USA has to be congratulated on 243 years of enduring freedom and democracy without any monarch or dictator
Some extracts of USA President Trump's remarks on 4th July 2019, from https://www.c-span.org/video/?462091-1/president-trump-speaks-4th-july-celebration, which have been edited for accurate transcription of President Trump's words (the link above has an automatically created transcript):
[Around 00:07:10]
ON THIS DAY 243 YEARS AGO, OUR FOUNDING FATHERS PLEDGED THEIR LIVES, THEIR FORTUNES, AND THEIR SACRED HONOR TO DECLARE INDEPENDENCE AND DEFEND OUR GOD-GIVEN RIGHTS. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
00:07:25
THOMAS JEFFERSON WROTE THE WORDS THAT FOREVER CHANGED THE COURSE OF HUMANITY. "WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT, THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, THAT THEY ARE ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR WITH CERTAIN UNALIENABLE RIGHTS, THAT AMONG THESE ARE LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS." [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
00:07:51
WITH A SINGLE SHEET OF PARCHMENT AND 56 SIGNATURES, AMERICA BEGAN THE GREATEST POLITICAL JOURNEY IN HUMAN HISTORY. BUT ON THAT DAY, THE PATRIOTS WHO (WOULD) DETERMINE THE ULTIMATE SUCCESS OF THE STRUGGLE, WERE 100 MILES AWAY IN NEW YORK. THERE, THE CONTINENTAL ARMY PREPARED TO MAKE ITS STAND, COMMANDED BY THE BELOVED GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
00:08:26
AS THE DELEGATES DEBATED THE DECLARATION IN PHILADELPHIA, WASHINGTON'S ARMY WATCHED FROM MANHATTAN AS A MASSIVE BRITISH INVADING FLEET LOOMED DANGEROUSLY ACROSS NEW YORK HARBOR. THE BRITISH HAD COME TO CRUSH THE REVOLUTION IN ITS INFANCY. WASHINGTON'S MESSAGE TO HIS TROOPS LAID BARE THE STAKES. HE WROTE, "THE FATE OF UNBORN MILLIONS WILL NOW DEPEND UNDER GOD ON THE COURAGE AND CONDUCT OF THIS ARMY. WE HAVE THEREFORE TO RESOLVE TO CONQUER OR DIE." [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
00:09:10
DAYS LATER, GENERAL WASHINGTON ORDERED THE DECLARATION READ ALOUD TO THE TROOPS, THE ASSEMBLED SOLDIERS JUST JOINED AN EXCITED CROWD RUNNING DOWN BROADWAY. THEY TOPPLED A STATUE OF KING GEORGE AND MELTED IT INTO BULLETS FOR BATTLE. THE FARAWAY KING WOULD SOON LEARN A TIMELESS LESSON ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF THIS MAJESTIC LAND. AMERICANS LOVE OUR FREEDOM, AND NO ONE WILL EVER TAKE IT AWAY FROM US. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
--- end transcript snippet of President Trump's remarks ---
Ravi: I think credit has to be given where it is due. The above remarks of President Trump, I think, are largely the truth. Yes, Thomas Jefferson's all men are created equal, seems to have applied only to white men and NOT to Native Americans (Red Indians), African Americans (Black slaves) or others (if any Asians were around then in these 13 USA colonies, I don't think it would have applied to them either). So it seems to have been more of an all white men are created equal statement with the implication that non-white men are not equal to white men. Gender equality was not even on the horizon then.
But I think it is true that the July 4th 1776 US declaration of independence, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by 13 colonies in the USA east coast, accompanied by a victorious revolutionary war by these 13 colonies against their colonial master Britain from 1775 to 1783 that protected and ensured their freedom, is one of the greatest political journeys of freedom and self-rule by the people. No king or queen or monarch of any type for these 13 colonies of the USA then! Instead the colonies were to have an elected leader (President) who would have to stand for re-election after his 4 year term!
Note that the French revolution that got rid of kings & queens in France, happened a few years later in 1789. All the major colonial powers of that day (Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Holland etc.) seem to have had kings or queens or monarchs of some type. Asian powers including kingdoms/empires in India and China then had monarchs of some type. Russia had its monarch.
These 13 colonies of USA - New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia - embarked on an extraordinary political journey of freedom from monarchs and establishing a government of the people. BTW I have lived in or travelled (by car) through 9 of these US states in the 1980s - New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.
The USA has to be congratulated on 243 years of enduring freedom where its leader is elected by the people. USA is a power-house of democracy with nearly two and a half centuries of history of democratic rule without any king or queen or monarch or dictator of any type. That is an extraordinary achievement in the history of politics and government.
USA is also a great force of inspiration for younger democracies in the world (including India) and for those people that aspire to have democracy with its wonderful freedoms.
[Around 00:07:10]
ON THIS DAY 243 YEARS AGO, OUR FOUNDING FATHERS PLEDGED THEIR LIVES, THEIR FORTUNES, AND THEIR SACRED HONOR TO DECLARE INDEPENDENCE AND DEFEND OUR GOD-GIVEN RIGHTS. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
00:07:25
THOMAS JEFFERSON WROTE THE WORDS THAT FOREVER CHANGED THE COURSE OF HUMANITY. "WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT, THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, THAT THEY ARE ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR WITH CERTAIN UNALIENABLE RIGHTS, THAT AMONG THESE ARE LIFE, LIBERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS." [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
00:07:51
WITH A SINGLE SHEET OF PARCHMENT AND 56 SIGNATURES, AMERICA BEGAN THE GREATEST POLITICAL JOURNEY IN HUMAN HISTORY. BUT ON THAT DAY, THE PATRIOTS WHO (WOULD) DETERMINE THE ULTIMATE SUCCESS OF THE STRUGGLE, WERE 100 MILES AWAY IN NEW YORK. THERE, THE CONTINENTAL ARMY PREPARED TO MAKE ITS STAND, COMMANDED BY THE BELOVED GENERAL GEORGE WASHINGTON. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
00:08:26
AS THE DELEGATES DEBATED THE DECLARATION IN PHILADELPHIA, WASHINGTON'S ARMY WATCHED FROM MANHATTAN AS A MASSIVE BRITISH INVADING FLEET LOOMED DANGEROUSLY ACROSS NEW YORK HARBOR. THE BRITISH HAD COME TO CRUSH THE REVOLUTION IN ITS INFANCY. WASHINGTON'S MESSAGE TO HIS TROOPS LAID BARE THE STAKES. HE WROTE, "THE FATE OF UNBORN MILLIONS WILL NOW DEPEND UNDER GOD ON THE COURAGE AND CONDUCT OF THIS ARMY. WE HAVE THEREFORE TO RESOLVE TO CONQUER OR DIE." [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
00:09:10
DAYS LATER, GENERAL WASHINGTON ORDERED THE DECLARATION READ ALOUD TO THE TROOPS, THE ASSEMBLED SOLDIERS JUST JOINED AN EXCITED CROWD RUNNING DOWN BROADWAY. THEY TOPPLED A STATUE OF KING GEORGE AND MELTED IT INTO BULLETS FOR BATTLE. THE FARAWAY KING WOULD SOON LEARN A TIMELESS LESSON ABOUT THE PEOPLE OF THIS MAJESTIC LAND. AMERICANS LOVE OUR FREEDOM, AND NO ONE WILL EVER TAKE IT AWAY FROM US. [CHEERS AND APPLAUSE]
--- end transcript snippet of President Trump's remarks ---
Ravi: I think credit has to be given where it is due. The above remarks of President Trump, I think, are largely the truth. Yes, Thomas Jefferson's all men are created equal, seems to have applied only to white men and NOT to Native Americans (Red Indians), African Americans (Black slaves) or others (if any Asians were around then in these 13 USA colonies, I don't think it would have applied to them either). So it seems to have been more of an all white men are created equal statement with the implication that non-white men are not equal to white men. Gender equality was not even on the horizon then.
But I think it is true that the July 4th 1776 US declaration of independence, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by 13 colonies in the USA east coast, accompanied by a victorious revolutionary war by these 13 colonies against their colonial master Britain from 1775 to 1783 that protected and ensured their freedom, is one of the greatest political journeys of freedom and self-rule by the people. No king or queen or monarch of any type for these 13 colonies of the USA then! Instead the colonies were to have an elected leader (President) who would have to stand for re-election after his 4 year term!
Note that the French revolution that got rid of kings & queens in France, happened a few years later in 1789. All the major colonial powers of that day (Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Holland etc.) seem to have had kings or queens or monarchs of some type. Asian powers including kingdoms/empires in India and China then had monarchs of some type. Russia had its monarch.
These 13 colonies of USA - New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia - embarked on an extraordinary political journey of freedom from monarchs and establishing a government of the people. BTW I have lived in or travelled (by car) through 9 of these US states in the 1980s - New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and Virginia.
The USA has to be congratulated on 243 years of enduring freedom where its leader is elected by the people. USA is a power-house of democracy with nearly two and a half centuries of history of democratic rule without any king or queen or monarch or dictator of any type. That is an extraordinary achievement in the history of politics and government.
USA is also a great force of inspiration for younger democracies in the world (including India) and for those people that aspire to have democracy with its wonderful freedoms.
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