Socialist Progressives

TBF

(32,067 posts) Mon Jul 14, 2014, 08:13 AM Jul 2014

Happy Bastille Day:

(note - yes, we should care about it. But I would go much further and not only talk about our first revolution but also the state of the USA presently)

Why Americans should care about the French holiday
Jolie Lee, USA TODAY Network 7:44 a.m. EDT July 14, 2014

July 14th is often thought of as France's Independence Day.

More accurately, it's the French National Day -- called La Fête Nationale in French -- commemorating the day in 1789 when crowds stormed the Bastille, a fortress used as a prison in Paris. The event marks the beginning of the French Revolution.

So what does it have to do with the USA? A lot, actually.

The French royal treasury had essentially run out of money, largely due to the funding it provided to America during its revolution, as well as a French tax system that favored the aristocracy ...

More here: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2014/07/14/bastille-day-explainer-french-independence/12522863/

11 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Happy Bastille Day: (Original Post) TBF Jul 2014 OP

"iLibertad, igualdad, fraternidad o la muerte!" Unca Adverse Jul 2014 #1

. . . putting the cart before the horse! Unca Adverse Jul 2014 #2

Also the Declaration of the rights of man... iandhr Jul 2014 #4

aux barricades, citoyens! alterfurz Jul 2014 #3

... TBF Jul 2014 #10

Not the Bastille, but a nice clip anyway: malthaussen Jul 2014 #5

Gates of Versailles, I believe. They sure look clean and well fed for the under-class. WCLinolVir Jul 2014 #8

Over-stretched by foriegn wars and undertaxation of the rich. Bad then - bad now. jwirr Jul 2014 #6

Just realized Iwillnevergiveup Jul 2014 #7

Aw, that's cool - TBF Jul 2014 #11

Ah, to be back in Paris. Vive la cuisine Francaise et n'oublie pas le vin! WCLinolVir Jul 2014 #9

Unca Adverse

(29 posts)

1. "iLibertad, igualdad, fraternidad o la muerte!"

Reply to TBF (Original post)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 08:57 AM

Jul 2014

The Ladies of France fought valiantly with pike and cannon!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Women%27s_March_on_Versailles01.jpg

Tricoteuse __ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricoteuse

Unca Adverse

(29 posts)

2. . . . putting the cart before the horse!

Reply to Unca Adverse (Reply #1)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 10:16 AM

Jul 2014

American Revolutionary War (1775 - 1783)
French Revolution (1787 - 1799)
While the journalist Jolie Lee is correct in her assertion that the 'Enlightenment' caused revolutionary fervor,
the success of our own American bourgeois revolution was highly inspirational and encouraging to the French Jacobins.
Of particular note during this epoch was 'founding father' Thomas Paine, who fought in both revolutions . . .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Paine

iandhr

(6,852 posts)

4. Also the Declaration of the rights of man...

Reply to Unca Adverse (Reply #2)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 10:43 AM

Jul 2014

was directly influenced by the declaration of independence as well

… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_the_Rights_of_Man_and_of_the_Citizen

alterfurz

(2,474 posts)

3. aux barricades, citoyens!

Reply to TBF (Original post)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 10:20 AM

Jul 2014

Across this great old nation
Tell me what you gonna do?
When there's one law for the rulers
and one law for the ruled
Which side are you on, boys?
Which side are you on?
Which side are you on, boys?
Which side are you on?

TBF

(32,067 posts)

10. ...

Reply to alterfurz (Reply #3)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 11:30 AM

Jul 2014

malthaussen

(17,204 posts)

5. Not the Bastille, but a nice clip anyway:

Reply to TBF (Original post)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 10:45 AM

Jul 2014

Edith Piaf rules.

-- Mal

WCLinolVir

(951 posts)

8. Gates of Versailles, I believe. They sure look clean and well fed for the under-class.

Reply to malthaussen (Reply #5)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 10:58 AM

Jul 2014

Love Edith.

jwirr

(39,215 posts)

6. Over-stretched by foriegn wars and undertaxation of the rich. Bad then - bad now.

Reply to TBF (Original post)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 10:52 AM

Jul 2014

Iwillnevergiveup

(9,298 posts)

7. Just realized

Reply to TBF (Original post)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 10:57 AM

Jul 2014

today would have been my parent's 70th wedding anniversary! My mom traveled by bus from Des Moines, Iowa to Jacksonville, Florida in 1944 where my dad was stationed in the Navy. They were married by a chaplain and partied on base until the wee hours of the morning. In all the anniversaries they celebrated afterward, they were always mindful of the Bastille struggle, and we usually put little French flags on cakes.

K&R

TBF

(32,067 posts)

11. Aw, that's cool -

Reply to Iwillnevergiveup (Reply #7)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 11:32 AM

Jul 2014

a toast to their memory!

WCLinolVir

(951 posts)

9. Ah, to be back in Paris. Vive la cuisine Francaise et n'oublie pas le vin!

Reply to TBF (Original post)

Mon Jul 14, 2014, 11:03 AM

Jul 2014

Reply to this discussion