kottke.org
New language for talking about slavery and the Civil War, like “labor camps” instead of “plantations”. https://kottke.org/15/10/new-language-for-slavery-and-the-civil-war
New Language for Slavery and the Civil War

Drawing upon the work of colleagues, historian Michael Todd Landis proposes new language for talking about slavery and the Civil W

kottke.org
May 5, 2025 at 10:26pmkottke bot
Show threadyuhasz01May 6, 2025

@kottke

Even term Civil War does not make sense or is even historically accurate.

The event was an illegal "Rebellion" by seditious traitors to the USA.

Applies today as well with the new MAGA "Second Confederacy". Traitors are ignoring civil rights, the laws and the US Constitution.

Show threadFaraiweMay 6, 2025

@yuhasz01 @kottke if there are at least TWO intended contenders for power within a country, and they engage in armed combat about it, without intervention of an external military, the term "Civil War" DOES apply.

That said, currently what we have is an accelerated attempted coup d'etat which is trying to demolish the State, install an ethnonazionalist, christofascist regime in the United States, with support of about 30% of cretins.

#TurdReich #USPol

Show threadyuhasz01May 6, 2025

@faraiwe @kottke

I would dissent here

The role of the France to passively support the union was critical to its victory, and denial to Confederacy of funds.

No such thing as a "civil" war. Term used by winners to justify killings.

It was an armed rebellion violating Federal laws and the Constitution.

Show threadFaraiweMay 6, 2025

@yuhasz01 @kottke Oh.

Have you, in fact, spent years studying AND teaching Sociology, Armed Conflict and the like?

Because I have. I will keep my educated , specialized opinion, here, thanks kindly.

Show threadvarx/socialMay 8, 2025
@yuhasz01 @faraiwe The word "civil" has multiple meanings—see also "civil law" versus "criminal law". Here, "civil war" means "a war within a country", distinguishing it from the more common situation of a war between countries.
Show threadJonathan HartleyMay 6, 2025

@kottke Brief summary:

Slave owners (legitimizes concept of ownership) → Enslavers

Plantation (romanticised obfuscation) → Labor camp

Union → United States [of America] ("Union" vs Confederacy falsely frames the war as between two symmetrical sides. However, the USA did not cease to exist during the war. Confederate states seceded, but the rest continued to be the USA.)

Compromise → Appeasement (to more accurately describe legislative packages that avoided disunion in the antebellum era)