"Lost Cause" or Southern apologetics in the American Civil War

[Red Commissar]

This has been bothering me for some time now. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, the "Lost Cause" refers to an interpretation of the Civil War that involves downplaying the role of slavery and rather focusing on other more 'noble' causes, such as States' Rights.

While we must recognize that wars can not solely be attributed to one cause, the role of slavery in the civil war can not be underestimated. Unfortunately with the Lost Cause interpretation this is increasing in prominence, with more and more attention placed on 'States' Rights' as a primary if not chief reason for the South's secession. Never mind that most of the time when States' Rights was harped it was related to slavery anyways.

In my neck of the woods (Texas) this is unfortunately a common interpretation that is taught, even by the 'liberal' classrooms. I'm not sure how it is in other states- I would imagine it is same in some southern classrooms as you're more likely to find apologetic among teaches there than in other parts of the country. Has this interpretation gained strength elsewhere? What is its reason for acceptance? I've noticed that particularly among some in the right-wing crowd crying on about 'big government' the Confederacy has become some sort of lost Eden of small government (!), states' rights, and the free market or some bullshit like that.

[Commissar Rykov]

I grew up in a Southern Family and my father was a diehard Southern Apologist which was quite unlike my Mother who was abhorred by everything the Confederacy stood for. I have never understood the mentality even though I was taught it by my Father at a very young age. I held people like Lee, Jackson, Forrest, Stuart, Longstreet, etc. in high regards for the longest time. I eventually overcame this ailment by simply reading but still it disturbs me when I think about how I used to view the situation.

I have found that this has become a major thing for certain strains of Libertarian here in the United States and is becoming one of their pet issues. Somehow they are taking that the CSA would have been some Libertarian paradise but really it just comes down to a shitty interpretation that it is about States Rights something a Libertarian can fap over. I still believe though that Libertarian Ideals are becoming nothing more than a smokescreen for overt White Nationalism. Sure they want a Libertarian State if you are a WASP but something else? They will have you in shackles or on a boat before you can say, "Fuck off."

So to sum it up I think the Lost Cause is just some intellectually dishonest attempt at justifying White Supremacy under the guise of States Rights. Because honestly what they are arguing at the end of the day is that people were private property and the government has no right interfering with property rights.