What a superb piece of work you have written! I have read it twice and passed it on to a dozen family members and friends. Spot on, in every way. This should be required reading for every high school student in the USA, and more...Thank you for such an excellent, relevant piece for this 2026 4th of July!
"Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?" Words spoken to Sen. McCarthy of the red scare by Fred Fisher. A quote I would love to say to everyone still supporting Trump.
Apparently Authoritarianism is the inevitable, even natural order of things, and Democracy is an aberration.
Democracy was born in Athens, only it was rule by the Demos, and their was a lottery and a committee of representatives were chosen to rule, but rule by committee, well the story of blind men describing an elephant.
Rome was a democracy at first, actually a Democratic Republic, ruled by a senate, one in which the senators were elected from a selection of the Republics wise men, meaning land owners, which in turn elected two consuls which served for a year.
This arrangement proved inefficient as it was unable to keep one Gaius Julius Caesar from attaining total power, and his heir Octavian, became the first Emperor, after destroying the competition in a bloody civil war.
This is the system that the founders, who were acute students of Greece and Roman, created
A government of rule by wise men, meaning, rule by free property owning persons, which at that time for mostly men. In some states, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, an free property owning person could vote.
Until1807 property owning people could vote, but in that year voting was restricted to men only. The Pennylvania Constitution of 1838 limited voting to white freemen.
in 1792 New Hampshire was the first state to removed the property owning restriction, and after that state by state the restriction was lifted.
Women were permitted to vote at different times depending on the state, ranging from early partial suffrage in places like New Jersey (1797) and Kentucky (1838) to full voting rights starting in the West with Wyoming in 1869. Nationwide enfranchisement was granted to all states with the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. [
states were allowed to grant voting rights at the state level. Prior to the Civil War, free Black people had suffrage in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. However, the right to vote was rescinded in New Jersey (1807)[3] and Pennsylvania (1838).[4] New York State's Constitution of 1821 imposed a heavy property ownership requirement on Black voters (only), in effect disenfranchising almost all of them.
Looking at the world in which we live, even states that choose a democracy, eventually devolve into an autocracy, because money rules, and money buys power.
Where money doesn’t buy power to rule, social issues are used to gain power, thus the rise of the right in America and Europe.
In America it is a stewpot of social issues, and the pot is patriarchy, rule of home and society by the male, in Europe, the patriarchy is sublimated to immigration and in particular immigration from an incompatible culture, which is perceived as hostile and triumphalist.
America is also under threat from a hostile, and triumphalist culture, but it masquerades and hides behind the larger culture.
Correctly outlined. Again, accurate remembrances that so sadly need to be replayed so that people don’t forget. So many assaults to trust. So much pain and destruction.
We should be celebrating instead of dredging up our history and dirty laundry, but sadly, because we can’t seem to stand together and see a bigger picture of EVERYONE going forward to a better future, we’re reliving our collective shame.
A bullet point can be added to:
‘clean environment and immediate action to mitigate the climate emergency’
—The right to clean air and water for all—
And, another three more demoralizing points that turned our country into what is now instead of what it could be:
The lies that we were continually told about the Vietnam war by our government by multiple administrations.
And, then there was Watergate.
And, also the big lies that got us into Desert Storm—the first corporate oil war that taxpayers foot the bill for and died for.
And, finally the straws that broke the camel’s back on trust:
9/11
And:
The housing and financing scam of 2008. Instead of bailing out the American people the government bailed out corporations and their CEO’s in the biggest bank scam ever perpetrated on the American people. It caused a huge recession that lasted almost 10 years while corporate America sat in their hands with jobs and growth.
All these things that were so blatantly obvious and corrosive to our country that instead of just being reflected upon years later in history, they caused the American people to stop and actively question our political leaders. All these events shattered public trust and poisoned our faith in our government.
As much as I appreciate Thom's article which, as usual, is educational and thought provoking, there is an important part about our country's founding that I didn't hear about growing up. It's what happened to many of those barefoot soldiers who fought for the Revolution after the war.
You reminded me about that part of mostly forgotten history when you brought up how the bankers were bailed out and not the homeowners after the 2008 scam.
I'm writing a short piece about what happened to many soldiers after the war and how they ended up in debtors prisons, today. My Substack is free, so if you have a few minutes, have a look at Gloria's Substack. Take care.
We can be certain that POSOTUS regards all who’ve sacrificed and died for our nation as “suckers and losers”, an assessment with which SCOTUS and congressional majorities implicitly but effectively concur. Meanwhile Democratic “leadership” dials for dollars every bit as cravenly as their Repugnican counterparts, and today waxes apoplectic over the DSA’s ascendence in response, panicked as they are by the notion living their claimed ideals. One could argue they are today’s Tories. We need nothing less than the renewing revolution offered by the DSA.
I would love to take Thomas Paine's advice and "begin the world anew".
With the advantage of hindsight, it might be better this time to leave oil in the ground, and save ourselves a lot of pollution and corruption. Going right to solar and wind would have saved ourselves a great deal of money and misery.
We could also get our Constitutional priorities straight from the get-go, outlawing slavery, guaranteeing voting rights, granting women and minorities equal status with White men, and no allowing corporate involvement in government. And some things could be left out of the Constitution, like the stupid electoral college.
And if, this time around, we could learn to share with those people who were already here and with those who will come, to sustain the land, not exploit it to exhaustion, and to value cooperation over competition, then we could have what we all say we want, instead of being crushed by the will-to-power of a warlord mentality.
I am grateful, even though it took a lot of those 250 years to get here, all Americans have the chance to express what this country should be.
Perhaps the struggle for a more perfect union will never end. Change must come.
Thanks for putting yourself out there Thom and Company, just like the Patriots did. Much of the Revolution was fought with the sword AND the pen. Respect for all the work that the activists do as well. Stay LOUD and carry on, everyone. See you in the streets.
This is a great piece. I think more emphasis needs to be put on the fact that 56 or 6 corporations own 90% of all "mainstream" media, Citizens in the U.S. are the most ignorant in the industrialized world. the super wealthy have also attacked and weakened the US educational system. According to the National Literacy Institute, 21% of adults in the U.S. were illiterate in 2024. 54% of adults have a literacy below a 6th-grade level (20% are below 5th-grade level). Low levels of literacy costs the U.S. up to 2.2 trillion per year.
What a superb piece of work you have written! I have read it twice and passed it on to a dozen family members and friends. Spot on, in every way. This should be required reading for every high school student in the USA, and more...Thank you for such an excellent, relevant piece for this 2026 4th of July!
A memorable July 4 message! We will take the country back!!
"Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?" Words spoken to Sen. McCarthy of the red scare by Fred Fisher. A quote I would love to say to everyone still supporting Trump.
To me, totally unknown history of the signers of the Declaration. This entire post was exceptional and motivating. I am sharing it with many friends.
Apparently Authoritarianism is the inevitable, even natural order of things, and Democracy is an aberration.
Democracy was born in Athens, only it was rule by the Demos, and their was a lottery and a committee of representatives were chosen to rule, but rule by committee, well the story of blind men describing an elephant.
Rome was a democracy at first, actually a Democratic Republic, ruled by a senate, one in which the senators were elected from a selection of the Republics wise men, meaning land owners, which in turn elected two consuls which served for a year.
This arrangement proved inefficient as it was unable to keep one Gaius Julius Caesar from attaining total power, and his heir Octavian, became the first Emperor, after destroying the competition in a bloody civil war.
This is the system that the founders, who were acute students of Greece and Roman, created
A government of rule by wise men, meaning, rule by free property owning persons, which at that time for mostly men. In some states, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, an free property owning person could vote.
Until1807 property owning people could vote, but in that year voting was restricted to men only. The Pennylvania Constitution of 1838 limited voting to white freemen.
in 1792 New Hampshire was the first state to removed the property owning restriction, and after that state by state the restriction was lifted.
Women were permitted to vote at different times depending on the state, ranging from early partial suffrage in places like New Jersey (1797) and Kentucky (1838) to full voting rights starting in the West with Wyoming in 1869. Nationwide enfranchisement was granted to all states with the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. [
states were allowed to grant voting rights at the state level. Prior to the Civil War, free Black people had suffrage in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. However, the right to vote was rescinded in New Jersey (1807)[3] and Pennsylvania (1838).[4] New York State's Constitution of 1821 imposed a heavy property ownership requirement on Black voters (only), in effect disenfranchising almost all of them.
Looking at the world in which we live, even states that choose a democracy, eventually devolve into an autocracy, because money rules, and money buys power.
Where money doesn’t buy power to rule, social issues are used to gain power, thus the rise of the right in America and Europe.
In America it is a stewpot of social issues, and the pot is patriarchy, rule of home and society by the male, in Europe, the patriarchy is sublimated to immigration and in particular immigration from an incompatible culture, which is perceived as hostile and triumphalist.
America is also under threat from a hostile, and triumphalist culture, but it masquerades and hides behind the larger culture.
Together with Heather Cox Richardson you are making history relevant and motivating.
Correctly outlined. Again, accurate remembrances that so sadly need to be replayed so that people don’t forget. So many assaults to trust. So much pain and destruction.
We should be celebrating instead of dredging up our history and dirty laundry, but sadly, because we can’t seem to stand together and see a bigger picture of EVERYONE going forward to a better future, we’re reliving our collective shame.
A bullet point can be added to:
‘clean environment and immediate action to mitigate the climate emergency’
—The right to clean air and water for all—
And, another three more demoralizing points that turned our country into what is now instead of what it could be:
The lies that we were continually told about the Vietnam war by our government by multiple administrations.
And, then there was Watergate.
And, also the big lies that got us into Desert Storm—the first corporate oil war that taxpayers foot the bill for and died for.
And, finally the straws that broke the camel’s back on trust:
9/11
And:
The housing and financing scam of 2008. Instead of bailing out the American people the government bailed out corporations and their CEO’s in the biggest bank scam ever perpetrated on the American people. It caused a huge recession that lasted almost 10 years while corporate America sat in their hands with jobs and growth.
All these things that were so blatantly obvious and corrosive to our country that instead of just being reflected upon years later in history, they caused the American people to stop and actively question our political leaders. All these events shattered public trust and poisoned our faith in our government.
As much as I appreciate Thom's article which, as usual, is educational and thought provoking, there is an important part about our country's founding that I didn't hear about growing up. It's what happened to many of those barefoot soldiers who fought for the Revolution after the war.
You reminded me about that part of mostly forgotten history when you brought up how the bankers were bailed out and not the homeowners after the 2008 scam.
I'm writing a short piece about what happened to many soldiers after the war and how they ended up in debtors prisons, today. My Substack is free, so if you have a few minutes, have a look at Gloria's Substack. Take care.
We can be certain that POSOTUS regards all who’ve sacrificed and died for our nation as “suckers and losers”, an assessment with which SCOTUS and congressional majorities implicitly but effectively concur. Meanwhile Democratic “leadership” dials for dollars every bit as cravenly as their Repugnican counterparts, and today waxes apoplectic over the DSA’s ascendence in response, panicked as they are by the notion living their claimed ideals. One could argue they are today’s Tories. We need nothing less than the renewing revolution offered by the DSA.
I would love to take Thomas Paine's advice and "begin the world anew".
With the advantage of hindsight, it might be better this time to leave oil in the ground, and save ourselves a lot of pollution and corruption. Going right to solar and wind would have saved ourselves a great deal of money and misery.
We could also get our Constitutional priorities straight from the get-go, outlawing slavery, guaranteeing voting rights, granting women and minorities equal status with White men, and no allowing corporate involvement in government. And some things could be left out of the Constitution, like the stupid electoral college.
And if, this time around, we could learn to share with those people who were already here and with those who will come, to sustain the land, not exploit it to exhaustion, and to value cooperation over competition, then we could have what we all say we want, instead of being crushed by the will-to-power of a warlord mentality.
I am grateful, even though it took a lot of those 250 years to get here, all Americans have the chance to express what this country should be.
Perhaps the struggle for a more perfect union will never end. Change must come.
Thanks for putting yourself out there Thom and Company, just like the Patriots did. Much of the Revolution was fought with the sword AND the pen. Respect for all the work that the activists do as well. Stay LOUD and carry on, everyone. See you in the streets.
Thom Hartmans's post is the message to share on Independence Day! It's our obligation to know our history and recognize what we face today.
This morning’s comments express my concurrence with your hardwon words. Thank you all
This is a great piece. I think more emphasis needs to be put on the fact that 56 or 6 corporations own 90% of all "mainstream" media, Citizens in the U.S. are the most ignorant in the industrialized world. the super wealthy have also attacked and weakened the US educational system. According to the National Literacy Institute, 21% of adults in the U.S. were illiterate in 2024. 54% of adults have a literacy below a 6th-grade level (20% are below 5th-grade level). Low levels of literacy costs the U.S. up to 2.2 trillion per year.