The current “National Holidays” recognized within the United States of America were established by Congress in recognition of events which allow for “patriotic celebration” and are only applicable to federal employees and the District of Columbia. Individual states decide which, if any, legal holidays they recognize.
Each National Holiday highlights a specific aspect of the American heritage that molded the United States as a people and a nation. While some may be considered holdovers from the United Kingdom or other European nations, the majority are patently not. The first four were New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. In 1885, Congress began to extend holiday coverage to federal employees outside Washington.
Decoration Day (now Memorial Day) was approved in 1888 and allowed federal employees to pay their respects to those soldiers that lost their lives in the American Civil War. While there were many wars and conflicts prior to 1888, (the War of 1812, American Indian Wars, the Mexican-American War, and expansion conflicts within Texas and the Far East), most federal employees at this time had firsthand knowledge / experience with the American Civil War and those service members who had just recently lost their lives.
Regardless of opinions as to why it was created, this specific holiday allowed federal employees to honor slain soldiers, often relatives and friends, who gave their lives in armed conflict without losing a day’s pay. Pay, if nothing else, allowed everyone eligible to participate in this holiday without acknowledging one side or the other.
The original intent of Memorial Day was different from “Armistice Day” which was created in 1938 to mark the close of World War I hostilities. In 1954, the scope of this holiday was broadened to honor Americans who fought in World War II and the Korean conflict, and the name of the holiday was changed to Veterans Day.
As a recognized American ethos, honoring those who gave their lives to ensure state, national and international interests dates back to the beginning of recorded history. There are certainly MGTOW.com members who disagree in the value of armed conflict, or the political decisions that authorize (or not) it’s use, but every nation in the world has similar recognitions for their respective fallen service members.
Even if one does not keep the memories of service members, their actions or the actions of their respective nation alive on this specific day, everyone enjoys getting paid to not work, or receive some type of stipend/compensation for working.
With this in mind, Happy Memorial Day to all who choose to honor those military and civilian members who went their own way and paid the ultimate price for doing so.
I’m of the opinion that it’s for PR purposes. The Federal Government should have a day of recognition for dead soldiers who fight for the American people.
Though WWII would be more in line with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. For a holiday such as Memorial Day.
The modern history books don’t record how unpopular the civil war was. In that generation.
So Arlington national cemetery was designated a holy site. PR representatives could point to the graves and say. “This is how far the Federal Government will go. To preserve the sacred United States.” Then US citizens chests’ would fill with pride.
In his speeches, Lincoln was obsessed with preserving the Union. At the same time Southern States must be subservient to Federal policies. Even if those policies impoverished the Southern local economies.
Southern States before and after the revolution. Were raw material exporters. Cotton, Rice, Indigo, etc.
Federal government policies at the time. Were in trade wars with other European powers over finished industrial products.
Northern Industrial interests wanted cheap access to raw materials. So legislation was put forth to depress prices on Southern materials. This was the main reason cited by the Southern States for leaving the USA.
Lincoln in his stump speeches promised to send all the blacks back to Africa. He had no interest in recognizing human dignity in black people.
In his writings, he consistently referred to blacks as sub human. He was as racist and tyranical as any modern day national socialist.
He locked up editors who were critical of his policies. He inflated the money supply through central banking to fund the unpopular war. Poor whites in the North. Were rounded up in press gangs. To serve as cannon fodder to incompetent Northern commanders. Those commanders were only in the position. Because they didn’t mind sucking off Lincoln.
After the war both sides were devestated. The New England States had The Metropolis New York city. Which was an area where a new immigrant could earn a living relatively quickly. After leaving ship.
So the Federal government got more sway with the new arrivals. With the help of a holiday like Memorial day.
The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. --Sun Tsu
GregB0 1 year, 8 months ago.
