My current observations on Medium and Mastodon suggest that more people are giving up on American democracy. Either the Republicans will turn the USA into a one-party state or rig the elections so they will always win. And the Democrats seem to think they will win in 2028 just because the Republicans will fall on their own sword — and the wiser public has no other practical choice to park their vote. It is no wonder that some political thinkers are talking about a future revolution. And that revolution will change out both R’s and D’s.
Revolutions have a shaky history
Russia had a revolution in 1917. Unfortunately factions appeared: Red vs. White, Bolsheviks vs. Mensheviks. The victors of the civil war used the secret police to hassle supporters of the diminished factions and send them to gulags. While the revolutionaries provided more opportunities for common people, the new society was very much guided by the Orwell Ratio much like the previous society, with a different 2% on top.
Cuba had a revolution in 1959. The revolutionaries managed to chase out the corrupt business owners and confiscate their assets. While the status of many common Cubans was uplifted compared to the previous time, Cuba was more for its elite rulers than for its people; i.e., another Orwell Ratio. The regime tolerated no criticism, so discussion was stifled. This country stagnated in so many ways, just so the revolutionaries could stay in power forever.
I could mention more examples (like Africa), but it is folly to assume that we should assume the successful revolutionaries will create a better system for all of us, not just the revolutionaries. Let’s admit that history and common sense say that people who use guns to acquire political power are usually not exactly great thinkers for a better next system.
And yet, some of us are yearning for those revolutionaries.
You know it is NOT gonna be all right
American Mass Protests
The reaction of the American political left is puzzling to me. It’s kind of protesting the Trump administration, kind of not. With more and more of Project 2025 being implemented every week, the political left should have been protesting all summer — if traditional protest theory is the best way to hinder or stop the Trump administration.
There is another mass protest planned for October 18, four months after the last mass protest. It seems the masterminds behind the anti-Trump movement have taken a less frequent approach to protesting. Why? I have offered some speculations, but I really don’t know.
Will this new strategy work? I don’t know what that strategy is, let alone if it will work. But I do know that master plans often do not work out the way the planners had intended.
If the protest movement is successful (coupled with that thing about falling on a sword), the Democratic Party will be the heir to that movement. There is no other credible group to assume American governance. They could have an easy monopoly on power for a decade.
But we should remember our recent history. In 2020, Mr. Trump got 74m votes. If the Democratic Party had one simple goal in 2021, it should have been to reduce the number of people voting for Mr. Trump, either by progressive legislation, effective messaging, effective legal action, or great campaign management. Convincing 5m soft-support Republicans not to vote in 2024 was a doable political project in my opinion. It would have changed the trajectory of American politics.
But the Democratic Party did not reach this goal. Mr. Trump increased his vote count by 3m in 2024. If the Democratic Party cannot engineer a five-million Republican vote drop, it is folly to assume that somehow the Party can move American society forward the next time it is in power.
And just to rub some salt in the wounds I have just given, a second goal of the 2020 Democrats should have been to convince 5m of the 78m Americans who did not vote in 2020 to vote Democrat in 2024. Yep, the party failed there too (“86m non-voters in 2024).
Doesn’t it seem silly to still believe this party can accomplish great things when it cannot effect two small shifts in electoral voting — when the stakes were so high.
A Different Kind of Revolution
I am an inventor of Tiered Democratic Governance (TDG). Briefly described, this new democracy TDG has no political parties, voting is based on good character and capacity for governance, and decisions are made with a consultative mindset.
Here are three articles that give more detail to the TDG
TDG in 318 Words
TDG in 4,512 Words
TDG in 57,334 Words
The new electoral structure of the TDG is not enough, by itself, to find that kinder, wiser democracy we so yearn for. We also need to build a new political culture. My writing is clear that the early TDG builders must consciously and deliberately build that culture into their local TDG.
I estimate that it will take 20 years to fully develop and internalize that culture. Maybe a decade if the people really want this new way. I realize, in these political turbulent times, we would like a quick fix. But there is no such quick fix.
And if the USA goes in an oligarchic way, we can still build this TDG and its culture around the oligarchy. It will be too busy with real enemies to harass the early TDG builders.
And unlike most quick revolutions that are based on hopeful thinking and slogans, this 20-year revolution will have a reasonable vision for the early TDG builders to work toward. I have three novels that show how average Americans can build this new democracy:
Diary of a Future Politician
Confessions of a Future Politician
Circles of a Future Politician
As the TDG culture improves, it will find a better quality of political leadership. It will provide the forum for these leaders to make better decisions. More citizens will notice more positive politics in the TDG. As the TDG matures, its numbers will increase. Most of the new members will adopt the TDG culture.
Eventually many citizens will see the upstart TDG as the future replacement for western democracy. Eventually there will be social and political forces for the TDG to assume the authority and responsibility of societal governance.
The building of the TDG and its new culture will be a slow revolution. This revolution will not cause social and economic disruption. This revolution will not be about the people with guns taking over. When the revolution is done, we will finally have governance for the people — which was built by the people.
If we all wanna change the world, building the TDG is the vehicle to do just that. Singing this Beatles song again won’t amount to much.
And changing the world in the TDG way means we get out and do it — by example. Not by coercing the political elite.
Here, in my opinion, is the most appropriate line in this Beatles song:
You’d better free your mind instead.
Our minds need to let go of western democracy, especially the American version.
Otherwise, there will be revolutionaries.
Published on Medium 2025
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