Why haven’t we had a revolution?

[OnlyFins]

Are we just not the overthrowing type as a nation?

One view is that the establishment in the U.K. learnt their lesson from the overthrow of Charles I, (absolutist monarch who believed he was appointed by god and as such wouldn't listen to Parliament). There on in the approach was to 'give a little to save a lot'. So conceding a gradual widening of suffrage, for example, giving just enough to satisfy the demands the masses and prevent feelings building up into revolution. In contrast to say France in the 18thC and Russia in the 19th/early 20thC. Ruled by absolute monarchs who conceded next to nothing and found themselves dethroned.

Because the worst of us would just use it as an excuse to rape and pillage.

I chuckled when an anarchist popular on social media posted once that a protest in Britain was banging your tin pot and not paying your energy bill for a few days. It's true that we don't muster up a real movement of defiance, just grumble and grudgingly accept things as we're told most of the time.

I’ve found it fascinating how often injustices and atrocities have been the spark and justification for revolt in colonies against the British Empire. But similar incidents in England are accepted. The arrests during the Coronation are a case in point though mild in the general scheme of things.

As a foreigner the British seem to have an identity as subjects rather than citizens, and an inbuilt sense of place rather than equality. I’m sure it’s more complex than that.

What are you looking at overthrowing and what are you looking at replacing it with? There's usually pretty gruesome consequences of revolutions and they're not sorted quickly.

Apathy

And lack of understanding as to what a revolution actually is 😁

I would argue that the government of Margaret Thatcher was a revolution of sorts.

Then there is the Wars of the Roses, the Civil War, and the 1688 overthrow of King James VII/II.

I'm a foreigner, I find it weird too. Kind of feel like British people are conditioned to accept their place, rather than fighting, these days.

I've seen a post on reddit the other day, the topic of an essay for entrance exam for Eton. I was shocked. It was to construct a speech as a prime minister, after gov used the force and killed many civilian protestors who was protesting for fuel shortage set in in 2040 or something. They need to be able to do, and instructed to do this since early teens?

There seems to be great divide between those who govern and regular people. Politicians can get away with rule breaking, as it was apparent during covid, without any consequences. Great country to be born with silver spoon.

We women are just plain tired and men today wait for women to organize everything!

Do you think revolutions are glorious OP?

Do you mean just to dispose of the royal family?

Haha. Did you know it was women that actually brought about the revolution in Russia? They held the first revolution and when the men saw how successful it was (and how clever the women had been in thinking ahead to foil possible problems) the men joined in. Then the men took over and declared it their revolution.

because you are the most cruel nation in the world and all problematic people were killed publicly on gallows

This and we can’t afford to take time off unpaid to do it.

John O'Farrell (when pointing out that a couple of days after Tianamen Square about 30% of the British public bothered voting) said people in the UK would only be arsed to have a revolution if the BBC tried to change the time of EastEnders.

I suppose the uproar when they moved Bake Off to another channel would be today's equivalent.

Because we are a lost cause (viz. lockdown, which was the shittiest policy ever and needed a revolution, only people were too busy policing their neighbours and baking fucking banana bread in their three-mile long gardens).

We had a revolution and the new bloke decided to ban mincepies. But he died before we could kill him. So we dug him up and killed him anyway, even though he was already dead. Then we brought the old bloke back and collectively decided to never mention that revolution malarky again.

If there was a Revolution what on earth gives you reason to believe that a decent person or Political body would then rule?

Usually the thugs and psychopaths rise to the top - you know, the cunts that current laws and conventions have kept from power.

You think Tories are bad? You think Monarchy should be scrapped?

You ain't seen nothing. Look to your history. Was it Churchill who said "Look to the past to see into the future" (or something like that).

Quite irritating when OPs disappear if the answers aren't to their liking.

i thought it was because the majority of the "peasants" are subservient

Really love this 😆 and all the other very considered and interesting replies on here.

Any thoughts OP?

You could try and start one, but why would you want a revolution, only a couple of weeks ago there was a multitude of posts on here about how we should be more like the french and riot/protest more.

A country that has a 4 year cycle of electing a head of state that when added up is far larger than one in a couple of decades, or the fact the riots/protests garnered some police action that would make some on MN thinking we had gone full on 1930's and achieved nothing as all the reforms are still going through...

Why didn't you just spend longer in your twitter feed to understand why?

This comment is made often. But the poster never recognises that it also means more people voted against the other Parties than voted against the Tories........🙄

For example
100 people vote
45 vote Tory
40 vote Labour
15 vote Liberal

Aha says Meinkraft, only 45 voted Tory but 55 didn't! Therefore Tory shouldn't have won.

But only 40 voted Labour, so 60 didn't - more didn't vote Labour than Tory.

Don't bother looking at the Liberal position, you can do the maths.

So can you not see MeinKraft that your assertion is nonsensical?

Apologies MeinKraft, I should have addressed MyarseintheCoOpwindow, not you. I misread the post 😞

I’m back! I had a minor domestic emergency.

I don’t think I would want to overthrow the monarchy tbh. Mostly because I’m not sure I could be arsed.

This thread has been fascinating though! And reminds me I don’t know enough about British history.