutation."
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
I probably AM a "gentle soul" as you say and as many others say. But I am also a fierce Warrior. Now that may seem like a contradiction in terms - gentle and fierce at the same time. But we all know how the gentlest of women, for instance, can transform herself into a tiger if her children are threatened.
In America, we have been brainwashed into thinking that acts of violence, such as a war or an assasination, are the natural way to resolve problems. And that is of course HOGWASH.
I am a warrior and have won many great battles in my long life, including the most important one - the one with my own self. There is tremendous strength in gentleness... and tremendous weakness in brute force.
You write : "The success of this movement is guaranteed". And I wish I could share your optimism. Nothing is ever guaranteed in life. Unless this Movement commits TOTALLY and UNEQUIVOCALLY to nonviolence, it could very easily self-destruct within a few months. It is a very beautiful, but for the moment, still very fragile flower....
Death, taxes, and people in prison...those things are guaranteed... why not add another?
But I agree, Non-violence is the only way...and active civil disobedience is the only answer. On a National scale. But you are running out of time...
Unless one mistakes kindness and gentleness as weakness. (which is a huge mistake) That is the beginning of the beginning. For those who demonstrate kindness, and gentleness are often the strongest of heart. In no uncertain terms...but so much is left to interpretation...
I'm a farmer. I know a good machine from a crappy one (read Egypt). But a good machine in the hands of a lousy operator leads to damaged equipment and loss of crop leading to hunger and debts. we're coming out with better machines all the time but keeping the machine i have running productively means i can aquire a state-of-the-art machine sooner. So let's fix the machine we have (the ballot box is your tool box) and then discuss the new machine.
You are watching the birth of a revolution...there is simply no way to continue with the old order. We will live in 1. total tyranny or 2. something that rises above service to self....actually it is called service to others. Those who like the current system will not like either 1 or 2.
Agree. Actually, America needs to rediscover "the other"!!!
To quote that famous passage from Matthew 25, which addresses the crux of those VERY ISSUES that are being hotly debated in America today :
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blesse d of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
MA 25:31-46 (King James Version)
They can stockpile gas to use on nonviolent 99% while in hock 4 15 years? Wake the hell up. Leavin cronies commanding our police is a threat to public. No service no pay. Accountable to 99% or b a crony in syria
Thank you for commenting, but what exactly is your position on a "general overhaul" of our system?
Accountability to begin with. For once
Are we speaking of Jefferson the philosopher/ politician? Or Jefferson the soldier? I wonder if Washington, the soldier, would have actively advocated for another revolution?
And are we talkingabout "betuadollar" the famous TROLL??? wink wink wink
Troll this, louise.
I bet you say that to ALL the girls... wink wink
Yea ok, you got a point.