In spite of these rare abilities, Jefferson was not a hero. His great achievements were words. Except for the Louisiana Purchase, his actions as president fall short. But those words! He was the author of the Declaration of Independence. The second paragraph begins with a perfect sentence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." Those words, as the historian Samuel Eliot Morison has said, "are more revolutionary than anything written by Robespierre, Marx, or Lenin, a continual challenge to ourselves, as well as an inspiration to the oppressed of all the world."
The Louisiana Purchase was like buying a house from someone who doesn't own it (but claims they do) and then forcibly removing the actual inhabitants. It is an ugly scar, not an "achievement"
"But if the Louisiana Purchase was bad, then so was settling the 13 colonies!!!"
Ah yes. I do indeed recall all those revolutionary people's wars waged by leaders who loved Jefferson.
Definitely not as if every successful revolution against capitalism and imperialism has been explicitly referencing Marx, Lenin, Mao and co.
Honestly Jefferson would have rolled over in his grave if he thought that non-hwhite folks were leading any kind of struggle against rich white men. Too many corpses he took with him to the grave to actually roll over though.
Then again maybe Eliot Morison just thinks that the soda brands are the real revolutionary achievement of the oppressed we made along the way.
:michael-laugh:
He had the best words :tromp:
The Louisiana Purchase was like buying a house from someone who doesn't own it (but claims they do) and then forcibly removing the actual inhabitants. It is an ugly scar, not an "achievement"
"But if the Louisiana Purchase was bad, then so was settling the 13 colonies!!!"
:yes-chad:
"But Roman Polanski makes such great films though!" discourse but for history dorks.
Ah yes. I do indeed recall all those revolutionary people's wars waged by leaders who loved Jefferson.
Definitely not as if every successful revolution against capitalism and imperialism has been explicitly referencing Marx, Lenin, Mao and co.
Honestly Jefferson would have rolled over in his grave if he thought that non-hwhite folks were leading any kind of struggle against rich white men. Too many corpses he took with him to the grave to actually roll over though.
Then again maybe Eliot Morison just thinks that the soda brands are the real revolutionary achievement of the oppressed we made along the way.