Written by Frank Li
In two previous posts, I described the American Revolution (What Is the American Revolution, Anyway?) and the French Revolution (What Is the French Revolution, Anyway?), respectively.
In this post, I will compare them.
Please share this article – Go to very top of page, right hand side, for social media buttons.
1. Before the revolutions
The French Revolution was a people’s revolution, arising out of extraordinary misery of life. In other words, the French Revolution was by/of/for the people (i.e. mostly poor) against the king.
In contrast, the American Revolution was by/of/for the rich. For example, before the American Revolution broke out, there was no extraordinary misery of life in America (other than the Natives and African slaves, obviously). Moreover, British taxation on its 13 colonies in America was much lower than that in Britain, let alone comparing it with France.
The French simply wanted to get rid of the king, who was just too evil.
In contrast, Americans wanted to get rid of the British King (i.e. George III) because he was not evil enough to allow further expansion of British colonization throughout the American continent – Americans wanted the possibility of doing it alone, without Britain!
As a result, the 13 “ungrateful” colonies rebelled …
2. Throughout the revolutions
The French people fought hard against the king, who not only had a strong army, but also was greatly assisted by many foreign kings, who feared the same fate, should the revolution succeed.
Americans won the revolution relatively easily. Two main reasons:
- It was treated as a “civil war” in Britain, without the British King going all-out.
- It was a war of simple attrition – The British might have been able to successfully fight the war for two to three years. But after it stretched into eight years, they basically gave up.
3. After the revolutions
What happened to France after the French Revolution?
An emperor replaced the king!
Napoleon, a revolution leader, not only named himself the emperor, but also acted like one by waging wars against France’s many neighbors, only to be totally defeated in the end (Battle of Waterloo). After that, it was France in the long 19th century (1815-1914).
What happened to America after the American Revolution?
George Washington, a revolution leader, refused to be named king, thus making it possible for America to become a republic …
However, the major difference between the two countries (i.e. Emperor vs. President) ended there!
Just like France, America waged wars against many of its neighbors.
Unlike France, which was ultimately defeated, America prevailed, colonializing the entire “American continent” coast to coast, all the while contradicting its founding principles (e.g. “All men are created equal” and “We the People”) and causing untold damage to both the indigenous people and the blacks, with profound implications to date …
4. Summary
- The French Revolution was by/of/for the people (mostly poor). It was the beginning of the end of absolute (vs. constitutional) monarchy in Europe, replacing them with republics. Therefore, overall, it was a positive development in humanity.
- The American Revolution was by/of/for the rich. After becoming a republic by accident, America brutally continued the [British] colonization. Overall, however, was it even a positive development in humanity like the French Revolution? I am no longer sure – The image below illustrates that something is fundamentally wrong with America …
5. Discussion
Below is an excerpt from Zhou Enlai on the Effects of the French Revolution: “Too Early to Say”:
In 1972, Chinese premier Zhou Enlai was asked about the impact of the French Revolution. “Too early to say,” he replied. Given that the French Revolution of 1789 had occurred nearly 200 years before, Zhou Enlai was expressing the long view of history in a very witty and Oscar Wildean way. News of this quote flew quickly around the chattering classes in the west, and it was soon used as evidence that the Chinese (especially Chinese intellectuals and leaders) took the long view of things, that they were a patient civilization, and that, when they thought about the future, it was hundreds of years distant.
It’s time for us to truly understand both the American Revolution (What Is the American Revolution, Anyway?) and the French Revolution (What Is the French Revolution, Anyway?) – What they are, what they have in common, and where they differ!
In short, the French Revolution was clearly a positive development in humanity, but the American Revolution might not.
Let me elaborate on each, with the advantage of 200 years in hindsight …
5.1 France today
Among the major economies in Europe, France not only is the oldest republic that has endured to date, but also has proven to be a uniquely great country, quite different from its great neighbors, such as the U.K., especially in terms of independence and alliance.
Like the U.K., France faces two mega-challenges today:
- Systemic racism, thanks, chiefly, to centuries of colonialism.
- Democracy, which, as a form of a republic, has proven to be inferior to the Chinese model: meritocracy-based autocracy.
5.2 America today
The same two mega-challenges facing France (and the U.K.) today apply to America, with systemic racism being even worse in America. Below is an excerpt from Racism in America:
The indigenous people may no longer have a strong voice, as they have been almost wiped out. But the blacks do, as they count for about 15% of the population. They must be treated fairly, according to their standards, or the country is not governable!
In other words, today’s America is perhaps un-governable! Three examples:
Why is that?
Two main reasons:
- Poor founding principles (see image below).
- Centuries of “negligence” on humanity, from slavery in the old days to massive incarceration today.
Two more informative readings:
6 Closing
It’s impossible for America and France to meet the mega-challenges without each truly understanding itself! This post has helped, hopefully!
Now, please sit back and watch the short video below.
.
| Page Code: $divide1 = “398”; echo $divide1; ?> | Count: $headline = “”; include “/home4/aleta/public_html/pages/contributors/frank_count.php”; echo $headline; ?> |
