It's worthwhile to take a moment on this holiday weekend to look at the real view of America's Declaration of Independence held by the left in this country. A good source for this is an article today in Vox by Dylan Matthews which explains three reasons why American independence was a "mistake".
First, did you know that one of the main points of the Revolution was to perpetuate slavery and to empower the white male minority in North America? I surely did not. I thought that when the founding fathers gathered in Philadelphia a majority of them actually held abolitionist views. You see, unlike Dylan Matthews, I actually have read what many of the founding fathers had to say about their personal views. Men like Benjamin Franklin and John Adams were stridently opposed to slavery as an institution. They fought the Revolution to gain freedom from the British crown and liberty for the common man. They recognized, however, that in order to get the support of the southern colonies, they could not make opposition to slavery part of the fight at that time. Remember, in 1776, slavery was the norm essentially everywhere in the world. They kept their focus on trying to gain independence from what was one of the few superpowers of that day.
The idea that the point of the Revolution was to perpetuate slavery is not only wrong; it is truly offensive. It requires a willful disregard of the actual history of events and the acceptance of an ideologically driven narrative that is basically a fantasy.
Second, did you know that another result of the Revolution is that it was bad for Native Americans? Matthews tells us that because in the early 1760s, the British had barred western settlement by the colonists. If Matthews understood history, or even bothered to do minimal research, he would have learned that the ban was the result of the ongoing conflict that came to be known as the French and Indian War. The British did not want more settlers going to certain western areas because they did not want to have to use their forces to defend those settlers. Matthews tells us, however, that had there been no Revolution, that sort of proclamation would have been renewed and it would have protected the Native Americans who lived in the West. His position, of course, is nonsense. By the time of the Revolution, there was no longer any prohibition on western movement in the colonies. The war with France had long ended.
So how could we be told today that the Revolution was bad for Native Americans? It requires a willful disregard of the actual history of events and the acceptance of an ideologically driven narrative that is basically a fantasy.
Third, did you know that if we had not had the Revolution, America would today have a better government? Parliaments, you see, are better than the American system. It's funny that Matthews thinks he knows what the government here would be like had there never been a Revolution. Maybe we would be independent; maybe we would still be part of Britain and governed from London. No one knows. Certainly Matthews doesn't and couldn't know. After all, here is an ideologue who doesn't even understand what actually happened in 1776. His views are leftist fantasy and are based on victimology.
It will be the choice of the American people where this country goes over the next century. We may embrace a victim centered belief system like the one pushed by the left. We may retain the basic American views on liberty, freedom and justice that have served the country so well for more than two centuries. Again, that will be the choice of the people. In either event, however, the facts of history do not change. Leftists like Matthews can spread fantasies (okay, let's be honest.....lies) but those facts do not change. The American Revolution was one of the seminal moments for the spread of freedom and liberty around the world. Had it never occurred, the world would be a much worse place.
First, did you know that one of the main points of the Revolution was to perpetuate slavery and to empower the white male minority in North America? I surely did not. I thought that when the founding fathers gathered in Philadelphia a majority of them actually held abolitionist views. You see, unlike Dylan Matthews, I actually have read what many of the founding fathers had to say about their personal views. Men like Benjamin Franklin and John Adams were stridently opposed to slavery as an institution. They fought the Revolution to gain freedom from the British crown and liberty for the common man. They recognized, however, that in order to get the support of the southern colonies, they could not make opposition to slavery part of the fight at that time. Remember, in 1776, slavery was the norm essentially everywhere in the world. They kept their focus on trying to gain independence from what was one of the few superpowers of that day.
The idea that the point of the Revolution was to perpetuate slavery is not only wrong; it is truly offensive. It requires a willful disregard of the actual history of events and the acceptance of an ideologically driven narrative that is basically a fantasy.
Second, did you know that another result of the Revolution is that it was bad for Native Americans? Matthews tells us that because in the early 1760s, the British had barred western settlement by the colonists. If Matthews understood history, or even bothered to do minimal research, he would have learned that the ban was the result of the ongoing conflict that came to be known as the French and Indian War. The British did not want more settlers going to certain western areas because they did not want to have to use their forces to defend those settlers. Matthews tells us, however, that had there been no Revolution, that sort of proclamation would have been renewed and it would have protected the Native Americans who lived in the West. His position, of course, is nonsense. By the time of the Revolution, there was no longer any prohibition on western movement in the colonies. The war with France had long ended.
So how could we be told today that the Revolution was bad for Native Americans? It requires a willful disregard of the actual history of events and the acceptance of an ideologically driven narrative that is basically a fantasy.
Third, did you know that if we had not had the Revolution, America would today have a better government? Parliaments, you see, are better than the American system. It's funny that Matthews thinks he knows what the government here would be like had there never been a Revolution. Maybe we would be independent; maybe we would still be part of Britain and governed from London. No one knows. Certainly Matthews doesn't and couldn't know. After all, here is an ideologue who doesn't even understand what actually happened in 1776. His views are leftist fantasy and are based on victimology.
It will be the choice of the American people where this country goes over the next century. We may embrace a victim centered belief system like the one pushed by the left. We may retain the basic American views on liberty, freedom and justice that have served the country so well for more than two centuries. Again, that will be the choice of the people. In either event, however, the facts of history do not change. Leftists like Matthews can spread fantasies (okay, let's be honest.....lies) but those facts do not change. The American Revolution was one of the seminal moments for the spread of freedom and liberty around the world. Had it never occurred, the world would be a much worse place.
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