I don't understand; why do people defend things such as the confederate flag

[Crunchy]

Really?
Who is the old bag on your $20 bill again?

I don't share your altruistic view of rebels.  From time to time one has to shake up the status quo but few rebellions result in improved living conditions for the masses that do the fighting.

Yes really. The fact that we can still celebrate our history with those we peacefully separated from is the point.

And I don't have an altruistic view of rebels. You asked for someone to "name me one government which simply rolled over and allowed itself to be replaced by rebels" so I did.
I just wanted to make the point that the American view that everything has to be solved through a "war" on this or that is not true.

[The Grand Nudger]

That's hardly the american view.  We've ratfucked alot more diplomatically than we have through combat.  Conflict is probably the last remaining pure motivation in the american psyche, though, lol. Can;t act right, won't get right, pew pew.

[Crunchy]

That's hardly the american view.  We've ratfucked alot more diplomatically than we have through combat.  Conflict is probably the last remaining pure motivation in the american psyche, though, lol.  Can;t act right, won't get right, pew pew.  

War on drugs, war on poverty, war on christmas, war on... and now the belief that rebellion can't occur without violence?
From the outside, it sure looks like an American view.

[mlmooney89]

I don't see why violence is an American thing... we are one of the younger countries. Plenty of countries fought first then asked questions after.

[Rev. Rye]

I'm guessing there weren't a lot of slave owners in the ranks of the confederate army.  For the rank and file in most military throughout history, they're all in the same boat

Only one in 10 Southerners owned more than 10 slaves. Most of the remaining 90% didn't
own any.

Really, it's much the same way the Republican Party attracts the same working-class people it makes a point of screwing over: appeal to tradition and convince them it's somehow in their best interest that they work to protect the wealth of a small cadre of people. Only this time, the percentage of the wealthy people pulling the strings is a lot smaller.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Only one in 10 Southerners owned more than 10 slaves. Most of the remaining 90% didn't
own any.

Really, it's much the same way the Republican Party attracts the same working-class people it makes a point of screwing over: appeal to tradition and convince them it's somehow in their best interest that they work to protect the wealth of a small cadre of people. Only this time, the percentage of the wealthy people pulling the strings is a lot smaller.

Yep, the "protect what little we have from the Democrats" voters. Been that way since 1932.

[Pat Mustard]

The South's defeat was extremely humiliating. That defeat was followed by a pervasive and unwanted injection of Yankee culture.

Tell your southern friend that he's an awful liar. The northern influence on the south lasted only to Johnson's presidency in 1866. Granted, Hyram Ulysses Grant tried to reintroduce reconstruction and rights for black people, but by then the south was de facto back to ante-bellum status vis a vis civil rights.

---

They keep saying "country" music, but they never say which country.

Does any other country besides 'Murica even create country music?

Ireland, to my eternal shame. It's gotten so bad that people immigrate in from more enlightened countries to play the shite here.

---

Ireland, the source of it at least.
And really any country's "folk" music is their version of our "country" music.

Actually proper folk music sounds nothing like country music.
Does this:



or this



sound like this




Your honour, foreman and members of the jury, ladies and gentlemen, I rest my case. You must acquit.

---

Who is the old bag on your $20 bill again?

The, ethnically German, Queen of Canada.

[Minimalist]

You asked for someone to "name me one government which simply rolled over and allowed itself to be replaced by rebels" so I did.

That just does not seem very rebellious.  But then again, Canadians are notoriously polite.

[Rev. Rye]

Really, it's much the same way the Republican Party attracts the same working-class people it makes a point of screwing over: appeal to tradition and convince them it's somehow in their best interest that they work to protect the wealth of a small cadre of people. Only this time, the percentage of the wealthy people pulling the strings is a lot smaller.

Yep, the "protect what little we have from the Democrats" voters. Been that way since 1932.

Well, technically, it was "protect what little we have from the Republicans" until Nixon figured out they could take votes from the Democrats by exploiting their racist fears in the aftermath of the Civil Rights Act of 1965.

Actually proper folk music sounds nothing like country music.
Does this:



or this



sound like this

Listen to the Harry Smith Anthology of American Folk Music. You can see how the folk music of other countries ended up transformed into a uniquely American idiom, and it's not hard to see how the music on the Harry Smith Anthology (which comes from several sources, from England's Child Ballads, Irish drunken piss-up songs, Native American music [perhaps filtered through the ideas of white folks], French music just starting to turn into Cajun, no doubt a considerable influence from the collective unconscious of Black Africa) becomes the roots of much of the popular music of today. I'd link to a Youtube playlist, but those have a habit of getting deleted or rendered incomplete, but if you can find the tracklist, you will likely find the recordings easily.

And, for the record, the 84 records on the Anthology date from between 1926 and 1933.

[The Grand Nudger]

Okay, firstly, stop hatin on Garth.  He does Garth.  However.  Try trampled by turtles for current "country" music?