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Comment by slavoingilizov | Hacker News Reader

Historically, the citizens of the UK and former British Empire have never managed to pull off a revolution. I don't know if complacency is ingrained in the culture (plenty of evidence for the opposite), but the French started beheading kings when they were not happy. The UK still supports a figurehead monarch. No evidence of correlation or causation, but just saying.

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What about the English Civil war which ended up with Charles I being executed?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_I_of_England

Also the later, and peaceful, Glorious Revolution?

I don't think either of those count as popular revolutions; more the layer below the monarchy deciding to switch out the monarch for a more compliant one. Parliamentary, rather than popular, sovereignty. (This is partly why I'm fed up with all this pretending that "will of the people" was a thing in English politics - it wasn't until 2015. Different in Scotland with the Claim of Right.)

So what would count as a genuinely popular revolution? I'm always reminded of Orwell's view:

'Cyclically, the Middle deposed the High, by enlisting the Low. Upon assuming power, however, the Middle (the new High class) recast the Low into their usual servitude. In the event, the classes perpetually repeat the cycle, when the Middle class speaks to the Low class of "justice" and of "human brotherhood" in aid of becoming the High class rulers.'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Theory_and_Practice_of_Oli...

You’re not wrong – though history could have turned out differently.

After the First English Civil War, there were two broad factions within the New Model Army: the Grandees (aristocratic wing) and the Levellers (the more radical, egalitarian, democratic and progressive republicans). Unfortunately, Cromwell’s faction won that particular power struggle and the rest is history. Nevertheless, this period of revolution acted as inspiration for the colonists in America, which in turn inspired the French republicans, thus influencing countless other revolutionary movements.

His son was returned and those who had voted to execute his father were punished, so it didn't really work out for them.

As for the Glorious Revolution, what did it do, other than put a German on the throne?

Maybe most of the few who weren't bootlickers left, and what remains of them are still in America.

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