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The UK is an interesting case, we have never revolted either. We're definitely worse off for it. Longest working hours in europe. EDIT: As pointed out we do no

The UK is an interesting case, we have never revolted either. We're definitely worse off for it. Longest working hours in europe. EDIT: As pointed out we do not have the longest working hours in europe, but we do in "western" europe. And I was too hasty to describe the UK has having never had a revolution, I should perhaps constrain it to "the English."

barredo 16y ago
I didn't vote your comment, but "Wikipedia" does not agree http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yearly_working_time_2004.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yearly_working_time_2004.j...
- JonnieCache 16y ago
  Point taken. However we work substantially longer than France, our neighbours who are a stone's throw away with a similar national history, except they had a successful popular revolution. I am not saying there is a direct causal link but it forms a part of a general cultural divergence with regard to the population's relationship to the state and to authority that I believe stems from Britain's relative lack of revolutionary culture/history compared to other similar countries.
DrJokepu 16y ago
Yes, you have: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Civil_War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Civil_War It was a long time ago but it was a very important turning point in British history as it has lead to a transition from a strong king & weak parliament monarchy to a weak king & strong parliament monarchy and eventually constitutional monarchy and democracy.
- JonnieCache 16y ago
  The english civil war was not a popular uprising against the state by the populous, in the way that the French revolution was. The soldiers were largely paid professionals fighting for politicians. Most english paesants were not ideologically invested in the conflict. That is why these events have not had the same effect on the national psyche and culture of the English, their idea of what England and Englishness is, that other nations' revolutions have had on their people.
  - arethuza 16y ago
    The failed 1745 rebellion certainly did leave a huge impact on the culture of Scotland.
arethuza 16y ago
There have been more revolts in what is now the UK than I can list easily... some were completely successful and ended up with regicide, or the effective independence of that part of the island for a few hundred years. The most recent case that I can think of, was that soldiers had to patrol Glasgow with tanks in 1919 to suppress what was perceived, probably incorrectly, as an attempt at a Marxist revolution. At a small scale things like the Battle of the Braes on Skye where people stood up to the Clearances eventually led to huge reform in the shape of the Crofting Act. So I would hardly say that we've never revolted. [Edit: And of course there is the history of the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland as well]

barredo 16y ago

I didn't vote your comment, but "Wikipedia" does not agree http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yearly_working_time_2004.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yearly_working_time_2004.j...

JonnieCache 16y ago
Point taken. However we work substantially longer than France, our neighbours who are a stone's throw away with a similar national history, except they had a successful popular revolution. I am not saying there is a direct causal link but it forms a part of a general cultural divergence with regard to the population's relationship to the state and to authority that I believe stems from Britain's relative lack of revolutionary culture/history compared to other similar countries.

DrJokepu 16y ago

Yes, you have: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Civil_War http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Civil_War It was a long time ago but it was a very important turning point in British history as it has lead to a transition from a strong king & weak parliament monarchy to a weak king & strong parliament monarchy and eventually constitutional monarchy and democracy.

JonnieCache 16y ago
The english civil war was not a popular uprising against the state by the populous, in the way that the French revolution was. The soldiers were largely paid professionals fighting for politicians. Most english paesants were not ideologically invested in the conflict. That is why these events have not had the same effect on the national psyche and culture of the English, their idea of what England and Englishness is, that other nations' revolutions have had on their people.
- arethuza 16y ago
  The failed 1745 rebellion certainly did leave a huge impact on the culture of Scotland.

arethuza 16y ago

There have been more revolts in what is now the UK than I can list easily... some were completely successful and ended up with regicide, or the effective independence of that part of the island for a few hundred years. The most recent case that I can think of, was that soldiers had to patrol Glasgow with tanks in 1919 to suppress what was perceived, probably incorrectly, as an attempt at a Marxist revolution. At a small scale things like the Battle of the Braes on Skye where people stood up to the Clearances eventually led to huge reform in the shape of the Crofting Act. So I would hardly say that we've never revolted. [Edit: And of course there is the history of the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland as well]