The United States has a history of defeating those who would enslave others.
Our victories over the Soviets, the Nazis, and the Confederates help to define who we are as Americans. Republicans from Abraham Lincoln to Ronald Reagan have led or supported that fight.
Today, the descendants of those defeated enemies have coalesced into an insurgency that threatens our democracy, all too often with the cooperation of the GOP. Evidence continues to mount that the Russians, led by a former Soviet KGB officer, undertook a disinformation campaign designed to help their choice of candidates get elected President, or at least create maximum confusion and mistrust with our political system.
Trump, the Conman-in-Chief with his fascist-leaning tendencies, has put into the highest reaches of our government actual Nazis and Nazi-sympathizers, along with an assortment of white supremacists. Meanwhile, Republican politicians in the former Confederate States work to suppress the votes of African-Americans, or simply undermine the workings of governing process.
These enemies are emboldened now. Just yesterday, GOP candidate for governor of Virginia Corey Stewart, who was born in Minnesota, said there is nothing worse than “yankees” saying Confederate monuments don’t matter, as Louisiana began taking down its monuments. Of course, there are many things worse, including slavery!
The fool has continued to double down on the nonsense today. Now Stewart tries to claim that taking down monuments to Confederate leaders is destroying U.S. history and next the politically correct left will tear down monuments to Washington and Jefferson. Of course, they weren’t traitors trying to pull the country apart, but perhaps we should spend more money on history education in our schools.
On this Confederate memorial day, when Alabama and Mississippi close state offices, there is no better time to sing The Battle Cry of Freedom, to rally around the flag, and as that favorite song of Union soldiers says:
We will welcome to our numbers
The loyal, true and brave,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom;
And although they may be poor,
Not a man shall be a slave,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom.
Within those numbers, let’s hope there’s a Ulysses S. Grant, a George S. Patton, or a William Tecumseh Sherman. While we plan our fight against the traitorous scum and toast the Union Forever, let’s make the drink a Scorch the Earth cocktail in Sherman’s honor.
The recipe, from Kindred Cocktails and attributed to Gary Regan, calls for:
1.5 oz cognac
.5 oz sweet vermouth
.5 oz Cynar
Stir over ice, strain into a cocktail glass, garnish with flamed lemon peel
Cheers!
Gin & Bitters 