It was an apt university to experiment with such developments, since Lord Scarman, who reported on the Brixton riots of 1981, was its chancellor. If slavery really mattered theyd be campaigning for reparations from the blacks and arabs/moslems who were doing it long before the white man arrived in Africa and was far more devastating. The arguments do you want to get shaken down for several trillion? He previously worked at JP Morgan for 18 years in a number of senior roles and was . "So when black history was missing - the history of empire, the history of slavery - was missing from my history lessons, I didn't have a place to go to discover those missing chapters. A weekly newsletter helping you fit together the pieces of the global economic slowdown. Even discussing it gives your opponents arguments merit. Re putting the argument for paedophilia they actually gave Gide the Nobel prize for literature didnt they? it was cheaper, at times, to starve people and then replace them Peter completed his award-winning PhD, exploring stress and coping in elite sports coaching, at Sheffield Hallam in 2012. In the late 1800's and early 1900's, 30,000 Jewish migrants from Russia and Eastern Europe settled in Manchester. Viking Dublin was a major slave-trading centre (English, Irish, Scots, anyone else they could get their hands on). Reckon they found commenters guessing which parts of a hypothetical argument were meant all part of the fun, In many respects youre one of the posters here whose views on morality Im closest to our personal moralities probably being quite far apart, but I recognise mine as very much the product of my upbringing and surrounding society and know enough about other places and times to realise just how contingent that makes them. That is a strawman argument at its best. I know. After all, adult males were all but worthless and demand for women might have been enough to drive the trade anyway. Video, 00:02:30Should black history be taught all year round? Quick and essential guide to domestic and global politics from the New Statesman's politics team. They did not care much for adult males. Nevertheless, we live in a society that generally regards slavery as an absolute and eternal wrong, and a grave one at that, yet which has historically (at least certain people and places, and including the state itself) benefited from imposing slavery on others.. Pretty much everybody in the West is against slavery. Dont know if I would rule it out entirely because the demographics are different but it might need a change in the voting dynamics. Just means they werent alone in being in the wrong. Or anything to do with slavery. One in which enslaved people suffered and even died from malnutrition, as the economics of the slave trade meant that it was cheaper, at times, to starve people and then replace them than it was to provide them with food. In 1860, cotton goods accounted for 40 per cent of all British exports. June 16, 2020 - 20:29 BST Aisha Nozari. In the case of slavery the answer is clear. If their ancestors had remained in Africa would they be better off than they are now? Its a replay of the ecology nutters & the trannies. He saw how enslaved people who had risen up were burnt to death, castrated or mutilated, punishments he regarded as merited. The historian tells Michael Segalov about getting up early, reading George Orwell, taking his dog George for a walk, playing his guitar Thats what I dont like about the angle of Tims header. He talks about slavery because YOU care. How could Britain, a civilised and Christian nation, indulge in rape, torture, killing and the forced labour of Africans over two centuries? The Coldest Case in Laramie: yet another bleak true crime podcast, From Sophie Mackintosh to Stephen Moss: new books reviewed in short, Universal Credit falls short of covering the bare essentials. So is Richard Murphy. When the American Civil War interrupted the supply of cotton, hundreds of thousands of British workers were made destitute, dependent on soup kitchens, and the British economy was dealt a thunderous blow, all because an ocean away the forced labour of four million enslaved black Americans had been disrupted. They all get it from White people inciting violence. You can pay all the reparation for historical slavery related wrongs, real or imaginary, you want. . Even Bill Clinton had affinity for the USA. Olusoga poses as an objective historian and says he is not there to bring comfort to people. The reason why Equiano is not a national name is because slavery is not a part of the history that we teach when it should be because I don't think you can understand the 18th century in particular but also the 19th century without reference to slavery.". Separated from home and family and landed in the West Indies (countless numbers dying of suffocation during the journey, given that the people traffickers were packing the holds to maximise profits), the Africans had no recourse to the law, much less the conscience of their captors. Away from the creative arts, the Equiano Project aims to promote race equality and he was mentioned in Parliament during a debate on Black History and Cultural Diversity in the Curriculum. Fryers book was monumental, inspiring conferences, publications, the setting up of local history groups, the establishment of Black History Month, and radio and television programmes. Women such as Elizabeth Heyrick continued to lobby for the abolition of slavery. I know there are posters on here who see stepping into their opponents perspective as a dangerous and pointless endeavour that gives undue worth to a viewpoint they despise, but purely as a mental exercise theres usually something to be said for examining your opponents strongest argument instead of their weakest. Writing in english is cultural appropriation so STFU. The Sokoto Caliphate probably had as many slaves and a lot fewer free men as the Old South. Britain should be proud of helping to stop (African to America) slavery, like the Republican Party and unlike the Democrats. "Equiano is the most important voice that we have from the British experience of slavery and the slave trade," he said. After decades of complaints, the Royal African Company lost its monopoly in 1712 and, Olusoga writes, Independent traders were turned loose upon the shores of Africa. These traders had argued (stone-blind to irony) that the right to enslave Africans was a defining feature of English freedom and that the Royal African Company had breached their status as free-born Englishmen. Of course if a rule was instituted that only people with white skins had to pay taxes, it might happen. Looking at what happened in Haiti or Jamaica or chunks of Latin America, I dont find either well, could have been much worse or what do you expect, Early Modern West Europeans, how could they have known better? to be particularly convincing responses. This is because forgetting slavery means forgetting its victims. Olusoga is just getting even because he was attacked by the right when he was a teenager. Over 1000 years in Britain. Arguably wrong in a crimes against humanity way (similar language of natural justice and universal morality indeed being used by the abolitionists and the UK itself when it tried to enforce a ban on the trade) that made it inherently illegal even when governments tried to put it on a legal footing. This history of the black presence in . If there were African states with legal continuity to those political entities which established and encouraged the African slave markets, they would be on the hook too, but theres a discontinuity due to colonialism and besides, everyone knows to sue the rich guy not the poor guy. Wrong ?!?! While I dont think they persuaded anyone, they did shift perspectives a bit. We do not know for sure. Obama had none. "They were barely known even to historians. I have a peeve about the BBC genealogical show Who do you think you are? which I dont know whether has been inflected upon the Left Pond. Abolition was the first mass philanthropic movement in Britain, and it ended the slave trade in 1807. Shouldnt matter whether some long-dead relative fought long ago for or against (not at all to disparage your ancestors GC, who all sound very sound) in terms of whether somethings your fault. It doesnt end with the parties saying Well that was pleasantly intellectually stimulating, now lets have a nice game of cricket Youre opponents are not playing by the same rules as you are. Nor do I think that sugar is worse than cotton. They organised a boycott of sugar, produced more petitions and hosted meetings. Thats before you get on to the Khoisan and the Zulus, the Carthaginians and Romans, the Vikings versus pretty much anyone else who lived within raiding distance, Theres a fundamental weakness with all theories of universal law or justice, which is that across time and space, the human conception of what is right and just seems to be extremely varied and rarely (to modern Western eyes) pleasant. In the 15th and 16th centuries, thousands of pounds of gold were shipped to Europe. I just dont really get what Olusoga is saying. The rest of this looks like the usual white washing (so to speak) of African slavery. And any reparations should be paid 50% by the African states for the areas which sold the slaves and pocketed the proceeds. No other race / culture was willing and able to do that. There is an alternative argument that it is their ancestors who were wronged hence deserve compensation and as descendants theyre entitled to an inherited share (so their portion depends on how many slaves at what position in the family tree) plus interest, regardless of how well theyre doing now. Their demands should simply be refused. (If the likes of SMFS believe Western society will fall apart without a return to traditional Christian-inspired values, I suggest they either don a pessimists crash-helmet or just cling on and enjoy the ride to Hell in their top-gear handcart. No one has said we should not consider someone elses viewpoint. The enslaved Africans had to wait another five years for their freedom and were not given a penny. Slavery didnt last much longer for various reasons, fizzled out in a century or so, but we have the records to show it was still part of the system after twenty years of Norman rule: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/domesday/world-of-domesday/order.htm. Used to be on a long-dead and much missed forum where the topics of debate ranged far wider than they do here (as did the viewpoints I think it would be useful if us right-wing brexity mob didnt chase off the sensible non-right-wing non-brexity types so much). It was far too real to her. MyBurningEars August 30, 2020 at 3:31 pm Deliberately shipping that many people that far in order to participate in a newly-created society whose economic system was designed, pretty much from the ground up, around slave labour?, True that unlike certain other examples of slavery, you werent likely to be killed as part of a religious sacrifice or as part of your owners funeral., But there have been other societies with slavery where slaves had more autonomy and a greater chance of buying their freedom.. Or they may discover how little black lives do matter. The government has said the "flexibility within the history curriculum means that there is the opportunity for teachers to teach about BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) history across a spectrum of themes and eras" so it did "not believe it was necessary to change the curriculum". The strongest argument I can see for reparations is not that white people bear some kind of ancestral blame. Intellectually more convincing anyway for practical and political purposes, demolishing a straw-man often makes a better video or audio clip while simultaneously making your opponents position sound stupid. Get back to us when youve developed your historicalguiltometer. There is the Push argument and the Pull argument. Sure. True that unlike certain other examples of slavery, you werent likely to be killed as part of a religious sacrifice or as part of your owners funeral. Later his parents separated from each other when he was just two years old. Duke University professor, William Darity Jr, and writer, Kirsten Mullen, jointly published a report for The Roosevelt Institute, an American liberal think tank, laying out a case for slavery reparations. But Ill tell you what, slavery and human sacrifice, still awful. Olusoga brilliantly reveals such contradictions in British society. I brought up paedophilia to demonstrate that there are things not worth my time. Needless to say, the national mood changed. A renowned economist has said that $12 trillion should be afforded to black Americans in reparation for slavery to help the close wealth gap.. To be honest, I was a bit sceptical about the Olympics coming to London, but the atmosphere across the capital was genuinely wonderful . His exposure to Nigerian culture seems quite limited. Good point, I wonder how he squares the obviously comfortable living he has writing, opining and broadcasting about slavery with his principles. But it is Olusoga who keeps insisting that its the Brits who are uniquely responsible.. Olusoga was born in Lagos to a White mother and a Nigerian father who, I hate to say nautrally, did a runner. In 1986 I came across the book Staying Power by the British journalist Peter Fryer. One of his teachers had a coffee mug bearing a National Front slogan and another attacked him during a school trip, he said. And he might not find the society withdraws it nearly as comfortable for him to live in. * the legal institution and pretty much the practice You dont have esoteric discussions with paedophiles any more than you would with serial killers. Over 1000 years in Britain. Prof Olusoga says statues, such as those of slave traders . TV presenter David Olusoga has told the Edinburgh TV Festival his career had sometimes left him feeling "crushed, isolated," and "disempowered". Reasonable estimates have some 50% of the inhabitants of the Sokoto Caliphate as late as the late 19th cent being slaves. Back in the heyday of blogging, perhaps ten years ago or so, there was a blogger calling him/herself The Heresiarch who enjoyed running against received opinions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr_Gide, Less flippantly, Western countries are not of one mind when it comes to the age of consent sex with a 14 year-old is legal in some countries, criminal in others (yes yes, paedophilia versus ephebophilia etc, you got me). I personally dont find that as convincing as the case that slaves themselves deserved compensation, and while there were strong political and practical reasons owners were compensated upon abolition but not their former slaves, it doesnt leave a great moral taste in the mouth that twas so. It happened. Olusogas ancestors will have participated in the capture of sale of slaves in Nigeria. Like I said, as a mental exercise, if I do my best good faith effort to imagine an argument for reparations, I reckon it would concern harms committed by the state (which unlike the slave traders and owners, is still about today) and an argument that it breached some alleged fundamental/universal doctrine of law so that even the states efforts to put the slave industry on a legal footing were null and void. Olusoga, who is half-Nigerian, traces this focus to his mother telling him when he was a child that Nigerian soldiers served in World War II. arguments are pretty weak since relying on a doctrine of virtues of the fathers risks implicitly accepting sins of the fathers.. Certainly they killed them casually often for religious reasons. "I have," he admits, "a habit of . Would also apply even if down a different family line there had been beneficiaries of the slave trade. The Russians do not have these problems because they are not ashamed. Olusoga has written stand-alone history books as well as those accompanying his television series. His choice of subject and his choice of material make that very clear. It's possibly a deeper change than some people realise because I don't think what we're living through is a series of political events; I think we're living through a generational shift," he says. My argument is that Africans were probably happily killing each other for women before the West turned up. Olusoga patterns his narrative after Fryers, starting with the North African presence in Roman Britain. They did not pay for them and were going to kill a lot of them anyway. (Britain expended blood and treasure on ending the slave trade, and thereby paid its moral debt already is one way of trying to resolve it, but rather unsatisfactory at righting the wrongs done to those who had already fallen victim to the trade.) The exception is Tim Worstall, who is truly the Ron Jeremy of blogging. (I suppose it makes a point about blame not being distributed homogeneously, or that a certain group of people shouldnt be guilted just because they share the same colour of skin with another bunch of people you do think are guilty. And the Domesday Book even counts slaves as a separate category below the unfree peasants (villans, bordars and cottars) those owed service to a Lord who could order them to move about and could say yes or no to their proposed marriages, but unlike slaves he didnt own them, couldnt sell them, and they had property rights to at least a smallholding. Do I feel like I had anything to do it? In 1787, they met in London and set up the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade. His current research focuses on stress, burnout, and wellbeing in sports, with a particular interest in high-performance environments and elite coaching. Blacks like Mr Olusoga despite endlessly banging on about it seem to overlook the fact that they are in a minority. Very often shaped by the political, technological and economic forces of the times if the Western way of life had remained utterly dependent on Roman-style slavery, Im not sure wed ever have abolished it even amongst our own inhabitants. She had no interest in esoteric discussions of the war. But slaves were more valuable, so the British fought the Spanish for a share in the trade and eventually came to dominate it. Sugar was king: originally a luxury, it became one of the main sources of calories for the British poor. That is not true. Equiano is also mentioned in Incomparable World, a novel by SI Martin, which was selected by Booker award-winning author Bernardine Evaristo for her Black Britain: Writing Back series. During the Second World War, thousands of black American soldiers stationed in Britain were befriended by white Britons who opposed efforts by the white military to segregate them. Prof Olusoga says statues, such as those of slave traders . As Black British History Month draws to a close, TV historian Prof David Olusoga looks at the impact it's had - and how young people are taking it on. They are stupid false for America. Olusoga is making an appeal to white guilt. I generally reckon cant blame me, my distant relative was on your side arguments are pretty weak since relying on a doctrine of virtues of the fathers risks implicitly accepting sins of the fathers. The German survivors of Stalingrad were sent to camps and most of them worked to death. The agreement is being touted as a . There is no reason to single White people out for unique levels of criticism. What difference has it made? Very little sugar on the mainland. So he calls himself a Geordie. What has Nigeria ever done for him? Id say this to Mr Olusoga. And Britain worked for the whole of the 19th century to put down slavery in Africa. From Roots. "They do not want British history to be a catalogue of heroes and victories and glorious chapters," he says. I do not see what is different between a plantation in Africa and a plantation in Virginia. BBC Radio 3 - Drama on 3, The Meaning of Zong, Spacious open-plan family home in Muswell Hill, Five Cineworlds across south London still at risk of permanent closure, Residents who have 'suffered for years' to be asked if they want blocks knocked down, Dazzling Thamesmead light festival returns with performances, films and flash mob, Charlton murderer claims prison guards broke his arm and sues for 20k, Children and young people with eating disorders face treatment postcode lottery, Angry protests erupt over Greek rail disaster, How fake copyright complaints are muzzling journalists, 1894 shipwreck confirms tale of treacherous lifeboat. The strongest argument I can see for reparations is not that white people inciting violence discussions paedophiles... Burnout, and it ended the slave trade in 1807 camps and most of them worked to death him! 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