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The Straight Story

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6. Why is America so romanticized?

Fri Jan 27, 2012, 01:03 AM

Jan 2012

I am 46 years old. For much of my life my country has been involved in wars. We let the sick suffer, have no national health care, have no problem using our tax dollars to kill others but get up in arms when it comes to spending money on saving lives.

I can't complain about the south and how they see themselves, I am busy enough trying to explain to people that the America they are waving their little flags over is pretty bad. Slave labor? We gladly pay to have slaves make our iPhones and computers.

The south has nothing on the nation as a whole these days.

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Why is Southern History so Romanticized? [View all] BrentWil Jan 2012 OP

Well, the North is pretty romanticized, too. TygrBright Jan 2012 #1

A lot of that is simply forgotten history by everyone BrentWil Jan 2012 #4

I think the genocide of first Americans is right up there with slavery. Lots of that up north. n/t TygrBright Jan 2012 #10

I agree with that NT BrentWil Jan 2012 #11

After the North defeated the South, the Union Army focused on subduing Native Americans Art_from_Ark Jan 2012 #23

Military force both Southern and Northern was used against Native Americans before the war BrentWil Jan 2012 #24

Before the war, the Southern military force was under Federal command Art_from_Ark Jan 2012 #26

Native Americans had a long history of thinking Europeans would keep their words.. BrentWil Jan 2012 #27

Admittedly, John Ross was hesitant to side with the Confederacy Art_from_Ark Jan 2012 #29

Do you have a theory? grasswire Jan 2012 #2

Yes... BrentWil Jan 2012 #3

I think you're on to something. hifiguy Jan 2012 #38

Now hold on a second... antigone382 Jan 2012 #53

The Radical Republicans in the Senate wanted policies that President Johnson did not enforce... BrentWil Jan 2012 #56

Interesting that desertion was such a huge problem for the south. brewens Jan 2012 #5

One of the most forgotten things is US Soldiers that were from the South.. BrentWil Jan 2012 #7

Why is America so romanticized? The Straight Story Jan 2012 #6

I think you have to see things in relation to the past BrentWil Jan 2012 #9

I'm pretty confident at least as much brutality goes into our goods today as in the past. antigone382 Jan 2012 #54

partly because the South lost, part of it is cultural, you might get the same romantiicism JI7 Jan 2012 #8

A couple books you might want to check out, if you have coalition_unwilling Jan 2012 #12

THanks... BrentWil Jan 2012 #22

Having lived in Savannah for twenty-five years, I can tell you ... T S Justly Jan 2012 #13

"radical republicans stood for freedom and equality" Zorra Jan 2012 #14

black Southerners don't romanticize its history; only white Southerners do. provis99 Jan 2012 #15

Black southerners might not venerate the racist past of the south RZM Jan 2012 #17

I know.. I just didn't think putting White in the title would be smart BrentWil Jan 2012 #20

Considering the frequency that many non-southerners attempt to rub our noses in "our" history... piedmont Jan 2012 #16

Well, I am southern... BrentWil Jan 2012 #19

For some reason there's always going to be a yearning for the "good old days" in any population... piedmont Jan 2012 #25

This message was self-deleted by its author Tuesday Afternoon Jan 2012 #64

Gone With The Wind dogknob Jan 2012 #18

Considering They Got Their Asses Kicked... I Don't Know... WillyT Jan 2012 #21

Here's a great article on the topic just1voice Jan 2012 #28

I can't figure out if this thread is really about storytelling or about idealization. EFerrari Jan 2012 #30

Attention all Southerners reading this thread: Aristus Jan 2012 #31

We have a number of stories we tell about different parts of the country. EFerrari Jan 2012 #32

Have I told you lately how wonderful you are? Ishoutandscream2 Jan 2012 #37

I agree with you that every distinct region in the country Aristus Jan 2012 #46

You are right about that to a degree. I don't want to minimize EFerrari Jan 2012 #47

I was going to chime in at your first post to say that California history was DEFINITELY whitewashed XemaSab Jan 2012 #49

I believe the unit now does discuss the enslavement of the native people REP Jan 2012 #58

Given that I utilize the fact I'm a "Southern belle" for work quite often.... moriah Jan 2012 #33

I did a lot of sales in the South... Taverner Jan 2012 #45

Those are the kind of manners I was brought up with in the North REP Jan 2012 #59

Americans tend to romanticize a lot of history The Genealogist Jan 2012 #34

It's not hard to find those who have romanticized the 60's either. n/t hughee99 Jan 2012 #43

4 words ... GONE WITH THE WIND Raine Jan 2012 #35

Outhouses? HopeHoops Jan 2012 #36

This message was self-deleted by its author Tuesday Afternoon Jan 2012 #39

Because they lost. GoCubsGo Jan 2012 #40

On a related topic about history in general BrendaBrick Jan 2012 #41

Very interesting.... BrentWil Jan 2012 #48

yep. bottom line n/t BrendaBrick Jan 2012 #57

American history is romanticized in general. MNBrewer Jan 2012 #42

To such an extent XemaSab Jan 2012 #50

History should never be "taught" BrentWil Jan 2012 #55

All history is, to a certain degree BrentWil Jan 2012 #61

I was thinking about this earlier XemaSab Jan 2012 #62

Often people reinvent things they should be ashamed of... Taverner Jan 2012 #44

Read Tony Horowitz' Confederates in the Attic 1gobluedem Jan 2012 #51

This message was self-deleted by its author Tuesday Afternoon Jan 2012 #52

aren't you really asking why do so many southerners romanticize the civil war? arely staircase Jan 2012 #60

A lot of Southern culture comes from the slave populations and subsequent freed slaves Major Nikon Jan 2012 #63

It's all those Walter Scott wannabes Tom Ripley Jan 2012 #65

Outstanding Post! aaaaaa5a Jan 2012 #66

. Tuesday Afternoon Jan 2012 #67

In honor of a very good move.. bump. NT BrentWil Nov 2012 #68