In this week's Wolff Responds: Professor Wolff highlights the lessons we can learn from both the American Revolution and the French Revolution as this month is the anniversary of both.d@w's Substack is a reader-supported publication.
Well said. The Marquis de Condorcet's 1793 Girondin constitutional project and his model of interlinked primary assemblies — a version of direct democracy- never made it into what we now think of as the modern liberal democratic tradition. That's too bad!
We need a renewal of this fundamentally democratic institution, now, and a REVOLUTION to make that happen in America. It may come down to writing a new constitution for the United States of America, which in any case, is long overdue. Let us never forget that the current Constitution of the United States was a counter-revolution to the democratic leanings of the states. Until we organise to make this happen, we are living in what is essentially a constitutional oligarchy.
I've been to China. It reminds me of when America was young. It has cheap, but excellent transport: roads, high speed trains, subways. it has affordable housing, food, education, and health care. The government has a monopoly on the energy, water, post office and so on. NOT TO MAKE A PROFIT... but as a service to citizens. They rightly get taxes from productive citizens as they can afford to lead a good life.
America has become a FOR PROFIT, privatise, nation. Their middle class is disappearing in America. it is growing in China.
It is said that the business of is business. The business of America is war.
Most people in Americans are broke. Unless you live in the USA, you can't know how desperate almost everyone is!
The USA is a 3rd world nation with small pockets of the richest people you’ve ever seen. I know two well qualified teachers that do uber part time to make ends meet. I doubt they've even paid their student loans.
The poor are "lazy" but they work 2 or 3 jobs! They can't make ends meet much less get ah
Thanks! There’s a revolution alright, but in reverse- it is the wealthy who are taking power. Yes, they always had it, but now they are simply dispensing with the republic, and putting in an authoritarian state. It’s been a long time coming- since Reagan- it was even called The Reagan Revolution. These revolutionaries have learned from past revolutions, too. They learned that you must convince the people that the wealthy represent “freedom” and patriotism that the real enemies are immigrants, gays, people of color, college professors and liberal media. This is why there will be no counter-revolution; the people who would normally fight it are fighting on the side of the wealthy.
Thank you Richard your a true inspiration to me and I follow you endlessly! I'm Indigenous from Canada and we face the same issues here being a Vassel State of the USA.
Hold it! The NDAA $1.15 trillion Military Merger stealth bill stalled but still in play!
DEFUND ISRAEL, Decouple the SAVE ACT and Strip NDAA Section 217 Military Merger OR Vote No on Cloture
✅Decouple the SAVE ACT
✅Strip the treasonous NDAA FY 2027 Section 217 (formerly 224) of the House’s FY2027 the “United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative,”Military Merger with Israel that allots $1.15 trillion to the Pentagon through which Israel will receive $ and arms without restraint.
The revolution from that period that no one discusses is the Haitian Revolution. It defeated an empire and liberated the workers (the enslaved). That fact all by itself explains Haiti's present conditions. The slave-holding countries right away began to undermine Haiti's revolution and have not let up since. I'd like to hear an intervention about that.
Well said. The Marquis de Condorcet's 1793 Girondin constitutional project and his model of interlinked primary assemblies — a version of direct democracy- never made it into what we now think of as the modern liberal democratic tradition. That's too bad!
We need a renewal of this fundamentally democratic institution, now, and a REVOLUTION to make that happen in America. It may come down to writing a new constitution for the United States of America, which in any case, is long overdue. Let us never forget that the current Constitution of the United States was a counter-revolution to the democratic leanings of the states. Until we organise to make this happen, we are living in what is essentially a constitutional oligarchy.
I've been to China. It reminds me of when America was young. It has cheap, but excellent transport: roads, high speed trains, subways. it has affordable housing, food, education, and health care. The government has a monopoly on the energy, water, post office and so on. NOT TO MAKE A PROFIT... but as a service to citizens. They rightly get taxes from productive citizens as they can afford to lead a good life.
America has become a FOR PROFIT, privatise, nation. Their middle class is disappearing in America. it is growing in China.
It is said that the business of is business. The business of America is war.
Most people in Americans are broke. Unless you live in the USA, you can't know how desperate almost everyone is!
The USA is a 3rd world nation with small pockets of the richest people you’ve ever seen. I know two well qualified teachers that do uber part time to make ends meet. I doubt they've even paid their student loans.
The poor are "lazy" but they work 2 or 3 jobs! They can't make ends meet much less get ah
ead.
America is a WAR supporting nation not a citizens HEALTH, HAPPINESS, and PROSPERITY nation.
1. Impoverished working class
2. Endless war thanks to Israel and a Congress that profits from the armaments industry.
3. Militarized police
4. Largest prison system in the world
5. Corporations legally exploit the vulnerable
6. Wealth transfering into the billionaire class. Vanishing middle class = only the uber wealthy and the poor (the rest of us).
7. Legislative bodies, courts, & media all hostage to corporate power.
8. Unaffordable health care, housing, medications, and education.
9. Non-living wages.
10. Student debt. Many nations have free college education but they don't pay for Israel's bombs or their health care.
11. Increasing environmental damage and degradation. Global warming.
A new universal bill of rights would be nice
Thanks! There’s a revolution alright, but in reverse- it is the wealthy who are taking power. Yes, they always had it, but now they are simply dispensing with the republic, and putting in an authoritarian state. It’s been a long time coming- since Reagan- it was even called The Reagan Revolution. These revolutionaries have learned from past revolutions, too. They learned that you must convince the people that the wealthy represent “freedom” and patriotism that the real enemies are immigrants, gays, people of color, college professors and liberal media. This is why there will be no counter-revolution; the people who would normally fight it are fighting on the side of the wealthy.
Question: What are those 14 core institutions of U.S.? Can they be listed ?
Thank you Richard your a true inspiration to me and I follow you endlessly! I'm Indigenous from Canada and we face the same issues here being a Vassel State of the USA.
Take care stay safe folks, Peace!
Hold it! The NDAA $1.15 trillion Military Merger stealth bill stalled but still in play!
DEFUND ISRAEL, Decouple the SAVE ACT and Strip NDAA Section 217 Military Merger OR Vote No on Cloture
✅Decouple the SAVE ACT
✅Strip the treasonous NDAA FY 2027 Section 217 (formerly 224) of the House’s FY2027 the “United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative,”Military Merger with Israel that allots $1.15 trillion to the Pentagon through which Israel will receive $ and arms without restraint.
✅OR Vote NO on cloture
SPREAD THE WORD | MAKE THE CALL
☎️ 202-224-3121
Revolution 💪 Great post.
Brilliant analysis
The revolution from that period that no one discusses is the Haitian Revolution. It defeated an empire and liberated the workers (the enslaved). That fact all by itself explains Haiti's present conditions. The slave-holding countries right away began to undermine Haiti's revolution and have not let up since. I'd like to hear an intervention about that.
A new U.S. Constitution that is not as the original is an enabler of slavery and/or the revival of The Confederacy, ultimately.
https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/do-or-die-insurrectionary-anarchy