Robert C Hopkins
When Thomas Paine completed the writing of Common Sense in the 1770s, he had no clear idea that his work would be so widely read. He could not have foreseen that it would be so significant to the essence of the experiment in American revolution and democracy that it became. The experiment which began in 1776 would celebrate 250 years in 2026 and would seem to be doomed to failure unless there is a second American Revolution. This book is quite deliberately building on the title created by Mr. Paine. It might be hoped, but hardly expected that it might be as influential as his work. This work is compelled by the fervent hope that it is not too late to inspire the second American revolution. As costly and bloody and noble as the original revolution was, I would hope that this can be a bloodless revolution, but there are certain to be some casualties. Tyranny is upon us and it is foolhardy to pretend otherwise. In this case the tyranny does not come from a power abroad, but rather from one we, as Americans, have allowed to grow and gain strength from within our own borders. To claim that a democracy continues to exist because most American adults are free to vote, ignores the fact that many American men and women who are denied that right. Meanwhile, many of our politicians are not only complicit in this denial, but work for the expansion of this denial. Why have we become a nation complacent while our politicians seek to deprive many of our citizens of such a basic right?To examine the imminent death of democracy and what may could possibly be done to resurrect it, it will be necessary to examine the components of the problems. These underlying issues of failure will not be usefully examined unless separated into their component parts. Each of components is worthy of separate consideration and will therefore lead to a chapter (or more) of distinctive consideration. I should caution at the beginning that much that will follow may be seen as a political rant against the current administration of the Know-Nothing policies of the Trump Administration from 2017 until the present. But, nothing could be further from the truth. This author is fully convinced that Donald Trump is not the source of the problem, but merely a manifestation of it. The dying of democracy has been a long time in coming and has many contributing factors.This work will readily identify the problems in our society, economy, education and institutions. It will propose solutions and yet, not hesitate to assign blame. I sincerely hope to weave my way around libel claims as I am not a wealthy man and would not like to see my remaining years spent in courts defending my words as much as working with interested parties to save the American dream (as it is flickering toward extinction). After all, as I reflect upon what I have learned in my study of history, politics, economics, business and social welfare, I must state unequivocally, I AM A PATRIOT, who seeks but to follow in the noble, courageous footsteps of the aforementioned Thomas Paine.
