Why do so many Americans value the Confederacy?

[WalkenWouldOwn]

I lived in New England for 22 years and I can say you're full of shit. You'd be lucky to see a car with a confederate flag maybe every 6 months. New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, it's not very common here. You don't have to lie to push your narrative.

You probably lived in a slum. I live in the suburbs and that shit is rampant. It's been like that the entire 33 years I've lived here (I win) but lately it has been ramped up quite a bit, usually paired with a Trump or "Hillary for prison" bumper sticker.

 

[Gervinho]

It's a little more complex than that. Confederates were the original globalists, well connected to English banks who financed the cotton trade. The English wanted to put their Confederate allies in charge, or split the country in the process to the point it was no longer a serious threat to their interests. Lincoln knew that the solution to defeating these English banks was to disrupt the revenue from cotton, and ending slavery was the key to it all.

So the 20 something angry guy is wearing that flag for support of capitalism? Yes i know the economic side of slavery. But history tell us the south was on the wrong side morally. Why would one proudly wave that flag. I have seen people who support that flag get asked should slavery have ended back then and they all give the same cop out answer. That should have been a state issue

 

[WalkenWouldOwn]

I lived in New England for 22 years and I can say you're full of shit. You'd be lucky to see a car with a confederate flag maybe every 6 months. New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut, it's not very common here. You don't have to lie to push your narrative.

Congrats on naming the New England states by the way! You passed the geography quiz, but that doesn't really prove anything.

 

[Chazz Reinhold]

But they do. I live in New England, not even the south and every single day I see confederate flags, bumper stickers, etc all over the place. I would imagine it's even more prevalent in the south. And these aren't a bunch of history buffs. There are other reasons.

ive seen them down south. I live in NY and never see them near where I live. for some I think it represents hate for others I think it represents freedom from government. that's my opinion I know everyone wont agree with it but that's what great about this country.

 

[panamaican]

You should live in the south for a while before making such broad assumptions. I was born and raised in Cali, lived and worked all over the nation. From my experience, (Miss, Tx, Fl, GA, AL) there is less racism in the south than anywhere else. (CA, AZ, MI, NY, ME) That is from whites and blacks.
At least you are saying "I think".

What does any of that have to do with my post? My post literally never even mentioned racism.

 

[luckyshot]

You probably lived in a slum. I live in the suburbs and that shit is rampant. It's been like that the entire 33 years I've lived here (I win) but lately it has been ramped up quite a bit, usually paired with a Trump or "Hillary for prison" bumper sticker.

Yeah, I'm from Hicksville NE myself.

I see a fair number of Confederate flags.

They've become a symbol almost of "rural pride" more than white pride, imo. Shitty symbol though.

People I see flying the stars n bars are usually:
1. Kids who suck at school and like pickup trucks
2. Midlife crisis biker wannabes
3. Fat ass Crackel Barrell eating motherfuckers

 

[Armchair Ninja]

At its root the civil war was about the rights of the states against the authority of the government in Washington, whatever the catalyst was. I honestly would not mind the statues coming down if fellow Americans were hurt or offended by them if that were the honest truth but it is blatantly obvious that the current events are not motivated by this nor do I think that success in this is the end game by the protesters. How in the last eight years, when these people would have had a much more sympathetic figure head has this not been attempted before now? With a complicit media not telling the whole story of these "protesters" and their motivations, in fact hiding or ignoring them, I am skeptical of everything they do. It takes two to tango and look at the firestorm from Trump just acknowledging that. The ends justify the means I suppose.

 

[Denter]

I'm Canadian and not an expert on American history, but I'm just wondering why so many Americans feel so strongly about confederate stuff? Why such a strong obsession with a side that got their ass kicked in a war (I'd love to ask the same question to Neo Nazis).

How do they justify that Confederate stuff is not a symbol of slavery?

Why do Canadians feel strongly about their aboriginal peoples? After all, those people owned slaves and got their asses kicked.

 

[lilelvis]

What does any of that have to do with my post? My post literally never even mentioned racism.

Oh, my bad. You didn't say "racism".

"The South's support of the Confederacy in the 20th Century is specifically tied to the South's desire to maintain segregation."

 

[WalkenWouldOwn]

ive seen them down south. I live in NY and never see them near where I live. for some I think it represents hate for others I think it represents freedom from government. that's my opinion I know everyone wont agree with it but that's what great about this country.

I agree with you. Although I would argue that the people who think it represents freedom from government are ignorant and misguided, but I do think that's probably their intention.

I live in CT in a more rural area, so there is a lot of it where I live but I also see it up and down the highways every day. I'm sure I could visit the local trailer parks and see even more! But I work in a more urban area and there is definitely less of it.

Probably it goes something like
Rural kid likes guns.... gets told the gubment is coming to take them guns.... goes out and buys "Dont tread on me" and confederate flag merch to show just how hard they will fight when the gubment inevitably comes knocking! Cause they are so rebellious and tough!

So I can understand why someone like that would be shocked and offended when called a racist because of it. Liking guns and a neat looking flag doesn't make them racist after all! But they should probably do a little more research into what they're displaying so proudly if that's the case.

 

[WalkenWouldOwn]

Yeah, I'm from Hicksville NE myself.

I see a fair number of Confederate flags.

They've become a symbol almost of "rural pride" more than white pride, imo. Shitty symbol though.

People I see flying the stars n bars are usually:
1. Kids who suck at school and like pickup trucks
2. Midlife crisis biker wannabes
3. Fat ass Crackel Barrell eating motherfuckers

This. Where you at?

 

[WiolentOne]

For the sake of individualism and personal liberty, a man is always at odds with his tribe, as should a statesman be with his nation.

It's all about stripping away the layers of government down to the fundamental level of the individual and his liberty.

Our country was born of rebellion and we will continue that legacy loud and proud.

 

[panamaican]

Oh, my bad. You didn't say "racism".

"The South's support of the Confederacy in the 20th Century is specifically tied to the South's desire to maintain segregation."

Correct.

I don't get some of this. When it comes to defending the statues, everyone talks about the importance of preserving history. But when I actually start talking about history, people don't want to actually face it.

Let's preserve history...but let's not talk about the effects of slavery. Let's preserve history...but let's not discuss the effects of segregation. Let's preserve history...but the Southern Strategy is off limits. Let's preserve history...but never talk about the ugly stuff and it's historical significance.

 

[ineverpost]

The people making a fuss over this probably don't even know actual history.

 

[superpunch]

nm

 

[WiolentOne]

.

Let's preserve history...but let's not talk about the effects of slavery. Let's preserve history...but let's not discuss the effects of segregation. Let's preserve history...but the Southern Strategy is off limits. Let's preserve history...but never talk about the ugly stuff and it's historical significance.

Let's talk about the effects of slavery and segregation. Maybe then you'll actually acknowledge all the problems amongst your people for once.

 

[lilelvis]

Correct.

I don't get some of this. When it comes to defending the statues, everyone talks about the importance of preserving history. But when I actually start talking about history, people don't want to actually face it.

Let's preserve history...but let's not talk about the effects of slavery. Let's preserve history...but let's not discuss the effects of segregation. Let's preserve history...but the Southern Strategy is off limits. Let's preserve history...but never talk about the ugly stuff and it's historical significance.

I still believe that you make some broad assumptions about the modern south that have a "south is still racist" tone. I am simply telling you my experience, that is pretty vast, that the south (exception, Atlanta) is the least racist, and segregated, part of the nation that I have lived in. Blacks and whites in the south share a common history and, in many ways, culture.

 

[Sir Galahad]

But muh Suthhhhrin Herritidge.

I guarantee these folks aren't from the South.

 

[superpunch]

nm

 

[Squarechoke]

The same way that you pretend your Canadian flag isn't a symbol of Native American genocide and don't tear it down everywhere you see it.

Being that Muhammad owned slaves, do you think that the Middle East should tear down Islamic monuments, mosques, places of worship, and Mecca?

Careful how you answer that -- it could be considered hate speech in Canada and that's against the law there! Even though the equivalent viewpoint against anything made by white people is.. liberal values?

At the issue's core, that double standard is the major problem. The burning books and tearing down historical monuments being done by the left is just a symptom of it.

The left has gone so far insane that the white supremacists are protesting for the right cause and the Nazis want to burn less books.

The comparison to Canada is extremely flawed as the last big act of the Confederacy was to go to war for the right to keep slaves. They haven't evolved from there because they vanished in the civil war and got back under the US banner, unlike Canada which has persisted and have had a chance to evolve.

It's the exact same reason why the German Nazi flag has the connotations it does. The only reason that could change would have been if Nazi Germany lived on and somehow changed.

It's intellectually dishonest to pretend not to see the difference between the cases.