Monday, July 6, 2015

Does Anyone Teach History In Today's World?

In a piece in the web blog Vox I ran across one that seems to be disconnected from reality. Namely the author suggests we would have been better off having stayed with England.

The author states:

But I'm reasonably confident a world where the revolution never happened would be better than the one we live in now, for three main reasons: slavery would've been abolished earlier, American Indians would've faced rampant persecution but not the outright ethnic cleansing Andrew Jackson and other American leaders perpetrated, and America would have a parliamentary system of government that makes policymaking easier and lessens the risk of democratic collapse.

 Perhaps the authors has missed a few facts. First in the English Parliamentary system only member of the Church of England can become Prime Minister. The Head of State is also the Head of the Church. How would that one fly in today's world!

Second, has the author somehow forgot Ireland. Read de Tocqueville. In his account of Ireland one sees a people not allowed to own land, forced to work for wages not enough to eat on, land taken away from the, religious persecution, not allowed to be educated, and the list goes on. If you think this relates to Ireland only ask any one from India. The Brits were brutal!

Then there is the "Class" system. One's family heritage counts more than anything else. Try that one on in this author's America cum England. Immigrants would not be second class, they would be no class.

I guess it is helpful to live in ignorant bliss and create one's own history.