All cultures have, throughout history, damaged the natural environment and enslaved each other, but only white Europeans are now blamed for such practices
Thank you for this, Simon. It is all perfectly true. What I don't understand is how the fictional narrative about "white" Europeans being the only or indeed, the major practitioners of slavery has come to be the predominant one, when in fact, it was precisely these "white" Europeans who were the first people to make a serious effort to end the practice. The British in particular spent a very high proportion of their military budget in the late 19th Century funding Royal Navy warships to sail up and down the African coast with the idea of accosting slave vessels and liberating the captives.
I heard somewhere someone making the excuse for modern African slavery not being as harsh as under the Atlantic slave trade. Perhaps modern slaves are happy being in bondage? Not so bad, really? But you are correct, it is generally ignored. No international slave liberation NGOs soliciting funds that I know of. Also your point that a shipload of Europeans, armed or not, would find the prospect of penetrating the dark jungle interior to grab some captives out of the question, with the serious risks involved in that venture.
I was just watching telly news with a relative about illegals being rounded up in the US. They made some comment about how the native Americans should have kicked out the Europeans and how unfair it all was. I no longer make an effort to remind anyone of the history of the world in that respect. All that is met with indifference. Now their outrage is directed by the current narratives.
Not only were 'white' slavers (many were far from being white Europeans) unable to catch the locals, they were effectively physically unable to do so. Until the middle of the 19th C any white man landing in Africa was liable to die of disease, in pretty short order. Stays ashore were as limited as possible, for good reason. Everything depended on the locals providing the slaves.
Wow, what a great essay, this should be forwarded to as many people as possibly to get warped 'history' we're taught by the Leftist BBC straightened out.
Wow, what a great essay, this should be forwarded to as many people as possibly to get warped 'history' we're taught by the Leftist BBC straightened out.
Thank you for this, Simon. It is all perfectly true. What I don't understand is how the fictional narrative about "white" Europeans being the only or indeed, the major practitioners of slavery has come to be the predominant one, when in fact, it was precisely these "white" Europeans who were the first people to make a serious effort to end the practice. The British in particular spent a very high proportion of their military budget in the late 19th Century funding Royal Navy warships to sail up and down the African coast with the idea of accosting slave vessels and liberating the captives.
I am as puzzled about this as you!
The Shaka Zulu Restaurant in Camden Market had a statue of Shaka onsite.
He was a brutal slave owner and warmonger who had many black slaves sacrificed as a sign of his grief when his mother died.
Nobody ever toppled this slave trader staue though.
The Bantu weren't even able to sail to Madagascar, which is why it was first settled by Indonesians.
Thomas Sowell has always said this....... I suppose that's he's ignored by the BBC. Go figure.
I read an article regarding black Americans, who, having bought their freedom, went on to be slave-owners in their own right!
A number of around 3,000 black Americans were slave-owners before and during the American Civil War was quoted!
I heard somewhere someone making the excuse for modern African slavery not being as harsh as under the Atlantic slave trade. Perhaps modern slaves are happy being in bondage? Not so bad, really? But you are correct, it is generally ignored. No international slave liberation NGOs soliciting funds that I know of. Also your point that a shipload of Europeans, armed or not, would find the prospect of penetrating the dark jungle interior to grab some captives out of the question, with the serious risks involved in that venture.
I was just watching telly news with a relative about illegals being rounded up in the US. They made some comment about how the native Americans should have kicked out the Europeans and how unfair it all was. I no longer make an effort to remind anyone of the history of the world in that respect. All that is met with indifference. Now their outrage is directed by the current narratives.
I agree, it is pointless most of the time to try and correct people's misunderstandings about this!
Rousseau all over again
Not only were 'white' slavers (many were far from being white Europeans) unable to catch the locals, they were effectively physically unable to do so. Until the middle of the 19th C any white man landing in Africa was liable to die of disease, in pretty short order. Stays ashore were as limited as possible, for good reason. Everything depended on the locals providing the slaves.
Yes, it was a mutually profitable association between black and white.
Wow, what a great essay, this should be forwarded to as many people as possibly to get warped 'history' we're taught by the Leftist BBC straightened out.
Wow, what a great essay, this should be forwarded to as many people as possibly to get warped 'history' we're taught by the Leftist BBC straightened out.
I'm so glad that you appreciated it.
The Gulf of Benin
The Gulf of Benin
Two come out where forty went in.
That's all I recall of a poem at the start of a novel I read sometime in the 1970's. Do not remember the title either.
W