History
Discussions about history
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Big picture: 3 different democratic systems: Greek, Roman, American Greek: The Athenian demos was exclusionary in the ways you’ve heard about as a 21st century person, but not for the same reasons. Being part of the “demos” in our terms meant being part of the “polis” the civil society based on who was actually from Athens and had a stake in both defending and pro-actively managing the city. Roman: Similar to Greeks in terms of exclusions, but as the Roman Empire grew, added citizens from different geographic territories to increase tax revenue, military strength, civic unity. This is where the American idea of citizenship comes from. American: Significantly less based on blood, lineage, etc. and more similar to the Roman model but almost entirely global in the sense that anybody can “become an American.” The big difference with Rome is that the Roman Empire did this for more pragmatic reasons. The US is following Rome’s model but for moral vs pragmatic reasons
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Unlike the UK, France is the only credible nuclear power in Europe. After helping the US develop nuclear weapons in the Manhattan Project, Britain developed its own nuclear weapons in 1952. But virtually ever sense, British leaders have simply leased nuclear weapons from the States. That came to a head in 1962, when the US cancelled its bilateral Skybolt agreement, leaving the UK without a nuclear force. This was an affront to both France and the UK. But whilst Britain agreed to lease Polaris from the Americans, de Gaulle determined to strike his own course, confident that an American security guarantee could not be relied upon forever. As that risk turns into reality, the UK is powerless to defend Europe with nuclear weapons, because they require American approval to use them. By contrast, France became an independent nuclear power in 1968, and half a century later, is the only country which can feasible challenge Russia’s nuclear dominance.
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