Will Somebody Please Awaken the Giant?

Hello… Excuse me… Ahem. I beg your pardon, but would somebody please rouse the sleeping giant? No, I’m sorry. I wasn’t clear. I don’t mean the mighty military this time. I was referring to the giant formerly known as “the people.”

Hello Sleepyhead. Aside from a few occasional disturbances after which you quickly drifted back into your dreams, I know it’s been fairly quiet. I don’t blame you for your slumber. But you need to know that something dreadful happened while you slept. Your country was stolen from you. Yeah, you missed that. You probably have a distant memory of the days in which your nation was governed by you and your neighbors. I think they still talk about that in history class, although I’m not really sure. Well, you need to know that things have changed.

There are two parties who have taken over the system and seized control of your life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. The fabric of both parties is woven with threads of special interest, corporate interest, and self-interest. Meanwhile you seem to have lost interest. Therefore, they have lost interest in you.

Some of us have been talking and are wondering what has happened to your soul. You know, the soul that once refused to tolerate a long train of government abuses and usurpations of your liberty, even if it cost you your life. We recall your soul when it was one that would not hesitate to stand up and say, “enough,” when others attempted to control your destiny. You used to not back down from a fight when your way of life was under assault. Though you were never blameless, out of your soul used to flow an ethic of hard work, personal responsibility, ingenuity, creativity, and concern for one another, all of which flourished in the fertile soil of freedom that you claimed for yourself.

Well, if you’re up for it, we could sure use you. The constrictor-like grip of the controlling parties can’t be broken without you. In fact, I fear that we will eventually be irreparably crushed. So I plead with you. Wipe the sleep from your eyes. Allow the convictions of your ancestors to restore your soul. And pledge to one another your lives, your fortunes, and your sacred honor in a renewed determination to be free people. Now is a good time for another party. If you’re interested, let me know. I’ll bring the tea.

Comments

[Ann]

When I was in middle school, I told myself I would never vote in a presidential election because the system was so messed up. Of course, as I grew older and more "sophisticated," I changed my mind. It turns out that I wasn't very sophisticated after all. I'm tired of the system.

[Robin L. Orenbuch]

This election my wife and I will by voting for Bob Barr. He is the only one with a level of understanding and erudition sophisticated enough to grasp how the world works, and how to get back and maintain a constitutional republic in it. The other three candidates are clueless and dangerous. All three would destroy the economy by undermining the profit motive, by diverting capital formation to non-viable energy sources, and leave us deprived of the oil sources we require. they will either withdraw from the war on terrorism or sacrificing our soldiers on the alter of world opinion by using them not to defend America and its strategic interests, but to make a "better life" for foreign peoples. That should be a side effect of our policy, not its main goal. They all subscribe to the global warning hoax, they wish to suppress free speech, one side through political correctness the other with campaign finance reform. And neither has the courage to stand against the ethic of sacrifice, and uphold that each person is a sovereign end in himself or herself.

[Bill]

Hello Robin!

Thanks for stopping by to read and comment. I think your thoughts are spot on! You get it. You understand the times and the clear and present danger that awaits us down the road.

Have you heard about the "cap & trade" legislation before congress this coming week? You think $4.00 gas and $5.00 milk is high, if this passes it will devastate the economy. Check it out and please call your representative.

Hope you'll stop by often Robin. Have a great rest of the weekend.

[Kevin St.Onge]

I believe I know how to awaken this giant. We the People need to work on developing the framework for a massively collaborative direct democracy.

[Bill]

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for your thoughts. I took a few moments to peruse your website. Intriguing, but to do so would mean a radical departure from the current constitution and the intent of the founding fathers. Certainly not something I'm in favor of. But I like that people like you are thinking seriously about the reality of necessary change.

[Kevin St.Onge]

Bill, I agree that the formation of a massively collaborative direct democracy would be a radical change -- and perhaps we are not ready for it yet ideologically or technologically.

Nevertheless, I strongly believe it is the next step in the historical progression of power being distributed to more and more people. I am happy to live in a country where everyone can vote, but I still feel powerless because the votes of the many are strongly influenced by the money and deceptions of the few. We can do better, and I believe MCDD will enable us to do better.

[apotheon]

Assuming Bill's intent was, in fact, to express a dislike for the notion of direct democracy -- I'm afraid I have to agree with him, for a number of reasons. One of them, of course, is the fact that it's an unlikely end without widespread armed rebellion, which isn't bloody likely right now. Another is the fact that I haven't bought into the notion that democracy is good in and of itself since I was in grade school.

The problem is that we don't need power distributed into more and more hands -- we need it localized as much as possible in those whom it affects. In other words, each individual should, to the extent possible, be limited to power only over himself or herself. That's not achieved through stronger democratic mechanisms in government -- it's achieved through stronger limits on the government's power, regardless of who guides that power.

On the other hand, I'm entirely on-board for a tea party. In fact, I linked to this as a follow-up to something I myself wrote recently that expresses similar sentiments.

[apotheon]

Hmm. The links were stripped out of my last comment.

The word "linked" in my last paragraph should have been a link to this:

http://sob.apotheon.org/?p=420

. . . and the words "expresses similar sentiments" should have been a link to this:

http://sob.apotheon.org/?p=419

I loathe TypePad.

[Bill Huffhine]

Hey Apotheon!

Thanks for adding your links. I read your post...very good. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts here.

[apotheon]

> I read your post...very good.

Thanks.

> I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts here.

My pleasure.

[MeMeMe]

Cheerleader of angry mob: We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it anymore!

Angry Mob: F#*&!ng-A that's right

C.L.: What are we going to do about it?

A.M.: Something!

C.L.: When are we going to do it?

A.M.: At some as yet to be determined point in the foreseeable future

C.L: Sounds AWESOME! I'll bring some biscuits.

[Bill Huffhine]

Hey MeMeMe,

Good illustration of what the response of Americans has been to our increasingly broken system. I believe, however, that we've reached a tipping point. America cannot be sustained much longer, and I think Americans are finally waking up to that reality.

Thanks for you comment!