Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Untold Story of the Civil War

I came across an article from an old issue of U.S. News & World Report commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Civil War. What is interesting is it compared the treatment of the South for decades after the war's end to the millions of dollars and additional support given to Germany and other European countries through the Marshall plan. It concluded the South's fate was a drag on the rest of the country as it remained the poorest section of America by far. Some quotes from the article:

"The South found itself selling its cotton in world markets at competitive prices while forced to buy its shoes and clothing and luxuries in tariff-protected markets in the north. Southerners felt that their region was becoming a colony of the North..."

"At war's end, the South lay prostrate. Nearly one of every four white men in uniform had been killed or died in service. Many more were maimed. Cities, industries, and railroads had been burned and dismantled. Rich farming regions.. had been laid waste by Northern armies..."

"After the United States helped to defeat Germany and Japan in World War II, great efforts were made to ease the pain of defeat for those nations..."

"There was no great relief efforts by the North comparable to those made by the U.S. after WWII, even though more than a million persons faced starvation in the South during the years following the war and some DID starve. Only a pittance of aid came from the North. The Government in Washington created a Freedmen's Bureau, which got $4 in taxes on cotton for each $1 it gave in relief. Funds from private charities were pathetically small in comparison to what was needed..."

"U.S Treasury agents streamed through the South in 1865 grabbing cotton, land, anything that they claimed to have been the property of the Confederacy. They took cotton valued at $30 million. Behind them came hordes of carpetbaggers (With the Wall Street Journal's blessing I'm sure. They'll invent some economic theory to justify it while professing to hate the looters in Atlas Shrugged) from the North to drain away any Southern Capital they could lay hands on..."

"Between 1868 and 1874 the carpetbaggers managed to build up the state debts in the South by $101,232,000.....Mississippi's tax rates for example, were 14 times higher at the end than the beginning.

"At that time (decades following civil war), the South was trying to educate a third of the nation's children in a dual school system, but it only had a sixth of the nation's school revenues."

One passage sounds just like the debate currently taking place over the proposed auto bailout:
"Complaints are hared now in New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and in other areas of the North that are losing industries to the South... In the past two decades (1940's and 1950's), the South has undergone something of an industrial revolution....

In 1860, the South had 17.2% of the factories and 11.5A5 of the capital in the nation. By 1904- with the war years far behind- it had 15.3% of the plants and 11% of the capital."

Of course, such an area rich in resources and poverty was irresistible to the robber barons and their government allies. It's no wonder Huey Long burst upon the scene as Standard Oil and others raped the South for its resources, while giving almost nothing in return:
"Northern capitalists took command of many Southern resources. A cottonseed-oil firm ownd in the North controlled 88% of the production of that product. the entire supply of American bauxite, found in four Southern States, went to ONE Northern company. Control of 80% of America's sulphur was picked up by another firm....

Control of the major Southern railroads, the Alabama coal and iron industries, many millions of Southern timberlands was all held by Northern interests. Only the cotton-textile and tobacco industries, among major enterprises, remained principally under Southern control..."

Ready for this one? One of the major reasons why the South lags behind the nation in industrialization:
"Southern shippers had to pay higher freight rates than did shippers in the Northeast for sending the same goods equal distances (Everyone got that?) Rates were set by Southern railroads but the roads were controlled , largely, by Northern Capital. The rates held the approval of the Interstate Commerce Commission. Not until 1945 was this changed.

The Southern steel industry, doing a booming business in 1900, was virtually stopped in its track, Southerners said, by a rate structure imposed by the North. The rates required payment of price differentials so sharp that it became cheaper for an industry in New Orleans to buy steel from Pittsburgh than from Birmingham. Not until World War II were changes made in this system."

Such policies created a region so poor and under-educated that FDR called the South the "nation's number one economic problem" in 1938. While blacks and whites in the South stayed at each others throats for decades, the Northerners laughed while they plundered and taxed them. The cries of bankrupt Detroit automakers who made too many cars and paid thousands of employees NOT to work (see jobs bank program) about how they couldn't compete with the South unless Southern taxpayers bailed them out sounds somewhat familiar, and is poetic justice to some degree. Having said that, the rest of the article is pretty good and reveals many more interesting and forgotten facts.

Untold Story of the Civil War

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

you know kf it's funny just how many people still believe that war was fought over slavery



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Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.

Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


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Trollfest '07

Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

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