Revolution - An Idea Project, by Ed Whitfield

Revolution. The word itself, revolving, a circular motion. The meaning generally used behind the word, a dramatic shift in power. The overall effect? The world and all its power hungry factions, fighting and squabbling over who owns what and how things should be run. Once one fight is over and a 180 degree turn has been made, the foundations are already underway for the next 180 degree turn and the next revolution in our species history.

Revolution. Round and round.

With this in mind, the concept of revolution must be changed. We must not call for a shift in power, creating power struggles, but strive to delete power from our society. We must not wish to replace 'the system' but to see to it that the concept of universal systems no longer exists. It is clear to see that even in the most democratic systems the individual is not the master of their own destiny. From this I can only deduce that systems just don't fit.

So what is necessary for an anti-revolution? The belief and education held by most that to hold power is an act against nature itself. Yet, seeing as you must not expect others to hold your beliefs the only thing the individual can do is live their own lives according to their own beliefs the best they can. However, you may not expect people to follow certain beliefs but you can do your best to have these beliefs explained and distributed.

After looking at the French revolution it is clear that the revolutionary beliefs and education became widely held after years of writing and distributing. The likes of Voltaire and Diderot, all the French philosophers. They saw the apparent contradictions of the system and went about arguing, thinking and writing about how the world ought to be. And through the volumes of encyclopaedia, dictionaries and scientific, political and economic literature lay the foundations for the new reality that was born out of revolution. Of course it must not be up to a few, but everyone. The French revolution only created a new system that ended up turning on 'the people'. This is why it is very important to keep in mind the individual and to not allow power structures form. No leaders, no masters, no slaves. Only people living their own lives the way they wish.

As for the Russian revolution, their literature was the likes of Das Kapital and the Communist Manifesto by Marx, written a few years previous in Germany and London. There was much dissent in Russia for years, with minor revolutions, exiles, and major poverty and peasantry. With much circulation of how capitalism exploited the peasants and an assassination within the royal family, the revolution began. Of course once Lenin took control and implemented a Communist state, the system was too, well, systematic and only lead to more misery and exploitation, especially with the death of Lenin and the rise of Stalin.

The Russian case shows how maintaining one form of power or another can not satisfy the deeper human need. To satisfy that need we must all be free.

The point in all this is, firstly we are assuming that we want a happy, free world. Secondly we are assuming that we do not live in such a world, that the American, capitalist empire has us living under certain conditions and their authoritarianism is only going to get worse and more restrictive, that our civil liberties will slowly shrink as their power grows. Thirdly we are assuming that a revolution must take place to dispose of the exploitative, capitalist states.

Then, that classical revolution will not help our situation as this only breeds more power mongers and more exploitation. We must not replace one ideological system with another but realise that for our first assumption to come true it will take not an ideological shift but an attitude shift, that attitude being: holding no authority and accepting no authority. To imagine the relationships of power in our lives and struggle to lessen them and eventually for them not to exist thus creating a world where everyone is free to follow their own destiny.

The revolution, or anti-revolution, I believe must first take place within the mind. We must realise that we are free. We must realise we were born on this planet and therefore we have the right to freedom, that no other born here has the right to tell us what to do. We must break down the mental barriers we have been brought up to believe exist. Only then can we begin to lead a life of example to those enslaved around us, an inspiration to the exploited, whose spirits have been drowned along time ago. Hopefully then those that have no hope, and claim that this is 'life', shall awake from their zombie state and begin leading free lives of their own.

Power is imagined. The 'people' imagine the government's authority and so they vote. The government inevitably does nothing to please the people over the tenure of their term and the people vote again. This is democracy. The 'people' are caught up in the rat race that governments maintain to keep the country 'running'. They vote in governments that promise to ease this rat race. This does not happen and they vote again. They get poorer and their elected representatives get richer, waiting their turn to hit the jackpot. Over and over again. The divide only growing greater until it reaches the point that two species will exist. That is when it will be too late.

The ironic thing is that this desperate circle all began with imagined power. All we have to do for it to stop is ignore it. All we have to do to not live within the rat race is to not live within the rat race. To no longer listen to 'them'. Of course the practical realities of this are far more difficult than its typing. There will be fights, there will be deaths. As the governments begin to realise that they no longer hold persuasive power over the people they will indeed employ coercion. But how many of us can our own guardians kill before they realise what they are doing? Before they get to their own mother?

I believe that in the future the police will be true soulless mercenaries, and this is the time to strike. This is the transitional stage. America is still fighting for supremacy abroad. The global economy is incredibly fragile and remains at the whims of investors who value public opinion. Our governments are soft as they are making their way from a social government to an authoritarian one. This is our opportunity, when the public still matters, as the governments sell of our public services and reassess their security forces. With global terrorism the western world's number one 'threat', we will see our civil liberties become less and less. Under the guise of national security our countries will become police states and the rich will own everything.

But like I said, this is the transitional period. And this is the time we must realise our birthright that is freedom. We must realise all universal moral and manner mean nothing as systems of old only served as our social prisons. If we don't act now our children's generation will probably be the last to glimpse freedom as we know it. (And if you ask me that's not very free. And if you ask an African, Asian or South American. . .)

-- Ed Whitfield, March 2004

Back to An Idea Project Index • More of Ed's Opinion Columns