Sleeping Through A Revolution

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            Regardless of your opinions of the administration and the president, the United States is experiencing fundamental change. It is literally disintegrating as a world power. This decline can be measure in several ways.

1)   America can no longer stand as nation of high moral values.

2)   The nation’s political structure and governance is highly flawed

3)   Americans have less confidence in their political systems and politicians

4)   The United States is a dangerous nation as other nations feel that the United States lacks firm policies and ideologies

5)   Racial, religious, gender and class tensions are extremely volatile

6)   Health care in America is the worse of the developed nations

7)   Corruption, both social and political, is visible on a daily basis

8)   Freedom of the press is rapidly disappearing and the press is becoming seen as the tools of political parties or political ideologies

9)   America is perceived as a dangerous place to live because despite the decrease of other crimes, gun violence, mass shootings, and sexual assaults are increasing at significant rates

10)  The nation’s infrastructure is crumbling

11)  Climate denial highlights the power of an all-consuming capitalistic agenda

12)  Americans daily exhibit an ignorance of current events, national and world history, and global culture

13) Americans systematically ignore the rule of law

Without the acceptance of the rule of law, the nation is vulnerable to mass decay and ultimate destruction. The strength of the American nation is based on the legitimacy of the Constitution.  Unlike other nations, which have changed their governance at particular points in time, the American Constitution is largely the same document that was crafted more than 200 years ago. It was believed to be almost perfect. It has served as a model for countless desiring democracies. And, it has been argued that the American Constitution bends but does not break. 

However, history does not play favorites! A constitution is only as good as its authors and citizens. Sadly, the belief of an unwavering constitution is proving to be little more than stale rhetoric. There are visible forces within the nation capable of tearing that document apart.  We tend to forget that this has happened before. And at that time the nation was gripped in a struggle of life and death over the profits of forced servitude.

The American Constitution is based on the principles of honest men who were disinterested in terms of self-gain and wealth. It was designed to prevent America from being ruled by a king. And while it seemingly could overthrow tyrants and dictators, the Constitution was not built to save the people from themselves. Unfortunately, we are not living in a time of disinterested men.  Once again, we are living in an era of confusion filled with corruption, fraud and inhumanity. 

In order to ensure its survival, 19th century America went to war (with itself) to save the union. Hundreds of thousands died in the process. Twenty-first century America is confronted by a similar threat, but the outcome does not appear to be individual deaths.  Instead we are looking at the death of a nation as the needs of the many are being disrupted by the needs of a few.  Such a nation, at war with itself, will surely perish.  

Scholars suggest that dictatorships last roughly 70 years. In this construction lies the demise of Caesar's Rome, Napoleon's France, fascist Italy, fascist Spain, Nazi Germany, Communist Cuba, Apartheid South Africa, and the Soviet Union.  Communist China is 70 years old and its people are in the streets of Hong Kong. Is America on the verge of becoming its own dictatorial state?

Our traditional history suggests that we can overcome this challenge.  Yet in order to emerge victorious, the sole nation that claims exceptionalism has to believe that it is different. To remain exceptional means doing good when all others don't or won't! Yet, daily the nation slips further and further from its guiding principles.

At what point is the point of no return? When will Americans confront their bitter truths? Daily we see the threats to our morals, values and institutions, and yet we fail to react. 

History suggests that revolutions occur with cycles of conflict and chaos. Strangely, America might prove to be the exception to this rule. It really may be possible to sleep through a revolution!