Others British Views on the Declaration of Independence

"I take the view that the whole thing was for the future good of Western Civilization...What would have happened if the American rebellion had not succeeded? No Louisiana Purchase, a third of North America would have been French and most of the rest would have belonged to Spain. Just imagine. Even if the Colonies had eventually been granted Dominion status as was given to Canada and Australia and New Zealand, that dominion would have been nothing like the United States as it is today. You can talk of luck and chance - and "Manifest Destiny" if you like, but I believe that the United States had to be, for all its mistakes and faults in the past 50 years, or longer, it is the main bulwark of the Western World. We in Britain should be grateful. I write as someone who well remembers world war 2. I am of the "Got any Gum Chum?" generation, though I never actually uttered those words myself."

And here's another post by British novelist Trevor Bloom:


If the American revolution had not happened, it is quite probable that America would be like Canada or Australia today, (or even South Africa and India) ie fiercely independent and democratic nations which retain strong political and emotional ties to the mother country. It's not such a big deal, as any Canadian or New Zealander would agree. Americans have developed a powerful set of mythologies to sustain the righteousness of thei rebellion, but most non-Americans would be hard pushed to say what the US has in terms of economic or political freedoms that Canada or Australia don't have.

From another British contributor:

Happy 4th of July everybody! What happened happened. There were many reasons why it happened and many explanations how the Americano - Franco alliance of convenience prevailed, which will no doubt be debated long into the future, including no doubt in this very forum. Had the matter been decided by plebiscite vote rather than force of arms it would have probably been closer than Pres. G. W. Bush's two elections. But that was back in the latter 18th century. Yes, the Brits and the Yanks (only don't call our Southerners that, esp. my South Carolina belle bride) "duked" (forgive the pun) it out twice, the last time not quite two full centuries ago. In the last century and a tenth, however, Tommy Atkins and G.I. Joe have fought as comrades vice formen, against the Chinese "Boxers" in China, the Boche in WW-I, the Nazis, Eyeties and Japanese in WW-II, the NKPA and PLA in Korea, and the Iraqis (twice), AQI, and Taliban and their ilk in SWA for the last 20 years. I consider the ANZAC participation with us in 'Nam against the VC and the NVA/PAVN to have been the "British" contribution to that conflict/campaign. That's a lot more combat time as friends than as foes. Nowadays in the early 21st century, I consider the Anglo-American "special relationship" to be the last "great white hope" of Western, Christian, democratic, free society against the renewed onslaught of an alien, hostile religion, culture and lifestyle. So on this 4th of July 2011 this Hiberno-Yank says, "Happy 4th of July," "God bless America" and "God save the queen"