Day 117: Do You Hear the People Sing?

As many of you know, I saw Les Mis at the movie theatre yesterday. I had been waiting in bated breath, since I first heard there would be a movie and Hugh Jackman was to play Valjean, which was sometime in the first semester of last school year. Of course, it came out later in the UK, so I had to wait a bit longer than some of my friends, but it was all worth it. 
Every time I listen to the soundtrack of Les Miserables or watch some sort of production, I get something new out of it. This film viewing was no exception. As I was watching and thinking about the horror of this time of revolution in France and what it would be like to live there and then, I started thinking about the idea of revolution in general.
Even deeper context was added to my musings by the fact that I am in Scotland, part of Great Britain. And since yesterday, I've given some thought to Great Britain's history, and the lack of any people-led revolutions since the mid 17th century. Whereas, America and every other state in Europe have gone through revolution within the 18th and 19th centuries. 
My initial thought and opinion was that Great Britain just really doesn't have much of a revolutionary culture. It's maybe lacking that fiery spirit and passion for liberty necessary to lead a revolt against government in order to gain the desired rights and freedoms. Maybe it's because the British government has just been so powerful for so long that it has had an easier time of extinguishing the sparks of radicalism before they've been able to grow into the flames of Revolution. Maybe it's a combination. 
Either way, I think this history has a lot to do with the current culture of the country. I think it has affected how the government functions and how the people think. For instance, America formed itself from meager colonies, seemingly dependent on the British government and trade, but as soon as we felt this government was not acting for the people, we rose up and transformed a piece of profitable territory into the most powerful and influential country the world had ever seen. America will more than likely never experience a revolution again, but that fire lies inside us as a People, even today. We, Americans, do not give our government much space without criticism; we don't like to see injustice, and if we feel that our rights are being infringed upon, we get testy immediately. And righteously so, we fought for what we have: the most free country in the world. Take up argument with that title all you'd like, but it is the truth. Our constitution lays it out so beautifully.
Anyways, Britain doesn't have that. Their government has pretty much always been there to guide, to provide order, to subdue riots, to tax. Even the Glorious Revolution was Parliamentary action, and all it did was put a new, more just, monarch into power. Heck, there's still a monarch today. Even if the Queen is mostly just a figurehead, she's still there. This lack of the "revolutionary culture" seems evident to me in an already discussed matter, too, that of CCTV. The UK has more video surveillance throughout it's country than any other in the world, and the citizens are fine with this; they have  been historically nurtured to deal with a government which is ready and willing to keep watch and "deal with" any suspicious or threatening acts. In earlier times, this consisted of quelling steps to revolution; now, maybe it's just to prevent crime. But I can't really see such an extent of surveillance being put up purely for the "public good." Where the government can see, the government can intervene. And where the government can intervene, the government has power over the people. And here, that's pretty much everywhere. 
I've had many a conversation with people here, Brits and other foreigners alike, that make claims to the mediated, British personality. They say that people here aren't so willing to speak out or stick their head on the line. People are more reserved. People censor their emotion and their passions, especially when in groups, or with people whom they aren't familiar. I am beginning to attest this personality trait to a Revolution-less culture. The passion, the zeal, the willingness to speak boldly about your views and ideas is not so strong; there must be a deeper reason for this. And I don't mean this only in reference to issues of politics or government or things of this nature. It permeates into everyday life.
I believe the cultures formed by a history of revolution, of struggle to create something better from something worse, or maybe something non-existent, instills a certain, je ne sais quoi, within the people. A realness, a sorrowful beauty. And this mark within a people eventually creates a richer, fuller view of life. It affects the ideas on how we should live, how we should hold on to what we have, how we should love. It gives deeper meaning to existence when you know it has been suffered for. Laugh when you can laugh, cry when you must cry, fight when you should fight, for times are always changing, but you must maintain purity, goodness, and truth within yourself, your family, your community, and it must be understood that a government, an individual, or anyone or anything, can not be allowed to lessen who we are, who we were created to be. Like the students at the barricade who were willing to fight and die even in a moment of imminent failure, sometimes we must fight for our principles no matter the foreseen results. 

Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums,
There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!


Take that, swish it around, and either swallow it or spit it back out.

Just my inner philosophies.