tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post3657808551657986471..comments2024-03-26T04:21:43.535-05:00Comments on Free Association: More on Ron Paul and "Meet the Press"Sheldon Richmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15672237234580563637noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-68217328507018581632007-12-27T16:53:00.000-06:002007-12-27T16:53:00.000-06:00"But let this sink in. Russert didn't ask Ron Paul..."But let this sink in. Russert didn't ask Ron Paul about Iraq but he asked him about the Civil War? What the hell is going on?"<BR/><BR/>I'll tell you what is going on. When Russert and his staff were working on preparing questions for the show, they tried very hard to dig up dirt and inconsistencies. Unfortunately, that is a daunting task, since Paul is squeaky clean and largely consistent over time. So when they found this quote by Paul about the Civil War being unnecessary, they said "Here's our chance to make Ron Paul look bad and seem like a fringe candidate to millions of Americans!" And notice that Russert didn't really try to argue very vigorously with Paul here. He was just trying to get him to make these controversial statements on record. And he succeeded. And, lo and behold, outlets like MSNBC began replaying this segment and denouncing Paul and calling him a crackpot, saying that no historians agree with him. So I would say that Russert may have been successful. Fortunately, MSNBC had Paul back on to discuss the issues in greater detail and he acquitted him self quite nicely (not that he was ever guilty to begin with). So maybe Russert's ploy ultimately will not work and will even backfire, as so many of the MSM shenanigans have thus far.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-75153086487608062832007-12-27T07:09:00.000-06:002007-12-27T07:09:00.000-06:00But let's keep in mind that the secession of the l...But let's keep in mind that the secession of the lower South <I>was</I> about slavery. Those states said so.Sheldon Richmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15672237234580563637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-78393887036922565402007-12-27T03:59:00.000-06:002007-12-27T03:59:00.000-06:00Washington D.C.'s population of slaves was no diff...Washington D.C.'s population of slaves was no different in 1864 than it was in 1863. Or 1861.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-14626965029139946862007-12-26T19:58:00.000-06:002007-12-26T19:58:00.000-06:00If the Civil War was about freeing slaves, then wh...If the Civil War was about freeing slaves, then why weren't the slaves freed *before* the war, instead of in the waning months? <BR/><BR/>It's like arguing that WWII was about stopping the holocaust, when most people had no idea it was going on when the war started.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20077444.post-29487548460593353742007-12-26T13:13:00.000-06:002007-12-26T13:13:00.000-06:00Sheldon, you are exactly on the money! The real r...Sheldon, you are exactly on the money! The real reason why Lincoln had his "Civil War" (a more accurate phrase for this war is "The War of Northern Aggression") is to "preserve the union", not to free the slaves.<BR/><BR/>Take a look at the timeline: in 1860, Lincoln was elected president; later in 1860, South Carolina succeeded from the union; in 1861, 10 other states followed South Carolina; later in 1861, Lincoln started his war, violating the Constitution he swore to preserve, protect, and defend (Amt 10); 1863, Lincoln made his Emancipation Proclamation "freeing the slaves".<BR/><BR/>Now, I find fault with the last one. First of all, it's been two years! Immedately after succession, war broke out. But after two years, Lincoln wants to free the slaves? And the Emancipation Proclamation didn't free the slaves; it only freed the slaves in the Confederacy. Slave-owners in states like Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware got to keep their slaves. Ron Paul might have mentioned that, but hind-sight is always 20/20.Thomas Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07367944713775628182noreply@blogger.com