The Second Time As Farce

Sitting my exams today, one of the questions is on the American Revolution. Don’t remember the exact phrasing, something about whether economics or ideology were the biggest influence on the revolution. I argued economic, pointing out as part of my argument that the American colonies were hardly united and that the revolution’s ideology was largely incoherent, varying greatly depending on who among the revolutionaries you asked. Pretty much the only thing they all had in common was opposition to taxes…

Then, in a later question, about the Haitian revolution, I wrote something along the lines of that Haiti differed from the American revolution in that it really was a mass revolt, while the American revolution was largely led by the established elite, those who were already rich and powerful…

While rereading my answers, it hit me. Holy crap, I thought. The Tea Party really are the heirs of the American Revolution.