Replies

So everyone can see the fake math at work, here's how you get from accurate, roughly 50% of US exports being "Southern Products", to the exaggerated 70% or more as claimed by our pro-Confederate propagandists:

I recall once a long time ago that I got you to admit it was at least 60%. I remarked on it at the time, that perhaps with a little more coaxing, I could get you all the way up to the number we can see in the official records.

72%.

DiogenesLamp: "I recall once a long time ago that I got you to admit it was at least 60%.
I remarked on it at the time, that perhaps with a little more coaxing, I could get you all the way up to the number we can see in the official records.

72%."

You can see it yourself now in my post #221 above, how to distort the actual ~50% into something resembling 70%.
All you have to do is delete $58 million in specie exports from the US total ($400 million minus $58 million = $342 million) and then add Union tobacco ($12 million), plus Union manufactures of cotton ($11 million), to the Confederate side ($206m plus $23m = $229 million).
$229 divided by $342, gets you up to 67%.

Then if you divide by the smaller preliminary total merchandise export number reported at the time, $316 million, instead of the larger final number, $342 million, you can goose 67% all the way up to 73%.

And if all you are looking for is a number you can weaponize in propaganda against the United States, then that just might be good enough.

But, if you care about facts and truth, then, no, not so much.

I recall once a long time ago that I got you to admit it was at least 60%. I remarked on it at the time, that perhaps with a little more coaxing, I could get you all the way up to the number we can see in the official records. 72%.

He has his own math and comes up with his own numbers. Just as everybody at the time who said something he disagrees with had some sinister ulterior motive and couldn't possibly be speaking the truth...even when a whole bunch of them on all sides said it. No No No. He has a complete monopoly on the truth. LOL!