Was Jefferson Davis libertarian? (user search)
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  Was Jefferson Davis libertarian? (search mode)
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Question: Was he?
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Author Topic: Was Jefferson Davis libertarian?  (Read 3004 times)
Mechaman
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« on: February 23, 2011, 03:52:10 PM »
« edited: February 23, 2011, 03:53:54 PM by William Cutting for Pres 2012 »

It is important to remember that while history books do tend to be more pro-Union that the South didn't suffer completely from the "victor writes the history books" syndrome.  The Confederate Government wasn't some libertarian utopia where civil liberties were held super sacred and not every Confederate general was a bleedingheart civil gentleman who wouldn't dare let their men do crazy sh*t like rape women and burn the blacks.  It would be a great hypocrisy as a person interested in history to for me to act like such atrocities were alien to armies of the North, the Union most surely did commit war atrocities.  But so did the South, a point missed by people who are Confederate sympathizers.  That is what happens in warfare: men with guns destroy lives.  The only way one would ever avoid committing war crimes would be not to be in a war.  Waging war without committing crime is like having sex while keeping your virginity: not happening.  Not to mention of course that the institution of slavery, while it did exist in the northern states, was much more prevalent and was the dominant economy of the Confederate States.  In my mind an economy that is based on free exploitable labor is one that is inherently unlibertarian.  Any system where a man is owned by another is inherently unlibertarian, for his right to self, the greatest of all libertarian principles, has been violated.  I would argue that Jefferson Davis, by allowing a repressive system that violated the civil rights of millions of Americans (mostly black) from being able to declare themselves being free is just as unlibertarian (if not more so) as the "tyrant" Abraham Lincoln.
For the record I'm not sure I would've supported the Civil War.  Call me a "moderate hero" on this issue, but it's just not as black and white as the supporters of either side want you to believe.

I know there are others who would disagree.
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Mechaman
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« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2011, 04:26:27 PM »

First of all, there was no such thing as a "Libertarian" back those days. Comparision is as sensless and empty as calling, for example, Charles the Great a fascist.

Second of all, I fail to see a Libertarian supporting system like slavery.

LOL so true.
I guess even I make that mistake sometimes (applying modern day ideology to the past).
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Mechaman
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« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2011, 04:33:06 PM »

First of all, there was no such thing as a "Libertarian" back those days. Comparision is as sensless and empty as calling, for example, Charles the Great a fascist.

Second of all, I fail to see a Libertarian supporting system like slavery.

LOL so true.
I guess even I make that mistake sometimes (applying modern day ideology to the past).

Oh yes, remember ModerateDem post claiming Tudor England had a "welfare state"?

Yeah that was pretty hilarious.
Why did he think that?  Because Henry the Great was boning half the female population?
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Mechaman
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« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2011, 04:42:10 PM »


I think it's either that or he made it to make a point.
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