Being
a self-appointed student of history and having lived through six decades of the
passing scene, I think I’ve identified a few common phases in a nation’s
evolutionary cycle of civil stability. Granted,
I’m no degreed sociologist but given this is an editorial page, I don’t need
a degree. All
I need is a personal opinion based on my observations of life in order to shoot
off at the keyboard.
In fact, Yogi Berra taught me years ago, “You can observe a lot just by
watching” and I’ve been indebted to him for this pearl of wisdom ever since
I started writing political commentary.
Pick
a nation at some point along its historical timeline, study its events and you
can apply this phased cycle of stability rather well.
This isn’t unique to any one country and the
Those
nations whose political leaders are attuned to the mood of the people and react
accordingly to their concerns and abide by the supreme law of the land thrive
and survive to serve another day.
Those who ignore either and become arrogantly convinced of their own
omnipotent invulnerability fall…and sometimes their fall precedes that of the
country itself. As
you read this, think about various countries throughout history that have fallen
into chaos and see if these stages apply.
Then ask yourself where
1.
Ambivalence; the public usually ignores the government on a daily basis;
all is generally well; life goes on harmoniously.
The public doesn’t keep up with or pay any real attention to political
business since it isn’t adversely impacting them.
2.
Petulance:
isolated issues (tax hikes, new regulations, inflation etc) arise and
invoke some temporary periods of grumbling but life is by and large OK here too.
3.
Anger:
The on-going issues that caused petulance such as economic distress,
security threats, shortages of goods and services now start disrupting life and
causing not only increased concern but slowly evolves into anger.
4.
Resentment:
No effective action is taken by government to resolve the issue(s) and
soothe the growing public distress.
The anger starts to turn into real resentment toward those in charge and
therefore they’re held responsible for this deteriorating state of affairs.
5.
Outrage: As
unresolved issues continue to grow, private resentment turns into public outrage
resulting in protests and marches.
A feeling of isolation and disenfranchisement is becoming more apparent.
Politicians aren’t listening and the people see an agenda driven
government that is out of touch with their daily lives. In this phase,
politicians are quickly losing the respect of their constituents.
6.
Fury: As
outrage leads to fury over the worsening situation, politicians are confronted
openly and verbally assaulted publicly.
People see clear signs of arrogance in their political leaders; overt
loss of respect is shown without restraint toward those in elected office;
protests become more frequent and filled with public anger; the language is
getting stronger almost daily.
Opportunists see an opening to fan the flames and start watering the
seeds of this growing discontent.
7.
Disobedience:
When there is no perceivable response to the expressed fury and
governmental arrogance continues, the public is now being pushed to or over the
edge. Opportunists become more open in stirring the people to action in the name
of justice. Normal
public restraint is breaking down and the ground is becoming more fertile to
displays of civil disobedience with the crowds of those willing to participate
growing larger.
The number of incidents increase and people are uniting in a “cause”
under the influence of emerging leaders.
8.
Riots: When
politicians either arrogantly ignore public displays of disobedience or confront
them with strong armed authority, they are bringing gasoline to a growing fire.
The feeling of despair pervades and the term “tyranny” becomes more
common in describing the government.
Incidents of increasingly destructive disorder are becoming more
widespread—mainly in urban areas across the country.
9.
Revolution:
If government authority cannot squelch the riots by force or appeasement,
opportunists see the door opening ever wider and begin fanning the flames of
open revolution.
The level of rage grows and a moral cause is linked to the coming action.
A general breakdown of orderly society ensues.
Some people turn to their perceived group of “revolutionary saviors”
while others run back to the seated government for protection.
10.
Anarchy:
A temporary power vacuum leads to short-term chaos and anarchy until a
fresh group of recognized leaders eventually emerge and establish a new
government.
11.
Rebirth:
Whoever emerges will determine the path of that country’s future—a
new freer beginning as in 18th century
As of this writing, I think we’re somewhere between a mature Phase 5 and the early stages of Phase 6. Prayerfully “We the People” can and will soon compel a positive change in direction returning our country to Phase 1. Only time and commitment will tell the tale.
Just
the view from my saddle…
Contact Colonel Dan: coloneldan@bellsouth.net