Steven BeschlossI'm old enough to remember that respecting and defending the Constitution was the most basic expectation of every citizen, let alone someone running for president. Even after everything we've been through, the idea that Republicans will stick with a man who flagrantly demands the Constitution be discarded to install him into office: Infuriating.
SocialistStan@StevenBeschloss Why exactly should we defend a document written by 18th century slave owners? It doesn't even guarantee a right to food and housing, we can and should do better.
Dr Dan Marshall@SocialistStan @StevenBeschloss Because the Constitution allows for reform. It is relatively easy to overthrow a government. Building a new republic on the ashes of the old is much more difficult. If you can't win an election, what makes you think you can win a revolution?
@DrDanMarshall @StevenBeschloss Because people have control over the course of a revolution, elections are a rubber stamp for whomever the parties want in charge.
The constitution allows for only small incremental reforms that don't threaten those in power, you can't build a new system under the old one.
@SocialistStan @StevenBeschloss Have you studied revolutions? They eat their own young.
@DrDanMarshall @StevenBeschloss Didn't the constitution you defend come from a revolution?
@SocialistStan @StevenBeschloss Technically, no. A lot of historians prefer to call it the War of American Independence rather than a true revolution. Arguably, the US has never seen a revolution, and the UK hasn't had one since the days of Cromwell, with the possible exception of the Glorious Revolution.
@DrDanMarshall @StevenBeschloss Lets run with the assumption the American Revolution was not a real revolution then. I disagree with that assessment, but since it was a revolution fought by ordinary people on behalf of the landowner class it was clearly not a democratic revolution anyway. The constitution it produced reflects this.
If that's the case, isn't it time the US had a democratic revolution?