trinityvixen | More procrastination

A worthy commentary on the idiots who want to--literally--whitewash the goddamned Civil War.

To be sure, the economic differences between North and South contributed to the war, and one can never forget that money motivates where morals do not. But you know what made the Southern economy so sucky? SLAVERY. Not just an affront to the belief in humanity as a force for good, but also the means by which the South would, had it won, impoverished itself (on all counts) indefinitely.

There was an episode of The Simpsons where Apu becomes an American citizen, and he attempts to explain the many and varied reasons the Civil War happened, and the man applying his test interrupts him with, "Just say slavery." I think it's very telling that it takes some serious effort to come up with a reason outside of that. Usually, the effort takes one of two shapes. One, it's an academic effort, examining the causes and issues behind the most simplistic of explanations that do not, ultimately, challenge the summary put forth. Or, two, it's bullshit meant to distract and override what you know to be true: that those who expound upon the Confederacy are corpse-raping douchenozzles.

What? They are.