Most likely it was a happy 240th birthday for the United States. It seems like a new country compared to ones in Europe. When is a country a country? That is very hard to define. A single date may exist only in what is commonly practiced.
Take us for instance we celebrate the founding of the US on the fourth of July. However, that is the date attributed to the Declaration of Independence. We didn’t have a constitution until 1783. That was 7 years later. So are we only 233 years old? Is the Original 13 the same country as the current 50? We have certainly changed.
We declared independence from England. Actually England was then the United Kingdom. It had become the United Kingdom in the Act of Union in 1707.
The current U.K. consists of England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. As some of us remember it was one time so big the sun never set on it. It still has some kind of Commonwealth.
Most of us recognize Greece as an old country. They do speak almost the same language; at least the old language is comprehensible to the Greeks of today. Greek people have been around over 5000 years. Athens was a Democracy at least 2500 years ago. The boundaries and many other things have changed in the meantime.
We know China as a very old country. It has had many dynasties and different governments. Some consider Taiwan as the legitimate descendant of the older versions.
Egypt is in the same boat. It really isn’t the world power it was when the Pharos ran it.
What is the real way to determine a country’s age? It certainly isn’t simple. And it seems to be getting harder with the neo-nationalistic movements in ascendency in the world.
One of the results of the vote in June for Brexit may be the split-up of the United Kingdom. Scotland wants to become an independent country. Some of those who want Texas to split from the United States are emboldened to try. Old Abe must be spinning in his grave. He really thought that issue was settled with the Civil War didn’t he?
This country definition thing just makes that rule of physics that says the only thing constant in the universe is change seem like the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
There can’t be much doubt of that from the recent elections around the world. The May Austrian election for president was annulled on the first of July. So, the far right guy gets to try again to pick up the few votes he lost in the first election. We have two nominating conventions coming to pick our presidential candidates. Most of the predictions are for fireworks that may out do the ones we had on the fourth.
The spinning wheel of history seems to be in high gear this year. I hope it doesn’t spin the wool over our eyes; however, it is surely not certain.
