We might still have America as a colony if...

A great quote (not online) from historian Andrew Roberts in the print edition of The American Spectator:

"Certainly as a Briton, I only wish your 1776 Congress had contained as many Murthas, Obamas and Pelosis as your present one does: George Washington would not have stood a chance in his long, drawn-out, and desperate struggle against my countrymen."

:-)

Comments

[Londoner]

...we hadn't become a colony of theirs instead, some time around 200 years later.

I have always argued that we should allow them back, provided they accept the Monarchy and get rid of their unfortunate presidential system.

[Winchester whisperer]

we'd been more assiduous in getting them to play cricket.

[Tony Sharp]

That Andrew Roberts comment raised a hearty laugh here. I always appreciate the ability of people to use humour to make an extremely important point.

[Anthony (Los Angeles)]

If it's that important to you, I'll gladly let to take Pelosi, Reid, Murtha, Kennedy, Schumer... Nah, I can't do that. It would be too cruel. :)

[John Wilkin (London)]

If America had remained British it's not impossible that the capital would have been moved over the Atlantic at some point, in the same way that the capital of the Roman Empire was moved east to Constantinople.

[Ash Faulkner]

Not impossible John, but I think unlikely, bearing in mind the increasing importance of London over the nineteenth century.

As usual, Andrew Roberts is spot on. Well done to him.

[Shaun]

Of course the British Parliament did contain people who said that we shouldn't just leave the 13 colonies but that it would be better for Britain to lose - which is remarkable and impossible to imagine today. People like Edmund Burke for example.

[S. Baker]

Well he hit the nail on the head, yes if we had the same type of knuckleheads in congress back in the continental congress we would have been toast!

[Steevo]

I guess the same could be said about our media. If we had the current dictator-loving New York Times then forget it. Instead we had the likes of Paul Revere and his marvelous propaganda engraving of the Boston Massacre, printed and widely disseminated.

[Denise]

We would still be a colony if we had been allowed some representation in Parliament and weren't forced to pay ridiculous taxes that had no benefit to us on this side of the Atlantic. It's also my understanding that any colonial who wanted to return to the Motherland wasn't allowed. Correct me if I'm wrong on that one.

Londoner, you are not our colony and never were. We do not GOVERN you. We do not make your laws. It isn't our fault your government won't tell us "no" when you want it to. You will allow us back if we ditch our presidential system and accept the Monarchy? Nothing against the Monarchy. I think it's cool you have a Queen. And I realize her title is Head of State but does she actually do anything anymore? I mean it's always the Prime Minister and Parliament that control your government, right? Anyway, I didn't realize we were asking you to take us back. And as much as I love you, thanks but no thanks. ;-)

[mamapajamas]

Denise, as I understand it, the Queen signs legislation from Parliament into law just as our President does.

And she has direct access to the ear of the Prime Minister. She can be influential.

I've also heard that she has the quirky little power of mysteriously "losing" any law she doesn't care for sometime after it arrives at the Palace :). Something about a tradition coming from a past king who used to "lose" things he didn't like on his disorderly desk.

I have no information on whether or not Her Majesty has "lost" any legislation during her reign. :)

[Andy]

Yes the Queen does these things but Denise is right the Royal Family have no real "power" anymore in the true sense of the word, their role days is more ceremonial.

[Joanna]

Oh, I don't know...the leaders of the American Revolution weren't in the Continental Congress, usually. They went back to their state legislatures, where the power was. I seem to remember George Washington having plenty of trouble with them as it was...maybe the thing that saved them from being as bad as the Pelosis/Clintons/Obamas of the world was that their necks were on the line. Remember Franklin? "If we don't hang together, we most assuredly will hang separately." That's our problem. Clinton, et al. don't really believe they will be the ones to get killed.

[Joanna]

Er...having plenty of trouble with the Continental Congress, that is.

[Churchill's Parrot]

So too would we have seen the failures of Lincoln, FDR, and - in the UK - Sir Winston Churchill; all men forced to lead their nations, congresses, and parliaments through incredible long drawn-out and desperate struggles, were they riddled with the likes of Murthas, Obamas and Pelosis.

In fact, Sir Winston was nearly dealt a vote of no confidence in 1942 but the Parliament thought better of it. Do we think Western Civilization is better off for having stood by these men in these instances? We most assuredly do. Do we think it is essential America prevail in its current contest - Iraq included? We most assuredly do!

Cheers,

Charlie

[Tom]

Steevo wrote:
"It's also my understanding that any colonial who wanted to return to the Motherland wasn't allowed."

You’re mistaken, Steevo.

After 1783, 70,00 United Empire Loyalists, citizens of the 13 colonies who remained loyal to the British Crown, left rather than become citizens of the USA.

Most of them, 46,000, moved to Canada, 17,000 to the Caribbean colonies and 7,000 to Great Britain. The ones who chose to settle in GB were not prevented from doing so.

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