The revolution will not be televised. 

“What if this darkness is not the darkness of the tomb, but the darkness of the womb?” 

- Valerie Kaur

“When I talk about a political revolution, what I am referring to is the need to do more than just win the next election. It's about creating a situation where we are involving millions of people in the process who are not now involved … 

-Bernie Sanders

This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius…  

- Cast of Hair

I want to talk about the false choice the pundits are presenting to Democrats and Progressives. 

We are either to ascribe to the belief that we must return to the status quo that existed before this maniac got into the White House. Or we must prepare for a political revolution that will up end the entire power structure.    

I say BS. 

First, let’s address the easy one – status quo. This argument says that our next presidential candidate must be “acceptable” to the Trump voters who flipped in the 2016 election. That a woman, or a person of color, or a socialist will doom the election and cause Trump to continue his reign of terror for four more years. Joe Biden…now there is a guy who has “favorables” with those middle-class white guys! He’s a safe bet. It’s in the bag. 

1) It’s not in the bag. As a matter of fact, the chances of the Democrats losing the election are pretty high if we back Joe. Joe says stupid things often. Joe has 20^thCentury ideas about how the world works and they do not stand the test of time. And let’s be honest, Trump is going to get under Joe’s skin early and never let up. The most telling indicator that Joe Biden is the wrong candidate is that he’s the one that Trump WANTS to run against. 

2)  There never was a status quo. The ACA, Dodd Frank, The Iran Nuclear Deal, diplomatic relations with Cuba, Gay Marriage, DACA and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are just a few of the advancements of the Obama Administration. Even as armchair progressives were complaining that Obama was “a disappointment”, he was quietly up ending the status quo pretty well in my opinion.  

3) Trump is not an aberration. Trump is the culmination of years of reactionary actions by right wing conservatives. He’s the counter revolution, pushing back on everything that has happened in America since 1968. 

We need to continue the “revolution” – a term that I have come to despise as I will explain later in this essay – not go back to the status quo.  

So…what have I got against revolution? Plenty. 

Let’s take a hard look at history. I think I would be stating the obvious to assert that the rich and powerful have controlled most of the wealth as well as the fates of most humans across the vast span of history.  Even the founding of America was a rich man’s boondoggle. We call it a revolution, but actually it was executed by a cadre of rich lawyers and plantation owners for their own gain. Don’t get me wrong. I think America is a truly noble experiment and that we have taken many actions that make for a more perfect union. I consider myself a patriot who thinks America, warts and all, is the greatest human achievement in government and culture ever achieved. But all the advances that have been made in the last 243 years have not fulfilled the freedom and citizenship promised by the Constitution. 

We have never had a revolution in America and we never will.

The amendments to the constitution that granted citizenship to people of color and women; the laws and rulings that have provided you with many of the protections that keep you safe and free, were accomplished by a small group of committed and hard-working patriots. They worked hard. They suffered many setbacks. But they endured and overcame the powerful and the rich who have always held the reins of power in this country. Through force of will and perseverance, they made us a better country. A more perfect union. 

In the late 60’s there was the promise of revolution. Young Americans were told that many of the old, hypocritical ways of their parents would be swept away. The times they are a changin'.  Well, that not only didn’t work out so well, it caused a lot of people to be bitter. It caused a lot of people to claim that it was all a lie. That nothing ever changes. 

I can stand here in 2019 and look back on 1968 and state without reservation that many changes promised in the 60’s have been achieved. I can also state that those changes – again – were made by a small group of dedicated patriots. People who worked hard and overcame adversity. 

Are things better? Damn right they are. Is there more work to do? Damn right there is. 

Progress will always be a guerilla action. The rich and powerful will always reassert their power. There will be no revolution and to believe that there will be is a clear road to failure. Margaret Mead was right when she said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has”.

Are you a member of that small group? We happy few? Are you willing to sign on? 

You see…you can pretend to care, but you can’t pretend to show up.

Register. 

Vote. 

Agitate.