Reply to: Why should we apologise for the Slave Trade?

[Troll]

Succinctly put

[mcquiggd]

So to summerise: what you're saying is they had a free boat trip to America. and have been freeloading ever since

Not quite.. more like:

'Africans were more than happy to sell other Africans into slavery, and profit from the same 'trade'. The West, however are the only ones who are perceived to 'have to' show remorse, as they have money. The descendants of slaves are seeking compensation for a 'crime' (perhaps moral, but not a legal crime at the time), that they were not actually victims of, and instead of living in a backward continent riven by disease, war, and strife, were born in a country where they have what is the comparative luxury of seeking compensation through a legal system.'

[Troll]

Slavery was a big money spinner for Africa at that time... as many Africans as Westerners would need to apologise to people who have probably actually benefitted from being born outside Africa.

So to summarise: what you're saying is they had a free boat trip to America. and have been freeloading ever since

[mcquiggd]

If El Gordo implemented the same 'appeasement', it would be 'pay all your tax in advance', then 'fill in a form signed by your great great grandfather and include a DNA sample', which will eventually be lost by an army of people recruited to administer 'tax credits' incorrectly. The only bit they would keep is the DNA sample.

[stackpole]

I believe in America there was a black rights movement that wanted to give tax breaks to black people in order to redress the balance of wealth assuming that white people had benefited from the slave trade.

What about mixed-race? Would they only get half-tax-breaks? Or does the guilty white half of their ancestry cancel out the black half?

[mcquiggd]

Slavery was a big money spinner for Africa at that time... as many Africans as Westerners would need to apologise to people who have probably actually benefitted from being born outside Africa.

Relatives of mine died in the First World War. Do I demand an apology from the descendants of the German soldiers who killed them? No, of course not.

Is that coz I is white...?

[MarillionFan]

I would also like to apologise for SasGuru who as we all know is a raving homosexual who likes graduates.

[vista]

Usual Answer

I agree, all slavers should be forced to appologise to there slaves and all slaves should be made free, any takers?

Bliar is seriously off with the faries, Cameron makes bliar look sane and the other tw@t just needs to be slapped, maybe just maybe Brown is the only sensible potential leader - he's ...... but for christs sake look at the alternatives.

We should be allowed to hunt politicians its all there good for.

[vetran]

We have more pressing issues.

Lets hear the apology for PC Blakelock (some evidence would be nice, some poor copper murdered in a crowd of 40 people and nothing is known) etc.

Lets find out why ethnic minorities are over represented in prison etc.

The apology will just start demands for compensation.

[zathras]

Now don't get me wrong, I am in no way shape or form condoning slavery but I can't help but feel that those who perpetrated this crime as well as those who suffered from it are all long since dead and gone. What on earth does it achieve for those of us 200 years down the line or so to be somehow trying to take the rap? Totally pointless.
I mean if DNA evidence could somehow now be utilised to define the guilty party in the Jack the Ripper Case, would we use it to track down the descendants of "Jack" and send them to Prison for the mandatory "6 months suspended due to aggravating circumstances" penalty that would now become due? I don't think so!

We should n't.

Slavery was illegal in England from 1772 after a case involving James Somersett. Chief Justice of the King's bench ruled

The state of slavery is of such a nature, that it is incapable of being introduced on any reasons, moral or political; but only positive law, which preserves its force long after the reasons, occasion, and time itself from whence it was created, is erased from memory: it's so odious, that nothing can be suffered to support it, but positive law. Whatever inconveniences, therefore, may follow from a decision, I cannot say this case is allowed or approved by the law of England; and therefore the black must be discharged

In 1807 the trade in Slavery was made illegal on a British Ship and Slavery itself was made illegal in 1833.

Although Lincoln made a declaration releasing slaves, this was only those slaves owned within the Confederate States. Blacks were still considered lower class than their White brethren as late as the 1960's.

The Egyptians enslaved Jews, the Romans were heavy users of slaves and within Africa Slavery existed between tribes. As the country which was one of the first to abolish it we have nothing to apologise for, it's Blair and his total ignorance of history which thinks we do.



To put it bluntly as the country which was one of the first to abolish slavery has nothing to apologise for.

[tim123]

And what gets me is the ones who think that they are owed the apology are the decendents of the slaves.

These people are owed nothing.

If anything, it is the people left in the countries that the slaves came from that are owed (though not an apology).

tim

[ImNotFromIndia]

Now don't get me wrong, I am in no way shape or form condoning slavery but I can't help but feel that those who perpetrated this crime as well as those who suffered from it are all long since dead and gone. What on earth does it achieve for those of us 200 years down the line or so to be somehow trying to take the rap? Totally pointless.
I mean if DNA evidence could somehow now be utilised to define the guilty party in the Jack the Ripper Case, would we use it to track down the descendants of "Jack" and send them to Prison for the mandatory "6 months suspended due to aggravating circumstances" penalty that would now become due? I don't think so!

it's just word ... i would do it ... because who is to know whether you mean it or not.

i apologise.
i apologise.
i apologise.
i apologise.
i apologise.
i apologise.
i apologise.

there ...

[sunnysan]

So

If you have Saxon or Celtic blood there is a good possiblity that you where enslaved by the Romans....

I wonder if the Ities will cough up for that?

[Jesus]

I'd like to Apologise for Shaunbhoy, nothing in particular just his general existence

[gingerjedi]

I believe in America there was a black rights movement that wanted to give tax breaks to black people in order to redress the balance of wealth assuming that white people had benefited from the slave trade.

How would that work??? It sounds like something the Lib Dems would come up with i.e. completely unworkable but who cares as they would never have the chance to implement it anyway.