November 8th: Revolt or more of the same?
Technically, a "revolution" replaces one political system with another. The Russian Revolution was a true "revolution." The Czarist Monarchy was replaced by Communism -- a totally different political and economic system. But most other "revolutions" are not so "true." South Americans often have "revolutions" where one group of corrupt generals replaces another group of corrupt generals. Brutal African dictators rise, experiment with socialist economics only to fail and be replaced be another brutal dictator. Somehow, none of these "revolutions" improve the plight of those the "revolutions" were supposed to liberate from oppression.
The French Revolution was simply a bloody Revolt. In 1789, the impoverished 3d Estate (starving peasants, called: the sans-culottes) revolted against the corrupt 1st Estate (the Clergy,) and against the high-living 2d Estate (the elite Nobles). Pure hatred for the Ancien Régime -- not high-minded political theory -- impelled the starving sans-culottes to murder the priests, rape the nuns, loot the churches, and behead the King, the Queen, and as many Nobles as they could imprison in the Bastille. The 4th Estate (the American mainstream media) was yet to be invented.
Nor was the American Revolution, a true "revolution." Our Founders adored the rights, privileges, and freedoms of their English forefathers and mothers. Our Founders took up arms to secure those same rights, privileges, and freedoms for Colonial America.
On Election Day -- and setting their regrettable personalities aside -- voters have the choice between a woman who has lived her public life as an Alinsky/Fabian Socialist or a man who has lived his life as an Adam Smith/Milton Friedman Capitalist. But, as the late Will Rogers famously said, "There is only one redeeming thing about this whole election. It will be over at sundown, and let everybody pray that it’s not a tie, for we couldn’t go through with this thing again." (This grim election may be God’s way of making Old Age more palatable, and Youth less attractive.)
But, if the losers can show that this particular election was "rigged," this election might not be over at sundown. According to the Columbia Journalism Review, American journalists (our 4th Estate) have given $382,000 to one candidate and only $14,000 to the other candidate. Could media bias "rig" an election?
To quote from the Declaration of Independence, what if the government elected on November 8th is NOT "...deriving its just powers from the consent of the governed?" The Declaration says: "That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends [life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness], it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing power in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness...But when a long train of abuses and usurpations ... evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security..."
Wow! Our Founders refused to accept King George III’s "long train of abuses and usurpations..." Pray this election will be "fair and square" and, as Will Rogers hoped, "...over at sundown..."
Nationally syndicated columnist, William Hamilton, is a laureate of the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame, the Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma University Army ROTC Wall of Fame, and is a recipient of the University of Nebraska 2015 Alumni Achievement Award. He was educated at the University of Oklahoma, the Army Language School, the George Washington University, the U.S Naval War College, the University of Nebraska, and Harvard University.
©2016. William Hamilton.
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