This is my Berserk Button.

[runespoor]

This brought to you by one too many American Internet commenter armchair-historianing on the French Revolution:

The Revolution was not worse than the regime it replaced. The crimes committed by the Revolution were not worse than the statu quo that existed before.

Wanna know why?

Because nothing is worse than denying that human beings are equal. No system is worse than one claiming that the leader is the leader because he has a god-given, hereditary mandate to it.

Comments

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

... Americans can be weird.

[runespoor7.livejournal.com]

I tend to think it's because royalty is cool and exotic, and also of course Marie-Antoinette (snip), on top of the crimes, and the "god-given unequality" somehow never enters the picture at all.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

I blame the Scarlet Pimpernel. At least that's the only way I can make sense of Americans, of all people, going all aristocrats are awesome and revolutions are bad!! -_-;

[shiny-glor-chan.livejournal.com]

Pffft, you think they read. >>;; I don't think a majority of Americans read for pleasure (maybe if it was forced in school, but I got around school reading a lot, and still got good grades, so). Hell, I only read Scarlet Pimpernel this year. :/ Now, if it were a TV show you were blaming, I'd agree there.

I have a such a disconnected with fellow Americans a lot of the time. >>;;

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

... I was thinking of the Americans playing internet commenter armchair-historian in geek forums. That sort definitely reads.

[shiny-glor-chan.livejournal.com]

Ah. Then that's true. :/ And that makes me sad.

[runespoor7.livejournal.com]

Royals = cool, glamorous and exotic. French revolutionaries = scary extremists.

That's the only way I can make sense of it, at least. And pop-culture is not helping.

[shiny-glor-chan.livejournal.com]

...I hate Americans most of the time. And when I have Italian citizenship too, I can pretend I'm not an American. >>;;

[runespoor7.livejournal.com]

How's that going, btw?

[shiny-glor-chan.livejournal.com]

All I need is to give them a particular type of birth certificate, and I'm set. ^-^ The passport might take a bit longer, but all should be well by the time I leave at the end of August.

[luvsanime02.livejournal.com]

The comments on this post make me very sad. Do you really think all Americans are idiots? Are you really generalizing an entire diverse country based on what some snooty elitist wanna-be's are saying?

[runespoor7.livejournal.com]

Like Etrangere said, this post specifically addresses the issue of pseudo armchair-historians on mostly American Internet forums.

[luvsanime02.livejournal.com]

I wasn't referring to the post itself, or you. I understand why that would aggravate you. I was referring to the comments others have left on the post. Sorry for the confusion.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

shiny_glor_chan appears to be American themselves (perhaps that's why they're so empathetic/generalist about their condemnation of Americans?)

[luvsanime02.livejournal.com]

True. I was probably being a bit sensitive, but it did make me sad to read that. I may not always (or even rarely) agree with what my country does, but I don't think the whole should be hated because of a few individuals. Well, nothing I can do about it, I guess.

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

No, I don't think you're being sensitive. Generalisations are annoying that way. It's just... a different dynamic when it comes from someone within the group. ^^

[runespoor7.livejournal.com]

I can't blame you for that. For what it's worth, I'm the same when it comes to my country: prompt to hate it/the decisions people make and depressed when others feel that way.

I'm sorry a comment that occurred in the discussion upset you. :/

[luvsanime02.livejournal.com]

Thanks you two ^__^