The Onus of Revolution

The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots & tyrants.
Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Stephens Smith, 1787

The United States is undoubtedly approaching a defining point in its history and, due to its hegemony, a defining point in world history. Without a revolution, the nation will not prosper. It may fall, it may linger, but it will not flourish. Its prosperity is only reached by the vehicle of revolution. But a revolution has cost, and most of us seem unwilling to pay it. The cost is not necessarily one’s life, not yet, but rather the comforts that we have come to mistake for entitlements. Everything we cherish can be taken from us, and if we are to be owed anything, we must be willing to fight for it.

Many in this country are quick to sacrifice their freedom — and importantly, others’ freedom — for safety and comfort. I do not find this admirable, as greatness has never come from choosing comfort over freedom. For many in the West, physical comfort has become a right in all but name, and the sedating effects of moral comfort have remained desirable, as it is often easier to be nice than it is to be just.

Others in the country would even sacrifice both comfort and freedom to return this country to its peak of power. It seems that they would sacrifice the very things that make this country great in order to preserve it. Admittedly, in practice there is merit to this view, especially for those who wish to preserve the country for their offspring; they see the sacrifice of comfort and freedom as only temporary.

And finally, there are those who desire both comfort and freedom, and the prosperity of the nation is the currency they use to pay for these goods. Opposed to discipline and fearful of liability, they are in denial about what the future holds, and while I understand their desire to live free of burden, I would expect them to understand that in doing so, they forfeit their rights to those who accept the burdens, those who take accountability.

Regardless of where you reside in the political space, you will only find temporary relief in blaming others for the decline of the nation. Greatness is only achieved by great people, and we are those people: we can rise to the occasion, or cower before our trials and tribulations.

The onus is yours. The onus is mine.

In the coming new order we must redefine what it means to be American, and we must strive for higher ideals than the Founding Fathers themselves.

Here is what I offer you in the meantime:

Freedom is the rule, not the exception
Wasting what is valuable is theft
Opportunity is the only necessity
Neither weakness nor strength is by itself a virtue
Equality is a matter of measurement
Power belongs to the accountable

Let us embrace the greatness around us, in each of us, and let us take responsibility for its creation and preservation.