Welcome to a discussion about the upcoming 5th Revolution in the US, which I’ve titled the “Revenge Revolution.” For more about the Revenge Revolution and the author, Entry #1.  Periodically I write a “sense check” to assess whether a revolution in the US is possible or whether the entire exercise is based on a statistical aberration — i.e., a roughly 50-year cycle between major upheavals in the US. Entry #430 was the most recent “sense check.” 

ENTRY #433 BEGINS: One thing I try to do is create a contact list that includes people with a range of opinions. Over the years, many people have asked, “Why do you remain friends or even talk to that person? “

Actually, for two reasons: (i) people of all ilk’s usually can be interesting if you dig around a bit for their interests, and then listen; (ii) understanding how different people view certain issues, as long as the views are not totally outlandish, can help identify what needs to be considered when trying to construct a solution to a societal problem.

One of my current projects that some readers are aware of is being part of an effort by a group of fellow MIT alumni to identify causes of climate change, and then recommend practical solutions.  The real challenge of the project is not selecting the technology to help reduce global warming. Ironically, the technology solutions are rather straightforward. The real problem is how to convince people to adopt and implement the recommended solutions.  Knowing how different people think about climate change and reaction to the recommended solutions is critical if climate change is ever to be addressed effectively.

For many people, the reaction to recommendations to address climate change is the same as their reaction to recommended solutions to address the COVID pandemic.  The reaction is some combination of denial and/or “your recommendations – masks and vaccines – are taking away my freedom! “

Some anti-vaxxers claim that others do not respect their opinion.  And the lack of respect is true.  But anti-vaxxers, let’s try to put your claim in the context of real world and not the context of the blabbering talking heads on Fox.

First, what is freedom?  Based on their rhetoric, anti-vaxxers claim to have some kind of freedom from complying with any kind of legal restriction they don’t like.  If you’re an anti-vaxxer and you missed civics class, or can’t remember, freedom for citizens is granted by the government. The type of government, unless a dictatorship or an autocracy, is chosen by the people. Yes, anti-vaxxers, citizens of the US elected representatives to decide among other things on what freedoms you could have as citizens.  The basic rights of citizens and situations where rights might be overridden are outlined in the US Constitution. 

The document of the government also outlines a legal system to enforce laws of the land. Your freedom is defined by various laws, not what you think freedom should be.

If you want to true freedom, then here’s the trade off.  You can have your complete freedom but you have to give up your citizenship, Passport, driver’s license, deeds to any property and all rights to be protected by the legal system, law enforcement and the courts that would normally be used to redress any wrongdoing against you. 

With your new-found freedom, you are now a non-citizen in no-man’s land with no protection.  If you really want freedom, then you should consider the words from a song made famous by Janis Joplin, “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose…“  With your freedom, you now have nothing left to lose.    

Now that you’ve been to civics class, time for history class.  The US and the Allies did not defeat the Axis in WWII relying on a bunch of whiny brats who insisted on being free from government restrictions. To win the war required significant sacrifice from all segments of society.  Many everyday items were rationed. Many other items were taken off the commercial market and resources diverted to the war effort.  Many people lost their lives defending democracy and how that democracy defines freedom.

So anti-vaxxers, quit acting like a bunch of two-year-olds. Instead, put on your big-boy pants and start doing what’s right for society. The restrictions you’re fighting that are designed to help address the pandemic will be like a penny waiting for change compared to the restrictions required to address the scourges of climate change.

RECAP: How does this entry relate to a possible 5^th US Revolution?  In all likelihood, the anti-vaxxers will continue with their “me-first-at-any-cost” attitude and force the government to issue mandates for recommendations for climate change.  The anti-vaxxers will continue to rebel against those mandates, even though the consequences of not addressing climate change are catastrophic.  The anti-vaxxers could well join forces with the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol on 01/06/2021 and repeat that type of attack in many other locations.   

Other Topics. Interested in more info about climate change, what’s required to electrify a fleet of cars/trucks, what it was like to work day-to-day with Lee Iacocca and an array of other topics? Visit another page of this website, https://usrevolution5.com/jrd-thought-comments/