Well, as they say, "I love my country but I don't trust my government."
If the "government" is overthrown will it be a government you respect or one you despise?
I have to disagree with that. I won't arbitrarily state that a revolution will not emplace some worse, sicker or more perverted authority but OTOH one needs to keep in mind what the insurgents would be fighting for. I don't think they would try to attempt to return us to the freedoms as outlined in the Constitution without atleast using that as a template. Even that wouldn't really be necessary; there is enough written about the document by its creators to know what they meant. We could simply readopt the original document with its original meaning....maybe even better spelled out, ie., no more debating whether the second amendment is a "collective right" or an individual right, and a solid definition of "infringed."
"I don't think that would go well for us." Well, I would venture the guess you or a precursor might have said that as George Washington was raising his Continental Army. It's just pure unabashed pessimism.
Of course a revolution could go sideways.
Would you prefer utter tyranny?
If they use the Constitution as a template, they still have to create a new Constitution. If they reinstate the existing Constitution, it is a new Constitution. Under what authority would some revolutionary group institute a new Constitution? The existing Constitution had to be ratified by the Continental Congress and then by all of the states. Who in the states will do the approvals?
Constitutional conservatives and libertarians are the minority in the United States. They would not control any new Constitution. We would not get more protections, we would get less protections.
And how would a new Constitution do better than the existing one? It didn't take a handful of years before Congress and even Founding Fathers began to violate the Constitution. Now we live in a time where all three branches of government, and all levels of government from the top of the federal government to local town council impose their will on us or the will of their donors on us. How would this not happen with a new constitution.
The solution is to vote out all of the incumbents, anybody, anywhere, and replace government with people who will uphold their oath. Replace two or three generations straight until those elected understand that it is we, the people, for whom they work and not they, the lobbyist. I've heard it said, even on these forums, by supposed conservatives that hate the work Congress is doing that they agree Congress should be thrown out but that they aren't willing to vote against their 20+ year congressperson because of the
pork they get good they do their district based on their seniority.
If you want changed government, then change government. Don't overthrow it.
To constantly decry the infringement of our freedoms, the statism that is encroaching upon us, the abuses (both real and imagined by you), the militarization of the police, blah blah blah, then to say you'd stand with the gov when it finally comes crashing down is hypocritical and cowardly.
Seriously? Hypocritical and cowardly? Don't you think that's a bit over the top? You still get to vote. How many doors did you knock on in the last presidential election? How many doors did you knock on in the last city council or mayor election? In the nearby town (I live in the county) mayor election last time I was against one candidate and for another. I knocked on doors, spoke to everyone I could, donated the maximum cash to the candidate I supported. What did you do?
The hypocritical and cowardly thing is to whine on the Internet and talk about revolution when we haven't done a thing to change even our local government. We prefer to spend our time watching ESPN.
I do decry the things government does wrong. I dislike what they do as much or more than anyone I know - probably more than you or most here. I've posted often that anything the government does outside of the authority of the Constitution is done by them as people and not government. It is not possible for the government to operate outside of the Constitution. I would love to see those people held accountable for what they have done. Put in a Congress that will impeach the courts and the president. High crimes or treason. Lying to Congress is a high crime. Violating the rights of others under color of law is a high crime. selling or giving arms to our enemies in time of war, in Mexico or Egypt or Syria, is a high crime.
There is plenty of authority and power already to change the government within the Constitution. As long as you have a vote and can support a candidate then you can change government if you truly wish. When those who are in our government throw declare that the Constitution no longer governs us, or they eliminate the vote or the ability to campaign for a candidate and it is upheld by the Supreme Court then the power is within us. When those things change, and government has abdicated, then, and only then, would I support creating a new government instituting our existing Constitution. Whether I would support any other proposed constitution would depend on what it is when I see it.
