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In the 1700s a group of people got really upset that another group of people kept taking their things without asking - they had a motto 'no taxation without rep
by anonymouse008 5y ago
In the 1700s a group of people got really upset that another group of people kept taking their things without asking - they had a motto 'no taxation without representation.'
That group then founded a culture around this odd distrust of monarchs, that in later generations became a distrust of governments in all forms - even going as far as to conjure fantastical secret societies like the 'illuminati' that maintain a strong thumb on the scales of justice.
It's just a part of the psyche that built the U.S.A. - it's a feature, not a bug
- larkost 5y agoFor accuracy, please note that those people were more upset that the king exempted a company he had a stake in from that taxation (East India Tea Company), mostly in order to make up for some disaterous business dealings that threatened to los him and his friends a lot of money. Much of the rhetoric was dressed up as against taxes, but really all of the actual action was against unfairness in government (especially the lack of taxes). A worthy goal, and a decent reason to revolt. But I wish current politics would occasionally get the facts right.
- nefitty 5y agoThe popular, incorrect, narrative taught in schools also conveniently avoids introducing the concept of corruption via preferential treatment. I doubt there was a concerted effort in regards to that, but as a child I remember internalizing a concept of “we should resist external government force”, instead of the more apropos, “we have a duty to protest government corruption.”
- anonymouse008 5y agoI'm not so sure that 'corect' lesson is lost in schools, it sounds more like “we should resist external government force” is just a short cut of 'absolute power corrupts absolutely.'