Not Even a Jacquerie
2nd December 2020
Severian draws a distinction.
Back at the old Rotten Chestnuts, we discussed the difference between a revolution and a rebellion. Briefly: Revolutions are programmatic, rebellions are pragmatic. A revolution seeks to overturn the existing order of society; a rebellion aims, at most, to churn a society’s leadership. The American and French Revolutions really were revolutions, but so were the American and English Civil Wars. Pretty much all others are mere rebellions, whatever title they might have in the history books.
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I don’t doubt that Orange Man has a sincere love of his country. He might even, given enough time, be able to articulate it. The problem is, “his country” hasn’t existed since the late 1980s, and even then it was mortally wounded. If “Trumpism” actually existed, it would amount to little more than “Wouldn’t it be nice if it were still 1982?” Alas, demographics is destiny.