That's an interesting observation, Creed. In that way the abolitionists of the 1860's were much like the anti-abortion crowd of today. They both had no plan to deal with the aftermath of the successful implementation of their program. It is not apparent that they gave any thought at all to what would happen to freed blacks in the south any more than anti-abortionists care what happens to a kid once they force it to be born.

(July 8, 2013 at 10:26 pm)Minimalist Wrote: In Ken Burns' The Civil War there is a scene in which noted historian Shelby Foote relates the story of some union soldiers who later in the war captured a bedraggled rebel and, since it was obvious that he was not from the slave-holder class asked him "what are you fighting for?" The reb answered, "I'm fighting 'cause you're down here."

This book

http://blogs.roanoke.com/backcover/2011/...any-aytch/

written by Confederate private, Sam Watkins, explains that he thought the south had the right to secede and that he was fighting for his country. It has been many years since I read it but it is a great story of war from the eyes of a grunt. And the class nature of southern society is well understood and condemned.

Here's a link to the original:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/13202

---

Let me also add that having been a resident of the state of Georgia for nine years, and if I had the money, I would run against these idiots.

(July 5, 2013 at 9:55 pm)Minimalist Wrote: http://apnews.excite.com/article/2013070...GT682.html

Quote: ATLANTA (AP) - The four Georgia Republicans who want to succeed retiring Sen. Saxby Chambliss all call themselves conservatives who oppose abortion.

Two are congressmen who recently voted in favor of a House bill to outlaw nearly all abortions beyond the 20th week after conception. Another candidate, a former secretary of state with her own national profile in the abortion debate, expressed support for the measure. Meanwhile, Rep. Paul Broun, an obstetrician, voted against it, saying it didn't go far enough. That vote put him alongside abortion-rights advocates yet it garnered a de facto endorsement from a leading anti-abortion group in Georgia.

I love how most of the screwballs who oppose abortion are men who know absolutely nothing about gynecology.

(July 9, 2013 at 12:47 am)Michael Schubert Wrote:

(July 5, 2013 at 9:55 pm)Minimalist Wrote: http://apnews.excite.com/article/2013070...GT682.html

I love how most of the screwballs who oppose abortion are men who know absolutely nothing about gynecology.

Aye, but there's even women who are completely fuckin' oblivious...

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/24/wa...pregnancy/

...*sighs and facepalms* ...It's a Texas state legislator...fucking hell...

(July 8, 2013 at 10:35 pm)Creed of Heresy Wrote: Interesting thing about "root hog or die," is it basically means "fend for yourself or die."

It's worth noting that the idea of social reliance in the US was largely constricted to small communities, not the federally-available ones we now have today. It's worth noting, too, that there's not a lot the government could do. Suddenly we had millions of free people with nothing to start with, and we'd just finished an extremely brutal, bloody war in which half the country had tried to break away from the other half. I don't imagine the treasury's coffers were exactly bursting at that point. And whatever efforts could have been undertaken would've probably been piecemeal at best and ultimately a waste of resources. Buy a loaf of bread for everyone in the country to stave off hunger, it'll cost you millions of dollars and the only thing you accomplished was a single day of staving off starvation kind of thing.

Still, he could've said something less dickish...

It sounds a lot like Booker T Washington and the Freedman's Bureau, "40 Acres and a Mule." There were no perfect plans or options for what to do with millions of newly freed slaves. I always find myself leaning towards DuBois, rather than Washington on this issue.

I don't know why we are pointing fingers at the states...They've done nothing wrong. I like Texas for the mexican food, the sports teams, the lakes and southern beaches. The things you're talking about are caused by politicians. You leave Texas out of this. She had nothing to do with it!

Heh, Sailor, the problem is that we live in a republic. The state is synonymous with the politicians running it, since they're the representatives of it.

ELECT BETTER POLITICIANS, DAMMIT! I honestly want to like Texas. I keep meeting people from there who are actually pretty decent folk and then I look at their politicians and I'm just like "...How the fuck do you guys keep electing these twinks?!"

(July 9, 2013 at 10:09 am)Creed of Heresy Wrote: ELECT BETTER POLITICIANS, DAMMIT! I honestly want to like Texas. I keep meeting people from there who are actually pretty decent folk and then I look at their politicians and I'm just like "...How the fuck do you guys keep electing these twinks?!"

Because the old, religious, conservative Baby Boomers haven't died off in enough numbers yet.

(July 9, 2013 at 10:09 am)Creed of Heresy Wrote: Heh, Sailor, the problem is that we live in a republic. The state is synonymous with the politicians running it, since they're the representatives of it.

ELECT BETTER POLITICIANS, DAMMIT! I honestly want to like Texas. I keep meeting people from there who are actually pretty decent folk and then I look at their politicians and I'm just like "...How the fuck do you guys keep electing these twinks?!"

The state is synonymous, but not to blame. Don't hate the cow if it gives you shitty milk! Hate the farmer that sold you the milk. The cow had nothing to do with it. Ha ha ha...Plus the real estate is cheap.

(July 9, 2013 at 10:06 am)Texas Sailor Wrote: I don't know why we are pointing fingers at the states...They've done nothing wrong. I like Texas for the mexican food, the sports teams, the lakes and southern beaches. The things you're talking about are caused by politicians. You leave Texas out of this. She had nothing to do with it!

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/bo...0%28148%29

Quote:Rick Perry: “Time to Pass Mantle to New Generation of Boneheads”