Economics:
#1. The south was able to sell it's goods in northern markets and overseas for lesser costs (no "labor overhead" beyond care and feeding) and therefore was able to substantially undercut northern price ranges for similar products. In this manner, the South was literally strangling the economy of the north.
#2 In the secession the south removed from commerce a number of products that were equally in demand in the north: Tobacco products, cotton, rice etc. Removal of these products forced alternative supplies by obtained from foreign sources. At substantially increased costs.
#3 The Southern secession also removed substantial land mass from the Union and subsequently placed more economic pressure from alliances posed by the south to foreign governments on all fronts: Economic, political and of course military. any inroad in those directions would eventually prove disastrous for the north eventually. So Lincoln knew he had to fight in order to stave off catastrophe.
But is it easy to rally your army to fight, kill and die for the almighty dollar? Well sure. We've been doing it ever since the Whiskey Rebellion, but it's always been couched in much grander terms that presents the struggle and necessary conflict in a more populist strain that always paints us as the good guys and "them" (whomever they are) as the bad guys, with the fate of humanity hanging on the outcome. We never put the necessity for conflict into terms of dollars and cents. Because we know that just makes no sense at all.
Thus enters into the paradigm the motivator of Morality. Americans have always risen to a dire challenge and that is to their credit. It has always been thus. The unfortunate reality has been that since the infestation of liberalism into the classrooms, Americans have become less likely to readily discern true GOOD versus true EVIL. This means they have become dependent on our government for making those definitions and those make the case for war. That's a mistake. The masses have ceased to think for themselves, thanks to public education. It may well prove to be our ultimate undoing. But, thankfully, the jury is still out on that one. The real test may come in November of 2010 and 2012.
The masses have ceased to think for themselves, thanks to public education. It may well prove to be our ultimate undoing. But, thankfully, the jury is still out on that one. The real test may come in November of 2010 and 2012. <<<
True............