Stupidity at its finest

[Njall]

I realize you jest, but the point of the tea party was not to make tea, but to destroy things that we were taxed on. It was a protest against being taxed without having elected representatives: the Tea Tax was the new tax from Britain, and we were not keen on it.

And apparently we liked salty tea. (ew)

Sigh. It's amazing how this oversimplification has, over the centuries, become the truth. Ah well. It ranks up there with listening to the revisionist history spouted by some Southerners.

[Passionario]

Man, I know people are berating me for pointing out the American angle, but WHY are all these ridiculous stories from the States??

The ones that come from Russia tend to be sad rather than funny, I'm afraid.

[Fridmarr]

I realize you jest, but the point of the tea party was not to make tea, but to destroy things that we were taxed on. It was a protest against being taxed without having elected representatives: the Tea Tax was the new tax from Britain, and we were not keen on it.

And apparently we liked salty tea. (ew)

Sigh. It's amazing how this oversimplification has, over the centuries, become the truth. Ah well. It ranks up there with listening to the revisionist history spouted by some Southerners.

I guess it depends on whose revision fits your beliefs the best, eh?

[Njall]

I guess it depends on whose revision fits your beliefs the best, eh?

I am Njall's lack of surprise.

[Fridmarr]

I guess it depends on whose revision fits your beliefs the best, eh?

I am Njall's lack of surprise.

You are a few posts too late it seems...

Living in Canada and watching the news from the US is sort of like having an apartment above a family that has knockdown drag out rows and loud, smash-the-furniture parties every night. It's distracting and completely inescapable.

[Lightbeard]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110207/ap_ ... y_deaths_1

Story from Vietnam.

I believe it was Chris Rock who said it best, something like.

"America may have it's problems but believe me when I say I'm not moving anywhere else"

[Fridmarr]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110207/ap_on_re_as/as_vietnam_party_deaths_1

Story from Vietnam.

I believe it was Chris Rock who said it best, something like.

"America may have it's problems but believe me when I say I'm not moving anywhere else"

Gah, you couldn't find anything more jocular than that? That's a total Debbie Downer. This thread needs more potheads calling the cops on themselves, lest it digress more than it has.

[bldavis]

you mean you are trying to get a AA thread underailed?????
WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU!

(and has this one derailed really to begin with?)

[Kelaan]

... the point of the tea party was not to make tea, but to destroy things that we were taxed on. It was a protest against being taxed without having elected representatives: the Tea Tax was the new tax from Britain, and we were not keen on it.

Sigh. It's amazing how this oversimplification has, over the centuries, become the truth. Ah well. It ranks up there with listening to the revisionist history spouted by some Southerners.

Would you care to elaborate? I went with a very simplified overview of what was on Wikipedia (i.e., it was about taxes, not about tea itself), and am not sure what part of what I said can be likened to revisionist history.

You're right in that my "not about tea" point is simplified: at that time, the incestuous relationship between the East India Company and the British government was so tight that the tea trade was of major importance to the empire, and affected policy very heavily. (Imagine if Halliburton and all of the oil companies were the same company, and had very strong lobbies in Congress...) However, the Americans objected not to the tea (which was intended to undercut the Dutch teas), but mainly to the taxes on the teas which were imposed by Parliament (while they were unable to elect representatives to it).

[amh]

Stupid? Hard to tell. Asshole? Most likely.

Man stabbed to death by cockfighting bird

[Fridmarr]

Stupid? Hard to tell. Asshole? Most likely.

Man stabbed to death by cockfighting bird

Yeah that's what eventually spawned the Boston Tea Party discussion...wasn't it obvious?

[amh]

already posted

Oops. :/

[firstamendme]

Living in Canada and watching the news from the US is sort of like having an apartment above a family that has knockdown drag out rows and loud, smash-the-furniture parties every night. It's distracting and completely inescapable.

I've always looked at it that living in Canada is like living in the drafty, frozen, loft apartment above a really awesome party.

[Hokahey]

Man, I know people are berating me for pointing out the American angle, but WHY are all these ridiculous stories from the States??

I'll point out that Americans are simply the most interesting people on the planet. Have been for about the last 70 years or so. Its not that things like this don't happen in other places, just no one really cares outside of their backward, 3rd-world village where it most likely occured, unless the location happened to be London or Paris. An American does something, anything, and it makes headlines around the world.

The truth is, for all their expressed dislike of Americans, people from the world's other nations are near pathologically obsessed with what Americans are doing, and rightfully so. We're awesome. Also, the only reason anyone has even heard of Canada or Mexico is because they border us. You're welcome.

Since we're playing with stereotypes, I figured I'd add the American version of arrogant snobbery to the mix. Enjoy.

[Aubade]

I guess it depends on whose revision fits your beliefs the best, eh?

I am Njall's lack of surprise.

How did no one else pick up on this awesome Palahniuk reference?