Hey Wingnuts, Suck on Honest Abe’s Teabags
By any modern understanding of the word “Republican,”Lincoln is about as Republican as Noam Chomsky. Here are some of his lesser known teabag smackdowns.
1. “I am glad to know that there is a system of labor where the laborer can strike if he wants to! I would to God that such a system prevailed all over the world.” – From a speech on March 5, 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut, regarding a shoemaker’s strike (which, believe it or not, involved 20,000 shoemakers who were not, apparently, elves).
2. “Inasmuch as most good things are produced by labor, it follows that all such things of right belong to those whose labor has produced them. But it has so happened, in all ages of the world, that some have labored, and others have without labor enjoyed a large proportion of the fruits. This is wrong, and should not continue. To secure to each laborer the whole product of his labor, or as nearly as possible, is a worthy object of any good government.” – From his notes about tariff policy, scribbled down on December 1, 1847.
3. “Labor is prior to and independent of capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration. Capital has its rights, which are as worthy of protection as any other rights. Nor is it denied that there is, and probably always will be, a relation between labor and capital producing mutual benefits.” – From his 1861 State of the Union address, decrying “the effort to place capital on an equal footing with, if not above, labor in the structure of government.”
You ever hear of evolution? That was then, this is now. Times have changed – uhmm…like a lot.
Yes, by all means, let us never speak of the founding fathers again. NOT
In his own words:
I cannot make it better known than it already is, that I strongly favor colonization. Eliminating every black person from American soil would be a glorious consummation.”
“I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in states where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.”
“Free them, and make them politically and socially our equals? My own feelings will not admit to this… We cannot, then, make them equals.”
He also suspended Habeas Corpus and closed down newspapers critical of the war.
We have lionized the man far more than he deserves. He also approved of the Savannah Campaign which waged total war on his own people.
“Times have changed – uhmm…like a lot.”
You’re right. back then, protection from worker exploitation was only a dream and a high minded utopian idea. They call em Regressives for a reason
“We have lionized the man (Lincoln) far more than he deserves.”
An honest wingnut, so refreshing. So many wignuts lament that the Union survived the abolition of slavery, but so few admit it.
I learned this week that Lincoln once jumped out of a window to deny quorum in the Illinois legislature.
@Jason:
Where exactly did I say that I either wanted the union abolished or that slavery should continue?
I am merely saying that Lincoln’s sole intention what the preservation of the union, not freeing the slaves as is commonly believed.
The Union may well have been preserved and slavery eliminated without force of arms which would have been much better for the whole country.
But any sort of reasoned debate doesn’t interest you. You’d much rather demonize me and anyone who isn’t in lockstep agreement with you. Lazy and simplistic comes naturally to you.
I think Lincoln would enjoy the irony of having the decendants of the traitors he fought against now running, front and center, his old party.
JustMe,
You were implying that all Lincoln did was keep the Union together like it was a small task.
Lincoln was troubled by what would happen to slaves if they were in fact freed and how they would fit in society. By the same token, he implied a containment policy, by suggesting that current slaves states stay slave states, but as more states were joining the Union, it would upset the balance in Washington and eventually Slavery would be abolished through the legislative process.
The south ceceded in large part due to slavery. Lincoln did not “invade” slave states to free slaves, he wanted to keep the union whole.
There is also that little thing called the Emancipation Proclimation. Which took up the issue of slavery head on, and claimed all slaves free. Granted this was 1863 years into the war, but he did it nonetheless as Commander. His personal views may have been conflicted as your quotes show, but apparently he modified that view in his policy.
And yes, he suspended habeas corpus, which was later overturned (years later)by the supreme court so we supposedly can learn from that mistake.
And the Savannah Campaign was Shermans idea, not Lincolns.
I really don’t know where you are getting the notion that the nation may have well been preserved without war and slaves freed.
Simply put, Lincoln primary concern may have been to preserve the Union, at the start of the war. But when the war was over, slavery was not reinstated. And in the midst of that war, he alone issued the proclomation as supreme commander of the army, navy and the Union that freed the slaves.
He may not be the greatest in your view, but he accomplished the single most difficult task since the founding of this nation at that time (and argueably since). And that is no small accomplishment.
Don’t be a hater just cause he ain’t all that in your eyes. After all, he only kept the Union together, ended slavery and gave his life serving his country. Yep, Lincoln sure was a lightweight.
He also wanted to put all slaves on a boat back to Africa…
So, the tea baggers can grab back on that nugget if they wish
He wasn’t virtuous when it came to slaves, he freed them out of strategic necessity. He increased his army by about 200,000 troops who had nothing to lose but everything to gain. Sure, the end of slavery was the right thing to do, but he didn’t do it for moral reasons.
“The Union may well have been preserved and slavery eliminated without force of arms which would have been much better for the whole country.”
Nothing can be as amusing as alternate history. Pray tell, what was the plan for ending slavery and preserving the union without force of arms?