The book I'm reading at present...An excerpt from which explains why the Republicans don't want you to learn about the American Revolution:
From the testimony from the Governor himself, the rebellion against him had the overwhelming support of the Virginia population. A member of his Council reported that the defection was "almost general" and laid it to "the Lewd dispositions of some Persons of desperate Fortunes" who had "the Vaine hopes of takeing the Countrey wholley out of his Majesty's handes into their owne." Another member of the Governor's Council, Richard Lee, noted that Bacon's Rebellion had started over Indian policy. But the "zealous inclination of the multitude" to support Bacon was due, he said, to "hopes of levelling."So there it is. Barack Obama talks of "spreading the wealth," and the upper class calls it Socialism or Marxism, not factoring into the equation the fact the American Revolution came about precisely because greedy bastards back in the day, many of whom were direct ancestors of George Dubya and "his base," had fixed the system to the detriment of the many, who, in return, took exception to being ripped off by the select and often took matters in their own hands.
"Levelling" meant equalizing the wealth. Levelling was to be behind countless actions of poor whites against the rich in all the English colonies in the century and a half before the Revolution.
A shame, perhaps, that we are thus preempted by the historic vote on Nov. 4th of a more bloody and, hence, viscerally satisfying revolt -- the kind which would've been applauded by Thomas Jefferson... and, uhm, me.
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Update: Oh wait! Wasn't George III a direct ancestor to the Bushes? 232 years after the fact and the apple still doesn't fall far from the rotted tree.
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