Author
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Topic: Can the founding ideals of the United States be reclaimed and revived?
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Ken Burch
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 8346
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posted 04 August 2006 02:11 PM
The revolutionary ideals, the idea that human beings had the right to rise up against oppression and cast if off(and to cast it off again after the revolution when the initial uprising turned out to mean freedom only for the property-owning white male minority).My country has badly disgraced itself globally. Our leaders have sinned against liberty in the name of defending property rights, rights that will always be important only to a few. We have attempted to impose not democracy(which would mean letting the people of every country decide what they wanted to do, and not leave them at the mercy of the wealthy within their society and the corporate giants without)but "capitalism and democracy". Can we shake off the chains we have placed on our country's spirit? Can we take up what should always have been our natural purpose...helping all the people of the earth to live life on their own terms, and ending injustice, rather than perpetuating it? The signs are not promising. There are those who seek to renew our country, but they tend to be shouted down and silenced by the sneers of talk radio and Fox News. Can America, finally, be born? I ask this in a non-U.S. website headquartered in a country just north of the U.S., because I think it's a question that people within and without my country should have a say in.
From: A seedy truckstop on the Information Superhighway | Registered: Feb 2005
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Noise
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 12603
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posted 04 August 2006 02:22 PM
Ken, tis with all due seriousness that I say this.. but quite honestly no. American politics are dominated by corporate interests first and foremost, and as such liberty and freedom will always be trumped by profit and greed. And the media will be there to make this look like it's all in the name of liberty and freedom, all the while stuffing corporate cash into their pockets as well.Theres a joke by Futurama that has the situation summed up very well. It's the year 3000 and the 2 presidential candidates 'Jack Johnson' and 'John Jackson' are arguing back and forth Jack : I say my opponents 3$ uranium tax goes too far!!! (supporters standup and cheer) John : I say my opponents 3$ uranium tax doesn't go far enough!!! (equal amount of cheering). When parties compete over the same corporate donations, they eventually become the same thing. Sadly, the only choice Americans currently have is Ralph Nader and "the same thing" (apparently them e-voting machines means your vote isn't properly counted anyway... Wouldn't be an interesting historical peice to go back and find out Al Gore actually won in 2000?) Though, I don't intend any of this to make it look like the Canadian system is much better.
From: Protest is Patriotism | Registered: May 2006
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Proaxiom
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 6188
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posted 04 August 2006 05:47 PM
I believe it can. It's just a matter of getting the right leader.Nobody reasonable every said democracy is a perfect system. It's good because it has a built-in defense against tyranny, in that leaders are made accountable to the people. But it's bad because it puts the ultimate responsibility for good governance in the hands of the people, most of whom haven't the slightest idea what good governance is. So bad leaders sometimes get elected. But things do correct sooner or later. The US Constitution is still instact, if somewhat the worse for wear. I'm not certain that the next US president will do a better job or restore reason and integrity back to the office, but I doubt he (or she) will be worse, and if not now then at some point things will improve. Regression to the mean. I hope like hell that the Democrats don't nominate another John Kerry.
From: East of the Sun, West of the Moon | Registered: Jun 2004
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Américain Égalitaire
rabble-rouser
Babbler # 7911
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posted 04 August 2006 06:00 PM
quote: Originally posted by Proaxiom: I hope like hell that the Democrats don't nominate another John Kerry.
But they will. That's just it - its a Punch and Judy show. Both parties are bought and paid for. As for Ken's question the blunt answer is no - not without copious amounts of bloodshed. And the American people don't "do" revolution anymore - they're still far to content to play with their toys. You can't eat freedom and you can't drive it or download it or show it off to your neighbours as well. You can just watch it trickle away in little bits while the government counts on you playing with your toys enough not to really notice. The only way you'll see a revolution in this country is 50+ million out of work, hundreds of thousands of foreclosures, widespread poverty, hunger and illness. By then, of course, it will be too late. Sorry to be the pessimist.
From: Chardon, Ohio USA | Registered: Jan 2005
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