[rustbucket]

I look forward to discussing this further with you. Unfortunately, for the next few days I have to finish and file several trust tax returns due on September 15. This may keep me off the thread for a few days. I’m getting conflicting recommendations from my CPA, so I may not have any hair left when I’m done.

You asked what did Congress do when Lincoln “abused” the financial process? As I remember (harder to do as I get older), they indemnified and/or approved his actions. They do not have the authority to approve unconstitutional actions after the fact. It was a Republican-led Congress. During wartime, they were not going to condemn the first Republican president, a president who had choreographed the country into war while they were not in session.

[LS]

You know, the more you read, the more you get impressions of what a guy’s evidence said and lose a lot of the specifics. I remember how shockingly strong Bensel’s book affected me, and I remember some of the stuff but it’s been years since I read it. Another good one is Huston, “Calculating the Value of the Union,” who argues that value in slave PROPERTY dominated the debate (not slave labor) and that slave property was worth more than all the textiles and railroads in the north put together. Not surprising Rebs would be reluctant to give up that kind of financial investment-—even if it was immoral and an investment in human trafficking.

[mstar]

Most everyone has had a song to contribute, so I get to have one too.

Here you go NS, for you and your boys’ club, or anyone dancing to the wrong song.

“Discothèque” by U2 (edited by mstar)

You can reach but you can't grab it
You can't hold it, control it, no,
You can't bag it
You can push but you can't direct it
Circulate, regulate, oh no,
You cannot connect it

You get confused but you know it
Yeah, you hurt for it, work for it,
You don't always show it

Looking for the one
But you know you're somewhere else instead

It's not a trick ‘cause you can't learn it
It's the way you don't pay that's okay
‘Cause you can't earn it

You want heaven in your heart
But you take what you can get
‘Cause it's all that you can find
And you know there's something more

Discothèque, it's not enough