This year marks the 150th anniversary of the end of the American “Civil War,” more accurately described as the War
to Prevent Southern Independence. It is also the 31st anniversary of the movie, The Godfather, Part II. A single scene in the movie illustrates the true cause of the “Civil War.”
The scene in question involves a Hells Kitchen New York Mafia boss in the early twentieth century named Don Fanucci, whose character is based on a real-life Mafia boss named Ignazio Lupo (“Lupo the Wolf”). In the scene Don Fanucci meets with a young Vito Corleone (who would later become “The Godfather”) after discovering that young Vito and some friends had been quite successful operating as thieves in the neighborhood. The purpose of the meeting was to extort money from the young Mafia wannabes since that, after all, was a big part of the “business” the Mafia was in at the time. Don Fanucci (and Ignazio Lupo) would go to all business people in Hell’s Kitchen and essentially say, “If you want to do business in ‘my’ neighborhood, you’ll have to give me a percentage – or else.” (Ignazio Lupo meant business; he is “credited” with at least 60 murders). Here is what Don Fannucci said to Vito Corleone, from the script of The Godfather, Part II:
Don Fanucci to Vito Corleone: “I hear you and your friends are stealing goods. But you don’t even send a dress to my house. No respect! You know I’ve got three daughters. This is my neighborhood. You and your friends should show me some respect. You should let me wet my beak a little. I hear you and your friends cleared $600 each. Give me $200 each, for your own protection. And I’ll forget the insult. Young punks have to learn to respect a man like me! Otherwise the cops will come to your house. And your family will be ruined. Of course, if I’m wrong about how much you stole, I’ll take a little less. And by less, I only mean – a hundred bucks less. Now don’t refuse me. Understand, paisan? Tell your friends I don’t want a lot. Just enough to wet my beak. Don’t be afraid to tell them!”
In the next scene Vito Corleone murders Don Fanucci and becomes the new “godfather” of the neighborhood and collector of extortion money for the privilege of doing business in “his” neighborhood.
The Criminal Cause of the “Civil War”,
In his first inaugural address Abraham Lincoln made essentially the same exortion threat to the South. But as the head of a powerful government and not just a small criminal gang, his threat involved “invasion” and massive “bloodshed” (his exact words) and a war that cost the lives of as many as 850,000 Americans according to the latest research. This may seem far-fetched to some, but not if one understands the essential nature of the state as a parasitic exploiter of the public. (continue reading)