Things you don’t think about are things you forget. Memories that become more and more distant and unreal. Memories that you will eventually forget that you ever had. Stories that will die, untold.
I was already aware that most of the people in the colonies were in favor of the loyalists, but I did not know about the inequality indexes, the atrocities commited against loyalists, the southeners being impoverished, that explains a lot of stuff. It was shocking to learn, great article. If the US taught this at schools(ideally) alongside the reconstruction period a lot of things would change for the better. Which were the mechanisms in the colonies that avoided the absurd concentration of power that benefitted the top 1% in England?
There weren't any. The American Colonies were basically "Frontier" or "Settled". The Settled areas were under English Law, same as if they were England. What was different was that the Colonies hadn't been under the thumb of the English Elites for around 150 years.
This allowed the development of local "proto-elites" in the Colonies. People like George Washington. It also allowed a significant "middle class" to form and because of the chronic labor shortage even laborers were "well off" in comparison to those in England.
Part of what fueled the Revolutionary spirit in the Colonies was the tightening grip of the Homeland Elites on the Colonial economy. The 2% were starting to "invest" (buy up) in the Colonies and with their financial and political power it was easy to see where that was going to wind up.
The American Elites like Washington were much poorer than their English counterparts but, like the Elites of Roman Britain considered themselves "Romans", they considered themselves English. The highest aspiration would be to become rich enough that you could "move to England" and live in the homeland.
For some like Benjamin Franklin this was possible. For most it was not.
One of the things that pushed Washington into supporting the Revolution was his resentment of the English military command structure. As a Colonial he was never going to be eligible for a command in the Regular Army. He realized that while people like the Fairfax's might make a fortune and return to England he was always going to be a "provincial" and second class. Even if he was of the "gentleman" class in Virginia.
Washington was not an egalitarian and neither were a lot of the other Founding Fathers. They didn't want to change the economic system, they wanted to become the American 2%. They formed an alliance with the 'Idealists", Intellectuals, and Revolutionaries who actually wanted to create an entirely new economic order during the war.
After the war, when the new Constitution had to be crafted, is where it all fell apart. In order to get foreign investors to put money into the country you have to protect property rights so they feel secure. They will want returns on their investments so you have to structure the economy so that this is possible. Very quickly idealism gets lost and compromised away in the face of "necessity".
The egalitarianism of the Colonies' was probably doomed no matter what, the Revolution sped the process up.
Wow, that's exactly the reason why independence in my country(Mexico) happened. Of course, there were people that worried about freedom, but one of the big reasons that Mexican independence happened was because "criollos" which were Spanish people born in America could not access the higher ranks on the military and other political positions. Only "peninsulares" the people born in Spain could occupy the higher power positions.
Upon reflection I did think of a situation when the Silent 40% do get politically engaged. It's never a good thing.
In some of the Maya cities that collapsed during the Drought Period you start seeing them build walls for the first time. Not walls around the city, walls around the Elite areas.
In these places the Elite areas are usually burned out and you find evidence of violence. Broken weapons and bodies, including women, children, and infants. Left laying where they fell on the ground.
When the Elite's and their God's failed them. When they were dying of thirst and they "lost faith in a future".
The 40% "activated" and slaughtered every "Elite" type of person they could. Burning their dying city around them in the process.
That's what's usually happening when the "Silent 40%" becomes "woke". It's always a sign that complete collapse is happening.
Not at all, you were spot on. I should have been more clear in the article and follow up comment. There is a pattern to politics and civil wars that ALWAYS looks like this.
40% of the population never engages politically, EVER. They are the fabled "Silent Majority" that everyone claims to speak for.
The other 60% constantly fight with each other for control of the 40%.
That control is the "prize" that drives politics and wars. Controlling and taxing them is what the fight is really about.
Multiple studies have shown that about 30% of the population is what's necessary to dominate the other 70%. When one group gets to 30% is usually when it takes power. Unless the other side is approximately equal in strength.
That's when wars start.
Even during the Revolutionary War, 40% of the population 'sat it out' and waited to see who their next "rulers" would be. This is ALWAYS the case.
Which we should all be grateful for. That 40% are the people who keep the crops growing, the shelves stocked, and the lights on. Too much political engagement and things start breaking down quickly.
I was already aware that most of the people in the colonies were in favor of the loyalists, but I did not know about the inequality indexes, the atrocities commited against loyalists, the southeners being impoverished, that explains a lot of stuff. It was shocking to learn, great article. If the US taught this at schools(ideally) alongside the reconstruction period a lot of things would change for the better. Which were the mechanisms in the colonies that avoided the absurd concentration of power that benefitted the top 1% in England?
There weren't any. The American Colonies were basically "Frontier" or "Settled". The Settled areas were under English Law, same as if they were England. What was different was that the Colonies hadn't been under the thumb of the English Elites for around 150 years.
This allowed the development of local "proto-elites" in the Colonies. People like George Washington. It also allowed a significant "middle class" to form and because of the chronic labor shortage even laborers were "well off" in comparison to those in England.
Part of what fueled the Revolutionary spirit in the Colonies was the tightening grip of the Homeland Elites on the Colonial economy. The 2% were starting to "invest" (buy up) in the Colonies and with their financial and political power it was easy to see where that was going to wind up.
The American Elites like Washington were much poorer than their English counterparts but, like the Elites of Roman Britain considered themselves "Romans", they considered themselves English. The highest aspiration would be to become rich enough that you could "move to England" and live in the homeland.
For some like Benjamin Franklin this was possible. For most it was not.
One of the things that pushed Washington into supporting the Revolution was his resentment of the English military command structure. As a Colonial he was never going to be eligible for a command in the Regular Army. He realized that while people like the Fairfax's might make a fortune and return to England he was always going to be a "provincial" and second class. Even if he was of the "gentleman" class in Virginia.
Washington was not an egalitarian and neither were a lot of the other Founding Fathers. They didn't want to change the economic system, they wanted to become the American 2%. They formed an alliance with the 'Idealists", Intellectuals, and Revolutionaries who actually wanted to create an entirely new economic order during the war.
After the war, when the new Constitution had to be crafted, is where it all fell apart. In order to get foreign investors to put money into the country you have to protect property rights so they feel secure. They will want returns on their investments so you have to structure the economy so that this is possible. Very quickly idealism gets lost and compromised away in the face of "necessity".
The egalitarianism of the Colonies' was probably doomed no matter what, the Revolution sped the process up.
Wow, that's exactly the reason why independence in my country(Mexico) happened. Of course, there were people that worried about freedom, but one of the big reasons that Mexican independence happened was because "criollos" which were Spanish people born in America could not access the higher ranks on the military and other political positions. Only "peninsulares" the people born in Spain could occupy the higher power positions.
Yeah, it's surprising when you strip away the mythologies how much all revolutions are alike. That was my doctoral thesis.
I did a comparative study on the Anthropology of Revolutions and Civil Wars 1776-1996. There's a LOT of material to work with.
When you strip away the trimmings an flash, they follow very predictable patterns.
I deleted my comment because I thought I sounded like a sea lion
Upon reflection I did think of a situation when the Silent 40% do get politically engaged. It's never a good thing.
In some of the Maya cities that collapsed during the Drought Period you start seeing them build walls for the first time. Not walls around the city, walls around the Elite areas.
In these places the Elite areas are usually burned out and you find evidence of violence. Broken weapons and bodies, including women, children, and infants. Left laying where they fell on the ground.
When the Elite's and their God's failed them. When they were dying of thirst and they "lost faith in a future".
The 40% "activated" and slaughtered every "Elite" type of person they could. Burning their dying city around them in the process.
That's what's usually happening when the "Silent 40%" becomes "woke". It's always a sign that complete collapse is happening.
This is what scares me about our future.
Not at all, you were spot on. I should have been more clear in the article and follow up comment. There is a pattern to politics and civil wars that ALWAYS looks like this.
40% of the population never engages politically, EVER. They are the fabled "Silent Majority" that everyone claims to speak for.
The other 60% constantly fight with each other for control of the 40%.
That control is the "prize" that drives politics and wars. Controlling and taxing them is what the fight is really about.
Multiple studies have shown that about 30% of the population is what's necessary to dominate the other 70%. When one group gets to 30% is usually when it takes power. Unless the other side is approximately equal in strength.
That's when wars start.
Even during the Revolutionary War, 40% of the population 'sat it out' and waited to see who their next "rulers" would be. This is ALWAYS the case.
Which we should all be grateful for. That 40% are the people who keep the crops growing, the shelves stocked, and the lights on. Too much political engagement and things start breaking down quickly.