In an interview Donald Trump revealed that he didn’t understand why the Civil War happened. Moreover, he said that his hero Andrew Jackson would have put a stop to it. The problem with that theory is that Jackson died nearly two decades before the outbreak of the Civil War. Perhaps there’s an explanation for what looks like rank ignorance.
Outside Linear Time, The Donald
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication, WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a frequent contributor to The Wall Street Journal, a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "The Stringer."
14 Comments. Leave new
«The problem with that theory is that Jackson died nearly two decades before the outbreak of the Civil War.» Why is that a problem, Ted ? From what I am given to understand, a majority of people in your country are convinced that a more or less historical figure, who, it is claimed, was executed some two millennia ago, intervenes in human affairs on a daily basis. Why then not an intervention by Andrew Jackson, scarcely cold in his grave, to stop the US Civil War ? (Of course, just how Mr Jackson, himself a slaveowner, would have deal with the issue of chattel slavery, which was the ultimate cause of the US Civil War is unknown ; would he have attempted to make such slavery legal in the whole of the United States ? Perhaps we should ask Mr Trump….)
Henri
If it talks, walks and smells like rank ignorance, it probably is…..
Mr. Scam-man, bring me a dream – Promise me everything and act tough and mean. Dump all the poisons into my water, then go and hire your fiends and daughter. Mr. Scam-man, I’m all alone, take away my healthcare and throw me a bone – Mr. Scam-man, if you please, bring the US down to its knees! Dumb,dumb,dumb,dumb,dumb,dumb,dumb,dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb,dumb dumb….
Perhaps Trump will coin more Trumpisms than Bush did Bushisms. My currently trending favorite, “Who knew health care could be so complicated”
It is obvious that Trump has never dealt personally with insurance companies, Explanations of Benefits (EOBs), and co-pays, etc.
Myself, I’m rather surprised that Mr Trump hasn’t started an insurance company. That branch, like real estates, would seem to be made for a person like him….
Henri
Oh, hell, yeah – my answer to the above question, is “Anybody qualified to denigrate and/or write laws about it.”
I strongly suspect that is a common theme in his big promises. He makes a large amount of noise on subjects his is completely ignorant about.
The Clintonbots don’t have that much more grasp of facts than Trump and his Trumpeters.
One wrote on gocomics that Lincoln abolished slavery half way through his term, when he didn’t: It wasn’t until after Lincoln’s death that slavery was abolished.
But mainly, the Clintonbots are sure that it is irrefutably proven that St Hillary was the best candidate for president the US has ever had, and she would have had at least 150% of the vote if Trump hadn’t tweeted Putin the password to the voting machines.
Slavery has not been abolished.
The dirty, sneaky, Republicans limited slavery only to the state, ending only private slavery.
All a state has to do is make a law that provides punishment by slavery, as specifically allowed by the Thirteenth Amendment.
State prison systems have regularly leased prisoners to private corporations.
A not unimportant point, Glenn – particularly in a country that imprisons more of its population, both in absolute and per capita terms, than any other in the world….
Henri
«One [i e, «Clintonbot»] wrote on gocomics that Lincoln abolished slavery half way through his term, when he didn’t: It wasn’t until after Lincoln’s death that slavery was abolished.» To be fair, Michael, I suspect the person who posted to gocomics had in mind the so-called Emancipation Proclamation of 22 September 1862, in which Mr Lincoln «freed» the slaves in territories over which the Union had no control, while leaving slavery intact in those territories over which it did exert control. Not to deny that the Proclamation was a step forward in the yet unfinished (cf Glenn’s post below) struggle to abolish slavery, but the wording – and the politics behind the wording – do leave a bad taste in the mouth (note also the passage to the effect that «the effort to colonize persons of African descent, with their consent, upon this continent, or elsewhere, with the previously obtained consent of the Governments existing there, will be continue», which in other contexts is referred to as «ethnic cleansing»)….
Henri
Aren’t you guys getting tired of winning? 🙂
Who are “you guys” and who is winning?
The meaning of the message escapes me.
Who is “we”, Henri? I don’t want to axe Trump anything – his ‘answers’ are often bald-headed lies. Besides, as I have herd, Jackson’s slaves were given 3 hots and a cot every day and free medical care – much better than we treat the hundreds of thousands of homeless that we ignore wandering the streets today in our great nation.
«Who is “we”, Henri? I don’t want to axe Trump anything – his ‘answers’ are often bald-headed lies.» But rikster, I took care to cover my arse with an adverb : «Perhaps [emphasis added, MHD] we should ask Mr Trump [i e, as to how Mr Jackson would have put an end to the US Civil War»….
Somehow I don’t see resurrecting chattel slavery as an adequate response to the problem of «the hundreds of thousands of homeless that we ignore wandering the streets today in our great nation». But Mr Trump may view this issue differently….
Henri