Longing, In Vain, For the Next Revolution

'WHAT WE NEED", I offered, "is a good ole fashioned revolution". I thought the notion would fly, because my audience of one, a guy about my age, hippie age, had long hair and an ear ring, a sure sign of progressivism. Surely he would agree that the time is now to get all the non wealthy out in the streets, and transfer some of that new wealth into the hands of the ninety nine percent. But I was wrong. He wasn't having any of it. "Never happen. Everyone's too full of corporate propaganda." "Sheep, indeed, we are", I rejoined, but he wasn't having that either. "Nah, just too much propaganda".... Instead of asking him what the difference was, I nodded solemnly, and mumbled something about never letting the dream die. By that I meant the dream of a European style socialist paradise, here on earth. We Americans have a long tradition of revolution, although by looking at us today you'd never know it. Unless, of course, you consider the advent of Donald Trump a sort of revolution, which I for one do not. To me a revolution is thousands of people out in the streets, screaming demands, like that time in Washington City when the World War One vets came to town demanding money, or the time the Irish got out in the streets of New York, expressing their lack of interest in military service during the War Between the States. Occupy Wall Street, in 2011, had all the right makings, but the support fizzled, probably because of a lack of any coherent agenda or list of demands, leadership, and proper media coverage. Also, next time, let's not make it mandatory that we all camp out on the streets, and just sit there, accumulating body odor, and giving the republicans something to laugh at. Let's make it so we can all go home at night, shower, shave, and starch our shirts, then get right back at it. We can take our laptops and smart phones with us. We are a nation of revolutionaries, or once were. Oh, for the good ole days, when injustices were redressed at the point of a hand held banner.