this post was submitted on 16 Jan 2026
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[–] wheezy@lemmy.ml 46 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (4 children)

Just a reminder that the defense attorney, for the soldiers that gunned down the people during the Boston massacre, was none other than future president John Adams.

He successfully argued they were in fear for their lives.

America has NEVER cared about the masses of people. It has always and will always defend and justify the actions of state violence. The American revolution was very much just a transfer of power from the Royal British to the rich ruling class in the American colonies. And it has remained that way to this day.

What is happening now is nothing more than the ruling class resorting to fascist acts, once again, on its own population to maintain that power.

[–] NannerBanner@literature.cafe 2 points 13 hours ago

Look, I would happily pull the trigger on the execution of a convicted ice, but defense attorneys exist for a reason. Yes, they're often scum. Yes, they often 'know' that their client is guilty (paraphrasing one, don't tell them you did the crime if you actually did it, it does make their job harder because they do have a duty to not lie in court) yet defend them as rabidly as a junkyard dog with a cat wandering in. Yes, they often posit logic or reasoning that makes the average person want to spit at them for their sheer gall. Yes! THEY GET SOME FUCKING SICK FUCKS LIGHTER SENTENCES OR EVEN 'OFF...'

But they are critical in a sane world where the law matters not just as a set of rules but also where there are people dedicated to truth, justice, and ensuring a short-lived tyrannical government cannot just throw people it doesn't like into jail based on allegations of crimes and get convictions based on whimsy.

John adams may have helped those six get off, and done it in a manner so similar to modern law enforcement court strategy that it assaults the nose with its stench, but don't smear him because he did that. Smear him for his presidential actions enforcing the class war.

[–] andros_rex@lemmy.world 1 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Just a reminder that the defense attorney, for the soldiers that gunned down the people during the Boston massacre, was none other than future president John Adams.

At the time, they were not advocating for independence, just more autonomy. Giving a fair trial and good representation in that trial was a way to demonstrate that the colonies could provide fair justice without England’s intervention. This is why they were so pissed off when the “Impartial Administration of Justice” Act passed.

He successfully argued they were in fear for their lives.

Which was probably fair in this case. The protesters at the “massacre” were throwing rocks at the soldiers. There was reasonable confusion in the moment.

[–] wheezy@lemmy.ml -1 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Holy shit. You actually did "the Boston massacre was justified". Licking the boot of King George all the way in 2026.

[–] andros_rex@lemmy.world 6 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (1 children)

Sorry, I studied American history beyond high school “King George was literally Hitler” propaganda.

Don’t forget that a major factor motivating the “Patriots” was the fact that England was going to create an Indian reserve (land speculators doing shit like “buying” all of Kentucky for a handful of beads was pretty problematic for peace), and that they were letting the Canadians be Catholic. But sure, we can pretend that expecting the colonists to contribute to the costs of defending them against the Indians they were genociding was horrific oppression.

[–] wheezy@lemmy.ml -3 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) (1 children)

Notice how nothing you said had anything to do with your prior justification of state violence? I never compared anyone to Hitler. That was you. What a weird reply. It sounds like you're having a conversation with yourself.

Gonna guess your the same person today that defends the murder of Renee Good.

[–] andros_rex@lemmy.world 2 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago) (1 children)

Fuck you. No, the murder of Renee Good is not comparable to soldiers getting confused about an order to fire when they were literally getting pelted with rocks.

Christ. Obviously Adam’s should haven’t of defended them, they should have just been executed on sight. Makes perfect sense.

Maybe read some primary sources from the time period, instead of trying to argue about a topic you haven’t looked into since high school.

[–] wheezy@lemmy.ml 0 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

It's always so silly when people make arguments in random internet comments trying to appeal to their own authority on a topic. Like, you literally know nothing about my knowledge of the subject. You don't know if I'm in high school now or literally have a history PHD. What is the point of this?

You know nothing about my knowledge outside of (1) I know that Adams defended the soldiers in the Boston Massacre. (2) I think you are not applying any class based historical perspective. It's why I called you a bootlicker for King George.

Adams was a part of the rich white land owning class. It was beneficial for him at the time to defend his class position and it's why he did so. He didn't do it for some "moral" reason of justice. There was clearly no justice served for the people slaughtered in the massacre.

So maybe stop larping as a historian. If you can't view history from the lense of class struggle then what is the point in knowing a lot of facts if you can't apply them? You sound much more like a high school history teacher than a historian. But I won't make assumptions about you like you are to me.

[–] andros_rex@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

I suspected that this was the Explosion, which had been intentionally wrought up by designing Men, who knew what they were aiming at better than the Instrument employed. If these poor Tools should be prosecuted for any of their illegal Conduct they must be punished. If the Soldiers in self defence should kill any of them they must be tryed, and if Truth was respected and the Law prevailed must be acquitted. To depend upon the perversion of Law and the Corruption or partiality of Juries, would insensibly disgrace the Jurisprudence of the Country and corrupt the Morals of the People. It would be better for the whole People to rise in their Majesty, and insist on the removal of the Army, and take upon themselves the Consequences, than to excite such Passions between the People and the Soldiers as 1 would expose both to continual prosecution civil or criminal and keep the Town boiling in a continual fermentation. The real and full Intentions of the British Government and Nation were not yet developed: and We knew not whether the Town would be supported by the Country: whether the Province would be supported by even our neighbouring States of New England; nor whether New England would be supported by the Continent. These were my Meditations in the night.

An analysis based on class struggle would recognize that the Revolution was driven by and primarily benefited land speculators, as I allowed to earlier with my reference to the Henderson purchase. Pure Marxist historians are more creatures of the 70’s than the modern day. Historiography continues on.

You sound much more like a high school history teacher than a historian.

I hold a Bachelors in American History and am in fact certified to teach high school history.

Do you have anything other than personal attacks? Going to provide any sources of your own?

[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 7 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

If I were a rich bastard and wanted to stay that way, pissing off the poors would be a thing to avoid. A placid sheep and trusting cow are much easier to exploit.

The 1% are incredibly stupid.

[–] pipi1234@lemmy.world 5 points 18 hours ago

They are not stupid. They firmly believe that happy people are not productive at the level they want. And they want our 150% because they are hoping for AGI and other holy grail technologies to happen in their lifetimes. When you have everything the only goal left is to avoid losing it.