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Comment by noncoml | Hacker News Reader

“Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government”

And no, I don’t mean it as a joke

If Britain wants to survive the next 100 years, they need to make some brave decisions. Dissolve monarchy and the class system, get back into EU, and hope Scotland will not declare independence.

Also, USA, wtf, why are you flying the flag at half staff? Did you forget what you fought about in 1776?

(edit: Actually I looked it up and apparently it has flown at half staff for foreign leaders a few times in the past. My bad, knee jerk reaction.)

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> Also, USA, wtf, why are you flying the flag at half staff? Did you forget what you fought about in 1776?

Because one half of the Special Relationship had their head of state die? If the Canadian PM were assassinated, would you be up in arms over a half-mast due to the War of 1812?

> Did you forget what you fought about in 1776?

Not having our views represented in parliament whilst having our taxes decreased to bail out the British East India Company.

And who was imposing all these upon you?

Parliament.

It's always funny to see how many Americans truly believe in this founding myth.

The American revolution was supported by around 30% of the colonists by the time it started. And that was only after the media-owning elites spent years churning out non-stop pieces trying to promote the perspective. Of course the taxes primarily affected those wealthy elites and they knew a revolution would significantly benefit them

Do you know who John Hancock was? It's often said that this author of the largest signature on the Declaration of Independence was of little to know historical relevance. However I think he's extremely relevant. He represented what the real engine behind the revolution: Rich people that owed a lot of debts to the Brits. In fact if you look through the list you'd find that a huge number of the signers owed debt that they would be freed of, come such a revolution. Alexander Hamilton is now so celebrated precisely because he was one of the very few exceptions to this

Do you have a citation for these claims about the debts? I've seen a lot of different disparaging claims about figures in American history, but I've got to admit this one is new to me, and I can find no citations through Google.

No one with any self-respect can tolerate being ruled by a hereditary monarchy whose justification for being in power is "I'm inherently better than you, and all my descendants will always be better than yours forever"

What do you mean "dissolve the class system"?

I know the UK has a lot of old money but I can't imagine a way in which this could be "dissolved" peacefully.

I would assume he is referring things like the House of Lords and the hereditary title system - not economic class.

Half-baked, predictable and virtue signalling nonsense.

>Did you forget what you fought about in 1776

I am equally frustrated with India doing the same. Though we did it for Shinzo Abe so it's fine I guess

The tragedy of our times is that all the great political leaders are only to be found in the internet comments.

Get some perspective. It's _just_ a flag... a gesture of respect.

>Also, USA, wtf, why are you flying the flag at half staff? Did you forget what you fought about in 1776?

yeah, i thought that was weird too. It was ordered by Joe Biden, he might actually have forgotten what our ancestors fought about in 1776.

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