[Who is John Galt?]

The poster who in his latest form goes by held_to_ransom is also quite fond of claiming that the confederates "stole" the forts in Charleston from the federal government and implies that these forts were constructed with northern tax dollars. This is a falsehood.

It is false in more ways than one. The fortifications were not constructed from wads of dollar bills, or armed with cannon made from rolls of currency. The tax dollars in question were spent to purchase masonry, and armor plate, and iron guns. And much of the money was spent in Northern States, even though equivalent materials were available from Southern sources. Bricks for the construction of at least one Southern fort, for example, were shipped all the way from New England (probably using Yankee ships). If authorized today, the construction program might be called 'pork barrel spending,' or 'corporate welfare' for Northern industries. In essence, the Northern States were paid for the fortifications before the Southern States ever seceded...

;>)

[GOPcapitalist]

Bricks for the construction of at least one Southern fort, for example, were shipped all the way from New England (probably using Yankee ships).

Indeed. IIRC they even shipped the stone to create Fort Sumter island with from up north. And I'm sure those poor yankee quarry owners lodged protest about that when the feds came to buy their rocks!