I thoroughly enjoyed the latest episode of Revisionist History from Malcolm Gladwell to celebrate Independence Day. He expanded the story of our nation’s independence, particularly the Boston Tea Party. Many of the Sons of Liberty were part of a smuggling organization providing tea to early colonialists that didn’t go through England, with the accompanying taxes.
I have to admit that framing them as drug lords defending their turf strikes me as a bit sensationalist. On the one hand, you have people trying to get their own legitimate products at a cheaper price by buying direct. On the other, people who are knowingly dealing in death and destruction. It’s hard for me to compare the two. I think the consequences of the drug in question matter a great deal to the morality of the issue. The fact that the early American patriots also protected their own business interests does not lessen their moral stand in my mind.
That being said, I love the additional perspective his research provided. I laughed out loud a number of times in listening to this episode. I am sharing a clip of one of my favorite segments to give you a taste. I highly recommend you listen to the whole episode. Here is an Overcast link: Tempest in a Teacup.