General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI think I'm gonna stop calling them "Confederates"...
in favor of the more accurate term: rebels. That's what they really were. They were rebelling against the national government. Calling them confederates confers a bit of class to them they don't deserve. It's also a bit of semantic trickery, which ties the rebels of the 1860's back to the pre-Constitutional government of the Articles of Confederation, the failed initial attempt to get the colonies to work together in the post-Revolutionary era. That appeals to the libertarians among us, who will always rant that the federal government has "too much power."
Yeah, no more classy sounding Confederates. They were rebels. Tear down the statues, rename the bases to honor real American heroes and icons and not glorify rebels and slavey enablers.
Rebels. Hell, it's even easier to type.
Thomas Hurt
(13,903 posts)it is part of the southern white culture.
SharonClark
(10,005 posts)Last edited Fri Aug 7, 2020, 11:38 PM - Edit history (1)
For one thing, its short so they can spell it.
crickets
(25,896 posts)Nevilledog
(50,659 posts)JHB
(37,128 posts)ProudMNDemocrat
(16,468 posts)The way their descendants are behaving today, waving their flag and supporting Trump says a lot about them.
TheBlackAdder
(28,070 posts)rownesheck
(2,343 posts)a bunch of unevolved mouth breathers still waiting for their thumbs.
Thunderbeast
(3,377 posts)struggle4progress
(118,032 posts)Grey
(1,581 posts)Or mouth breathers...
hurl
(931 posts)might work too
atreides1
(16,046 posts)Article III, Section 3 of the United States Constitution defines what they were!
Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court. The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.
Johnny2X2X
(18,731 posts)We've romanticized the Southern soldier for far too long, they were craven terrorists fighting for the right to own other human beings. There was nothing gentlemanly about them , they were thugs and fiends.
SoonerPride
(12,286 posts)muntrv
(14,505 posts)Solly Mack
(90,740 posts)Rebel is a term that is embraced by those who worship at the altars of racism.
Sogo
(4,960 posts)brush
(53,467 posts)soothsayer
(38,601 posts)rockfordfile
(8,682 posts)Caliman73
(11,690 posts)Think of it in terms of Star Wars, the Rebel Alliance were the good guys. The US were the "Rebels" (though we used the term Revolutionary) against England.
Union soldiers used the term "Johnny Reb" or "Secessionist" but they are historically and legally Traitors.
BannonsLiver
(16,161 posts)The traitor Army was defeated.
The traitor flag came down.
And so on.
safeinOhio
(32,524 posts)And I was born in the South.
ProfessorGAC
(64,413 posts)I know Davis wanted to fight on, but few generals wanted to continue.
Their revisionism ignores that they were getting pounded on multiple fronts for a long while before Appomattox.
Starting with Vicksburg & Chattanooga, through Sherman, it was whooping after whooping.
Their economy was in tatters.
They quit!
safeinOhio
(32,524 posts)He has the most statues. Looks like tRump likes general that surrender.
safeinOhio
(32,524 posts)with a picture of Sherman on my bumper.
struggle4progress
(118,032 posts)Aristus
(66,075 posts)they were as racist as balls. But they pretended it was because "I'm kind of a rebel..."
Nah. Fuck those guys. There were anti-American Confederates.
LastDemocratInSC
(3,623 posts)To invade northern Mexico, along the gulf coast, then Cuba and some Caribbean islands, to create a slavery empire.