Given the undeniable fact that the Republicans in Congress continue to ignore their Constitutional duties, it’s probably unproductive to suggest that they take a close look at another of our founding documents, The Declaration of Independence. If they did, however, they might notice that the document describing the behaviors of George III that impelled them to withdraw from the British empire are eerily similar to the behaviors of their MAGA cult leader.
You might think of the Declaration as the original “No Kings” statement, laying out America’s grievances against the actions of George III that triggered the Revolutionary War. The list of those grievances was extensive, but several seem especially pertinent to the growing resistance to today’s would-be King.
Consider, for example:
“He has refused his Assent to laws; He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither; He has obstructed the Administration of Justice; He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices; He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people; He has affected to render the Military independent and superior to the Civil power;
“For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world; For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent; for depriving us in many cases of the benefit of Trial by Jury; For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offenses.”
The Declaration isn’t law. It isn’t even a legal framework, as the Constitution is. But it is a statement of governing philosophy–a stirring declaration of what legitimate governance is and isn’t. Most schoolchildren are familiar with one of the opening paragraphs, an eloquent, “self-evident” description of the basic purposes of government:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That, to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. 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.”
Governments, the Declaration tells us, derive their “just powers from the consent of the governed.” Thanks to decades of voter suppression and gerrymandering, the operation of the Electoral College, misuse of the filibuster, and population shifts that have made the Senate a massively unrepresentative body, it is impossible to argue with a straight face that today’s federal government reflects the consent of the governed.
We are currently being ruled, not governed, by an illegitimate gang of plutocrats and theocrats who are pursuing goals diametrically opposed to those expressed by the nation’s founders. Re-read that last quoted paragraph. Nowhere does it say that “all White Christian men are created equal.” It says that all men- which we now understand to mean all human beings–have “unalienable” rights. Unalienable rights are incapable of being surrendered, transferred, or taken away. They are rights that are inherently and permanently possessed. The Declaration tells us that protecting–securing– those equal rights is the purpose of government, and that when a government “becomes destructive” of that purpose, when it ceases to perform that fundamental task, We the People have the right to alter or abolish it.
It’s past time to alter a government that has drifted far from its original purposes. Look at the list of actions by King George that prompted rebellion–and think about their striking similarity to the policies being pursued by the Trump administration. Refusal to assent to law. Obstruction of immigration. Denial of due process. Insistence on personal loyalty. Misuse of the military. Interference with trade. Imposition of taxes/tariffs. Transporting people “beyond the seas to be tried for pretended offenses”…
It is past time to return this nation to the philosophy of government expressed in the Declaration, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. We have a delusional ignoramus in the White House, a cabinet filled with unqualified clowns and cranks, a Congress filled with cowards, bigots and Christian Nationalists, and a Supreme Court dominated by theocrats.
We got rid of King George and the Hessians. It’s time to get rid of Trump and MAGA.
Amen.
This is an excellent post. As to the Declaration, I enjoy reading “Our Declaration” by Danielle Allen every year or so, and will read it again this year. She is an imminent historian and is a founder of “Our Common Purpose”, which is an organization out of the American Academy that seeks to re-establish democracy in America.
Only one criticism of today’s post, which is my usual gripe. We all agree that it is past time for a change. But I am not aware of how to do it. We cannot rely on Democrats to get their house in order, and if they do not do that we will be stuck with decades of MAGA rule.
Well, what can you say to that?
Take a look at historical path of world powers and their demise. They sink into debauchery, into internal rivalries, into narcissistic power craving authoritarianism, or any version thereof. The will of the general population is suppressed, and those who put themselves in power increase that suppression exponentially until mass capitulation or an eruption of change. Either way, those mighty and powerful nations / kingdoms, have ceased to exist, replaced by the next nation or kingdom that follows the same path eventually. It will be no different here, whatever arises from this fiasco, will not be the power and strength, which it was in the beginning. Someone else with the desire to rule, some other nation or kingdom, will gladly grab the baton on their own Sprint to the precipice!
Thank you, Professor!
1776- Black People were then soon 3/5 of whites, Native People were not citizens, no direct election of the Senate- Even whites only were trusted if they were wealthy Property owners.
The white and disaffected Bipoc now have a “leader” who plays on fear- similarities and differences- we need to learn our real histories and not rely on the Dema to rescue us.
Organize- don’t wait- build resistance not through fear doing what you can.
I was reading about the history of media yesterday, which talked about the evolution of Gutenberg’s impact on literacy. Where we were before, and where we were after the printed word. The original colonists were highly literate and avid readers of the new books being published at the time. One could argue that mass media resulted in the revolution against the monarchy (our ruler).
That steadily progressed into the invention of the TV in the 50s. Study after study reveals that watching television requires virtually no mental effort. We are comatose during the process. It induces unconsciousness. And, as we all know, it’s easily manipulated by our rulers to their advantage. ALWAYS.
As John Sorg often points out, it’s not the system put into place that fails so much, but the people attracted to leadership. The British Empire fell, and so is the Anglo-Zionist Empire. As I had hoped, with Trump’s return to the White House at such a critical time, he will rapidly accelerate the process of that failure.
I suspect the next great empire will emerge from the East, with China, India, Russia, or the BRICS countries being the leading contenders. They are essentially withdrawing (albeit carefully) to replace what was put in place after WWII.
Today’s mission is to investigate what transpired at NATO for clues about our withdrawal. Trump got them to pledge more money, which only enriches our MIC – nothing else. What it also does is take away from the people’s needs by spending more on defense. Trump needs to return to the peacemaker role because he sucks as Commander. Bibi and the Washington Hawks are manipulating him.
So, for James’s question about changing the direction of the downfall, in both Buddhism and Christianity, the lesson is acceptance. If I can’t change something, I have to accept what is…it is what it is. 😉
p.s. According to Peter Thiel, the most influential billionaire on the planet, Greta Thunberg is the anti-Christ and will be the leader of the apocalypse. He obsesses over “end of times” projections. I’ll need help from John, but doesn’t that require Israel to gather up all the Holy Lands or something?
I don’t remember what we were taught about history in which grade in school. It was simply too long ago for that to be recalled. All of my memories are ordered based on their significance to the life that I lived.
To me, organization is not initially what restores our Constitution; energy is the first requirement. A restlessness that the District of Columbia can’t deny is what this country needs now. We can show the world that what they see in their headlines is happening here, which is significant in showing our intent to the world.
We will not be treated this way. They will not be treated this way.
Resistance to Trump/MAGA is growing. Unfortunately, like so much of the left/progressive side, it is creating a new organization daily. I get requests for the resistance from so many different organizations that it is impossible to support them. I agree with their goals and missions but it seems that consolidating some of these organizations would boost improve the results.
We must defeat the Republican Taliban.
I’m seeing posts about a No Kings protest on July 4th. Does anyone have information on this? Is there an organization here in Indianapolis connected to this?
We need to continue peaceful protests as a way forward. Hopefully, new brave leaders can emerge who will help us create a new government.
Todd, “…peacemaker role?” Are you kidding us?
Daleb, you make a very good point there.
Todd, If I believed in such a thing as an Anti-Christ, I’d say it was Trump, with fools like Theil abetting his efforts. Part of me wants to live long enough to see whether, or not, Israel can occupy the “land between the rivers.” If that happens, I want to see the stories that the evangelicals come up with to explain away the fact that no Christ returns!
No return could spark the next Enlightenment, just as His failure to return in the year 1,000 sparked the last one.
Todd. I think it isn’t the medium that renders us comatose, but the content. There is thought provoking content on TV, especially on PBS. So, naturally, that is what the morons gutting America are attacking. Some people find it very difficult, or even impossible to read. For them, radio and television are vital. Please support public broadcasting.
Here I’ve been thinking all this time that Orange Jesus (OJ) is the anti-Christ! It’s a disappointment to learn that it’s really a twenty-two year old trying to save the world from its addiction to fossil fuels. It doesn’t seem likely that Jesus was a climate change denier, but as the MAGATS believe, Peter Thiel is rich, so he must be right!
George III has nothing on OJ. He sent people far away to be tried. OJ is sending them far away to be imprisoned whether or not they are guilty. There are no trials for our detainees. They are being disappeared. At least sixty seven percent of those who were sent to prison in El Salvador don’t have any convictions on their records
Since I’ve never fired a gun of any sort, I’m surely not ready for an insurrection. I do have something more powerful than a.gun. That is my vote. I intend to use it and I encourage every eligible voter in America to do the same.
Just for kicks:.I frequently complain about autocorrect, but today when I typed Thiel autocorrect came back with Thief. I had to decide whether to leave it.
Todd, I think this is what you were referring to.
Revelation
7 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth holding the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow over the land nor over the sea nor on any tree; 2 and I saw another angel coming up from the eastern horizon with the seal of the living God, and he cried out loudly to the four angels to whom it was given to injure the land and the sea 3 “Do not injure the land nor the sea nor the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4 And I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed out of every tribe of the sons of Israel: 5 out of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed, out of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, out of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand, 6 out of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, out of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, out of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand, 7 out of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, out of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, out of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand, 8 out of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, out of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, out of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand sealed.
9 After this I saw, and there was a great crowd, that no one could count, out of every race and tribe and people and language, standing before the throne and before the lamb, clad in white robes and with palms in their hands, 10 and they cried loudly “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the lamb.”
I remember reading the Declaration in high school. The list of grievances was so outside of what I was living daily (as a young, white female in a Catholic school) that it seemed outlandish and unbelievable. Over my lifetime, so many of those grievances have become the new reality as we march backwards to a time when women and minorities of all stripes were marginalized and segregated so old white guys with lots of money and power could do whatever they wanted, which is always more marginalization, segregation and suppression.
Television and now internet have always been a double-edged sword. Think about what it brought instantly into our homes. Political conventions, inaugurations, debates, same day election results, Korea, Vietnam, real time protests against the war, JFK, RFK, MLK assassinations, national mourning, Watergate hearings, Kuwait, Iraq, the end of apartheid, hostage taking and release, Serbia, Afghanistan, worlds of sports and entertainment, etc., etc., etc., all with a speed unheard of ever before. It was and is educational, entertaining, enlightening, scary, appalling, overwhelming and infuriating, coming at us with the speed of light. Lies and truths. You decide. Maybe.
What we are faced with is so different than in the eighteen century when it took months for news to travel around the world and days, weeks and months for actions to be discussed, acting responders recruited and organized.
When I think about the rest of the world and remember that there are hundreds of places in chaos, death and destruction, going through much worse than what we are seeing, without the instant coverage of the world’s media, it does not surprise but disheartens me. We may lose the things that we take for granted just because we take them for granted.
I have no answers, just resolve to resist in whatever way I can. I refuse to wait for the hero on his horse to save the day. Ain’t happinen’. We, the people, have to do it in whatever ways we find.
We need to be asking ourselves why people in power are making decisions that are so hurtful to other people/our society. How do we approach these people in life and give them the support to make better choices? There is a quote that I like that says “Embrace the chaos”. I think that is what we have to do. We have to go toe to toe with a raging animal and soothe it like Crocodile Dundee does. We need a radical love to seep into their cosmic spirit and heal the hurts they are projecting at all of us. The Anti-Christ is limited and can only work with certain emotions if you believe in Satan.
a MORE perfect union.
where is the Balance?
I was going to leave a simple “Amen” and be done with it
but —
The Declaration, among other founding documents, was an aspirational document. It was written by deists. If their view of “all men” (which in standard English was a proper plural of men and women) could bring about the improvements that they sought. If their view of “all men” was clouded, they allowed for our improvement and we specifically included Blacks and Women over time (Jews were excluded in some states until after the Civil War). We have a way to go with American Indians, but even the bigot Millard Fillmore once wrote that the government should honor our treaties with them (I don’t have the quote, but my brother dug it up for a legal opinion when he was a law clerk).
Maybe it’s my background that clouds my reading, but I believe that our founding documents, like the best of religious documents, give us ideals to try to live up to, as best we can. When we fail, we admit it, and try again.
I apply this old quote from Rabbi Tarfon to our Declaration as well, as I’ve shared before: “It is not up to you to finish the task, but you are not free to avoid it”.
We need to find a way to change our government as soon as possible and correct the flaws that allowed a Trump to happen.
So, Amen, Sheila!
Excellent column as always, Sheila! I love to listen to this NPR reading every year on the morning of the 4th of July: The Declaration of Independence read in sections by NPR announcers (this one is from 2021): https://www.npr.org/2021/07/02/1011754245/an-npr-tradition-heres-the-reading-of-the-declaration-of-independence
Thank you, Sheila, for drawing out the remarkable, dare I say eerie, similarities between King George’s offensesand usurpations and those of Trump and his gang of thugs today! I have a copy of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the Bill of Rights next to my bed, and I frequently read them before turning out the lights. More and more, I fear the lights are going out on our democracy due to the actions, and often inaction, of all three branches of our government. It saddens…and, frightens, me!
The Declaration is not law for the federal government. However, the Preamble is included in almost all the state Bills of Rights. Strange as it may seem, Indiana’s Article I, Section 1 may protect the right to revolution.