Why America in 2012 is Like France in 1789 (And Why You Should Care)

[riqster]

23. "Like" does not mean "identical"

Similarities exist side-by-side with differences. 1789 had shorter life expectancies: 2012 has faster information transmission. 1789 had less education; 2012 has more (and deadlier) weapons. We could go back and forth for quite some hours, tossing such things up in the air and batting them around. Which I find to be quite fun, especially when people are into it. :-D

But the point of the blog post is this: societies can either recognize the risks they face and take steps to fix their problems...or ignore them and deal with the consequences.

Say, for argument's sake, that I am an alarmist. Could well be. But I submit that taking steps to increase citizen involvement; reforming our monetized governmental system; and working towards greater equity for all Americans is a good thing regardless of whether or not America is facing an imminent existential threat.

And doing nothing solves nothing.

So, let's DO something.