The most pathetic figure in American history

[Goodheart]

Many candidates, but my vote goes to:


The common Confederate soldier


There was nothing "noble" about him. He was a damn fool, too stupid to be purposely evil but fighting on the side of monstrous immorality nevertheless. And to prolong an economic/political system that not only was obviously cruel to his fellow human beings but also insidiously oppressive to himself. The presence of slaves in the South meant that his own toils and sweat were grossly devalued, but he was too obsequious to his white masters to even realize that. When those rich slaveholders yelled "secede!" he obliged with "I'm willing to die for you, sir"!

But was his station in life at least better than that of the slaves? In terms of freedom and comfort, sure... but at least those black people weren't pussies.

I say all this as a son of the South.

[leftieNanner]

1. And these Alt-Right Boogaloo guys

Are the same. They vote against their own self interest every chance they get. They think those big guns make them tough and manly. They aren't smart enough to understand that the people they support politically and economically despise them.

[Goodheart]

2. The Confederate soldier lives on.

[Ron Green]

3. He fought for his State.

He understood allegiance to his state, a concept he understood, as opposed to the as-yet-unformed idea of a “union.”

In his mind, soldiers from other states had invaded his land, and he was defending and protecting his community. The “confederacy” likely became the first larger political idea he could apprehend, if not actually comprehend.

Black people were second-class people to him, just as they were in the North.

[Goodheart]

4. Allegiance to a vile state is not to be commended.

[Aristus]

5. This fellow Son of the South agrees with you 100%.

It's a little dismaying to see how effective a flimsy, and essentially meaningless, phrase like 'states rights' was in getting people to go out and die for the wealthy 1%-ers.

People who would never in their lives be able to afford slaves, but propped up the system so they could have someone to look down on, as LBJ so succinctly put it.

[Goodheart]

6. "propped up the system so they could have someone to look down"

So sadly true. And still true.

[anamnua]

7. I agree completely with the OP

Also I just don't buy the argument, often used in mitigation, that the confederates fought with great courage against increasingly overwhelming odds -- so did the German army in WW2.