Confederates Stink

I invite you to read the following “conversation” I had with a fellow poster on youtube. The video in question (posted below) is a Euro dance version of “Country Roads”, the West Virginia national anthem.

In the video, a Confederate flag can be seen in the background. Please notice how soon this “gentleman” resorts to insulting my education (big mistake) and our state. One more nominee for the Jackass Awards.

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eric5906 (3 weeks ago)
Cool Confederate flag in the background.

wvexile (3 days ago)
which is a little out of place, since WV fought for the Union against people who though owning other human beings was a good idea. As a native West Virginian, please don't link us with the Confederacy.

eric5906 (3 days ago)
Don't worry, I'd never link you people with the South. Sounds like you need a history lesson, buddy. Look at all your Yankee generals: almost ALL owned slaves, including your drunken Grant. Lincoln stole WV and made it into a sham/psuedo state.

wvexile (2 days ago)
I have a masters in history, thanks. While it's true that a number of northerners had slaves prior to the war (which can never be excused or whitewashed) they didn't base an entire political system upon it, and then FIGHT to keep humans enslaved. Rich southern leaders duped poor white southerners to kill themselves for the benefit of wealthy plantation owners. Rich southerners have a long tradition of screwing over the poor, regardless of color. Just look at who is in the White House.

eric5906 (12 hours ago)
Delighted that you have a masters. Just look at who brought all the slaves and propagated it for the first 70 yrs. Rich Yankee, Northerners. Tell me how these "southern leaders duped poor whites" into dying? Excuse me, but I don't think you can get hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life for a handful of "wealthy plantation owners". I think that is a common myth that is now accepted as truth.

wvexile (1 minute ago)
"Tell me how these "southern leaders duped poor whites" into dying?" - The same way we still do it; dishonest appeals to patriotism, demonization of the "enemy", and general propaganda. There have always been ways for the ruling class in every society to convince people to fight for a cause not their own by confusing the issues involved.

eric5906 (12 hours ago)
I think it is quite the opposite: rich Yankees duped the North into fighting a horrible war that benefited the rich. The South was fighting for their independence from a voluntary union. Over 30 of my ancestors fought for Confederacy - true patriots in the tradition of Thomas Jefferson and Co! Needless to say, I would've joined in with 'em.

wvexile (2 minutes ago)
No issue is black and white. Yes, Northerners and the British made money by slave trafficking. But in both cases, by the 1850's, many had "repented" and those regions were home to the leading emancipation movements. Such cannot be said of the South. I too have Confederate ancestors. It is something I try to live down, in little ways, everyday. All families have ancestral shame. It appears we will agree to disagree, but remember instead of looking for excuses, examine the facts.
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Notice also that he never refutes that the Confederacy was a slave based culture, rebelling for the “right” to extend and maintain slavery. I am fully aware that the actual arguments are far more nuanced, however, when some knuckle-dragging apologist starts talking about how the Civil War was about “States’ Rights” just ask them this: the state’s right to do what exactly? The South did not attempt to leave the Union over a tariff dispute, or interstate commerce. They rebelled because Lincoln promised to LIMIT slavery. That was the root cause. Saying it was about state’s rights is like saying WWII was only about redressing the inequities of the WWI peace tresty without talking about the Nazi plans for genocide and world domination.

And, for the last time, West Virginias ARE NOT SOUTHERNERS, not historically or culturally. We are Appalachians. Period.

I was tempted to ask him how it felt for his ancestors to get beat by a drunk that graduated at the bottom of his West Point class (Grant) but that wouldn't be Christian. But, then again neither was owning slaves.

The video in question: