196

Marx argues as much in Das Kapital but the US was only couple of steps away from constitutional monarchy which was feudalism but with extra rules. Similarly, France, after its 1789 revolution tried a few versions of constitutional monarchy before going full republic many decades later. A lot of landlords promised to play nice instead of giving up their land.

Maybe we should have piled their heads high after all.

Anyway, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and then the Constitution of the United States were all written by well-to-do literate land owners, and they weren't ready to give up wealth and power for the good of the public.

It's likely too late now, what with the climate crisis and plastic crisis, but yeah, with a higher literacy rate we might be able to get the 80% of us in poverty or precarity on board with rights to accommodation over right of ownership. But it's going to be a struggle.