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PaperclipPerfector  4d ago (text post)   18500 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of March 30, 2026

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Easy.

Quoth the Declaration of Independence:

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness

I like the word 'whenever' in that context. Its not like you have to wait for a prescribed moment.

But I expect most people aren't so uncomfortable as to really desire that, and certainly the most rational amongst us realize that the cost of such a step would be insanely high, and the risk of something worse replacing it is real and serious.

But I expect most people aren't so uncomfortable as to really desire that, and certainly the most rational amongst us realize that the cost of such a step would be insanely high, and the risk of something worse replacing it is real and serious.

That is addressed in the next sentence.

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes

I saw someone make the interesting point that the Amendments Clause simply provides a way to amend the Constitution. We could double down on the Late Republic vibes by adding national plebiscites.

Quoth the Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence and the American Revolution occurred near the peak of the "age of the gun," when the nature of warfare was most favorable to the masses versus states. That ended some time ago, and modern first-world governments are effectively rebellion-proof.

If the United States hadn't withdrawn in a hurry from Afghanistan after 20 years of pouring military materiel into it, I might grant that argument.

But as it happens, a bunch of religious zealots with guns won their country back despite the economic and technology imbalance.

This directly implies it is, overall, a contest of wills more than pure technological might.

And I do not think that modern first-world politicians are assassination-proof.

Since, you know, the guy who is currently President came within millimeters of being assassinated about two years ago.

By dude with a gun.

And civilian uprisings have successfully unseated heads of state in Nepal, Madagascar, Bangaladesh, and Sri Lanka.

That's just the past 3 years. I do not think 'first world' governments are qualitatively more secure than the governments of those countries.

The feature that makes a first world government rebellion-resistant is the ability to keep people economically pacified, I'd say.

So I just fundamentally disagree that rebellion can't be achieved under modern constraints.

Whether rebellion can successfully foment a change for the better, I do wonder.

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