this post was submitted on 27 Apr 2025
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TranscriptA threads post saying "There has never been another nation ever that has existed much beyond 250 years. Not a single one. America's 250th year is 2025. The next 4 years are gonna be pretty interesting considering everything that's already been said." It has a reply saying "My local pub is older than your country".

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[–] [email protected] 40 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

Not really. The logic is attempting to draw a distinction between nations, kingdoms, and tribes, among other things, with emphasis on continuity in governance. So France isn't the same nation between the Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire, or after a dynasty change.

The interjection is pointless towards their argument because it doesn't understand the "logic" and is wrong in its own way.

His problem is that, as a truly stupid person, he isn't aware that the point he is trying to make is one reserved specifically for democracies, not nations, and is still wrong. The Roman Republic lasted for 482 years, just to start with the most famous "democratic" example, and Japan's government could be argued to have lasted 2,600 years depending on how much credit you want to give the mythological founding of their imperial family.

Further, the modern form of the United Kingdom government was founded in 1707. There have been changes, obviously, especially in the power balance between Lords and Commons, but the Acts of Union created what is indisputably a modern concept of nation and government.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Confederations of indigenous tribes qualify as nations by any reasonable definition. Most were democracies. Some still exist as sovereign democratic nations today.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Yeah I considered bringing that up but it's also not accurate to paint all the regional groups in that way. In hindsight I probably should have mentioned the Five/Six Nations at least.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

Just takes one to disprove the original point that no nation is older than 250 years.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

The UK was founded in 1707. The British crown family is even older than that.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 days ago

Yeah, I just added that funnily enough.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 days ago

"british" crown family.