• The_Filthy_Commie@lemmygrad.ml
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    1 year ago

    I was thinking about something today.

    Why do average Americans celebrate independence day when that independence was won by slaveowners, realstate pirates like Washington, criminals and people of moneyed interests that do not represent the average gringo or immigrant? Like, this celebration is not for them, its for the bougies of the US. You guys see what I’m getting at? The class that had this counterrevolution is not representative of the American population, so it doesn’t make sense that they celebrate that. Specially for Native Americans or African Americans, you know?

    Washington was no Bolívar.

    When you think about independence movements elsewhere, like Martí in Cuba, Dessalines in Haiti, these people were not necessarily from just the upper class, and their revolutions had a wider spirit, that would often include natives and Africans. There was a popular support from the general population. You might say there was for the US, but it was a false consciousness cultivated and promoted by the upper class who owned slaves and didn’t want Britain to end their Christmas. These people may have used fancy words, like ‘‘the people’’, and ‘‘freedom’’, but these did not refer to enslaved African Americans or the Natives…Maybe I’m thinking too much, but it doesn’t make a lick of sense to me.

      • rjs001@lemmygrad.ml
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        1 year ago

        I think the whole fireworks thing is a bigger reason most Americans celebrate it than anything else.

        • 201dberg@lemmygrad.ml
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          1 year ago

          These fuckers will take out a god damn second mortgage in order to buy fireworks. I seriously don’t know how else some of these ppl pay for them. You will see ppl barely scraping by yet somehow spend hours shooting off fireworks.

          • rjs001@lemmygrad.ml
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            1 year ago

            My family spent $700 this year and told me “This is the least we have ever spent on them”. It is ridiculous. I like loud explosions as much as the next guy but I do agree it’s absolutely insane. Fireworks are legitimately an addiction of the entire population.

              • rjs001@lemmygrad.ml
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                1 year ago

                I know. People here spend absurd funds on fireworks and “showing up the Johnsons” in general. Living in absolute decadence.

    • QueerCommie@lemmygrad.ml
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      1 year ago

      For many white people it’s probably linked to the settler colonial class-collaborationist legacy, but for most it’s just the myth of the American dream or even just liking fireworks.