The Legacy of the American Revolution at Susan Labandibar

The Legacy of the American Revolution

The American Revolution is part of the creation myth of the United States. It tells the story of heroic men and women who delt with injustices of an unaccountable political class by rising up and creating a new style of government. Through sacrifice and solidarity, they solved an ancient problem of over-consolidated political power and left the legacy of a more accountable government than had ever existed before.

Unfortunately, the problem of power consolidation did not end with the institution of representative government. Over the centuries that followed, economic power has eclipsed and usurped the power of the government. Now there is a new elite class whose power base is not accountable. In essence, the tendency of power to consolidate its wielders and increase its reach adapted to the constraints imposed by the Founding Fathers.

Today, as then, we need a revolution that undermines the power of the unaccountable economic elites and replaces it with a democratic system that empowers all people. There are a number of problems that make our situation more complicated than the one faced in 1776:

Ecological problems and resource constraints are now becoming increasingly pressing issues.
The world’s majority urban population can organize more easily, but they are reliant on distant food production. Additionally, the successful revolutions of the 20th century have all relied on significant peasant support.
Our political system provides scapegoats and tools for marginal changes that prevent revolutionary movements from becoming widespread.
Overwhelming military and police power make violent resistance a practical impossibility.

Romantic notions held over from the stories of the American Revolution emphasize battling a distant oppressor. Today we are bound to a system that provides everything we rely on – right down to our food and water. The problem with American politics is that movements are usually driven by who we oppose, rather than what we want to build. Our new revolution is not about throwing off the chains of oppression – we are caught in a system that is at once our oppressor and provider.

The solutions to our contemporary problems are not destructive, but creative. We, the people, must build our own base of power. Our declaration of independence will only be ratified when we can feed, clothe, and shelter ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities.