Cultural Censorship and Historical Revisionism

The current attacks on the Confederate Battle Flag in the United States constitute some of the greatest crap I have seen in many years of observing crap coming out of the formerly great United States.

If the Confederate flag is a racist symbol why isn't the United States flag a symbol of the genocide of the American Indians?

The nazi book burning is in full swing now, and how long before the cross is banned.

Look at some of this garbage:

As we reported yesterday, CNN’s Ashleigh Banfield suggested that statues of Thomas Jefferson should also be removed because he owned slaves. Co-host Don Lemon remarked that, “There may come a day when we want to re-think Jefferson.” 

The L.A. Times also weighed in the farce, noting that statues of Jefferson join “other public statues depicting Southern or Confederate figures, including Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee, that some are arguing represent the country’s racist past and should be removed.”

Top retailers like Amazon, eBay, Sears and Walmart have all removed Confederate flags from sale (while continuing to sell Nazi memorabilia), while Warner Bros has announced that it will stop making the iconic Dukes of Hazzard car because it features the rebel flag on its roof.

Even the multiple Academy Award winning classic Gone With the Wind may not be safe, with film critic By Lou Lumenick calling for its censorship because the movie offers “the most iconic glimpse” of the Confederate flag. Nazi book burners would be proud.

Numerous other Army bases, parks and memorials are also under scrutiny, although at least former Georgia congressman Ben Lewis Jones, who is now chairman of Heritage Operations for the Sons of Confederate Veterans, declaring the move a form of “cultural cleansing.”

As someone who has actually taken the time to study American Civil War history (unlike most Americans) the ignorance displayed by the flag banners is staggering, and of course all of the old Civil War myths are being trotted out again.

It is so true that "the victors write the history", and so many facts about the American Civil War are never reported. The North is mythologized as going to war to free the slaves, however the North went to war to hold the union together.

Pres. Abraham Lincoln was personally against slavery, but in his first inaugural address, he made it clear that placating the Southern states was more important. Quoting himself in other speeches, he said, "I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so."  You NEVER, EVER hear about this.

Even Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 left slavery intact in border states that hadn't seceded. In other words, slavery was only abolished in the Confederate States at that time. So much for the great principle or the high moral ground. You NEVER, EVER hear this either.

And as for the morons who want to destroy statues of Confederate generals, the Confederate president himself, Jefferson Davis, came to strongly support ending slavery. So did CSA Secretary of State Judah Benjamin, Governor William Smith of Virginia. The CSA's two highest ranking generals, Robert E. Lee and Joseph E. Johnston, both disliked slavery and supported emancipation. Lee called slavery "a moral and political evil." Johnston called it "a curse." Other Confederate generals who supported emancipation included General Daniel Govan, General John Kelly, and General Mark Lowrey. In fact, the majority of Confederate generals did not own slaves and did not come from slaveholding families. Yet again, you NEVER, EVER hear this.

The real history is even more interesting. Robert Lee was the South's greatest general, and he did not own slaves and found the institution of slavery to be vile and corrupting. Probably the most successful general of the North was Ulysses S. Grant (who actually became President of the United States after the Civil War) however - and you NEVER, NEVER, EVER hear this - was an overseer of slaves on his wealthy father-in-law’s 850 acre plantation known as White Haven in Missouri. These slaves were owned by Grant and his father-in-law until 1865. Wait – 1865? What about Lincoln’s ‘Emancipation’ Proclamation in 1863?

The victors write the history.

Comments

[Paul]

I certainly hope that when they come for the Cross you will still be standing next to me ...

[PythonMagus]

No, I am not a fan of revising history. But recent history does have sensitivities that cannot be ignored.

I think we in Australia have no reason to fear Confederate flags or Swastikas, but we too have our sore points - bodyline bowling anyone?

I have no problems with war games of these periods, or even playing as these powers. I do note that I have many games of the fall of the Roman Empire, the fall of Constantinople and the Rise of Islam, but have never played as the victors, only striven with the defeated. I suggests that I too have sore points.

[Paul]

You might consider reading a little history before grabbing the matches and running off to the latest mass hysteria book burning.

And as for the Dutchmen who was agitated by German beer: not a great advertisement for the book burners.

Are you seriously suggesting I should throw out all the counters in my historical simulation games that have a Confederate Flag on them? And all the World War II games that have a swastika? Apple have actually stopped war game Apps which include Confederate Flags. It is 40 years since the PRESTAGS era and now for the first time there is censorship of wargames. And you still don't get it?

[PythonMagus]

I note that you may not fly a Nazi flag in Germany - nor in France. That is because it represents the political extremism that lead to murder and torture in those states. I was at a funeral of a Dutch immigrant a few years back, and the son of the deceased became very agitated when German beer was served.

Therefore I am quite sympathetic with a feeling of disgust that any African American would feel towards the Confederate Flag, given the secessionist's stated aim was to preserve slavery as an institution. I also doubt they would feel much love towards the US flag under which they were originally enslaved and are now maintained in poverty.

I would personally consider the flying of a Confederate Flag within sight of the residence or workplace of an African American as offensive as the Orange Walk in Belfast.