There are many tough talkers on this site. Certainly, many people seem to take out much of their frustration on the keyboard and vent to a receptive eye. So I would like your unfiltered thoughts about something.
I was pretty baked the other night. And actually, I'd had a few beers, too. I got to thinking, what would it take for me to take to the streets in an attempt to overthrow the government. In other words, when if ever, would I revolt?
I think it was Bertolucci's movie,
The Dreamers that started me on this line of thinking. In the movie, some film buffs start protesting the government's decision to shut down a moviehouse, or something. As the movie goes on, the protest grows to include more and more people besides movie buffs. Supposedly this is pretty accurate in that there was a small uprising in Paris in the late 60's. I don't know, I wasn't there.
Anyway, there's a scene where the main character challenges the French intellectual. Basically he says, 'if you really believed what you say you believe, you'd be out in the protest rather than sitting on your ass drinking expensive red wine.'
I won't spoil the end or anything. But it led me to start thinking "what if..." I know that I should be careful of my "pie-hole" as it has been so artfully pointed out in the recommended diaries that I shouldn't be negative. However, I can't help but think of exactly where I would draw the line. In other words, when would I take to the streets and burn down my city?
Okay, for those prone to panic attacks, don't read the next line. Let's say Bush steals the election, again. Okay? He wins and everyone knows it's bullshit, but nothing really comes out of reasonable protest and egg tossing and pissing and moaning. Then what? In the immortal words of Hulk Hogan, "What are you gonna do brother?"
Are you going to be really pissed and move away out of the country? Are you going to write newspapers and senators and cable news shows? Are you going to get depressed and stay on your couch until you are evicted and thrown out onto the street? Are you going to brush up on your knowledge of assault weapons and molatov cocktails?
I'm very, very curious to know exactly what you plan on doing when. Remember, Bush is still courting around 45% of the population. Does his screwing the country again garner enough resentment to alienate him from his wobbly supporters, or would it create a "if you don't like W, you don't like America, Mussolini-type thing"?
Personally, I can't really say. But you have to wonder, is there anything that would really get us off our lazy asses to fight? Would you want to leave your belongings to the whims of anarchy? To tell the truth, I think a Bush win is the end of anything remotely resembling a democracy. But I just wonder how far it has to go before the dam breaks?