White House Bullshit

[Baruch]

I don't know how many of the British still hold bad feelings toward the US for escaping America's colonial status.  There may be hard feelings, but I would think they are based on some of our present day behavior.

Likewise, I don't think the statue issue is a big concern for Yankees.  I'm just going on my own personal feelings.  The issue for me is civil rights, and that issue cuts across the Mason Dixon Line.  I'm guessing the current struggle is between progressive Southerners and their Conservative cousins.  I don't know this.  It's just my guess.

I would suggest that small town/rural people are more conservative.  Progressive or urban Southern folk, or transplants from Yankee-land are less conservative.  And sorry, your civil rights ended on 9/11 ... they are gone.  And no, the US is a British colony since 1913 ... get with the Fed program, colonial!

[Baruch]

Well, I'm not British either and I don't know what they think about Washington.  My guess is that he just subsumed in the general loss of colonies world-wide.  And they are polite so long as it doesn't involve "football".

On the other hand I AM a Yankee (Boston born) and was forced to spend 3rd through 7th grade learning "Virginia History" in the Southern version where the North unfairly attacked the South in a "War of Aggression" and I am still annoyed about it today.  I KNOW these idiots, LOL!

My childhood friends grew up KNOWING the South would rise again, they KNEW they were better than the local Black kids ( can't use the terms they used routinely).  They still considered Black people "escaped slaves". 

I could go on in more disgusting detail, but the day my family left Virginia for the (relative sanity on Maryland, I cheered! 

Need I mention that I was the only kid from north of the Mason-Dixon line in an all white school in Petersburg in the late 50s?

But to me, Lee was a traitor and ever statue of him or his fellows should be melted down and dumped far out at sea.

On the other hand, I do have a nice collection of Minie-Balls from the actual trench lines...

It has always been all American to be a traitor ... this is why, minus an external existential threat (Soviets) the Union won't stand.  Yankees and Rebs are both traitors.  Yes, Robert E Lee was a traitor.  So was Lincoln when he suspended Habeus Corpus.

[Cavebear]

I worked with a proud Texan one summer for the Forest Service in Montana.  He was the classic example of what you don't admire.  He claimed that he honestly believed blacks were mentally inferior, although I questioned if he really did believed that, which he insisted he did.  He advocated slavery and tolerated Yankees, but took cheap shots whenever he could.  He delighted calling everyone a Yankee, which didn't bother me, except for the fact that he was trying to annoy people. 

Not a big deal, but years later, I was telling my wife stories about this guy.  When I told her about him constantly calling everyone he worked with a Yankee, my wife, now my ex, who was from New England, got pissed, almost like she was pissed at me, rather than him, and she haughtily explained to me, "You're from Montana.  You're NO Yankee," and then with authority and pride, she added, "I'm a Yankee.  I'm from New England."  I always liked the way she needed to go on the record about the Yankee thing. But she obviously thought that guy from Texas was some sort of douchebag.   

I understand the "family squabble"  But I did a quick wikipedia search and am surprised to discover your wife had a good point!

Montanans actually rather liked the Confederacy and even named a new town "Varina" after Jefferson Davis' wife. Sorry about that.

But Montanans did serve honorably on the Union side as infantry but more notably Cavalry and Artilliesrts (yeah try to spell THAT after a few glasses of wine).  In fact, I think people from Montana and the surrounding States had a lot to do with defeating JEB Stuart's prized cavalry...  So tell her THAT!

[Mike Cl]

I lived in Alabama from the 5th thru 8th grades.  I remember the school kids asked me first thing if I was a rebel or a Yankee.  I had no idea what they were talking about.  So, they asked me where I was from.  I told them 'Oregon'.  They told me I was a Yankee then.  I said 'Okay' and still did not know what they were talking about.  I learned.  I learned the real name of the Civil War was the war of Yankee aggression.  This was the era of 'separate but equal ', so there was two systems.  One for whites and one for coloreds.  And they were labeled.  Drinking fountains, bathrooms and anywhere else in the public domain, were labeled.  I found this puzzling at first; and disgusting later.  There were no 'blacks' then, only colored.  So, Asian and Mexican were colored and had to use the colored areas.  Hell, even the weather and insects sucked--big time!  The best thing about Alabama was leaving it! 

During this time frame, I learned to love baseball.  And became a Yankee fan--why not, I was one, wasn't I??  As luck would have it the '57 WS (the first one I cared about) was between the Yankees and the Milwaukee Braves.  Everybody was a Braves fan--or more accurately, a Yankee hater.  And they lost the WS 4 games to 3, and my 'friends' did not let me forget.   Next season the same two teams played and I was kept informed that last year the Yankees were beaten!  Sure enough, they were losing 3 games to 1 and I was not living it down.  In those days, we watched the WS on a TV on the school stage and were marched in each day to watch as a class.  I was a captured audience.  But as things worked out, the Yankees did something that had not been done up until then, came back to win the series by winning the last 3 games!  And I did not let them ever forget!  It is a wonder I lived thru that period. :))  So, for me, the Yankees were the underdogs and so was I--a match made in heaven.

[Cavebear]

I lived in Alabama from the 5th thru 8th grades.  I remember the school kids asked me first thing if I was a rebel or a Yankee.  I had no idea what they were talking about.  So, they asked me where I was from.  I told them 'Oregon'.  They told me I was a Yankee then.  I said 'Okay' and still did not know what they were talking about.  I learned.  I learned the real name of the Civil War was the war of Yankee aggression.  This was the era of 'separate but equal ', so there was two systems.  One for whites and one for coloreds.  And they were labeled.  Drinking fountains, bathrooms and anywhere else in the public domain, were labeled.  I found this puzzling at first; and disgusting later.  There were no 'blacks' then, only colored.  So, Asian and Mexican were colored and had to use the colored areas.  Hell, even the weather and insects sucked--big time!  The best thing about Alabama was leaving it! 

During this time frame, I learned to love baseball.  And became a Yankee fan--why not, I was one, wasn't I??  As luck would have it the '57 WS (the first one I cared about) was between the Yankees and the Milwaukee Braves.  Everybody was a Braves fan--or more accurately, a Yankee hater.  And they lost the WS 4 games to 3, and my 'friends' did not let me forget.   Next season the same two teams played and I was kept informed that last year the Yankees were beaten!  Sure enough, they were losing 3 games to 1 and I was not living it down.  In those days, we watched the WS on a TV on the school stage and were marched in each day to watch as a class.  I was a captured audience.  But as things worked out, the Yankees did something that had not been done up until then, came back to win the series by winning the last 3 games!  And I did not let them ever forget!  It is a wonder I lived thru that period. :))  So, for me, the Yankees were the underdogs and so was I--a match made in heaven.

I understand.  My father disliked several things about me (as a Boston born kid)  I hated coffee, I hated fish, I hated skiing, and I hated the Red Sox...  Stayed a Yankee fan until the Washington Nationals arrived inn  2005 or so.

And I think I listened to that WS with a little earphone up my sleeve from a small transistor radio (shaped as a Coca Cola machine)

Boy do I wish I had that radio NOW!  I could retire!  Oh, wait, I AM retired...

[Mike Cl]

I understand.  My father disliked several things about me (as a Boston born kid)  I hated coffee, I hated fish, I hated skiing, and I hated the Red Sox...  Stayed a Yankee fan until the Washington Nationals arrived inn  2005 or so.

And I think I listened to that WS with a little earphone up my sleeve from a small transistor radio (shaped as a Coca Cola machine)

Boy do I wish I had that radio NOW!  I could retire!  Oh, wait, I AM retired...

Well, at least you still hate the Red Sox.  Throw in a hatred for the Dodgers and you still have the core of a Yankee fan.  Besides, one can be a fan of more than one team; because I live so close to them, I am also a fan of the SF Giants--until they play the Yanks, of course.

[fencerider]

reporter on cnn just said the best way to think about Trump is "a gum-popping 12 year old".

[Baruch]

reporter on cnn just said the best way to think about Trump is "a gum-popping 12 year old".

So ... hatred of youth, reverse ageism?

[Unbeliever]

Remember the good ol' days, about 100 years ago, when we were talking about Scaramucci, and Spicer... seems like a life time ago.

Yeah, and I heard on the news today that Bannon is out of the WH! It's a miracle! Praise Dog!

[Sorginak]

Yeah, and I heard on the news today that Bannon is out of the WH! It's a miracle! Praise Dog!

He'll just fire the next one, too, and others.  It's all he knows how to do, other than golfing.  Firing and golfing are his forte. 

[Unbeliever]

On the other hand I AM a Yankee (Boston born) and was forced to spend 3rd through 7th grade learning "Virginia History" in the Southern version where the North unfairly attacked the South in a "War of Aggression"

Yeah, even though it should be obvious that it was the Confederates that fired "the shot heard 'round the world" on Ft. Sumter.

[Baruch]

Yeah, and I heard on the news today that Bannon is out of the WH! It's a miracle! Praise Dog!

I don't think Michael Moore is taking his place, silly Commie ;-)

[Baruch]

Yeah, even though it should be obvious that it was the Confederates that fired "the shot heard 'round the world" on Ft. Sumter.

The "Shot heard round the world" was Lexington.  Most native born Americans are to stupid to pass the "know America" test that immigrants who want citizenship, have to pass.  And yes, the Southern hot heads were idiots, and portrayed as such in Gone With The Wind.

Real Americans are born killers ...

http://www.revolutionarywararchives.org/whittemore.html

[Drew_2017]

So if these geniuses run Hitler and Stalin, you will vote for one of them?  Maybe the hard work of starting a new party, starts with you.  This is normal in other countries, having more than 2 parties.

Hitler and Stalin didn't actually run to get into power. If there was ever a time a credible third party candidate could have run it would have been the past presidential election.

I wonder how much longer our form of government can last I fear the noble experiment is coming to an end...I underestimated how loathed Trump would be his presidency may hasten its demise.

[Hydra009]

Yeah, and I heard on the news today that Bannon is out of the WH! It's a miracle! Praise Dog!

The White House is going to be a lot roomier without all those tiki torches cluttering up the place.