These are the times that try men’s
souls. The summer soldier and the
sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from service of their country…
Thomas
Paine, December 23, 1776
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| Welcome to Donald Trump's Amerika. |
A blizzard of lies descended upon us and now sets in a
season of stupidity and violence. The
mild summer gave way to hopeful autumn, but now winter is here and we haven’t
seen its like since Valley Forge. Thomas
Paine pointed out that tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered and that
what we acquire too easily, we esteem too lightly. The current generation of Americans acquired
liberty too easily and esteemed it too lightly.
Those who survive this crisis will not make that mistake again, but
their grandchildren and great grandchildren probably will.
The United States of America was created two hundred and
twenty seven years ago, based on older ideas of the sovereignty of the
individual and radical ideas of “self-government.” The moment of conception of the United States
occurred when Thomas Jefferson’s pen formed the words, “all men are created
equal.” The infant nation was born
thirteen years later in Philadelphia, when the delegates penned their names on
the Constitution. In between came the
first “American crisis,” so eloquently captured by Thomas Paine, which formed
and shaped that unique document – the only mechanism human beings have ever
created that effectively helps people acquire individual freedom.
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| The only mechanism invented for gaining freedom. |
Fear that we are heading for oligarchic rule has fueled
much public debate recently, but the truth is that this nation was founded as
an oligarchy in Republican disguise. The
Constitution was an offering from the oligarchic rulers fearful of true “social
revolution.” It was designed to put the
brakes on that revolution in order to “ensure the domestic tranquility.” This masterfully created document has served
us well for nearly seven generations, making it possible for every American
citizen to pursue happiness without ever capturing it. That mutual unhappiness and the attendant
hope of its opposite allows us to live in uneasy peace with our fellow
Americans, but it contains the seeds of crisis – the lessons of American
democracy.
Now with my favorite city torn by riots as our
privileged, frustrated youth and some of their irresponsible elders act out
their justifiable outrage, I long for domestic tranquility. Soon our national temper tantrum will pass
and we will be confronted with the reality of President Trump. Then, with frozen feet wrapped in bloody
rags, we will know what it means to declare independence in the face of a
tyrant. Our ancestors knew these
lessons; they faced them in 1861, and in 1876, and in 1894, and in 1919, and in
1932, and in 1947, and in 1974, and in 2001.
That’s just one of the problems of democracy.
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| Our ancestors have learned these lessons over and over. |
My pedantic friends will be quick to say that this nation
is not a Democracy, and as usual they are correct. American democracy, on the other hand, is a
seven generation experiment that has consistently and steadily increased
liberty; first to non-property owning white men, then to black and other
“non-white” Americans, then to women.
Each generation has expanded liberty for the individual and those who
have tried to impede or roll back this progress have provided the crises from
which we learn to govern ourselves. We
face exactly such a crisis today.
The United States, infected by the founding lie of racism
and its perversion “white supremacy,” still suffers from its “original sins:”
slavery and Native American genocide.
Our national hands are stained with the blood of oppression and massacre
at home and around the world, but those same bloody hands have also given hope
and succor to the persecuted people of the world. At heart America is kind and optimistic; but
watch out! When our blood is up we have
a violent mean streak. This was the
dumping ground for Europe’s violent criminals and religious malcontents long
before Donald Trump started complaining about immigration.
It makes no difference what you think of Donald Trump as
a man: admire him, hate him. To me, he
is nothing more than a pipsqueak, braggart and conman. His words are not worth the air he expels
making them, but he has unleashed the worst elements of American culture. No wall will keep “foreigners” out of “our
country.” The wall Donald Trump has
already built is a wall against the tide of history. As our proud self-governed nation surges into
its future – where the second word of “all men” is expanded to include every
American regardless of personal consideration – it will wash away Trump’s
Wall. But how much blood will it take?
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| Ridicule is our most effective weapon. |
As a middle aged man in fragile health I fear violence
and I love peace and domestic tranquility for personal reasons, but as a
life-long committed activist for social justice I oppose violence for political
reasons. As a student of history I have
learned that violence has never solved any problem and has never settled any
question other than: who’s on top? The
only America I will accept is one where every American can pursue happiness
individually; every American has the power to make important decisions about
our community, our family and our health; every American is free to express
themselves without persecution, hatred or violence; and, corporations are
subordinate to individuals and cannot usurp individual rights. None of those things can be achieved with
violence.
Most important – violence is a chump’s game. Violent resistance is Donald Trump’s
meat. The more he is resisted the
stronger he gets. The only weapons that
the oppressed can effectively use against a tyrant are non-violent resistance
based on universal moral principles; and, outrageous, obscene, funny
ridicule. Expose the lies. Challenge the ignorance. Be funny and smart. Use your creativity and your individuality to
create the America you want to live in. And watch your toes! It’s going to be a brutal winter.
