A man of many contrasts

Comments

• ChicoSuave@lemmy.world ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Sherman: aw shucks. I just like killin’

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• doomchapel666@lemmy.zip ⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  i’m currently reading one of his biographies and i’ve really been struggling with reconciling who i was taught he was and who he actually was lol

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  • quill7513@anarchist.nexus ⁨3⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    The key is every person famous enough in history for you to have learned their name sucked. You have to find the things they did well and find ways to bring those forward into the current day, and find the things they failed at and find contemporaries from their time who had the right idea on those things and bring that into the current day, too.

    And also be acutely aware that the things you say and think and do will someday be reviewed and found lacking. So be open minded. Don’t assume any one demagogue or political faction is completely on the nose about every single thing. Perform the due diligence to force out intolerance and foster a true era of good will and love.

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  • PugJesus@piefed.social ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    It doesn’t help that he was intensely mercurial, and that his views changed radically over the course of his life.

    What a prickly soul he was!

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    • doomchapel666@lemmy.zip ⁨5⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      it does sound like he was difficult, to say the least, but i do believe he was always sure he was doing the right thing. something can be said about his consistency in that regard. lol

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• PugJesus@piefed.social ⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

  Sherman: “War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it.”

  Shermanposting during the Civil War: 😀

  Sherman: “War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it.”

  Shermanposting during the Indian Wars: 😬

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  • First_Thunder@lemmy.zip ⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

    I mean, I’m pretty sure I saw one of your memes of him while not exactly being friendly to native Americans, also recognising and being critical of the constant breaches of treaties

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    • PugJesus@piefed.social ⁨6⁩ ⁨hours⁩ ago

      Yep. Even with that philosophy, Sherman, unfortunately, was far from the worst American, or worst American military commander, on the Western frontier, which is more a condemnation of the Americans of the period than absolution of Sherman.

      He did whatever he thought was necessary to end the wars he was tasked to end, but attempted to prevent any new wars from breaking out, and didn’t exceed what he regarded as necessary (or legal) for the prosecution of the wars. Sherman considered himself (and the military in general) a tool of the civilian government, though, and whatever orders he was given, he executed to the best of his ability, even when he disagreed with them.

      Also unfortunately, the strategic-level thinking of Sherman led directly to the mass slaughter of buffalo herds to restrict the movement of Native American tribes.

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