Welcome to the Peaceful Political Revolution in America podcast.
Bernie loves to point his finger at the elites, but who are they and where do they come from? It seems as if Bernie believes they possess a lot more influence than the rest of us. But, what does our preamble mean if not that we the ordinary people in America are the ultimate source of power and law in America? So then, who were the elites? How did they differ from the mass of Americans in 1776 and later in 1787, even today? What about revolutionaries like Thomas Paine? Was he not an elite also? What role did he play in creating our government and just who were the founders anyway?
Most Americans were revolutionaries in 1776. They were the self-proclaimed sovereigns over their new and independent nation, and it was only they who could grant the consent of the governed, or when necessary, exercise their power and duty to establish a constitution of government that would serve their needs and protect their interests.
The concept of popular sovereignty is something of a dinosaur for most Americans today. America is the world's superpower, so how could everyday average Americans actually control their government, or if necessary, create a new government that would faithfully express the will of most Americans? I know I am still trying to figure out what it really means to be an American. Why it is that we think of ourselves as so exceptional? Is it our constitution? If it is, what is it about our constitution that we so revere and how does that make us so special?
Robert Ovetz is a lecturer in Political Science and Public Administration and he writes about the politics of the labor movement and the crisis of capitalism at the turn of the 20th century. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Texas-Austin.
Among other publications and advocacy work, Robert is the author of When Workers Shot Back (2019), Workers' Inquiry and Global Class Struggle (2021), and most recently, We the Elites: Why the US Constitution Serves the Few.
Robert, welcome to the peaceful political revolution in America podcast.