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I think the US being the largest rich democracy might have something to do with that, too. The cultural history of valuing individual freedom above everything,

I think the US being the largest rich democracy might have something to do with that, too. The cultural history of valuing individual freedom above everything, so much so as to start a war rather than pay "unjust" taxes, also seems relevant to me. Society is all about giving up individual freedoms for the group's benefit, and the US's founding mythology is kind of the opposite.

batch12 4y ago
When talking about a myth, do you mean the colonies taking issue with being taxed without having legislative representation? Is this something you disagree with when you finger-quote "unjust"?
- NateEag 4y ago
  I think it _was_ unfair and illegitimate, from a procedural perspective. Practically, I think representation wouldn't have changed the outcome that much. I'm no historian, but my impression is that the taxes were in large part England trying to cover the bill from the French and Indian War, which was mostly incurred on behalf of the colonists. So, procedurally unfair? Yeah. Actually unjust? I dunno about that. Even if I'm wrong about the facts and the taxes were genuinely egregious abuse, I don't think that's good grounds for killing a bunch of people.
  - throwoutway 4y ago
    > I don't think that's good grounds for killing a bunch of people. If you’re blaming the colonists for this, you have selective memory when it comes to the history.
    - NateEag 4y ago
      From my perspective, both sides clearly chose to undertake massive amounts of killing to get what they wanted. In my view, neither was a good course of action. I have room for the concept of just wars, but I don't think the American Revolution was one for either side.
  - batch12 4y ago
    There wasn't a need to go to war. England could have just accepted the colonies' demand for independence. Was keeping the colony worth killing all of those people?
    - NateEag 4y ago
      No, it obviously wasn't. That England took unacceptable actions in no way justifies the Americans taking unacceptable actions.

batch12 4y ago

When talking about a myth, do you mean the colonies taking issue with being taxed without having legislative representation? Is this something you disagree with when you finger-quote "unjust"?

NateEag 4y ago
I think it _was_ unfair and illegitimate, from a procedural perspective. Practically, I think representation wouldn't have changed the outcome that much. I'm no historian, but my impression is that the taxes were in large part England trying to cover the bill from the French and Indian War, which was mostly incurred on behalf of the colonists. So, procedurally unfair? Yeah. Actually unjust? I dunno about that. Even if I'm wrong about the facts and the taxes were genuinely egregious abuse, I don't think that's good grounds for killing a bunch of people.
- throwoutway 4y ago
  > I don't think that's good grounds for killing a bunch of people. If you’re blaming the colonists for this, you have selective memory when it comes to the history.
  - NateEag 4y ago
    From my perspective, both sides clearly chose to undertake massive amounts of killing to get what they wanted. In my view, neither was a good course of action. I have room for the concept of just wars, but I don't think the American Revolution was one for either side.
- batch12 4y ago
  There wasn't a need to go to war. England could have just accepted the colonies' demand for independence. Was keeping the colony worth killing all of those people?
  - NateEag 4y ago
    No, it obviously wasn't. That England took unacceptable actions in no way justifies the Americans taking unacceptable actions.