"If the American Revolution had produced nothing
but the Declaration of Independence,
it would have been worthwhile."
by:
Samuel Eliot Morison
(1887-1976) Rear Admiral USNR, Naval historian
Date:
1965
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Reader comments about this quote:
Morison is at times pompous but much( though not all) of his material, both fact and interpretation, correct.
 -- William Maddox, Pekin, IL     
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    Yes, it was declared, but where is it?
     -- cal, lewisville, tx     
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     -- Mike, Norwalk      
    If the Obama bunch has their way, you can forget about Independence, or freedom for that matter.
     -- jim k, austin     
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    I agree but the independent colonies would have not stayed that way without cooperation and union. They would have gotten picked off one by one by European powers. They would have started dissembling and arguing and yes fighting among themselves. Cooperation among mankind in larger and larger spheres brings peace and prosperity.
     -- Waffler, Smith     
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    PS: Read the previous quote, once declared independence must be defended. The several colonies could not have done it independently, which raises an interesting philosophical question. Can pure independence ever truly exist? Does independence need allies?
     -- Waffler, Smith     
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    Waffler, they've already "been picked" off, not so much by European pwers but by the International Bankers. And having the union has merely made it easier for them by turning 50 targets into just one. Which is why a Federal Government with way too much "Central Power" is bad for freedom.
     -- J Carlton, Calgary     
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    Amen, J Carlton.
     -- jim k, austin     
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    It's a hard-bitten declaration that is applicable to any people who are ready to be free and independent of the arbitrary rule of others.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    Carlton makes a great point. (Don't put all your eggs in one basket.) The strength of the newly formed USA was that power was distributed in a 'republican' fashion with power originating and residing in the sovereign individual and rolling up to all the various differing counties and states. The federal government was never meant to become what it has now become (in fact the Constitution was supposed to prevent that from happening). Distributive power is the secret to checking the unlawful usurpations that will come if not properly defended. A system of governance in which all the entities are indebted to the ruling class is NOT American Independence -- it is a hegemonic oligarchy. Ask the founders if there is such a thing as independence from a king, a pope, a banker, an ideology -- the answer is a resounding 'yes' but it isn't free. Waffler asks if pure independence ever truly exists -- it does if individual responsibility exists.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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    Waffler, why should Independence matter at all, then? Why is independence even an issue? Frankly, it's because there are those that lay claim to other people's labors, land, and money.

    Uneducated people are generally powerless and are easily tricked into servitude. The perpetually dependent class are the slave laborers that keep the rest in check.

    To declare independence is to become an adult -- to make the shift from being dependent to self-sufficient. Governments that want to run people's lives promote dependence and scarcity and fear constantly.

    COURAGE, knowledge, labors, and trading with others is the foundation of an independent people -- it's a recipe for success. However, there will always be predators, thieves, slavers, con men, and all manner of deception to defend against. Every other animal in nature must be watchful and wary of predators and interlopers. No different in the human world.
     -- E Archer, NYC     
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     -- Dennis Kolb, Warrenton,NC.      
     -- Ronw13, ID      
    We need independent thoughts, actions, living quarters, diets,  ideas, characters, habits, personalities, lives, legacies. This is the true declaration of independence. June 30, 2023.
     -- Fredrick William Sillik, Anytown     
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