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Thread: Was The American Revolution A Mistake?

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    Was The American Revolution A Mistake?

    Was The American Revolution A Mistake?

    This is an interesting article, based on older research that claims the American colonies had it good under Great Britain and should not have declared independence. One big part of the research showed that the tax burden from pre-revolution to the founding of the new nation in 1783 tripled.
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    Every struggle for freedom has a price. Britain was hampering the economical and social development of its colonies. they even banned metalworking industries in the colonies in order to make them dependent on Britain. colonies were not represented in the parliament and had no say in their own affairs.

    On the other hand, American revolution unintentionally helped the Britain on the long run. if the colonies had stayed that way, they would have hampered the development in the mother country, just as colonies of Spain and Portugal ruined their economies by injecting them free cash from the outside, thus destroying any motivation for scientific, industrial and social development.

    So, just imagine if the colonies were not willing to pay the price for their freedom. imagine if the people of England were not willing to pay the price for achieving a constitution before that, or imagine a world which the french revolution never happened, Latin America, China and India didn't dared to struggle for independence and ... do you want to live in such a world?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Javad View Post
    Every struggle for freedom has a price. Britain was hampering the economical and social development of its colonies. they even banned metalworking industries in the colonies in order to make them dependent on Britain. colonies were not represented in the parliament and had no say in their own affairs.

    On the other hand, American revolution unintentionally helped the Britain on the long run. if the colonies had stayed that way, they would have hampered the development in the mother country, just as colonies of Spain and Portugal ruined their economies by injecting them free cash from the outside, thus destroying any motivation for scientific, industrial and social development.

    So, just imagine if the colonies were not willing to pay the price for their freedom. imagine if the people of England were not willing to pay the price for achieving a constitution before that, or imagine a world which the french revolution never happened, Latin America, China and India didn't dared to struggle for independence and ... do you want to live in such a world?
    It is a big what if. I am not sure of what would have happened.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Peter1469 View Post
    Was The American Revolution A Mistake?

    This is an interesting article, based on older research that claims the American colonies had it good under Great Britain and should not have declared independence. One big part of the research showed that the tax burden from pre-revolution to the founding of the new nation in 1783 tripled.
    The revolution itself was not the mistake, but the counterrevolution that came after it. Specifically, the effort by certain factions within the "patriot" movement to turn their military victory against the British into a political conquest of the States via consolidated government.
    Power always thinks it has a great soul, and vast views, beyond the comprehension of the weak. And that it is doing God service when it is violating all His laws.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ethereal View Post
    The revolution itself was not the mistake, but the counterrevolution that came after it. Specifically, the effort by certain factions within the "patriot" movement to turn their military victory against the British into a political conquest of the States via consolidated government.
    You know we don't agree with that last point. I don't think the Articles of Confederation were sufficient. What was sufficient was the federal government with the enumerated powers listed in Art. 1, sec. 8. However, as we know the federal government has usurped a great deal more State power than that. That is the problem, not the Constitution itself.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Peter1469 View Post
    It is a big what if. I am not sure of what would have happened.
    its not really a "what if" situation. just look at the countries which stayed colonies longer and the countries which kept their colonies longer.

    But what is really interesting here is the attitude of current bourgeois intellectuals. long ago, when bourgeoisie was revolutionary and capitalism was the most advanced system available, bourgeois intellectuals were revolutionary, both in theory and practice. They revolted against feudalism and colonialism and fought for independence and freedom. But now, when capitalism is in the same position which feudalism was in 18th and 19th centuries, when it is hampering the development of human society and does anything to halt the progress, they are saying: wasn't it better if we had stayed a colony? wasn't the revolution a mistake? what do we need the democracy for? why can't we tolerate tyranny?

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    I'd agree with Ethereal that the revolution was ok, the problem is the subsequent counterrevolution that set the groundwork or the highly centralized, high-taxing, meddlesome federal government we have now. Perhaps the Articles weren't sufficient, perhaps they should have been amended, keeping Aticvle II: "Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every Power, Jurisdiction and right, which is not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled."

    As to sufficient, I saw a video yesterday on why South America never united. One of the reasons was, when South American nations revolted, Spain was in shamble and not in a position to do much. The American colonies had much more economic, political and militaristic opposition--we eventually went to war again with Britain in 1812. South American also didn't have the widespread communication of the North American states. South Amerca was also more mercantile than capitalist.

    (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCqi325spb8&t=266s)
    Last edited by Chris; 07-05-2020 at 11:55 AM.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Peter1469 View Post
    You know we don't agree with that last point. I don't think the Articles of Confederation were sufficient. What was sufficient was the federal government with the enumerated powers listed in Art. 1, sec. 8. However, as we know the federal government has usurped a great deal more State power than that. That is the problem, not the Constitution itself.
    ...the writer thinks it proper to say that, in his opinion, the Constitution is no such instrument as it has generally been assumed to be; but that by false interpretations, and naked usurpations, the government has been made in practice a very widely, and almost wholly, different thing from what the Constitution itself purports to authorize. He has heretofore written much, and could write much more, to prove that such is the truth. But whether the Constitution really be one thing, or another, this much is certain — that it has either authorized such a government as we have had, or has been powerless to prevent it. In either case, it is unfit to exist.
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    It was all for naught in the end. The Constitution was not a powerful enough document to prevent tyranny from both the state and federal governments. It's all just a matter of time before it all comes crashing down. You already see the power the government has. They used a minor virus to force people to wear a mask, force people to close their businesses, and it's only a matter of time before they force vaccinations. You have no rights, zero, none. It was all a mirage from the state, what freedoms you had were given by the state and will eventually be taken away by the state.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Peter1469 View Post
    Was The American Revolution A Mistake?

    This is an interesting article, based on older research that claims the American colonies had it good under Great Britain and should not have declared independence. One big part of the research showed that the tax burden from pre-revolution to the founding of the new nation in 1783 tripled.
    Interesting podcast interviewing John Remington Graham, author of Blood Money: The Civil War and the Federal Reserve.

    "Mr. Graham discusses the true cause of the American Revolution, the Navigation Acts of 1660 and 1663, and the Currency Acts of 1751 and 1764, and current attempts to remove the statue of Robert E. Lee in Richmond and a whole lot more!!"

    https://oneradionetwork.com/all-show...r-july-1-2020/


    Warning, you need about 90 minutes to spare. Some people might consider some of what he says controversial.
    In quoting my post, you affirm and agree that you have not been goaded, provoked, emotionally manipulated or otherwise coerced into responding.



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