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On much of the American left, a pernicious, conspiracy-minded view of the Civil War and its outcome has taken hold. The ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery, is in particular held in low esteem by many on the identitarian left today. This view, as put forward in the much-praised Netflix documentary 13th, holds that the amendment was phrased in such a way as to allow, sneakily, for the continued bondage of black Americans through penal servitude. This means slavery continued after the war, some argue. And of course, Confederate apologists likewise view the Unions abolition of slavery as a cynical ploy, as being more about the preservation of Northern power than expanding liberty.

While modern-day leftists may, rightfully, despise the Confederacy, they show little reverence for the Union and the men who ended slavery. The cause of defending the Republic is not something that animates many on the anti-Confederate left today. They do not see the promise of the Declaration of Independence, which was reiterated by Lincoln at the battlefield of Gettysburg, as, an uncashed cheque, in Martin Luther Kings memorable phrase; they are more likely to see it as an outright lie.

As should be clear from the absence of pro-Republic sentiment, this phoney Civil War re-enactment isnt about the Civil War at all. Indeed, many of the Confederate apologists at Gettysburg seemed all too happy to fly the Star-Spangled Banner the flag their supposed heroes took up arms against. On the other side, antifa and other leftists, supposed opponents of the Confederacy, are far more likely to burn it. The Civil War has been turned into yet another battleground for Americas interminable culture wars. Attitudes towards the Civil War are really a proxy for something else entirely.

Its virtue-signalling on old battlefields. Showing a favourable attitude towards the Confederacy, or at least being comfortable with its symbols, is now a way of sticking up two fingers to the liberal establishment in the big cities. This is clear from how popular it has become to fly Confederate flags in rural areas of states as far north as Oregon and Michigan. Likewise, letting the world know you find the Confederate flag offensive is a way to show you oppose racism, and more importantly that you are Good even if you dont actually admire what the Union and Lincoln did and said. Lost in all of this is any appreciation for the ideals that fuelled the Union and its defeat of the Southern rebellion: the ideals of liberty and self-government.

Tom Bailey is a spiked columnist. Follow him on Twitter: @tBaileyBailey

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The culture war over the Civil War | USA | spiked - Spiked