OT: Entitlements [was Re: Python usage numbers]

[Ian Kelly]

On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 8:04 AM, Rick Johnson
<rantingrickjohnson at gmail.com> wrote:
> I have PROVEN that when people FIGHT back, they will NOT be subjects
> to tyranny; race has NOTHING to do with it. I gave one example in
> history where people would rather die than be subjected to tyranny,
> there are many more. "GIVE ME FREEDOM FOR GIVE ME DEATH!"
>
> The world is full of evil people who seek to force their fellow man
> into slavery. Those who refuse to fight for freedom will be victims,
> on the other hand, those who are willing to sacrifice ALL in the name
> of freedom will be free men.
>
> 300: "Go now! Run along and tell your Xerxes he faces free men here,
> not slaves! Do it quickly, before we decide to make our wall just a
> little bit bigger."

If you get all your history from Hollywood, then no wonder you are so
badly misinformed.  Braveheart and 300 are inspiring movies to be
sure, but they are also highly fictionalized.  In the real world, the
execution of William Wallace actually succeeded in quelling the
Scottish rebellion for a time -- when Robert the Bruce started it up
again half a year later, his motives were entirely political in nature
(he had murdered a rival in a church and been excommunicated; his
options were to place himself on the throne or become a fugitive), not
out of some noble sense of guilt or duty to Wallace or desire for
freedom as depicted in the film.

Your statement that the Africans brought to America allowed themselves
to be enslaved is simply false.  There were dozens of slave rebellions
in the United States prior to the Civil War.  Most of them failed and
ended in the executions of the rebels.  You won't see Hollywood making
too many movies about those, which is probably why you don't know
anything about them.