US War of Independence

[Velociryx]

Not to rain on anyone's parade or anything, and mostly out of curiosity....

if the US is really the total $hithole country that a significant chunk of posters here say it is (or a nation in severe decline, or any number of other comments)....why is this important?

Why would anybody care WHAT went on during the revolution, or for that matter, what the US is up to in general?

Just a thought that I'll leave unfinished.

-=Vel=-

[General Ludd]

The same reason you'd want to know what your crack-house neighbours are up to.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by General Ludd
The same reason you'd want to know what your crack-house neighbours are up to.

Exactly.

I'd be concerned if a chimp had a gun, but I wouldn't want to be emulating it or interested in a long term relationship.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Ecthy
Maybe the USA should show you now what it looks like when they REALLY want to annex Canada.

They have too many wanna be French people.

[chequita guevara]

Plus all those Canadians.

[DinoDoc]

We'd take the Albertans though.

[Ecthy]

Aren't the Albertans splitting of anyway?

[techumseh]

umm, I'm an Albertan. I don't think you want me.

[DinoDoc]

Anyway, here's an interesting article: http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...t/1989/HWW.htm

additional information can be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_1812

[techumseh]

I'm off to the lake for a week. No laptop on my wife's orders. Carry on!

[JimmyCracksCorn]

Originally posted by notyoueither


Actually...

The most significant part of Canada at the time was a distinct nation made up of les habitants, and they did indeed have a special identity and different style of law and governing than the American colonies... not to mention language and religion.

Quebec is still here, and together with the loyalists who arrived after the revolution, these two facts largely define what Canada was to subsequently become and they dominate our nation to this day.

I should have flagged that I wasn't talking about Quebec... Quebec is a totally different animal. I was thinking of the English colonies only.

PEI had only recently been colonised mostly by people straight from the British Isles. It is not surprising that they remained loyal.

(snipped)

You miss the point. First off, we're talking about the Rev. War, not 1812. Second, you're trying to make distinctions that don't exist. The point is that in every colony the whole idea of going to war was highly contentious and even pretty unpopular. And every Anglo colony likely had large numbers of people directly from the British Isles as well (but I realize PEI had quite a high proportion).

So to say that for some reason the Anglo Canadian provinces didn't join the revolution because they had conditions which were present in every other colony at the time doesn't make much sense or answer any questions.

[JimmyCracksCorn]

Americans:

You have to realize something - you will never win this argument. For Canadians, 1812 is as much or more a matter of national mythology as it is a historical event.

From the Canadian point of view, the Americans woke up sometime in the year 1812 and decided to declare war on Canada. Why? Just because it seemed like the most evil thing to do. The Americans then come across the border, completely unprovoked, with their tanks and nukes and million man army. The little Canadian militia with muskets in hand fights them off bravely while singing god save the queen. The Americans then run back across the border. Canadians burn the White House.

The End.

To try to convince a Canadian that 1812 was anything more than this is like telling a Christian there is no God - it doesn't work and its actually kind of cruel.

But don't worry, not all Canadians are so uncritical of their history. When you get to University and take history classes here, 1812 is quite fairly represented - both sides are presented, not pro Canadian, not pro American, just objective history.

So, next time you get in one of these inane 1812 spats with a Canadian, just remember. They can't help it, and they probably don't have much of a formal education, at least in history.

[JimmyCracksCorn]

The war was about respect? Are we watching the Godfather?

Believe it or not, it was. By going to war with GB again, and preventing them from retaking the 13 colonies, the US pretty well solidified it's position as an independent and sovereign country. Never again was US sovereignty or right to self determination questioned by a foreign power.

But believe me, I know. Telling you this is like pissing in the wind. In one ear and out the other.

[Velociryx]

The same reason you'd want to know what your crack-house neighbours are up to.

Hate to disappoint, but I don't have any crack house neighbors, and if I did, I can't say that it'd keep me up nights wondering what they were up to. In general, one finds that type response in folks who don't have enough to do, or who don't get out much.

Exactly.

I'd be concerned if a chimp had a gun, but I wouldn't want to be emulating it or interested in a long term relationship.


While the pics brought a smile, my response to this would be similar to how I responded to the above. In any case, either the chimp with the gun is a mild curiosity, in which case, he in no way warrants multitudinous threads about what he's doing today, what kind of gun he's got, who he's slinging feces at, etc., etc. etc. ad nauseum, or, the thread starters do indeed find themselves with precious little to do and don't get out much (as above), or, despite all claims to the contrary, said chimp is perhaps at least a shade more prominent and important that said thread starters are willing to admit to.

Just a thought.

-=Vel=-

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by Ecthy
Maybe the USA should show you now what it looks like when they REALLY want to annex Canada.

And maybe we'll give them another ass kicking.