In the final year of the Civil War, faced with certain defeat and with their only hope being the Union quitting the war; Gen'l Lee and others began to lobby for black Confederate soldiers. The plan would not actually arm blacks -- despite being faced with certain defeat, even that was too far -- but to allow blacks to dig trenches at Petersburg, drive supply wagons, etc. This would free white soldiers needed for the various war fronts.

Jefferson Davis and the elected officials rejected Lee's requests. Nothing came of Lee's requests, although the myth of black Confederate soldiers was later added to all the other revisionist theories spawned as Confederate veterans wrote their memoirs in the fifty years following the war.

No single issue crystalized in American's minds, Trump's total incompetence more than the Covid pandemic. And no issue of incompetence in the pandemic than Trump's decision to forego masks. Not only for himself -- he said it made him look weak -- but to persuade his followers that it was a sign of fealty to him that they should likewise refuse to wear a mask.

Now with the virus surging again, Republican Gov's in Georgia, Florida, Texas, Arizona; are faced with closing business back down again. We see 70,000 new cases per day, well on the way to the 100,000 per day Fauci warned us about. Deaths per day are now back to 1,000 per day, with August looking to go back to 30,000 deaths in the month.

High School sports for the fall are being suspended here in Wake County. The ACC will announce at the end of the month the fate of football. SEC officials are warning of the elimination of the 2020 season.

So with the V shape recovery getting ready to turn into a W, Don finally reached his Black Confederate Soldier moment yesterday. Reporters were summoned to the VA hospital and told to stand in the hall with cameras ready. And on came our king, with his "Lone Ranger Black Mask" wandering down the hall.

With Gen'l Lee, it was too little too late. With Don, we shall see.


Wear your mask, it is not a political statement. Even now.



[Post edited by Lazarus at 07/12/2020 07:17AM]