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GORDON 
90%
Group: Super Administrators
Posts: 36125
Joined: Jun. 2004
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Posted on: Jul. 04 2011,07:01 |
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Europeans and American lefties are fond of mocking average Americans in the flyover states for thinking 235 years is a long time to be a country (Well.... 225ish not counting the time under the Articles of Confederation?).
But really, isn't 235 years as a government, with no fundamental changes to the way the government is structured, pretty close to being one of the oldest? Yeah, great, England has a couple thousand years of history. So what.... it was part of an empire, a monarchy, an empire, etc until they got what they have now, and what they have now isn't as old as America's current government.
And, this country didn't just appear 235 years ago. Before that it was a largely independent colony, before that a dependent colony, and before that a few thousand years of government under various people that had come from Asia over the Bearing Strait land bridge.
So it isn't like this land mass in the western hemisphere just magically appeared a couple centuries ago any more than Europe just magically appeared when the European Union was formed recently. It's great all y'all out there in Europe have thousands of years of conquering and killing each other under your belts, but that doesn't mean your nations are in any way "old." Most of you haven't had a consistent government for 200 years. Most of you can't even claim national borders haven't changed.
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Just a random thought.
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I don't give a fuck!
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| Post Number: 2
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Malcolm
I disagree.
Group: Privateers
Posts: 27168
Joined: May 2004
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Posted on: Jul. 04 2011,11:18 |
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The gov't we have today vaguely resembles the first United States gov't in the same way that you can vaguely resemble someone if you flay them alive and turn their skin into a suit, Buffalo Bill-style. Â The political leaders we have in Washington today would scarcely be fit to clean the stables of most Founding Fathers. Â So I wouldn't call our government consistent.
As far as national borders changing, that comes with the constant warfare over there fueled by centuries of everything from huge ethnic disputes to minor family bullshit conflict. Â We're a country founded by people that wanted to get away from that ... which doesn't really prevent you from inventing your own. Â If you want bitchy infighting, that happened between the states long ago, especially with regards to borders.
Our history as a world power just got put on the fast track such that we (used to?) quickly pick up on what other nations took forever to learn. Â I'm not so sure we're that savvy anymore. Â General stupidity appears to be winning, which does pretty much put us on the same level as Europe nowadays, just with a bit more cash and a bit less infighting.
Edited by Malcolm on Jul. 04 2011,11:18
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Diogenes of Sinope:
"It is not that I am mad, it is only that my head is different from yours."
"Other dogs bite only their enemies, whereas I bite also my friends in order to save them."
Arnold Judas Rimmer, BSC, SSC:
"Better dead than smeg."
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| Post Number: 3
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TPRJones
I saw The Fault in our Stars opening night.
Group: Privateers
Posts: 12384
Joined: May 2004
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Posted on: Jul. 04 2011,18:39 |
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They've got older buildings. Therefor they are older and wiser. That's how it works.
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Vidi Perfutui Veni
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