Er, sorry, but I'm no slave trader

[I think not]

There are situations where servitude has been abused. Servitude was voluntary, slavery wasn't.

The evolution of maorality comes into play when Christians "woke up" to the fact, "niggers" were human beings after all.

 

[Zzarchov]

I think part of the problem is that we still live under the false revisionist history we ourselves propagated.

Im talking about this Myth that Europeans started the Slave trade, picking on poor defenseless uncivilized Africa.

West Africa was wealthiest and best educated part of the known world. It started the Slave trade because (much as in Europe) West Africans thought Central Africans were inferior slave peoples, just as West Europeans thought of Central and Eastern Europeans.

Persia paid big money for Slaves and the money rolled in. The only thing the Europeans did was built a fleet that cut off the importance of the Saharan Trade Routes.

Money cut off from Mining, the only profitable industry left became Slavery, increased slavery caused civil unrest, civil war and the disintigration of an effective military defense.

It was only at this point that the Europeans (who had previously been considered backwards northern barbarians by the west africans) took control of the slave trade.

Does that mean European Governments should be free of all responsibility? Of course not, In the end it doesn't change anything.

Its a little like saying "Well, everyone else was already gang raping that woman when I got there, Im shouldn't have to apologize just because I joined in".

But it does mean that many African Nations need to apologize to their neighbours for the slave trade as well.

 

[Proud American]

Re: RE: Er, sorry, but I'm no slave trader

Good stuff on the slave trade, Blackleaf.

I believe (if I remember correctly) slavery was completely abolished in the British Empire in 1832. So, unless there are some people about that are seriously pushing 200 years of age, NONE of us is responsible for the slave trade.

This is almost as crazy as the move in the United States from some corners to have the decendents of slaves financially compensated......what a JOKE!

The people alive today in the USA that are decended from
slaves have benefited wildly from their ancestors' suffering.......if they DON'T believe that I suggest they be given financial compensation..........as long as they also take a loss of US citizenship and a one-way plane ticket to Africa, preferably Liberia.

Any takers?

Didn't think so.

As an African American, I do not wish to be financially compensated for anything that my ancestors went through. I am saddened, yet thankful ,because my race is one of the strongest on the planet because of the torture our ancestors endured. But recieving monies for it...ridiculous....However, your attitude is potty and needs to be checked, because you act as if it is an "unimportant" event in history when in fact, it matters to many. Doesn't matter WHO started it or WHo ended it, it was a horrible thing that was done and should not be belittled as unimportant or thought of so little that you would actually be STUPID enough to tell African AMericans to GO BACK to AFRICA, when they didn't ask to be brought here in the first place. And since you say we shouldn't be compensated for slavery that we (today) did not endure, how ridiculous do you sound saying that we (today) should go "back" to a country in which we have never been too??Can we say DUHHHHH..... :lol:

If you are Canadian, maybe we should be telling you to goback to France or Britain....sounds stupid huh???? :roll:

 

[Colpy]

I had no intention to insult, or demean, or to belittle the importance of the slave trade in history. It was monstrous.

I certainly was not intending to suggest African-Americans "go back to Africa", i was merely trying to make the point that African Americans are much better off here than they would have been had their ancestors remained in Africa. Certainly the SLAVES were not better off, but their decendents certainly have it easier than most of their African cousins. Especially in war-torn Liberia, which was founded, BTW, by freed American slaves.

I get fed up with the "victim" thing, and today's African Americans are NOT victims, UNLIKE their ancestors.

Slavery in all its forms is atrocious.

I did not mean to offend.

 

[Proud American]

Re: RE: Er, sorry, but I'm no slave trader

I had no intention to insult, or demean, or to belittle the importance of the slave trade in history. It was monstrous.

I certainly was not intending to suggest African-Americans "go back to Africa", i was merely trying to make the point that African Americans are much better off here than they would have been had their ancestors remained in Africa. Certainly the SLAVES were not better off, but their decendents certainly have it easier than most of their African cousins. Especially in war-torn Liberia, which was founded, BTW, by freed American slaves.

I get fed up with the "victim" thing, and today's African Americans are NOT victims, UNLIKE their ancestors.

Slavery in all its forms is atrocious.

I did not mean to offend.

Colpy, thank you for clarification. I understand what you are saying, however, do not for a minute believe just because slavery has ended, that everything is peachy for ALL black people in this country. There are still areas in this country where I can still be murdered for being black(Klans land still exists). The government does nothing. Now of course understand on the other end of that, there are blacks in this country who are "purposely" using the slave issue to lay back, be lazy and collect what they can. That is wrong. I believe that blacks should get up, take care of their business, remember what was done to our ancestors and strive to ensure that we continue to fight for TRUE equality for EVERYONE in this county, be they black,cuban, asian or whatever......

 

[Zzarchov]

The Other thing Proud American..there are far more areas forming where you can be killed for just being white, then are left where you will be killed for just being black.

Focusing on mainting order and the law everywhere for everyone is the only viable long term strategy over focusing on one group in one place. If you do that, you are blind when other problems to other people in other places pop up.

 

[Proud American]

Re: RE: Er, sorry, but I'm no slave trader

The Other thing Proud American..there are far more areas forming where you can be killed for just being white, then are left where you will be killed for just being black.

Focusing on mainting order and the law everywhere for everyone is the only viable long term strategy over focusing on one group in one place. If you do that, you are blind when other problems to other people in other places pop up.

Can you point out some of those places for me? Because I haven't seen too many. Now if you go into some of the poorer black neighborhoods, and you are white, you may get robbed in a heartbeat, but then if you are black and they don't know your face, you will STILL get robbed...
But being black and going into some of those backwoods Mississippi areas, you are likely to get drug behind a vehicle or end up in the Mississippi river. The bottom line is that there are still offensive hate groups (KKK) still running rabid and causing turmoil when in this century, it shouldn't be allowed...but also on the other hand there are racist blacks as well, but because they are a minority, what can they do to the white majority?? I say... "Can't we all just get along???"

 

[CDNBear]

I concure PA, why can't we all just get along. I say it's because to many people are appathetic to the situation. Simply put, I'm not (insert-Black, Native, Arab, etc.), so what do I care?

If it doesn't affect some people, the preverbial blind eye gets turned.

Then there are those that will deny the problem even exists. They're a whole other issue. They're a dime a dozen, I'm lookin' for the knob handin' out the dimes though.

 

[Daz_Hockey]

Can you point out some of those places for me? Because I haven't seen too many. Now if you go into some of the poorer black neighborhoods, and you are white, you may get robbed in a heartbeat, but then if you are black and they don't know your face, you will STILL get robbed...
But being black and going into some of those backwoods Mississippi areas, you are likely to get drug behind a vehicle or end up in the Mississippi river. The bottom line is that there are still offensive hate groups (KKK) still running rabid and causing turmoil when in this century, it shouldn't be allowed...but also on the other hand there are racist blacks as well, but because they are a minority, what can they do to the white majority?? I say... "Can't we all just get along???"

Not in Human or any other animals nature I'm afraid PA..while I try to get along with most people, I often find there are people for whatever reason I simply cannot abide.

Now, my pet hate is people who are ignorant about folk with disabilities. But I digress, it is within human nature to despise or hate something or someone who does not look or act like you. You will never remove it I'm afraid, and if you were to name a totally racially integrated society I will show you a fool.

Of course disparity in appearence isn't the only reason for human agression BUT it tends to be an underlying factor. I'm afraid we can all try to get along, but I am slightly cynical of this, my football club has a slogan "RACISM JUST INT SAINTLY" (the club is called the Saints), I'd respond by saying "Racism is human nature" sorry.

 

[fuzzylogix]

Sure, it is very easy to say you have abolished slavery by changing the terms. what is a slave?

In 1903, Britain started importing Chinese into the Union of South Africa to work the gold mines. Why? Well, the mines had been depleted sufficiently that now the gold left was very deep and difficult to get at. The whites certainly didnt want to do this job and the African natives- well, frankly they just COST too much, so there was less profit at the end.

So they brought in Chinese. They made a law that the Chinese could not take any other job or set up any other trade, they could not acquire land, and they would be sent home after three years so they would never get to stay. They were not allowed to go anywhere except to the mine and back to their disgusting hovels. They were paid pittance and charged lots for their hovels.

Well, I guess SOME people would call it revisionism to consider this as slave trading.

Shall we go through all the other countries in Africa and South America to see similar stories????


Call it what you will. Britain, if not apologetic for these actions, should at least acknowledge them and not try to get away with the "everyone else did it first or did it worse clause".

 

[Daz_Hockey]

my point entirely....very sneaky, very clever and a very underhand way of getting around slavery.

 

[Zzarchov]

Can you point out some of those places for me? Because I haven't seen too many. Now if you go into some of the poorer black neighborhoods, and you are white, you may get robbed in a heartbeat, but then if you are black and they don't know your face, you will STILL get robbed...
But being black and going into some of those backwoods Mississippi areas, you are likely to get drug behind a vehicle or end up in the Mississippi river. The bottom line is that there are still offensive hate groups (KKK) still running rabid and causing turmoil when in this century, it shouldn't be allowed...but also on the other hand there are racist blacks as well, but because they are a minority, what can they do to the white majority?? I say... "Can't we all just get along???"

Im afraid you are about 40 years out of date, there are fewer people in the KKK (who also target "Whites" such as catholics) then there are in groups such as Bobo Ashanti, the Nation of Islam and the New Black Panther Party.

You are also probably safer in Mississippi than in New York from a KKK assault. The Days of the "Four Million Man Secret Empire" are about 70 years past.