USA Rebellion's Coming

Barry, My Liege:

Our situation today is analogous to the situation in England in the 14th Century.

John of Gaunt was England's Head of State for both the Good Parliament of 1376 and the Bad Parliament of 1377.

They are of interest to the United States today because the Bad Parliament gave rise to Wat Tyler's Rebellion of 1381.

Although that Rebellion did not succeed in over-throwing the English feudal system with its near slavery, it did signal to the gentry that real changes were needed; thus, it was the beginning of the end of feudalism in England.

John of Gaunt was the richest man in England and as Head of State, he consented to several popular reforms put forth in the Good Parliament of 1376.

But, subsequently he stacked the 1377 Commons with his retainers and proceeded to undo all the acts accomplished in the 1376 Parliament.

He granted pardons to all the people convicted of crimes by the previous Good Parliament, he impeached the leaders of the reform movement, then he convicted them of crimes based on old or false charges and had them imprisoned, he installed a Poll Tax, he reinstated his mistress as an influential member of the King's household despite the fact that the previous, Good Parliament had impeached her and he annulled most of the acts of the Good Parliament.

The result was that crowds of people sacked his properties and forced him to flee the capital. Eventually, Wat Tyler led the unsuccessful Rebellion of 1381. Wat Tyler was killed in a battle.

Well, My Liege, this relates to the United States today in a number of instances. Poll Taxes are being installed in several states. The right to vote is being limited to people of means. Congress is stacked with retainers of rich people who vote their master's interests. Criminal bankers walk the streets while continuing their past practices. The incomes and assets of middle class citizens are being drained while the rich among us grow richer.

But, the question is this: Will we have an armed rebellion?

Although we have not seen any armed conflict, your department of Homeland Security is concerned that the Occupy movement will become a violent rebellion. Possibly due to fear of any protest, the HS folks are militarizing local police forces.

However, the current protest movement is overwhelmingly non-violent. Occupy people are those who have been driven out of the economic system and who have lost hope for a better future.

While there are a few violent, Black Bloc anarchists who try to associate themselves with the Occupy demonstrations, they do not speak for the movement. Your HS department makes a grave mistake when it concludes that all protest may be a violent revolution.

A more likely future is that the Occupy movement may morph into a system that delivers services on a non-capitalist, voluntary basis to those who desperately need assistance.

We have the right to petition for a redress of our grievances, so long as we remain lawful. The danger is that the panic of law enforcement as seemingly encouraged by your HS people may well instigate violence against the protests and then use that violence as an excuse to deny us our right to petition.

Barry, My Liege, it is time to change our system so that it meets the needs of the entire population.

Your faithful servant.