Connecting Nothing With Nothing

Mississippi was 5th wealthiest state in 1860. After Thirteenth Amendment passed in 1865, it was the poorest. It still is. But let’s don’t talk and teach about the lasting economic impact of racism?

— stuart stevens (@stuartpstevens) June 23, 2021

Cotton literally represented the wealth we now associate with "Silicon Valley," even if we don't mean the specific location in California when we say that anymore (in fact, who says that any more?).  Cotton was "king" the way "tech" is now.  White settlers in Texas wanted slavery so they could cash in on that kind of money.  By the time it happened we'd joined the Union and then left it again.  If it wasn't for oil, we'd still be battling Mississippi for last place.

Oil saved Texas from Mississippi's fate.  I see that crumbling now, as our roads are not properly maintained and our electrical grid can't even handle higher than usual temperaturs in June, but our Governor insists everything is fine in this best of all possible worlds except for how we vote, what the Democrats in the House did in the regular session, and CRT.  Oh, and a few other GOP boogey-men they'll raise again in July, if they can.  Of course, if the power goes off, nobody's gonna stay in the Capitol building long....

Thank God for oil and Mississippi, or we'd be the poorest state in the union.