Remember, Remember the Fifth of November -- Gunpowder, Treason, and Plot

Daily Mail (UK) suggests that some Americans did not remember (though, to be fair, it appears that Nov. 5 is something of a moveable feast, at least when it falls midweek):

A US TV network mistakenly thought fireworks over London were Brits celebrating Joe Biden win in the race for the White House….

'Fireworks lit up the night sky over London, England, after Joe Biden was characterised to be the apparent winner of the presidential election,' [ABC News] wrote on social media in a since deleted Tweet.

Brits were quick to correct the broadcaster on their mistake, and pointed out that the fireworks were part of the annual Bonfire Night celebrations.

The event marks the anniversary of 1605 when Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament.

Comments

[jdgalt1]

Most Americans have never heard of the Gunpowder Plot.

[TangoDelta]

One might reasonably assume the so called reporters and fact-checkers of our media would check before blithely bleating baseless buffalo chips but no they don't. Then they wonder why fewer and fewer people believe or trust them. Plus ça change.

[James Pollock]

They reported that one fact followed another fact, which was accurate. You're the one assuming the second fact was caused by the first.

[James Pollock]

"Most Americans have never heard of the Gunpowder Plot."

More accurately, most Americans have yet to hear a reason why they should care about the Gunpowder Plot. It didn't involve us, and didn't happen to us, You can't even get Americans to learn AMERICAN history.

[rsteinmetz]

Speak for yourself.

The Guy Fawkes mask has become something of a thing for protesters, especially anti-government protesters in former English empire countries, like Hong Kong. They are apparently illegal in Canada.

[Bored Lawyer]

"They are apparently illegal in Canada."

Good thing we have the First Amendment in the U.S.

[santamonica811]

The tweet was "wrong" in terms of what had been intended. (ie, that the fireworks were a result of Biden winning) I'll point out that the tweet was, technically, absolutely correct in its literal meaning . . . that Z happened later in time than when X happened.

I'm not excusing the tweet: It clearly was trying to communicate an idea that turned out to be incorrect. Merely observing the elasticity and flexibility of the English language.

[Bored Lawyer]

That's like saying Abraham Lincoln at mock-turtle soup* and then died that night. It is literally accurate, but highly misleading.

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* https://firstwefeast.com/eat/2014/02/untimely-last-meals-famous-people/abraham-lincoln

[Á àß äẞç ãþÇđ âÞ¢Đæ ǎB€Ðëf ảhf]

Or the first mate of a ship logging that the captain, whom he hates, "was sober", without mentioning that the captain is a tetoaler and has always been sober.

[Union of Concerned Socks]

A US TV network mistakenly thought fireworks over London were Brits celebrating Joe Biden win in the race for the White House….

The event marks the anniversary of 1605 when Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament.

There's some serious irony in here somewhere. Just can't put my finger on it.