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No sense in denying it anymore.
This from as LONG time resident of the south and middle west who always thought being called "liberal" was closely aligned with being dubbed a communist.
I don't believe I'd go so far as taking up arms. For one, at 70 years old, I don't think I would make much of a guerrilla, even though I am retired special forces.
Neither do I particularly believe that shedding blood will solve our issues, only make new ones.
Not sure, now, how consistent my faith in Jesus would be with violent overthrow.
Still, most revolutions are not violent. Tbey represent change, sometimes radical change. Already written and self published two books on the matter: The Well Behaved Seldom Make History and A guide for a second American revolution.
I am working on yet another non fiction, My Country Tis of Thee that advocates for some drastic changes in our country and culture and am also working on a work of fiction And Reap the Whirlwind, a modern rendition of It Can't Happen Here, by Sinclair Lewis.
I've come to question many of the "truths" I grew up with:
- the United States of America is the greatest nation on earth.
I no longer believe that. We might have been once. Not anymore .
- We are a "shining light on a hill."
I don't believe this either. Doing the research for my books has brought me to see some of the horrible things we have done as a country and as a culture. Didn't set out to do that, but facts are stubborn, irrepressible things. If some of may acquaintances knew how I felt, many would have nothing to do with me.
- we are a christian nation
No we're not. We're good at quoting scriptures (out of context, of course) and being judgmental of those who don't believe as we do, but so far as being all affirming, as Jesus, did - that's not happening. Not anymore. I've left the Roman Catholic Church, this time for good, I believe. There are a lot of factors involved there, most of them explained in another publication of mine, Reflections of a Recovering Catholic. I admit to having been somewhat judgmental myself, but as already said, facts are tough things to ignore.
- capitalism is a good economic system
Not anymore. The greedy and malevolent have seized control of our country and our economy. "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer" has become more than a cliche. Am I then a communist? No. Communism is dead. Any system of government or economics that locks its people in with guns and barbed wire deserves to die.
Our problems are not economic. Our issues are people, corrupt, evil people who have little to no regard for anyone but themselves and seek to restore feudalism to the planet where the few have all the political and economic power and the rest of us become virtual serfs, yoked to a system of servitude.
What galls me most is how many of those eventual serfs are advocating their own servitude. They're gulped the proverbial "kool aid," accepting the notion that government and taxes are both evil, that any and all who advocate equality represent those who want "free stuff" and getting the use of "other people's money." I have yet to comprehend how universal healthcare is an evil thing, when it benefits everyone. Congress already has it. Tens of Millions of ordinary citizens do not and many die each year because of it. The oligarchs control the media and our access to what is really happening in our country.
The United States of America was, ideally, founded on the notion of equal opportunity, or so we've been led to believe. I've come to question this as well.
In reality, the original document, called our constitution, was written to favor white MEN, who owned property. Only through vision and revision of the original concept did we get what we have now. Those in power right now, would dilute and eventually eliminate the gains we've made. I am utterly convinced of that.
The above account is not fiction. The forces of greed have sought this kind of solution for over a century. Presidents like Nixon and Reagan and now, Trump have brought us to the precipice. Others of both political parties have done not enough to impede them.
Hence my political "radicalization."
If we do not resist the encroachment on our liberties, they will be gone within another generation. I am utterly sure of that too.
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