Hit the Road, Jack or US Out of Texas!

[ZenGum]

Originally Posted by IamSam

There's been a bit of a problem with that "enduring" part. Enduring resentment is giving it a run for the money, though.

Uhh, invasion of Iraq was Operation Enduring Freedom. Was attempt at humour.

Originally Posted by richlevy

What I never understood is all of the Civil War reenactment in the South. Why keep faithfully reenacting a war that they lost? Isn't it a bit like inviting an old girlfriend over every year to replay the day she broke up with you?

Or is it the hope that if they keep doing it over and over again, there will be some moment of epiphany when they can watch it and say "So that's why we lost to those guys."

It is a bit odd.
Australia's day of military rememberance is ANZAC day, April 25, the anniversary of the landings at Gallipoli, Turkey, in WWI.

It was a bloody disaster. Not a bad idea, but hopelessly badly planned, organised and led, and bogged down into the worst stalemate of trench warfare with added logistical challenges of a toehold on a beach head under mountain ridges. After eight months, they managed an evacuation. It produced our most famous war hero ever, Private Simpson Kirkpatrick, a stretcher-bearer who (technically) went AWOL, stole a donkey from somewhere, and used it to evacuate somewhere between 70 and 300 wounded men down sniper alley before being killed.

We don't re-enact the landings or such, but we take a pride in the stubborn guts with which our troops fought.

I wonder if the Southerners are doing something similar - taking pride in damn near winning against a foe with a clear industrial advantage.

[IamSam]

Originally Posted by richlevy

What I never understood is all of the Civil War reenactment in the South. Why keep faithfully reenacting a war that they lost? Isn't it a bit like inviting an old girlfriend over every year to replay the day she broke up with you?

Or is it the hope that if they keep doing it over and over again, there will be some moment of epiphany when they can watch it and say "So that's why we lost to those guys."

Well, there are Civil War reenactments everywhere - not just the South. They even have them in Colorado, along with reenactments of Mountain Men Rendezvous and dog knows what else.

Besides, you do know that "The South will rise again," right? The South won quite a few Civil War battles - the first and second Battles of Bull Run, Manassas, etc., etc. THOSE are the battles that get re-enacted - not Appomattox.

Southerners are inviting their ex-girl friends over to have a romp in the hay and remember the good old days with these re-enactments of Confederate victories. They're a balm to wounded Southern pride.

Originally Posted by ZenGum

Uhh, invasion of Iraq was Operation Enduring Freedom. Was attempt at humour.

As was my reply.

[ZenGum]

We need more fainting nuns.

[glatt]

I went to one reenactment. It was pretty cool. This was in Virginia. The spectators clapped for the Confederate soldiers at the end and were silent when the Union soldiers went by. And there were not that many Union soldiers. It seemed like most people wanted to play rebel.

It's like playing cops and robbers as a kid, and nobody wants to be the cop.