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Quote of the Day: Revolution Is…
“War is when the government tells you who the bad guy is. Revolution is when you decide that for yourself.” –attributed to Benjamin Franklin
@soupguy recently wrote on the importance of April in US history, April is America’s Most Historically Significant Month, and I bring another example of that forward today. On April 11, 1783, the Continental Congress declared the ceasefire that ended hostilities in the American Revolutionary War. It comes to mind because I have just sat in a diner next to a woman outraged at the state of Georgia passing a law to close the polls at 5 p.m. (they didn’t) and her dining companion comforted her with the news from the NYT that the US Attorney General’s office was already on the (non-)case. They are at war, their disinformation officers fanning the flames, so I guess that leaves us the revolution end of that stick. A revolution to…preserve the Constitution?
We may need to tweak the terminology a little.
But as I write, I commemorate the end of the war that ultimately led to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Emancipation Proclamation, the defeat of the Kaiser, the defeat of the Fuhrer and the Emperor, Tranquility Base, the defeat of the Soviets, and too much more to include here. I commemorate that end because I cannot see the end of this one, but take comfort from that one. I pray that, with God’s help, tyranny will be overcome again. No other nation has enjoyed the blessings America has, I pray that this current crucible sees us emerge stronger than ever.
God bless you all, and God bless the United States of America.
Edit: Updated to add “attributed to” to the quote after a search for a proper citation failed.
Published in Group Writing
“Action” vx “reaction, perhaps.
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We can’t see the end to this conflict because those that are pushing this race/gender/indoctrination/mis-information are vague – hiding in the shadows, cowards, infiltrating us at every turn, undermining our country’s safety, stability, morals, history and strength.
If we are such a racist country, why are so many immigrants fleeing to the borders? It’s fake – phony. We are a loving people and share our bounty and knowledge and protection with the world.
I agree with the content of the definition. However, I doubt that Benjamin Franklin used the term “bad guy.”
LOL.
The use of the term “guy” in English arises in the wake of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. Guy was hanged in 1606, and Guy Fawkes day was celebrated annually in the American Colonies during Franklin’s lifetime. In fact, if they are still doing it despite the virus, you can see a reenacted celebration of a Guy Fawkes Day celebration in Colonial Williamsburg on the holiday. “Bad guy” is not anachronistic and Franklin was a master of many voices, scholar, statesman, and populist rabble rouser, in more than one language.
Now if it were a Jefferson quote…
Nothing wrong with the quote — other than you posted it ten days late …
Cute. Looking further to shore up the pedigree, found over a dozen sites featuring it, but not provide a citation. I did find one site that attributed it to Thomas Jefferson, but they were clearly wack. So an “attributed to” may be in order.
This suggests Ben Franklin (1706-1790) would not have treated the phrase in its current usage, but as referring to a costume failure:
“The unlikely story of guy: It was originally an eponym for Guy Fawkes, then referred to someone dressed up in a grotesque costume. By the mid-19th century its meaning had broadened to denote a man …” https://slate.com/human-interest/2016/02/the-gender-neutral-use-of-guys-is-on-the-rise-but-it-s-a-slow-rise.html
I gave away my Oxford English Dictionary to a student many years ago, but I’m sure someone who has one will be along shortly to clear the air on that point.
I still don’t buy it. And, yes, I know all about Guy Fawkes – I’m married to a Brit. I also know that Google attributes it to Franklin all over the place, but as we know, that really doesn’t mean anything.
Saying “who the bad guy is” in the 18th century just doesn’t pass the smell test for me.
I do however, agree with the sentiment.