I honestly think the US government is pretty much done for. It was a great experiment in democracy. It worked too, for a while. Until the imperialistic wars, giant corporation lobbyists and career polititians that is. But nothing is beyond fixing...look at this last election with Ron Paul. He set a record for campaign donations! So there are still people who value freedom. And...maybe the hippies weren't able to fix the government, but they did break down a lot of societal bullshit. Dont lose your optimism Pax-man! I really like you, you remind me of my dad, only an older, hippie version
To Granny longhair: thats a really good point. But in the 60s, despite the segregation,ect., the system wasnt completely corrupt. Now it doesnt even follow it's own rules. Ex: the Patriot Act, which was renewed without an expiration date! And the lawmakers that represent us voted for it. Its shameful. I dont know anymore. I feel like the only way to fix this is a revolution, or a collapse. But then you look through the pages of history, and almost every time something like that occurred, it ended up worse than before. The Russian czars and the Bolsheviks. Hitler after Germany was devastated in WWII. The French Revolution and the subsequent reign of terror. The American Revolution was successful, and resulted in a great country, but could we do it again?
That's pretty profound, Soul. I'd say that the government we have now is a far, far cry from the one that the founding fathers envisioned. Of course, the end result of any civilization based on pure capitalism is going to be a government that is ruled by those who can acquire all the money. We're no longer a nation of citizen-statesmen who take pride in service, we're a nation of mega-corporations controlling government through lobbists, contributions, and congressional buy-offs. The collar is now firmly in place and we're being led around on a very short leash. For as much controversy as it causes, the second amendment was added to the constitution for just such a situation. Who else will stand against the national army when the government that controls it is wrapped in corruption?
I completely agree. Its sad that things have to get so bad before people are willing to do anything about it. I dont know, phoning representatives, ect just doesnt feel like its helpful at all. So, I have no idea what to do. And this time around we even have internet and cell phones to organize. So, you are more of a socialist?
No, I don't think I'm socialist. I consider myself more of a libertarian, I think. I like the idea of a minimalist government that stays out of my business and sticks to the affairs of infrastructure and national defense (not to be confused with National agression). I think pure socialism is no more successful than pure capitalism.
The problem with revolution is that we no longer feel any problem is truly local; the world is becoming so interdependent you no longer have a Bastille to storm, or a dictator to behead. Repression is now like a Hydra that sprouts heads quickly as you cut them off-the vague ruler of this global principality, no longer has a purely human face to be offended by, and any mention of global revolution automatically raises the specter of trotskyites and is dead at birth...
