Talking About a Revolution

If President-elect Clinton doesn't fulfill his campaign promise to reduce the budget deficit by at least half during his four-year term, I'm going to stage a national revolution to topple the American government. Yes, you heard me right. Revolution. Rebellion. Insurrection. Call it what you will. I vow to destroy the entire federal government if President Bill doesn't satisfy my demand and fulfill his promise.

Why am I so disgusted with the deficit? To put it simply, the budget deficit, not to mention the $4 trillion national debt, symbolizes the daily injustice perpetrated by our federal government against every young, honest citizen of this country. We are currently running a budget deficit of hundreds of millions of dollars. Allow me to be explicit: The federal government is spending hundreds of millions of dollars more each year than it receives in tax revenue.

Clearly, the federal government has become wildly irresponsible. Deficit spending has become so commonplace in this country that it is difficult for many to understand just how ridiculously unjust this behavior is.

Yet, to cast blame, we must look beyond the politicians to find the puppeteers pulling the political strings. Two quick questions must emerge: What is this money being spent on and who will have to pay for this deficit spending? The answer to the first question may surprise you and the answer to the second should certainly disgust you. Has our glorious government ventured down the deficit trail in order to spend vast amounts of money on crucial national interests like education and the environment? In a word, no.

Nearly 75 percent of all federal spending goes toward Social Security, Medicare, the military and interest on the debt. This little fact is pathetic. With Social Security, for example, the government pays back to senior citizens the entire amount of money that they put into the system in a matter of a few years. Then the government continues to pay money out to them--indefinitely.

So who is going to pay for the huge wads of money perpetually thrown at entitlements like Social Security? I think everyone must have a vague idea. It won't be the people benefiting now from such entitlements; they will certainly be dead. Rather, it will be the youngest generation that eventually will get stuck with the inflated tab. That's you and me, by the way. From Washington, D.C. emanates a nasty generational war. And the fiscal child abuse continues daily.

Consequently, the revered American social contract has been violated egregiously. Revolution is not only justifiable, it is necessary in order to secure future justice in this country. Even the Declaration of Independence says so.

In 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote: "all men...are endowed...with certain inalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness." More importantly, he added: "That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it." Right on, Tom. And, as we know, the pernicious fiscal abuse by Britain clearly justified the American colonies' revolution.

The same principle applies today. Now, however, the abuse is not perpetrated by a country against its colonies, but rather the oldest generation against the youngest--being pitted against each other by the slightly over the hill people on the Hill. I am not willing to lie down and have my rights violated by a bunch of selfish, toothless, gray-hairs. Of course, with the amount of money they're pilfering from the national trust, I'm sure they can afford stylish hair dye and super-adhesive dentures, especially since the rest of us pick up the tab.

However, I must admit that national revolution would be a considerable effort, not to mention a serious strain on my everyday concerns. Last night, listening to the Beatles' "Revolution," and expecting to be infused with further justification for my crusade, I quickly sobered up. John and Paul and the gang counseled against the very rash action which I had envisioned.

First, of course, they toyed with me and my grand notion. "You say you want a revolution?" they began. "Yes. God, yes!" I cried joyfully. "Well, you know, we all want to change the world," they continued. Uh-huh. Okay. Then they hit me with their patently conservative perspective: "But when you talk about destruction, don't you know that you can count me out."

Damn. And it all seemed to make such good sense. But, of course, you can't argue with modern political theorists like Paul McCartney. Sorry, Mr. Jefferson, I thought. Paul says no. Oh well.

But, wait! The Beatles were British. I quickly sensed sabotage. Would they be so devious as to attempt to instill anti-revolutionary ideology within me and my American compatriots in order to support and maintain British hegemony? They would be a couple of hundred years too late, of course.

But if Thomas and George (Jefferson and Washington, respectively) had listened to the propaganda, then the American Revolution would never have occurred. There would not have been a United States of America. Maybe out of sheer confusion and boundless energy I should just hop the pond and topple John Major's little government. How would Paul and Ringo like that one?

Yet, despite the Beatles' possible motives, maybe Paul is right. There must be a more constructive way to prevent politicians from stealing from my future earnings. I might as well join another Paul and his friend Warren on their alternative adventure. Former Democratic Sen. Paul Tsongas and retiring Republican Sen. Warren Rudman have founded the Concord Coalition to force our elected leaders to solve our nation's pathetic deficit problem.

And another organization, "Lead...or Leave," is comprised of young Americans with a similar goal. Perhaps through revolutionary tactics we can work within the system to achieve justice, no matter how bleak our prospects look.

I'm not sure if I'm totally convinced. So, President Bill better heed my warning. If I'm not satisfied, I might even employ my John Locke manuscripts--any social contract abused should be dissolved. Was he British? No matter. I'm on a mission.