Posted on 06/26/2015 6:14:39 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
In the wake of nine racially motivated murders in South Carolina, attention has focused on displays of the Confederate battle flag. Many retailers have pulled Confederate flags from their inventory. A bipartisan group of politicians and public figures have called for the removal of the flag from South Carolina’s capitol grounds.
To some, the flag represents a noble Southern heritage. To others, it evokes a vile history of racial violence. As a black libertarian, I see in the Confederate flag interwoven tragedies which echo through history.
The first tragedy is the most obvious, the one most cited, the one fueling the current debate. The Confederate flag reminds us of a time when human beings were bought and sold as chattel, when the rights of individuals were denied based on the color of their skin. The institution of slavery cannot be washed from Confederate symbolism. For that reason, it remains reasonable to question why anyone would want to associate themselves with that symbol.
The second tragedy is amplified by its obscurity, the fact that few seem to recognize or appreciate it. The original constitutional vision of the American republic took form in a compact between the several states, where they granted enumerated powers to a federal government and established a first of its kind dual-sovereignty. The ultimate check on federal authority was the capacity of the states to withdraw from the compact. Among the many causalities of the Civil War was this original vision of dual-sovereignty. Today, we pledge allegiance to a union “indivisible,” affirming the supreme authority of the federal government to dictate law among the states. We can argue whether the states retain certain powers in theory. But in practice, the feds call the shots in far more ways than the Founding Fathers ever envisioned. That’s largely a product of the Civil War.
Therefore, when I look at the Confederate battle flag as a black libertarian, I see tragedy for all parties concerned. I see the history of racism and human indignity which motivates the current debate. But I also see the loss of state sovereignty which compromised the Founding Fathers’ vision for republican government. To the extent people choose to fly the Confederate flag in honor of that latter heritage, I can’t fault them.
That said, let’s be clear why state sovereignty was lost. It was lost because the southern states delegitimized it.
Next: The moral right to invade…
CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO ON THE WAR OF NORTHERN AGGRESSION
Sovereignty is a loosely defined concept in our political discourse which tends to reference any claim to govern. However, the moral right to sovereignty emerges from a recognition of individual rights.
Nazi Germany held no moral claim to sovereignty, because that state rejected the moral basis upon which sovereignty stands. The Allied powers were within their rights to invade, remove the rights-violating Nazi state, and establish new means of security. Likewise in the Civil War, the southern states yielded any legitimate claim to sovereignty by engaging in institutional slavery, leaving the North with the moral right to invade.
There exists an undercurrent in libertarian circles which stands sympathetic to the South. It regards Lincoln as a tyrant and refers to the Civil War as “the War of Northern Aggression.” This misguided view places the cart of sovereignty before the horse of human rights. If we regard Lincoln as a tyrant for invading the South, we must likewise regard the Allies as tyrants for invading Germany. Sovereignty emerges from rights, not as an arena for their violation. There exists no “sovereign right” to violate another human being.
This is why we didn’t flinch from raiding Bilal Town in Pakistan, killing Osama bin Laden. The Pakistani claim to “sovereignty” held no legitimacy in a context where they harbored an enemy committed to violating the rights of American citizens. In this way, sovereignty between states is like fences between neighbors. You can only be a victim of trespass if you did not trespass first.
It’s with this view of both history and morality that I regard the Confederate battle flag as a complicated and tragic symbol. It represents our failings as a republic. We aspired to a grand vision of self-governance, and profoundly failed on multiple fronts. That said, the vision remains, and we continue to imperfectly pursue it. To the extent the Confederate flag inspires some toward a spirit of independence, it retains value. However, we should remember that such independence must be daily purchased with universal respect for the rights of others. The moment we trespass against a neighbor, we lose our sovereign claim. That’s the warning which the flag should herald today.
The other day I read a lot of quotations of Shelby Foote to see what he might have said about this current flag issue. I can’t put my browser on his most appropriate quote right now but he said that states should decide how or if on public property a Battle Flag should be displayed and it should be no controversy if a majority ruled against it.
He said that in mid century there had been a resurgence of pride in the sacrifices and bravery of the Confederate soldier and the Battle Flag had been brought to prominence as a way to honor those forebears and allow southern pride. But he said that those that chose to use it turned their back as “yahoos” (his word for Klansmen and racists) appropriated the symbol and did nothing about it. He was saddened that the Battle Flag had become more the symbol and standard of the yahoos than people truly steeped in history.
He felt the controversy could have been avoided it southern pride had been stronger. He thought that the Stars and Bars had become tainted as a symbol for that reason.
That was another very interesting take.
But you can't grasp this because you don't want to. So there is nothing else to discuss.
I've read that the South was settled heavily by Scots-Irish, and the North was predominantly English, and the much of the animosity was just a continuation of the multi-generational conflicts between these groups going on back in England for Centuries.
The Scots come from a mountainous part of the Island, so Molon Labe is just a significant part of their DNA.
Over-simplification of a very complicated subject.
No surprise there. Many fools actually think they are smart. Witness the antics of other big government proponents such as Nancy Pelosi. She doesn't realize she's an idiot.
To clarify your point, "It's their fault that so many people died stopping their independence."
I don't think you really put much consideration into the stuff you say.
I will note George III lost about 15,000 casualties before he decided to respect the rights of other people to rule themselves. The Colonists lost about 10,000. No doubt you regard all the deaths as the fault of the Colonists, you know, if you are being consistent or something.
Your effective "Cause of War" is damage to some rocks. No human casualties.
To intellectually honest people, it puts the lie to the endless propaganda about justifying the invasion because they wanted to abolish slavery.
And that's just what it is. Abolishing slavery wasn't the goal, abolishing Independence from Washington D.C. was the goal.
"Abolition" was a post hoc red herring designed to cover up the fact that 600,000 people were murdered so that Washington D.C. could continue to rule over that area.
Yep, but we lose about 98% when we use that “intellectually honest” filter....sadly.
...uh, AND declared war on us...and killed thousands of sailors....and because Germany also declared war on us.....and because it was historically inevitable.
As with most operating on feelings, that “feel” is not a true pointer to reality.
“That said, let’s be clear why state sovereignty was lost. It was lost because the southern states delegitimized it. “
The States were exercising their rights, yet, this pinhead claims that “delegitimizes” those rights?
“Lee surrendered his army but the Southern people never intellectually surrendered. We knew we always had the right to secede. We were just unable to physically fight off the invading force of the North.”
Perfectly put. The liberals no longer have the upper hand with manufacturing this time around.
“Strength and Power are not the measure of a successful Republic. Consent of the Governed is the measure of success for a Nation formed on such a concept. “
Well said as was the rest of that post.
DL, DD is partly correct, some states have rights and other states do not. In the War of Northern Aggression, the rights of the Southern State were less than the rights of the northern States, particularly relating to economics.
The North saw the South being able to conduct business with other countries as against the rights of the North to remain the sole supplier of industrial goods to the South.
“The north went to war because the south went to war against them.”
rockrr, you have always been a yankee bigot full of ignorance and stupidity.
This is true.
So a state has the right to walk out of the union and leave behind any responsiblility for obligations like debt which they helped accumulate, take every bit of national property that they can get their hands on, and the other states have the right to sit back and suffer the consequences without any recourse? That doesn't sound like an equal partnership to me.
True.
So it works how ever you want it to.
I don't see the founders supporting something as fraught with danger as that. If fact wasn't it Madison who said something to the effect that a true secession required the agrement of both parties?
IMO if I was leading secession as a governor or legislature, the last thing I want to do is give Fedzilla warning so they can flood my state with troops.
I suspect you would have to wait until you started your war before fedzilla sent troops anywhere.
But you can't grasp this because you don't want to.
I can't grasp it because it's dumb.
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