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I don't recall unfortunately, however I suspect that as I often had run-ins (conflict over school regulations) with teachers that it was a reflection of anti-au

I don't recall unfortunately, however I suspect that as I often had run-ins (conflict over school regulations) with teachers that it was a reflection of anti-authoritarianism mixed with sympathy for the oppressed. To me the papists seemed like they just wanted to follow their own way (I don't know enough [now] to know if Catesby intended to usher in oppression by Catholics to replace the then oppression by Protestants/Royalists but that certainly didn't cross my mind at the time). Similarly, when learning about "priest holes" (places to hide a Catholic priest who came, presumably to lead mass, to your home) my sympathy was with those hiding. It never crossed my mind that they might effectively be plotting the otherthrow of the established order, only that they were oppressed and hunted down. I guess it's a first-order vs second-order level of thinking. Royals become royals by mass murder, then oppress the people they rule over. In France I would have been on the side of the revolutionaries for sure. You would side with the royals (and now I notice your username)?

TheMonarchist 5y ago
> Royals become royals by mass murder, then oppress the people they rule over. That way they wouldn't remain royals for long. At minimum they must keep their army loyal. One would imagine that they would prefer a good cause to fight for, so oppression must be justified to them somehow. It's easier to just avoid intentional oppression. > In France I would have been on the side of the revolutionaries for sure. You would side with the royals (and now I notice your username)? I guess so. Good things are easy to break but difficult to create.
Lio 5y ago
> Similarly, when learning about "priest holes" (places to hide a Catholic priest who came, presumably to lead mass, to your home) my sympathy was with those hiding. It never crossed my mind that they might effectively be plotting the otherthrow of the established order, only that they were oppressed and hunted down. As a kid we learned all about the priest holes and catholic persecution at my catholic school. Then when out with my parents I saw a large monument in a park to a group of people who where burned at the stake for openly practising their religion. More catholic persecution I thought. We're obviously the good guys being picked on by the bad guys. I was shocked to discover that it was protestant martyrs who'd been burnt at the stack by catholic fanatics. Before Guy Faulks the country had already flipped backwards and forwards between catholic and protestant absolute rulers. That was a wake up call for a young me that there are very few "good guys" involved in anything to do with absolute politics or absolute religion. Anyone you can't vote out is a tyrant, revolutionary or not. They will do horrific things simply because they can and no one can stop them. Absolute power corrupts absolute rulers absolutely.

TheMonarchist 5y ago

> Royals become royals by mass murder, then oppress the people they rule over. That way they wouldn't remain royals for long. At minimum they must keep their army loyal. One would imagine that they would prefer a good cause to fight for, so oppression must be justified to them somehow. It's easier to just avoid intentional oppression. > In France I would have been on the side of the revolutionaries for sure. You would side with the royals (and now I notice your username)? I guess so. Good things are easy to break but difficult to create.

Lio 5y ago

> Similarly, when learning about "priest holes" (places to hide a Catholic priest who came, presumably to lead mass, to your home) my sympathy was with those hiding. It never crossed my mind that they might effectively be plotting the otherthrow of the established order, only that they were oppressed and hunted down. As a kid we learned all about the priest holes and catholic persecution at my catholic school. Then when out with my parents I saw a large monument in a park to a group of people who where burned at the stake for openly practising their religion. More catholic persecution I thought. We're obviously the good guys being picked on by the bad guys. I was shocked to discover that it was protestant martyrs who'd been burnt at the stack by catholic fanatics. Before Guy Faulks the country had already flipped backwards and forwards between catholic and protestant absolute rulers. That was a wake up call for a young me that there are very few "good guys" involved in anything to do with absolute politics or absolute religion. Anyone you can't vote out is a tyrant, revolutionary or not. They will do horrific things simply because they can and no one can stop them. Absolute power corrupts absolute rulers absolutely.