Reform vs Revolution: A Fool’s Question

Time has passed and another hiatus is past us, I hope. My schedule has been busier as of late but the reason for my disappearance is the good old flu. In response to ICE’s “metro surge” and the want to do more for my community I dedicated myself to doing more direct work with my community. Luck was not on my side as just as I started getting into the swing of things I was hit with this year's flu variant that knocked me out cold for three weeks. Now being a pessimist, not all the times just when things get worse, I took this as a sign of divine punishment for attempting to do better and stop contributing so willingly to the capitalist machine. In retrospect I just got sick from one of the hundreds of strangers I pass by one the daily, and should really start wearing a face mask to prevent getting sick in the future. Now I’m past most if not all showing symptoms of the flu but I still feel on the precipice of falling back into sickness. I coughed and had my tonsils swollen for so long that I feel my voice has changed permanently even if it is slightly. At least there are thousands of less ICE agents in the Twin Cities, but they are still holding on like this sickness.

To continue being my lovely jovial self it’s time I tell the activists of the world that arguing over whether a revolution or reform is necessary to keep America together is a fool's errand. Not because America isn’t worth saving or that no matter how hard you try as an individual you can’t shape a country. It’s because in the modern sense of praxis they are the exact same thing. Historians will define a movement whatever they like years past, and it may conflict with the people who were involved in said event. If you spend too much time arguing about how to do something instead of actually doing the thing then you have already lost. A revolution sounds grandiose until you realize that it will also require your blood. Reform is cozy and offers a pacifist solution but you often find decades of roadblocks in your way when you actually attempt to achieve anything. At the end of the day both are needed for the world to change, and there is nothing gained arguing about which is needed at the time. Act as you believe is needed, and with clear goals in mind. Organizing with your community and building a network of like minded individuals that just want the best for the community is a great start. The key is to think locally but be aware of things on the relevant national and global scale. The internet may have connected us more than ever, and we can make meaningful connections with allies anywhere but at the end of the day where you hang your hat should be your priority. 

America is still a global powerhouse, and flaunts “the world’s greatest military”. This power swings both ways, the citizens of the world are afraid of the military just as the citizens of the United States are afraid. The key difference is that the members of the US military are denizens of the US. They have been conditioned and trained to follow orders to an extreme degree but their duty is still to the constitution first, in theory. As things continue to deteriorate, and the potential threat of service members not being able to get paid continues, we will see how those chips will lie. It’s foolish to be afraid of service members because they pose the same threat as nuclear arms. My entire life I’ve lived in a world that is only a button push away from destruction, yet the globe still spins on and life continues. There may be some fools that want to watch the world burn to spurn their sick ideals but this is not the majority. It can be hard to picture a world where things are in a better state, and we’ve pulled together to combat real threats like climate change and water shortages but it is still possible. To hold on to hope is not a fool’s errand, and it can be useful in a world run by elderly egomaniacs clinging on to as much power as they can in the last stages of their lives. Making the choice to work to help the others around you, and make the world better are small steps that help us walk the difficult road ahead of us.

We may have a revolution or we may reform our system to be better, I believe both will play their part even if we need to reform society to continue. The truth is something is very wrong with America, and to make the world better we need to change. I’m already doing my part, and I hope these words help you find yours. I’m going to make this my last topical post for a while but don’t be surprised if you see another one. I just want to talk about pop culture slop again, and indulge in some escapism because I’ve earned it. No promises but the last bit of the ICarly review may be coming soon as well as more Star Wars commentary, and Pokemon ZA thoughts. Here’s to the start of spring and the coming green to lighten our hearts.

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