The Civil War was about...........

[NM_Birder]

The South wanting to secede, and the North wanting to prevent it.
-or-
The North wanting to free the slaves.

It's surprising how ignorant some are as to the extent the righteous North, condoned, ignored and even participated in slavery. the North accepted the slave trade and enjoyed the fruits of production derived from slavery. The North could not allow the South to secede from the union, it would have been the end of the Northern economy. The old "follow the money" bit was totally ignored in the unprecedented rush to declare war on the Confederate flag. Two weeks before Roof murdered 9 people in cold blood, the confederate flag was not an issue that would prove to be yet another nail in the 2016 election cycle, but it is now. Roof was an insane murderer, ........ so naturally ............the gun he used, and the flag he owned are to blame. The attack on the Confederate flag has been HUGELY successful, ....... for now. The 2016 Democratic nominee will have a Republican House, and in all likelihood a Republican Senate to look forward to, as he/she campaigns thru the South, trying not to take a side ............ but hey, Democrats don't need Southern voters anyway right ? The Republicans were going to lose after Bush, everyone understood that, Don't take for granted that the Presidency will be Blue for another four years.

Sometimes plans work too well, the Confederate flag is at the forefront of social media hatred, but make no mistake, .... there is going to be a wave of people voicing their opinion at the voting booths next year. The "Confederate Flag revolution" is unstoppable, and is daring anyone to come out and say anything remotely different, ...... do so and be labeled a racist,........ regardless what they have to say.

No I'm not panicking, and I did not write this for "concern", I'll be fine. I'm really not worried about the 2016 election one way or the other for myself, I never have and I never will bet all my chips on the ruling party of the moment. Just something to keep in mind when a baloney sandwich is able to win the Presidency in 2016, simply by not being attached to anything.

elections matter, remember ? Republican House, Senate, President AND likely TWO supreme court openings ... THAT is what is at stake. Maybe hold off screwing the American worker again with another shitty trade deal, pissing off a third of the nation by calling them stupid racists, lying about the ACA deductible costs, soft boiling the re-building of another Iraq war, getting a knife in the back from a failed Iranian nuclear "negotiation", pretending the unemployment is "actually" 5%, ...... and best of all, nominate Hillary who has a lifetime of built in controversy or Bernie who will have to explain Socialism ............ right before the election ?

Not to worry though.

[merrily]

1. The South wanted to secede because the USA wanted to limit slavery to

the then existing states, rather than allow slavery to extend into the territories. And, supposedly, Fort Sumter was fired on because of that. I can contemplate that the shot may not have been official. I can even buy that it never happened. But there is not much mystery about the secession or the reasons for it.

[HassleCat]

3. Indeed

The statements of secession all contain strong, very strong, language about slavery being a heavenly ordained condition, etc. The south took slavery very, very seriously, believing an end to slavery would wipe them out. Now they say it was no biggie.

[HassleCat]

2. Propaganda

If you're implying the slavery issue was some kind of propaganda, you could be right. And it was propaganda accepted in the south, perhaps more than in the north. When Union soldiers were captured, they were taunted relentlessly by their captors about fighting for an unjust cause. "Hey Yankee, this is what you get for trying to free the ni88ers!" Union veterans recounted facing the confederates when they lined up against each other and hearing calls of "ni88er lover" and similar insults. If the emphasis on the slavery issue was overdone, it was accepted as gospel in the south, perhaps more so than in the north.

[Leontius]

4. Nobody wants to admit another big reason the northern states wanted to force the South

Last edited Mon Jun 29, 2015, 01:46 PM - Edit history (1)

to rejoin the union $161,434,923 vs $78,217,202. Cotton exports alone vs the entire northern exports for the year 1859.

[Avalux]

5. Ummm...did someone get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?

If I take your post to heart I might as well end it all right now. Maybe you need to take a walk outside and enjoy nature; meditate or something.

[Act_of_Reparation]

6. Who is "the north"?

You must better define your terms.

Whether Lincoln or the United States Congress were personally inclined towards abolition is not, to me, wholly relevant. The fact of the matter is public opinion had so turned against slavery in the North that the question over whether new states admitted to the Union should or should not permit slavery within their borders was of such great importance to Nothern (and Southern) voters that it led to secession and war.

If the issue of slavery simply didn't matter, it stands to reason Northern politicians would have compromised or capitulated rather than risk breaking up the Union.

[NM_Birder]

7. I read you post,.....

and then time traveled to a high school US History class. I can literally FEEL the soft hum of the classroom air conditioners.

It stands to reason, that if the intent was to simply remove the confederate flag for the sole purpose of making a statement against racial discrimination, that statement HAS been made. Now the question will be, was it worth it ? Do you believe the Democrats have no history in the South that can and WILL be exploited ?

Lets hope the flag battle did not cost the political war in 2016, because this confederate flag attack WILL have repercussions on the campaign trail. Hillary and Bernie CANNOT take a side and risk half of the already divided voter block.

Another shit sandwich for the American worker in the TOP, a slow walk up to another war in Iraq, A finger thrown by the Iranians in the fiasco nuclear talks, a blatant LIE about the unemployed ........ 5.5% ???? bullshit. Staring down the barrel of a republican House, Republican Senate, and a VERY possible Republican President has given more than enough confidence to piss of the Southern States.

If a republican wins, and re-stacks the supreme court deck, just remember ............ at least the General Lee won't have the flag on it.