INDEPENDENCE DAY, the 4th of july, is a big deal in america, for all the right reasons. during the final week of june, 1776, when jefferson had finished the document and given it to adams and franklin, who butchered it, adams thought that it would be voted on, agreed upon, and signed by all the conspirators on july the first. he proclaimed jubilantly in a letter that the first of july is destined to become a glorious holiday in the new united states, to be celebrated in perpetuity raucously. john the proclaimer nearly got it right.
looking back on it, the united states of america seems almost destined to have become an empire, because the main theme, from day one, was growth, expansion, exploitation of opportunity for greater things. the empire reached california, then jumped across the world's oceans, and never looked back.
ironic, because america began as a revolt from empire. thomas paine was right; it made no sense for a small island to rule a vast continent four thousand miles away. and as we are fast discovering, it makes no sense for a vast contiment to rule over other vast contiments.
perhaps it was ultimately a good thing that england ruled india for two hundred years. but its hard to see how. the indian subcontinent would eventually have had access to all western cultural benefits without the two centuries of brutality.
london actually ruled the american colonies rather leniently, compared to the way they ruled india, compared to the way most overseas empires are ruled. the complaints listed in the declaration of independence actually seem rather tame, as well as justified and true.
no matter where you live in the world, july the fourth is a good day to read the declaration of independence. its the best america has to offer.
Bb
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