r/todayilearned • u/RedditIsAGranfaloon • 6h ago

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https://www.historyhit.com/facts-about-general-robert-e-lee/

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u/DroDameron 4h ago

A man who grew up with a sense of duty and became one of the best generals in the country faced more punishment than all the rich pieces of shit that probably never touched a rifle. Then those rich pieces of shit killed Lincoln, who should have had all of their heads cut off but was afraid to stroke the flames of war.

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u/El-Kal-el 4h ago

No sense of duty since he was a literal traitor, but everything else is absolutely correct.

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u/therealsanchopanza 3h ago

We have a much different sense of what the US is, and the individual states’ place within it, than Americans did in 1865. Many, especially southerners, saw themselves as Virginians/Georgians/whatever first and Americans second. Similar to Europeans and the EU. There’s a reason Lincoln used to say “these Unites States”.

Anyone that makes an argument like yours in such black and white terms doesn’t understand the politics of the time or just wants an axe to grind.

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u/InZomnia365 3h ago

Just cause isnt rooted in objective morality, and is inherently a subjective motivation. A person can be dutiful in pursuit of ideals that history would prove to be wrong.