Have you heard people you wouldn't expect talking about a revolution?

[yurbud]

Poll question: Have you heard people you wouldn't expect talking about a revolution?

I teach college, so even though I rarely heard such talk before, I guess I shouldn't be that surprised to hear unsolicited discussion of a revolution in the United States.

But was even more surprising is going home to visit my family and hearing their blue collar friends and family say pretty much the same thing.

We are in deep shit, and our government has chosen to side with and take orders from those who shit on us.

When the vast majority of working and middle class people in a country feel their government is no longer THEIRS, that their basic hopes of making a decent living, owning a home, and having AFFORDABLE healthcare and a good, free public education for their are all things that can be taken away at the whim of the rich or taken over by them for their profit without any fear of punishment, that government can not long survive.

I never thought I would hear regular people talking about this in my lifetime, but then I never imagined most of the ways our politics have gone wrong in the last decade or so.

Have you heard the topic of revolution come up unsolicited?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. Just the usual bunch of academics who have been predictiing it in some form or fashion since they

grad students.

[villager]

2. Guess you didn't read the OP? The "people you wouldn't expect" part?

n/t

[ProgressiveProfessor]

3. And I voted no...the only ones I hear talking about it are those who have been saying it is right

around the corner for 30 years

[villager]

4. I see -- you've been hearing *the same* people. But I think the OP notes

...some are talking about it who've never broached the subject before.

On the other hand, your vote reflects the fact that folks don't broach such things near you, I guess. Except for those duly noted "usual suspects...!"

[readmoreoften]

19. Stupid leftist academics! They're so dumb! How could they take a long view of history?

Also insinutated here is that they are somehow detached and upper class. Too bad the visionless centrists can't predict anything and don't do a very good job explaining the past either.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

30. They are kind of like the Rapture fetishists

If you assume that cataclysmic event X will happen, every day that it does not happen means that it will happen that much sooner. The two have much in common.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

5. not yet, They are still too comfortable

I on the other hand, while still comfortable, would like to see some heads chopped off.

[AndyTiedye]

10. No, and I Hope It Doesn't Come to That

If it does, the Fundies are ready and waiting to take over.

[sabrina 1]

11. Lol, well at least you are true to your handle!

I'd be happy if someone would just do their job and arrest the criminals who caused all of this, take away all of their money and return it to the American people, and if they ever get out of jail, let them live under the same conditions they thought were just fine for everyone else.

Chopping of their heads is too kind imo. Let them live long miserable lives with plenty of time to regret their arrogance and greed.

[LuvNewcastle]

6. Yes. I have friends who have been

heavily invested in the status quo. Some work for the government in some capacity, some work for well-known charities, and a couple of them live off of investments they have made. These aren't the type of people who generally advocate for revolution, but most of them are extremely dis-satisfied and would get involved if they saw a chance for real change. When there are discussions between us about the reasons behind America's problems, most of us agree that corruption from corporate/business influence is the worst problem. If someone wanted to bring about revolutionary change in this country, I would suggest shining a spotlight on all the legalized bribery that has been taking place in our government. It's a very serious issue and it gets people mad as hell.

[jwhitesj]

7. A month ago no

If you were to ask me a month ago if I thought the chances of some kind of civil unrest in the United States that would significanlty challenge the America of today within the next 5 years, I would say the odds of something like that happening would be less than 1 thousandth of 1%. Today, I am hearing a lot more chatter and seeing signs of an uprising. It's still unlikely, but my wife and I are approaching the next few years a bit more cautiously.

[abq e streeter]

8. What scares me is the ease with which these sentiments can be manipulated toward unrest

as opposed to outright revolution, (which ,yes, unexpected people are talking about, but IMO it's all just talk) but from the right, not left. Tea baggers exhibit #1. The one thing they got right is an awareness they're being fucked , but so easily manipulated into fighting those who are being fucked too, on behalf of the ones fucking them over. Germany in the 20's/30's exhibit # 1A...Could go either way, and with a 24/7 right wing propaganda machine that Goebbels would envy, a revolt of and from the right is not out of the realm of possibility. Probably way off from your intent of this OP, but it's 3:45 AM and waiting for the 3rd clonazapam to kick in , so this is about as on-topic and coherent as I've got. Hopefully this made some sense and related, even slightly, to what you were asking.

[readmoreoften]

20. Got for forbid there's "unrest". Better we just lose it all with quiet dignity.

[abq e streeter]

26. I'm not sure that you didn't misinterpret what trying I was to say (my fault; posted

very late, and very sleepy).......I was saying that while there is likely to be some "unrest", I highly doubt that the American people would ever rise up into a full-on revolution. But also that what scares me, is that even that 'unrest", or more, can be ,and already has been in some cases, manipulated into coming from and being on behalf of , the extreme right wing, and mentioned Germany as simply the most extreme and devastating example of what can happen with that kind of manipulation during times of economic crisis and instability . I hope that clears up what I was intending to say, at least a little bit.

[Casandia]

9. Read the book "The Fourth Turning"

by Strauss and Howe. It was published in 1997. Explains what is happening right now. Thank you Thom Hartmann for recommending this book and interviewing one of the authors recently!!!

And I am going to vote YES

[Odin2005]

15. I have that book and post on their mesage board as "Odin"

http://www.fourthturning.com/forum/index.php

[Tejas]

12. A comment came out of nowhere the other morning.

One of the regulars that hangs out at the store remarked that his kinfolk in DWF told him the S would HTF if their "check" didn't show on the 3rd. His general theme was they (he included) are tired of not being able to depend on "the check", and that Obama needs to "do something". Otherwise, they would take matters into their own hands.

For what it's worth, this guy is able-bodied so I have no idea what kind of "check" he receives nor his folks in DFW.

[villager]

13. wonder why the mere query in the OP makes people uncomfortable enough to unrec?

:shrug:

[Odin2005]

14. I have. even people not interested in politics are mentioning revolution.

A common opinion is that every politician in Washington should be shot and replaced.

[smirkymonkey]

18. Look at what's happening in London, and it's spreading like

wildfire. It's been happening in pockets around the world, but it seems like the less people have to lose, the more willing they are to participate.

[Shagbark Hickory]

21. But that's like saying look at the riots after a Lakers game

and thinking it's a politically motivated revolution

[smirkymonkey]

25. If you read any of the British newspapers and hear what the

people say, it is politically motivated. One of the rioters when asked by a reporter why they were being so violent and destructed responded that "The last time when we marched peacefully to Scotland Yard to protest the conditions in our neighborhoods and the austerity cuts, nobody talked to us and there was no coverage. Now you're talking to us and now we're getting worldwide coverage."

[yurbud]

28. the difficulty is that solution would work no better than it does for fighting terrorism, drugs, or

gangs.

If you got rid of all of them without changing the underlying causes of their profound corruption, in short order, their replacements will need to be replaced too.

We need to look at every Republican idea controlling polls,and do the exact opposite.

They want unlimited campaign spending by corporations and the wealthy?

Take money out of it all together. Give candidates who get a certain number of signatures an allotment of free TV airtime on our PUBLIC airwaves that we license broadcasters to use, and on the cable and satellite companies who are also allotted regional monopolies or broadcast bandwidth to beam down from space.

They want term limits?

Do away with them and encourage politicians to make it a career choice. And after they office, bar them from working for any large corporation or trade group, especially as lobbyists, CEO's, board members, or corporate lawyers. Likewise, ban any speaking fees or their involvement in any presidential libraries that can be used for after the fact back door bribes. If they want to speak or lobby for some issue (not a business) let them do so--as long as they do it on their own dime or congressional pension.

And so on.

[Name removed]

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[dissidentboomer]

17. Yeah, I have. A few

middle to upper middle class retired folks (in their mid to late 70's) who were corporate or small business types. Also, a few 20 to 30 something working class people - store clerks and managers and skilled labor. I've heard statements such as: "We better be very careful. It could happen." "I think we're heading quickly down the road to revolution." "We need a revolution." My gut feeling is that the possibility has occurred to anyone who has thought much at all about recent events.

[blindpig]

22. Yes, and it crosses lines of age and race.

It is all vague and confused and certainly no threat to the government at this time. It does however presage things to come when people stop just grousing and start to organize.

[Blue_Tires]

23. I only overheard some far RWers discuss it after the inauguration

And when the stock market was like 7000

Based on that discussion, that's how I also knew what we now call the "Tea Party" was going to be a meticulous, well-funded movement organized down to the last detail (but masquerading as grassroots)

[deutsey]

24. I hear a lot of discontent, but no talk of revolution

It's too bad we don't have anyone on our side really addressing the concerns of that discontent. The other side, aside from stirring it up, sure knows how to manipulate and exploit it.

[Township75]

27. Haven't heard anyone talk about a revolution. Doubt I will.

At least seriously.

Besides, what makes a revolution? People marching and holding up signs? How is that different than the wave of people that voted Obama and the Dems into office in 2008....and now look where we are.

[laruemtt]

29. spousal unit has charged me

with igniting another anti-war movement a la vietnam era. any suggestions? after we went to the protest in Washington in January 2003, he was done. said we should just take care of our own lives and do the best we can, that nobody's listening. to hear this from him now says a lot.

[yurbud]

32. pre-Obama, anti-war expected a Dem president to drive a stake in the heart of Bush wars

not adopt them as his own.

[spanone]

31. not a peep

[HappyMe]

33. No, not at all. nt