Sneak Peek Clip #1: A Dialogue on the Lost Cause
Brag Bowling and Mark Potok represent two disparate sides of this overwhelmingly complex debate over the history and legacy of the Civil War and the Confederacy. In this quick clip compiled from their much more in-depth interviews, we present a brief glimpse into the thoughts, feelings and beliefs of two main characters in this debate, and begin to examine the larger implications they might have for our society today.
*this clip merely scratches the surface of an extremely complex subject, and does not present either side or the subjects to their fullest
April 28th, 2012 at 5:17 pm
Using Potok in this discussion is ridiculous. He is no historian and knows very little about the war. I suppose it is because he is psychic and knows what people really mean instead of what they say the mean when defending their heritage.
June 11th, 2012 at 5:32 pm
What we want to do with this film is get to the heart of the issues revolving around this, and to do that you have to be willing to examine and understand it from a variety of angles, whether you agree with all of them or not. In that way, we can hopefully open up a dialogue based more on mutual understanding than mutual disgust. I doubt there will ever be a consensus, and that’s ok. But as Lady Val notes, this issue is not “black and white” (forgive the pun).
That said, I’d like to know why is it important for you, Brag and others to defend this heritage?
April 30th, 2012 at 1:07 pm
Mr. Potok is actually quite correct about people being deceived by lies and thus proceeding to hold views contrary to fact and truth. The problem is, that it is Mr. POTOK’s version of that is a matter of deliberate deception designed to produce what we now have – a revisionist Marxist “history” which makes use of political correctness’s most powerful weapon – the “race card.” As a result, one cannot defend ANY Southern history or heritage today because in doing so – however credibly, however truthfully, however factually – one is IMMEDIATELY branded a “racist.” Such a situation makes nonsense of intellectual honesty and rational debate never mind polite discourse.
The entire issue of black slavery – and, yes, there was a great deal of WHITE slavery under the British – is too complex to be dealt with in the current mindless response of “North good, South bad” or even the “white vs. black” scenario since slaves were sold to European whites by blacks and blacks also owned slaves.
Obviously, it is far easier for the lazy, the ignorant and the dull-witted to buy into the scenario presented by Mr. Potok and his ilk because of its simplicity, but by now more intelligent and knowledgeable folks should have learned that easier is not necessarily better OR correct.
June 11th, 2012 at 5:42 pm
I agree with a lot of what you’ve said here, Lady Val, particularly that “easier is not necessarily better OR correct”. Isn’t it just as easy, though, to say “South Good, North Bad”? I understand this may not be what is presented generally today, but if you come from the other side of the issue Brag Bowling’s comments may seem just as simple-minded or ill-informed.
To clarify, I don’t think of either as being right or wrong, and feel both are equally important to understanding this issue.
-Matt Roush