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Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Libertarians and the Confederate Battle Flag

Libertarians and the Confederate Battle Flag:

"By calling for the eradication of the Confederate battle flag from public places the Cato Institute, the NAACP, and the Southern Poverty Law Center are saying that we should destroy the most enduring symbol of opposition to centralized governmental power and tyranny, a symbol that to this day is a part of secession movements around the world, from Quebec to Northern Italy.

No one was a more articulate and outspoken abolitionist than the great libertarian legal philosopher Lysander Spooner of Massachusetts. But in 1870 Spooner wrote that 'all these cries of having ‘abolished slavery,' of having ‘saved the country,' of having ‘preserved the union,' of establishing a ‘government of consent,' and of ‘maintaining the national honor' are all gross, shameless, transparent cheats — so transparent that they ought to deceive no one.'

The great historian of liberty, Lord Acton, wrote to Robert E. Lee on November 4, 1866, that 'I saw in States Rights the only availing check upon the absolutism of he sovereign will, and secession filled me with hope, not as the destruction but as the redemption of Democracy. . . . I deemed that you were fighting the battles of our liberty, our progress, and our civilization; and I mourn for the stake which was lost at Richmond more deeply than I rejoice over that which was saved at Waterloo.'"
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1 comment:

  1. Unknown9:09 PM

    I won't recheck here for replies. But will say my piece.
    1. Anyone who believes the American Civil War was simply about 'States Rights' has an overly simplistic view of what lead to the war. It was so much more, INCLUDING SLAVERY. Also I will say that YES State Rights WERE a part of it.[To be fair, I do know that Gen. Robert E. Lee owned NO slaves and Gen. U. S. Grant DID at the outbreak of war. So I will be fair and say that is just messed up.]

    2. To most 'Confederate Flag' is a symbol not of 'opposition to a centralised tyrannical government...' but of oppression by slave holders who were against progress and freedom for ALL [Granted the slave holder valued THEIR freedom, but any person who held slaves didn't value the slaves freedom or they wouldn't hold people in slavery'

    3. With the groups calling for the eradication of the symbol, they are standing up for their rights. They have a right to move past what was to embrace what is. In speaking against that, you would be attemtping to trump their FREEDOM of EXPRESSION and SPEECH. [yet further proof that the flag in question is tainted by oppression]

    I conceded some points, and attacked nobody directly. So I hope that whoever reads this can acknowledge that and accept that. We can agree to disagree. Yet like I said I won't be checking back here. One reason being I am too busy, another is I AM A MINORITY and am insulted at the idea of that flag, and my experiance with those who honor that flag are that they won't attempt to find middle common ground with minorities.
    Rev. J

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