Proximity, I do not agree with your logic and do not agree with your conclusion(s). I will only point out a new perspective for your consideration.
Consider the macroeconomic reasons that the south succeeded. The south produced many of the raw goods that the north needed for their factories... With the south as a lost resource stream the raw materials would be sent to Europe for finishing. Note the support by the French to the southern war effort.
It seems that the point of voting rights (representation) has not been covered in this discussion as well. The south was getting railed by the north on most all legislation which finally built up to a head. IIRC only land owners could vote at that time (and slave owners had a certain + for percentage of slaves).
I am also certain that certain state tax and trade issues were present as well. There wasn't free interstate commerce as there is today.
If the south actually had a manufacturing base and a better built infrastructure then the war would have been a little more of a competition... Overall the north never felt the pain like the south did. The south just did not have the money or resources to fight a war of that magnitude. The south had more heart though!!! The northern soldiers were basically bribed to serve - note that they could care less about fighting for a "nobel" cause of freeing the slaves.
Lets be clear that the north could have given a crap less about slavery or freeing slaves. To the north it was all economics and control of the southern resources. (just as no one seems to care about current slave trade and genocide in Africa today - I guess it is okay for one black man to own/sell another? They aren't called racist, they are called businessmen)
Also again for clarity. The Confederate Flag is not the same as the Rebel Battle Flag.
Fact: Southern Pride has nothing to do with slavery/racism. There is a certain southern lifestyle that you will never understand if you are not from, or have lived in, the south. That can include anybody!
That being said, Generica and big media are eroding the traditions and lifestyle of many areas in the US. I travel A LOT for work and end up seeing the same crappy restaurants and stores in big cities across America. It makes me sad.
nuf said.
Hm, I forgot to respond to this.
First, just because there may have been other issues the south had with the country in general, doesn't mean that it was a reason for their secession. Let me give you an example. Let's say a dude borrows $50 from me but doesn't give it back. I'm mad at him. Then a few days later, he beats and rapes my girlfriend. Being the vengeful motherfucker I am, I kill him. Now, I was mad at him previously over the 50 bucks, but it had nothing to do with why I killed them. In the same way, the South may have had other issues, but their reason for seceding was the election of the Republican (and lest we forget, the Republican party was initially progressives for the abolition of slavery) Abraham Lincoln, whom they feared would bring the end of slavery.
I mean, the go
ddamn VICE PRESIDENT of the Confederacy said, in verbatim, that their key reason for secession was slavery and the belief in whites as the superior race. It's black and white. It's inarguable.
And who had "more heart" is irrelevant. It's funny that you are defending the South losing the civil war right now. Are you sure you even want to be an American in this country? You are defending a group of people who were directly responsible for the loss in hundreds of thousands of American lives...for slavery and bigotry. Case in point, if you're still sore that you lost the war, then move somewhere else.
And I'm not saying that everyone who puts the flag on their car is a racist. But the fact is the sign is a symbol of treason and countless deaths that occurred in a war the South fought to retain slavery. It's incredibly ignorant and disrespectful to this country. These are facts, and they are indisputable.
It's like a German person who drags around the Nazi flag and says that it's only to represent German heritage. It's like taking around a picture of Timothy McVeigh and saying that you're only representing the city of Lockport, NY. It isn't that that isn't the case, but are you so stupid and ignorant that you don't know what it really means?
