You can't even properly understand the concept of "strawman."
A "strawman" is a deliberately distorted version of an opponents position. The debater then points out how ridiculous and offensive are the particulars of this false position that he is attributing to someone else.
The point is, it's not an accurate representation of their position, it is like a man made of straw. It vaguely has the shape of a man, but it is not a man.
No, I wasn't distorting BroJoeK's position, I was articulating my own position, and I believe that of others, that the Union launched a war against the South to protect the pocketbooks of New England.
The first "straw" part of your argument is your misrepresentation of a "Union launched... war against the South".
There was no such thing, there was only the Confederate provoked, launched & formally declared war against the United States.
The second "straw" part is your notion that somehow war could "protect the pocketbooks of New England."
It did no such thing, since cotton & other exports from Confederate states were cut off 100%.
So all Northern income which depended on Southern products ended during the war, ruining many old Northern businesses.
And yet... and yet... somehow they survived economically, adjusted, found new business models and, by war's end, were prospering more than ever, but no thanks to Southern cotton.