Today in History, July 17, 1918- Czar of Russia and Family Executed

Tulsa, Trump's "Pickett's Charge"

June 18, 2020

Ok all you Civil War Buffs, I know you know what I'm talking about. The last gasp of the Confederacy, their "High Watermark", which was never really that high. Some say the turning point for the Civil War.

I bring up Picketts Charge for my usual reasons when I am discussing history. In the hope that the people who read my stuff can get some insight on what is happening today, and gain the added perspective that seeing modern events through the lens of past history can give. In other words, "are we going to keep making the same goddamn mistakes over and over and over again"?

I'm going to go way out on a Limb here, and make a prediction. (I can hear you laughing..,not again!) This one is a winner, a pretty solid one. If, and that's still an if, Trump insists that his campaign event scheduled for June 20th goes forward as planned, full house, indoor Arena, not everyone wearing masks, that Trump's re-election campaign will be 100% finished. Annihilated. Done. Over. Kaput. I will state the obvious at the end as to why you can take this one to Vegas and make book.

I am not a leading Civil War expert, but I know enough about it, the political/strategic context, and the Battle of Gettysburg to make the point I want to make about the Trump Campaign. Hopefully I don't make any egregious factual errors. In fact, I'm not looking anything up, I'm relying on my memory to write this, so feel free to "fact check" me into oblivion.

Robert E. Lee was desperate for a victory on Northern Soil. His Army was fraying and undersuppllied. Vicksburg Mississippi, was about to fall to Grant after a months long siege, which meant the Union controlled the Mississippi, the Port of New Orleans, and the Rail Terminus on the River, which once in Union hands, could cut the Confederacy's supply lines and geographically cut them in half. The only thing really of value to Lee in Pennsylvania was the shoe manufacturing in that area, hardly worth risking his entire Army of Virginia. Oh yeah, there's that. Lee at this point had more or less given up on the idea of the Confederacy, if he ever had one. He was fighting for Virginia, as was his Army. Politically, the Confederacy was a disunited dysfunctional collection of indvidual States, fighting for nothing other than to "defend Home and Hearthstone, and their way of Life" The architects of Secession of course were defending Slavery, but that was not worth dying for to the average Soldier.

Lee had the problem that he was completely overmatched by the Economic power of the manufacturing heavy Union. He was outproduced, outgunned, outsupplied, and had only a small portion of the Nation's transportation logistics as compared to the USA. And with the Fall of Vicksburg imminient, they were about to lose a big chunk of that.

In the beginning of the War, the CSA had armed themselves thanks to the gratis donation of the traitorous Pro-Slavery failure, President James Buchanan, arguably the worst President in US history, up until a few years ago. Buchanan, at the point Secession was almost inevitable, incredibly opened up the US Armories in the South, and allowed the Southern Militias to empty them out of everything there. US Soldiers were being shot and blown up by US procured weapons, largely in the beginning. With the usual attrition, they had to soon look elsewhere for their rifles, ammo, and uniforms.

As an aside, when is the last time you have been to a Civil War Museum? You may have noticed when browsing the displays an oddity. You will notice that the majority of their Weapons were made in England. The Enfield Rifle, the Kerrs patent revolver, were made at the London Armoury, which became the main supplier of CSA weapons and ammo.
Then, if you look a little more, you see that the CSA uniforms were made guess where? Manchester England, in English owned mills that had been the Southern States main client for the Slave based Cotton Plantations, which depended on their trade with England. And, how did the CSA get all of that stuff being made for them by their friendly British trading partners? Of course, they brought it over in CSA Ocean going Cargo and Warships that were built in the Shipyards of a certain "stiff upper lipped" country. These are the things you notice if you actually look around at a Museum, instead of being harried by your spouses and kids to buy Souveneirs.

So, at the point which the CSA supply problems came to a head, and their Army increasingly worn down by Grant's continuous engagement, Lee had only one hope remaining for salvaging Victory. He, and the Confederate leaders needed England "all in" as Military allies. Queen Victoria at the time was strongly considering the deployment of her Navy to Canada, and Infantry to flank the Union Army from the North. She wrote about this in her posthumously released Diaries. Lincoln was so furious with England over the "Trent Affair" and the interference by the British Navy with the Union blockade of CSA shipping, as well as their overall support for the CSA, that he was prepared to declare War with England. Grant persuaded Lincoln to hold off, given that fighting two Wars at once was inadvisable. Lincoln resolved to settle affairs with "John Bull" after the Union was back together.

So, a major part of why Lee was desperate for a victory on Union Soil was the hope that this would bolster the CSA chances at a Military alliance with England! That is why Lee had British Military Observers with him at Gettysburg!

Without rehashing the Battle itself, there were two things which are worth noting. One, was the Heroic stand of The Maine Regiment of Joshua Chamberlain in holding onto Little Roundtop against the Alabama Regiment, with only fiixed bayonets remaining to fight with. This bought time for reinforcements so that the Union forces didn't get outflanked. Second, was the catastrophic failure of Union Commander General George Meade in not going after Lee to chase him down in hot pursuit after he retreated to go back to Maryland. Meade could have defeated Lee's Army for good and ended the War right there. Lincoln was furious, and intended to fire Meade, but instead sent a brutal telegram denouncing him for his failure. He later made amends and took a more charitable view.

Picketts Charge was the last desperation attempt by Lee, before his retreat, using a virtual human wave assault across a mile wide and long open field in the face of full artillery and rifle fire, which reached its HIgh Water Mark at the Union line before faltering. Close but no Cigar. Grant had the Cigar, out on the Western Front. It was the kind of plan borne of desperation and recklessness that prods one to ask the question, why did anyone think that Lee was a great General? Needless to say, the final result insured that the British stayed out, and the CSA was left to fend for themselves.

Now, what has this to do with Tulsa? Well, Trump, like his Confederate Hero Robert E. Lee is desperate, and reckless. He has his pollsters in his ear telliing him that he is a loser if he doesn't change what he is doing. Trump, like a good Confederate, is so locked in to defending what is his, he will not only not change a thing, but he only doubles down on what he is doing. His "Great Economy" is in a shambles. His Covid19 policy is a human catastrophe, which he intends to solve with magic and confidence, and the force of his personality. America's Allies are deserting him, and leaders of the Army are disobeying orders. GOP leaders are distancing themselves increasingly, and Trump himself is so paranoid that he believes that Americans are wearing masks only as a symbol of their dislike for him!

He is so desperate for a "win", that he is prepared to get up to 20,000 of his suporters infected, to spread it in turn to their friends and family, which will arguably spike a death toll in the thousands. Exaggeration? He was fine with tear gassing peaceful demonstrators for a photo op, why not this for one great big one?

So, what will happen if he does go through with this? Its predictable you know, we all know what will happen. When the Virus spreads, about two weeks from now, and the Tulsa Hospitals fill to capacity; when the Media of the world convenes on Tulsa to surround the largest hospitals, to begin filming the ambulances coming and going; when they see the body bags being loaded into refrigeration trucks; when the family members of the sick and dying are interviewed at their homes or at the Hospitals, railing against the decision to have this event, and for their loved ones to attend it; when the people who survive it but are horrificly disabled, and have insurmountable medical bills which will ruin what remains of their lives; THEN, the American people will be forced to understand what many have yet to grasp. That these people have died in vain, unlike the Heroes of Gettysburg, and that their blood is on the hands of one man. Not China, not the WHO, not the CDC, not Antifa, not the Democrats. One man only. And, at this point it is for him, completely and totally over.

I hope with all my heart and soul that someone persuades this lunatic to back down. Unfortunately, I don't think he will. I can't then bring myself to say that the death of Tulsa's citizens will have the upside of destroying Trump. That would be an awful thought. What I can say, is that at the point Trump's campaign is officially dead, we will enter our most dangerous phase. His instability, the Economic Crisis, and the Covid19 crisis will intensify. The threat of violence will intensify. The Confederacy did not roll up and fade away after their twin defeat at Gettysburg and Vicksburg over the July 4th week, 1863. It took almost 2 years and countless causalties more, thanks to Meade's blunder. But the CSA's fate was sealed after Picketts Charge, just as it will be for Trump if he does this Mass Murderous Covid Spreader Party on Saturday.

Stay tuned----