The If You Could Ask One Question Series

In another post I asked bloggers to select one question, you would ask your political opposition. In exchange for allowing me to use that question, for a post, I will plug your blog. I will continue posting randomly the questions asked in no particular order. Some will be edited, to make for a sharper discussion.

I'm starting with my own question, for the right.

The American Revolution was more than a military operation, it was also a social revolution. According to an article by Harry Braverman: What kind of a transformation was it? The colonies never had a broadly seated feudalism to contend with, but in its place they did have a collection of feudal privileges and monarchical practices that were a substantial barrier to the establishment of an unfettered capitalism, particularly in the field of agriculture. In the first place, large estates monopolized great tracts of land, in some places, as in the Hudson Valley, operated with a manorial tenantry; in others settlement was either prohibited or where permitted quit rents and other feudal dues were demanded and, surprisingly, often collected. Then, the great land area between the Alleghanies and the Mississippi, as well as big tracts on the near side of the mountains, were reserved as crown lands, a restraint which effectively held back westward expansion.

The revolutionary period saw a great wave of land expropriations. Manorial estates in New York aggregating over 2½ million acres were confiscated, including the Van Rennsalaer manor, which alone was 2/3 the size of Rhode Island. The estate of Lord Granville in North Carolina, at least 1/3 of the colony, was taken away. New Hampshire alone confiscated 29 estates, including that of its governor, Sir John Wentworth. In New York, all lands and rents of the crown were confiscated, as well as the estates of 59 named persons, including most of the richest of the province. The 300 square miles of the Phillipse estate, and the lands of James Delancey Roger Morris, John T. Kemp, Beverly Robinson, were among those caught up in the net. In Pennsylvania, the estates of 490 persons were seized, including the ungranted lands of the Penn family. Nor were all the confiscations directed against the Tories. The Fairfax estate consisted of some six million acres in Virginia, or close to one-fifth the present size of that state. Lord Fairfax was not a loyalist, and was not molested during the Revolution; his estate was taken in 1781, however, because of what one historian calls “revolutionary opposition to feudal survivals.”

The American Revolution had more expropriated without compensation properties, than any other revolution in that period. Would you condemn that????????

RENEGADE EYE

If You Could Only Ask One Question

I thought of a question, that if I could ask a rightist to answer, I think it would be difficult for them. In the next post, I'll ask rightists to respond to my question.

In this post I'll ask bloggers to come up with a question to ask your political opposite. It can only be one question. Keep the question serious. It is a chance to challenge your opposition in a focused manner.

If you come up with one good question, I'll eventually publish it, and plug your blog. This will be ongoing.


RENEGADE EYE

Honduras “election”: Repression, Boycott and Resistance

Written by Jorge Martín
Monday, 30 November 2009



The elections called by the Honduran coup regime on November 29 saw a significant increase in abstention, despite the harsh repression by the military and the police. But the regime has not been able to crush the movement of workers, peasants and youth. On the contrary, they are now more politically aware, better organised and ready to struggle against the oligarchy.


Read the rest

here

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An Education ***1/2

According to IMDB: A coming-of-age story about a teenage girl in 1960s suburban London, and how her life changes with the arrival of a playboy nearly twice her age.

Good performances from the star, 22 year old Carey Mulligan playing 16 year old Jenny. Peter Sarsgaard was great as the playboy.

Trivia Alert Rosamund Pike who played the nonacademic blond girlfriend, is the only authentic Oxford graduate in the main cast. The plot dealt with getting accepted into Oxford.



RENEGADE EYE

Iran: November 4 - Once More a Step Forward!

Written by Babak Kasrayi
Thursday, 12 November 2009



On November 4 Iran was once again shaken by mass demonstrations. Normally this day is used by the regime to celebrate the anniversary of the occupation of the US embassy in Iran. The masses used it to mobilize against the regime, shouting slogans such as “Death to the Dictator”, revealing a deep-felt desire to see an end to this regime.

Read the rest here

RENEGADE EYE

The Class Struggle In Mexico

Written by Alan Woods
Wednesday, 11 November 2009


Demonstration in defence of the SME workers. Photo by Frecuencias Populares

“Poor Mexico! So far from God, so near to the United States.” The famous words of Porfiro Díaz are truer today than at any time in the tempestuous history of this country. The crisis of world capitalism has hit Mexico hard. And its extreme dependence on the USA, which previously was presented as something beneficial to the Mexican economy, has turned out to be a colossal problem.

Read the rest here

RENEGADE EYE

The fall of the Berlin Wall: 20 Years Later

Written by Alan Woods
Monday, 09 November 2009



Twenty years ago as the Berlin Wall came tumbling down the bourgeoisie in the west was euphoric, rejoicing at the “fall of communism”. Twenty years later things look very different as capitalism has entered its most severe crisis since 1929. Now a majority in former East Germany votes for the left and harks back to what was positive about the planned economy. After rejecting Stalinism, they have now had a taste of capitalism, and the conclusion drawn is that socialism is better than capitalism.

Read the rest here

RENEGADE EYE