You make it sound like GB was an oppressed nation at that time which it was not. Sure social powers were not what they are today but the country was still progressing towards those goals, with the industrial revolution, and there for true capitalism, the basis of the US.

What did the USA actually GAIN by leaving GB empire? Not have to pay some taxes.

Also to say that 4th of july was a catalyst i find a very arrogant notion. Each nation within the empire was entirely different, and the choice of independence taken when British rule had arguable modernised the country’s, and actually helps remove oppression. Sure you can counter this argument with many examples but the overall effect was good.

My argument that it wouldn’t have had an impact can be seen in the successes of Hong Kong and Australia, very vibrant metropolises.

would be nice to hear are non US and non GB side to the argument, as each side will surely be swayed to one side or the other.

a URL to some facts of that time and what was actually gained would be nice to see also…

While I can see the perspective that it seems a bit over the top, I think there is a larger point to take into account.

The US’ Declaration of Independence was a huge step in world history that ended a long era monarchical and feudalist rule, and set forth a movement that made “all men equal” (yes, except if you were a slave, but for the sake of my argument I’ll overlook their hypocrisy) a notion that is now excepted in most of the civilized world.

This revolution, which seemed to spur on other revolutions in the centuries to follow, not only started the ball rolling with democratic societies, but also with more socialist, or even communist governments as well.

Chris writes:
“If you all just waited a few hundred years we would have given you independence anyway along with giving the rest of our empire away.”

But I wouldn’t be so sure that GB would have “Given the rest of our empire away” if there hadn’t been a very large event (ala the US Revolution) that told the world that empirical rule is not OK. It took years for GB to release the rest of it’s empire, but the 4th of July 1776 was the catalyst to all that followed.
-c

PS: I also love Great Britain, and have great respect for that country today. I just don’t want to loose site of the historical significance of the 4th.

Now that the oppressor is our staunchest ally, there’s no joy in offense, only in celebrating freedom itself.

The whole issue is so old, and as people rightly said, the world back then was a totally different place. If you all just waited a few hundred years we would have given you independence anyway along with giving the rest of our empire away. And im sure you would be just as good a country if not better, look at austrailia, thats an awesome place and its mostly arid land. Or hong Kong, a capitalist kingdom inside a communist country, who could have done that apart from great britain?

I like to think if the US remained a part of Great Britain there would be a greater sense of calm about the way the country is run.

Any way, have fun with your holiday, see you in florida soon!
The UK

And the MODERN and CURRENT rights granted UK citizens are a helluva lot different than the reasons the U.S. fought for independence in the first place.

I was only commenting on why people today seem so happy that they are not British subjects. Why they celebrate our independence from Great Britain with such passion. When I look at the UK today and compare it to America today, I really don’t see what the big deal is.

And the MODERN and CURRENT rights granted UK citizens are a helluva lot different than the reasons the U.S. fought for independence in the first place.

The U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights was created in direct response to the kind of bullshit that can happen when you have a leader who has power because of heredity or “divine right.”

I’m glad I’m not the only person who’s noticed that, and doubly glad you wrote it here today. I miss a few things about the US from time to time, but “freedom” isn’t one of them.