Clarification

2002-10-19 14:05:00

Larry Writes:
"The analogy of slow boiling of the frog is given to illustrate how we are currently buying into the loss of our freedoms. The British made the mistake of boiling the colonists too quickly allowing them to feel the warning pain giving them time to rebel."
I would absolutely agree with you on this. The fact is that there are things being done today in the United States that are just as heinous as those performed by the British over 200 years ago and which our forbearers were willing to spill their blood to combat. On the one hand you find the things the British did then to be a "full blown" tyranny but at the same time you seem to feel that our present government (with taxes that are fantastically higher than those of the colonial era) is quite reasonable, perhaps seeing a little abuse here and there.

That view is difficult for me to understand.

JJ
It should not be difficult at all because that is not what I said. Here is what I did say:

"One of the main causes of the rebellion that has not been mentioned was not so much the taxes or even these draconian laws, but that the colonists saw a visible erosion of their freedoms and AN ENCROACHING FULL BLOWN TYRANNY if something was not done to stop it."

I pointed out how "the colonists were subject to several ingredients of tyranny" but I never defined their situation (as a whole) as a tyranny or a "full blown" tyranny. I pointed out that a cause of the rebellion was their eroding freedoms and what they saw as "an encroaching full blown tyranny." Note the word "encroaching." In other words, they saw a tyranny (as I defined it) on the horizon, or in the future.

Larry
"but at the same time you seem to feel that our present government (with taxes that are fantastically higher than those of the colonial era) is quite reasonable, perhaps seeing a little abuse here and there."

JJ
I have never said nor indicated that our current taxes and situation is reasonable. I've never even thought such a thing. I see many changes that need to be made and have written treatises suggesting changes. I am just against a rebellion, but support working within the system unless the situation becomes so bad that a majority feel they are living in a tyranny.

I think you are disagreeing here where there is little to disagree about. I found your post interesting and containing some good information that gives a more complete understanding of the situation back then.