- Joined
- Jan 8, 2010
- Messages
- 72,131
- Reaction score
- 58,867
- Location
- NE Ohio
- Gender
- Male
- Political Leaning
- Liberal
Would the declaration of independence have been just as valuable if the founders had simple wrote to the king "**** you guys, we want our own country" and left out the justification brought about by the idea of natural rights?
I think it would of been pretty "action hero" cool but not as eloquent.
Yes, it would be certainly less eloquent. But would the revolutionary war been as justified? (added it to the OP to clarify my question)
Probably. Take out the flowery language and the reasons for revolution were still very much there. Try it this way, take out the list of why the King sucks and is there justification for the war? The justification lies in the right to self governor and of the atrocities the King has committed.
Yes, it would be certainly less eloquent. But would the revolutionary war been as justified? (added it to the OP to clarify my question)
Would the declaration of independence have been just as valuable if the founders had simple wrote to the king "**** you guys, we want our own country" (in the popular dialect of the time of course) and left out the justification brought about by the idea of natural rights?
We started the Revolution and won because we were powerful enough to do it; power comes from the barrel of a gun. Justification only matters after the fact.
The U.S. has managed to avoid coups and power struggles primarily because belief in democratic tradition is very strong.
I'd say we've avoided coups and the kind of blatant power struggles that certain countries are known for primarily because we are rich. Armies may march on full stomachs, but revolutions thrive on hunger.
And our history of avoiding civil strife isn't exactly unblemished, either-- the Whiskey Rebellion, the Civil War, the Thirties and the Sixties and on and on.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?