The following is a wonderful presentation by mega historian and early American juggernaut Gordon Wood. Wood (who is my favorite historian) discusses his newest book, Empire of Liberty which is a surefire classic and a likely candidate for the Pulitzer Prize. The video is a little over an hour but well worth your time! Enjoy:
6 comments:
Pretty good stuff here Brad. I watched about half of it. Seems like democracy and collectivism were used synonymously though. I think history shows us that as things become more collective in the name of equality that they really become less equal because the ruling class uses collectivism to squash all dissent by robbing people of the individual identity.
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I don't quite get J.W.'s response to the video.
"...[T]he ruling class uses collectivism to squash all dissent by robbing people of the individual identity."
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The "ruling class" during the colonial period was headed up by no other than the kind of England--the wealthiest individual person with the most personal power of any other in the entire world. He--the tyrant--WAS the ruling class.
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So, you seem to be saing that, for example, he squashed dissent by dealing with the colonists as a group?
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Actually, understanding collectivism, i.e., communalism lays the foundation for understanding the ideas of Public and Private Rights. All of which gives definition to the phrase, We The People as it was used at the time of the Revolution.
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E R A T A
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The "kind of England" should have read, the "KING of England".
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Sorry about that.
Pinky,
Read Hayek's "The Road to Serfdom" he explains it better than I ever could. It is short and an easy read.
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OK, I ordered it.
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Awesome video!
You can read an excerpt of Empire of Liberty
here.
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