Civil War
How many causes are worth killing your fellow countrymen over? It has only happened once in this country, but it did happen. More Americans were killed in the Civil War than the combined total of World Wars I & II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.
The South wanted to secede from the Union, because the Union was about to change rules that were agreed upon when the South joined the Union. Slavery existed in the United States before it was the United States. The colonies had slavery while still under British rule.
Lincoln ran for President as an Abolitionist. After his election, a few Southern states decided that the Federal Government no longer represented their interests, and withdrew from the agreement. Lincoln proclaimed that the States have no right to withdraw from the agreement, under any circumstances. Lincoln declared war. Fort Sumter was attacked, the Union sent an army into the South and several more Southern states joined the Confederate cause. The Civil War was on. The primary reason was not slavery, it was States' rights. Slavery only caused the passion that allowed Americans to kill each other.
Do the States have a right to secede from the Union? The Constitution is mute on this. Lincoln was not.
There were only a few States that wanted to secede. Lincoln should have let them go. They weren't needed anymore to fight the British. They weren't needed for the original reasons of founding the country. If the Southern states wanted to secede from the Union, the Founding Fathers would have been fine with it. They would have believed that a competing system of democracy would produce better results, for one side or the other and probably both.
Lincoln said that if he couldn't free one slave, but could save the Union, he would do it. The Emancipation Proclamation freed every slave in Confederate territory, but not one slave in Union territory. Every slave owner in Maryland knew that his livelihood was still protected. The Civil War was about government power, not about liberty. Government power won.
The United States today may be as divided as it has ever been since the years leading up to the Civil War. There are two distinct and irreconcilable belief systems dominating American politics: Statism vs. Capitalism. Supremacy of the government vs. supremacy of the individual.
Why should Capitalists have to worry about the voting population and its current opinion of Business, or risk having their assets seized? Shouldn't the Capitalists' assets be protected in a fair society? Why should Statists have to lie about their agenda, to convince more than 50% of their countrymen that their ideas are great? Why can't they just spell out their intentions and win elections with overwhelming majorities?
This could happen if the United States parted ways and became the Coastal and Heartland States of America. The Coastal states could form their welfare-state utopia, and the Heartland states could live in peace. Who could object to this idea?
The Heartland States of America would restore the Federal Government to its Constitutional limits. There would be no more Social Security, Medicare, federal funding for schools, highways, meals on wheels, arts and crafts, rattlesnake crossings, wolf relocating, snail preserving, or many other questionable programs. There would be a kick-ass military that could take on anyone, anywhere. There would be freedom to make money. Taxes would be low. The Government would only take as much money as needed to have a kick-ass military and provide basic services to its wonderful entrepreneurs. The engines of the Republic! Freedom would drive excellence.
The Coastal States of America would form their utopia. Everyone would live at the expense of someone else. However, no one would be working. There would be no one left to live off of. There would be death. It would be ugly.
Who would object to a civil segregation of the United States? The Coastal States of America would declare war to keep its slaves in the Heartland states.
There is no way the Statists would agree to a divorce for irreconcilable differences. Statists need a gravy train. Capitalists don't need Statists. Statists couldn't survive without Capitalists. Statists are leeches.
The Heartland States of America would be delighted to see the Coastal States succeed. "We didn't think you could do it. It has never worked anywhere in history and has typically led to countless deaths. But Congratulations! You made it work for the first time in history! Now let's trade some stuff and make some money"...
The Coastal States probably wouldn't be so congenial. I suppose that if utopia actually occurred, all would be well and there would be two close partners coexisting together forever. But since it's never worked, it is far more likely that the Coastal States would want subsidies and payments and threaten to throw really bad tantrums if they didn't get them. The Coastal States would never leave the Heartland States alone. It would be like the Palestinians and the Israelis. Good god!
If the Federal Government isn't soon restored to its original Constitutional limits, the only recourse will be secession. Those who believe in individual freedom will have no choice but to leave their home country or at least fight to rename it, because it is no longer recognizable. Slavery was the only cause in American history that led to killing ones' fellow countrymen. Free the Capitalist Slaves! Ballots over bullets would be preferable. November beckons...
The South wanted to secede from the Union, because the Union was about to change rules that were agreed upon when the South joined the Union. Slavery existed in the United States before it was the United States. The colonies had slavery while still under British rule.
Lincoln ran for President as an Abolitionist. After his election, a few Southern states decided that the Federal Government no longer represented their interests, and withdrew from the agreement. Lincoln proclaimed that the States have no right to withdraw from the agreement, under any circumstances. Lincoln declared war. Fort Sumter was attacked, the Union sent an army into the South and several more Southern states joined the Confederate cause. The Civil War was on. The primary reason was not slavery, it was States' rights. Slavery only caused the passion that allowed Americans to kill each other.
Do the States have a right to secede from the Union? The Constitution is mute on this. Lincoln was not.
There were only a few States that wanted to secede. Lincoln should have let them go. They weren't needed anymore to fight the British. They weren't needed for the original reasons of founding the country. If the Southern states wanted to secede from the Union, the Founding Fathers would have been fine with it. They would have believed that a competing system of democracy would produce better results, for one side or the other and probably both.
Lincoln said that if he couldn't free one slave, but could save the Union, he would do it. The Emancipation Proclamation freed every slave in Confederate territory, but not one slave in Union territory. Every slave owner in Maryland knew that his livelihood was still protected. The Civil War was about government power, not about liberty. Government power won.
The United States today may be as divided as it has ever been since the years leading up to the Civil War. There are two distinct and irreconcilable belief systems dominating American politics: Statism vs. Capitalism. Supremacy of the government vs. supremacy of the individual.
Why should Capitalists have to worry about the voting population and its current opinion of Business, or risk having their assets seized? Shouldn't the Capitalists' assets be protected in a fair society? Why should Statists have to lie about their agenda, to convince more than 50% of their countrymen that their ideas are great? Why can't they just spell out their intentions and win elections with overwhelming majorities?
This could happen if the United States parted ways and became the Coastal and Heartland States of America. The Coastal states could form their welfare-state utopia, and the Heartland states could live in peace. Who could object to this idea?
The Heartland States of America would restore the Federal Government to its Constitutional limits. There would be no more Social Security, Medicare, federal funding for schools, highways, meals on wheels, arts and crafts, rattlesnake crossings, wolf relocating, snail preserving, or many other questionable programs. There would be a kick-ass military that could take on anyone, anywhere. There would be freedom to make money. Taxes would be low. The Government would only take as much money as needed to have a kick-ass military and provide basic services to its wonderful entrepreneurs. The engines of the Republic! Freedom would drive excellence.
The Coastal States of America would form their utopia. Everyone would live at the expense of someone else. However, no one would be working. There would be no one left to live off of. There would be death. It would be ugly.
Who would object to a civil segregation of the United States? The Coastal States of America would declare war to keep its slaves in the Heartland states.
There is no way the Statists would agree to a divorce for irreconcilable differences. Statists need a gravy train. Capitalists don't need Statists. Statists couldn't survive without Capitalists. Statists are leeches.
The Heartland States of America would be delighted to see the Coastal States succeed. "We didn't think you could do it. It has never worked anywhere in history and has typically led to countless deaths. But Congratulations! You made it work for the first time in history! Now let's trade some stuff and make some money"...
The Coastal States probably wouldn't be so congenial. I suppose that if utopia actually occurred, all would be well and there would be two close partners coexisting together forever. But since it's never worked, it is far more likely that the Coastal States would want subsidies and payments and threaten to throw really bad tantrums if they didn't get them. The Coastal States would never leave the Heartland States alone. It would be like the Palestinians and the Israelis. Good god!
If the Federal Government isn't soon restored to its original Constitutional limits, the only recourse will be secession. Those who believe in individual freedom will have no choice but to leave their home country or at least fight to rename it, because it is no longer recognizable. Slavery was the only cause in American history that led to killing ones' fellow countrymen. Free the Capitalist Slaves! Ballots over bullets would be preferable. November beckons...
posted by BoiseJag at 7:08 PM
0 comments
