Remix.run Logo
kergonath 6 days ago

> Please give me an example of what happens.

It’s easy to forget after 80 years of stable western democracies, but brutal equilibrium shifts do happen. There was a revolution every ~20 years in Europe between 1789 and 1917. And even during the 20th century, the history of much of the world is full of coups, revolts, and uprisings. See all the revolutions in ex-soviet republics, the Arab spring, etc.

So you can pick and choose between the American independence, the French Revolution, the revolutions of 1848, the Commune, and the soviets, to give you just a couple of examples for which you can find some documentation easily.

computerdork 6 days ago | parent | next [-]

And (even though I don't support him in any way), would say the election of Trump is in part due to the constant wins of the white collar work force. Most of the examples you gave of revolutions led to greater democracy and greater socialism, which benefits the blue collar, but ironically, in this case, the blue collar elected a autocratic conservative.

Again, am not a Trump supporter in anyway, but agree that when the wealthy keep getting richer while the blue-collar worker continues to struggle, this leads to discontentment and pushback.

rapind 6 days ago | parent | next [-]

> The shame is that this underclass does not really see how he is harming them and how his politics benefit their old enemies, the economic elite that’s turning into oligarchs.

I'd bet you that at least some are aware and just don't care. You crap on people long enough and they'll want to burn it all down out of spite. I suspect the eventual endgame here might be class warfare. Keep an eye out for more of these oligarch bunkers that are popping up.

computerdork 6 days ago | parent [-]

Feel like we already have some level of class warfare (meaning more than lets say ten years ago).

kergonath 6 days ago | parent | prev [-]

> And (even though I don't support him in any way), would say the election of Trump is in part due to the constant wins of the white collar work force.

Definitely. He tapped the anger and resentment of an underclass. The shame is that this underclass does not really see how he is harming them and how his politics benefit their old ennemies, the economic elite that’s turning into oligarchs.

> Most of the examples you gave of revolutions led to greater democracy and greater socialism, which benefits the blue collar, but ironically, in this case, the blue collar elected a autocratic conservative.

True. But examples of this also abound pre- or during WWII, from all the fascist regimes in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, and copycats such as Vichy.

Upheaval and chaos can lead to either progress or ruin.

computerdork 6 days ago | parent [-]

Agreed, overall, they're only hurting themselves economically

geraldwhen 6 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Modern police and military gear is so advanced that revolution is unrealistic.

kergonath 6 days ago | parent | next [-]

It does not help when part of the military sides with the revolution. Which happened to some extent in just about all of them. It’s never just normal people against the army. Soldiers also have families suffering just like the others. They also see what happens to them when they leave the military and become part of the underclass again. There is a spectrum between not following orders efficiently to just ignoring orders and then open mutiny.

ElFitz 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Maybe. But a modern revolution also doesn’t need physical violence.

People in power only have power in so far as others believe and enforce it. The emperor has no clothes.

ben_w 6 days ago | parent | prev | next [-]

The gear generally requires an industrial base to keep it functioning. Given what was in SmarterEverDay's recent video about a barbecue cleaner, where so much of it ended up being imported despite their efforts (including chain mail!), I think in the event of another actual civil war, the USA would struggle to self-maintain any weapons more advanced than what you had in what is now "the" Civil War, and would be dependent on the whims of whichever foreign power wanted to support whichever sub-group.

johnnyanmac 6 days ago | parent | prev [-]

If they want to try their hand and unleash the first American genocide in history, that may be the cost for people to wake up. too many cameras and live uploading about to bury hundreds, maybe thousands of citizens being shot down in cold blood.

throwawayoldie 6 days ago | parent [-]

"First American genocide?" Maybe ask a Native American about that...if you can find one.