But seriously, if you're going to draw upon Lincoln as inspiration, you should recognize that the man was committed to the prosecution of the Civil War to ensure the preservation of the union, and the men he employed were willing to do whatever it took to achieve that end. (1/n)
Which is to say that many of the men employed by Lincoln were absolutely reprehensible in their personal views, even as they were unwavering in their commitment to the country. These men saw as their duty the swift prosecution of the Civil War, regardless of cost. (2/n)
That is, Lincoln, and the men he employed, are not to be emulated as unifiers, EXCEPT with reference to the sheer ruthlessness with which they sought the restoration of the union through any means at their disposal, up to and including the utter destruction of the south. (3/n)
This is a degree of savagery, of commitment to an ideal, that our elected officials lack. And I say this of the left and the right, as the men that Lincoln employed were willing to take up any method they saw fit to restore the union, including incurring civilian losses. (4/n)
To be clear: I've studied enough about the Civil War and Lincoln and his men to recognize that Lincoln and crew should only be emulated in the most dire of circumstances.
Folks really need to stop parroting an ahistorical vision of "Lincoln the mediator." (fin)
Folks really need to stop parroting an ahistorical vision of "Lincoln the mediator." (fin)
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