A Civil War Podcast: Why Virginia Seceded, West Virginia Formed

Presently there is a 150th Anniversary called a Sesquicentennial of the Civil War ongoing that is supported by State governments for tourism as well as for American education.  West Virginia's Sesquicentennial website is here.  It is an excellent time (and very relevant to today) to reconsider this major event in American history which transformed America.

The link below will take you to an excellent podcast tracing weekly the events leading up to and including the so-called Civil War from a Longwood University professor in Virginia which is worth subscribing to. Every American should know the documented truth (not the politically-correct propaganda version) about this Great Conflict which cost the lives of over 620,000 Americans, more than all U.S. wars combined. History is absolutely essential for discovering our present context which puts and interprets current events in better light. The history of the Civil War teaches alot about the true nature of the present U.S. Federal Government, which changed entirely from this historic event, despite flying a similar flag. Every family, and school, could benefit from this short weekly podcast.

The Civil War was nothing less than another Revolution of Government (for that is what the Southern States declared in justification of their seceding) in which the northern section, and their principles, usurped and turned the Federal Government in Washington D.C. into a Central Power over the previously sovereign and independent states. Slavery was only part of the issue, which even Lincoln declared he had no right to abolish or outlaw when he took office (as the earlier podcasts prove), for the larger principles of Union and Liberty came into conflict, i.e. National Federalism vs. State's Rights. What is now called Big Government began here with a war waged by Washington D.C. against the States who formed her! Thus the Union was "saved" or reformed at gunpoint. To be brought back into a union by force most all will recognize as some form of tyranny instead of freedom. Ironically, those who opposed a centralized power in Washington were then the Democrats (back then Dixie-crats!), and it was Lincoln's radical (called "Red") Republicans who wanted to tyrannize the states, contrary to "Tea Partiers" today!

Nothing highlights more how the Federal Government changed than this podcast here since it includes the Secession of Virginia and the formation of West Virginia, which is obscured in the title. Virginia had voted against secession until President Lincoln tried to raise armies in the southern states to wage war against the states seceding. That changed everything, and Virginia seceded on April 17, 1961 (see Ordinance of Secession in previous post). Every West Virginian should know this and also read the State Cultural Center's archives on the formation of West Virginia, "An Illegal Act?" which is enlightening for a better understanding about both the U.S. government and this state's origins.

Secession in the Old Dominion, Violence in Baltimore | That a Nation Might Live

[Virginia Secedes and] Baltimore Riot

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Governor Flipper? Manchin Goes National with FOX Against Obama Policies

FOX News did a nationally broadcast interview (see video below) with Governor Manchin pressing him whether he has now flip-flopped in support of President Obama's policies, primarily health care reform, to save his political hide from Republican challenger John Raese who is presently leading in the polls by 6 points (with early voting starting soon). This directly addresses the ad campaign Raese has leveled at Manchin, justly pointing out that he would likely become a political partisan in Washington and "rubber stamp for Barack Obama" (as Rep. Shelly Moore Capito was accused of by state democrats with Bush), because that is what tends to happen there for anyone who desires to gain power and personal advancement. (And make no mistake, Manchin's ego insists on personal advancement above all). Raese struck a nerve, and it is working. Watch Manchin play defense, desperately.



So does he really mean what he says? Or, has John Raese forced the Governor into it, through political threat, and now Manchin is playing the pragmatist to win. Manchin has everything riding on this as far as his political future, and he was arrogant enough to think it would be easy. Well guess what. Governor Joe is finding out that the Tea Party movement in fact is non-partisan, and he is now shifting with the political wind.

But why then did he have Bill Clinton campaign with him in Morgantown today? Campaigning with Clinton was a stupid move and sends an entirely different message than to the one in this interview with FOX.

It is also sickening to hear him brag about West Virginia's good financial situation, as if he deserves the credit, when it was done only by passing Table Games legislation and expanding the State government via gambling revenues, when the majority in the state opposed it, and the State Constitution does not permit it, nor was amended. So make no mistake, the state finances were fixed only by dishonest, unconstitutional dirty dealing to create more Gambling Revenues, not by job expansion or attracting employers. So, "Governor Soprano" (as Raese called him once) seems to fit the way Manchin operates, and he is not above using slick shady dealings to get done what he wants. The governor is more pragmatist than principled, which makes where he stands uncertain.

Credibility will be the issue here, for if Manchin was critical of Obamacare and fiscal policies he did not say anything about it until now, when his Senate race is on the line. Voters will decide soon.