From: Wilson@nowhere.invalid
On 2/15/2026 1:37 PM, Noah Sombrero wrote:
> On Sun, 15 Feb 2026 13:25:10 -0500, Wilson
> wrote:
>
>> On 2/15/2026 1:18 PM, Noah Sombrero wrote:
>>> On Sun, 15 Feb 2026 09:44:05 -0800, Dude wrote:
>>>> On 2/15/2026 7:40 AM, Noah Sombrero wrote:>>> You can't simply go around
announcing that libertarianism is a
>> principle and therefore
>>>>> true.
>>>>>
>>>> Who are these "libertarianism" of whom you speak? Apparently, you've
>>>> never even seen a photo of The Statue of Liberty. Wait! What?
>>>
>>> The sol poem
>>>
>>> Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
>>> With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
>>> Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
>>> A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
>>> Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
>>> Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
>>> Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
>>> The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
>>>
>>> "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
>>> With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
>>> Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
>>> The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
>>> Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
>>> I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
>>
>> That poem was added to the statue of liberty after it had been erected
>> as part of a private fund-raising effort. It does not define the meaning
>> of the statue, the creators intention for making it, or the reason the
>> nation of France gave it to the US.
>
> Or actually it does.
>
> Let's hear it, why do you think france put that statue on a boat and
> shipped it across the atlantic?
"The Statue of Liberty, officially titled Liberty Enlightening the World
(La Liberté éclairant le monde in French), was a gift from the people of
France to the United States, formally presented in 1884 and dedicated in
1886.
Origins and Motivations
French political thinker, historian, and abolitionist Édouard de
Laboulaye first proposed the idea in 1865, shortly after the end of the
American Civil War and the abolition of slavery in the US. Laboulaye
admired the American republic and its constitution, and he saw the
monument as a way to:
- Celebrate the enduring friendship and alliance between France and the
United States, particularly France's crucial support during the American
Revolutionary War.
- Commemorate the upcoming 100 year anniversary of the American
Declaration of Independence and honor the US as a successful example of
republican government and the abolition of slavery (symbolized by the
broken chains at the statue's feet).
In the French domestic context, the timing was significant. France had
just suffered defeat in the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871), leading to
the collapse of Napoleon III's empire and the establishment of the Third
Republic. Laboulaye and other French republicans viewed the gift as a
subtle promotion of republican ideals and liberty at home, expressing
hope that these values would prevail in France against monarchical or
authoritarian tendencies.
The project was a joint effort: French citizens funded the statue itself
through public contributions, while Americans funded the pedestal and
installation.
Meaning to the French
To the French, the statue primarily symbolized the universal ideals of
liberty and enlightenment stemming from both the American and French
Revolutions. It depicted Libertas (the Roman goddess of freedom) holding
a torch to illuminate the world with reason and republican principles,
reflecting France's own revolutionary motto of Liberté, Égalité,
Fraternité. It was not originally intended as a symbol of immigration
(that association developed later in the US), but rather as a
celebration of shared political values and a beacon of hope for liberty
worldwide.
In summary, the gift was both a diplomatic gesture of transatlantic
solidarity and a domestic statement by French republicans affirming the
triumph of liberty over oppression."
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
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