-Caveat Lector-
>The ownership of human beings also takes many forms. Slavery is just the
one that can be most clearly observed.
For the real bird's eye lowdown on the history of slavery in Africa, check
out Dahomey. In some ways the Dahomians were ahead of their time. They
had, for example, a fully co-ed military a century before Americans even
began the experiment. They were among the best armed on earth, Africa'
Prussians as it were, but co-ed. They made up for low number not only by
arming women, but by staying in the forefront of technological
innovation. If anybody on earth came up with a better killing machine the
Dahomians immediately bought the best made, most reliable brand on the
market and issued it pronto. For a while their tactical use of automatic
weapons led the world's in development, a good twenty years ahead of
Europe. Like history's other most successful co-ed military, the Sarmatae
and the Massagetae, they kicked butt wholesale where ever they fought.
While the Sarmatae and the Massagetae are best remembered for their
resistance to imperialism and the Dahomians for furthering it, both
nevertheless exemplify the righteous principal "Fight one of us, fight us
all." There's a lesson to be learned here.
But if you want to know about slavery in the New World, read <Redneck
Manifesto> by Jim Goad. Goad sure did his homework. In a nutshell, he
demonstrates conclusively that MOST Americans are descended from slaves
and that for Black folks to blame "whites" for their history is even more
out of line than Jews monopolizing the Holocaust, and for the same reason.
It flies in the face of the numbers. It's also stupid because it further
divides us natural allies. And anybody who thinks that all white people
have it easy because some white people have it easy is just not paying
enough attention. White working people and working people Of Color Have
more in common than not. Virtually everything in our lives that matter to
us is exactly the same for both of us. All this current talk about race
(and, I would add, about gender) is a diversion. The real divide in
American society, in world society, is class. Racism and sexism are both
FORMS of classism.
It's not working class whites who live in homonymous, often gated,
communities. It's the RICH, both liberal and conservative. Us working
stiffs live together, work together and actually get along fine, because
even the dumbest among us realize we need each other. Besides, it's not
like we had any choice in the matter, is it? Those gates cost big money.
"Middle" class IS working class. The color of your collar and the color of
your skin pale equally next to the color of your money. We all bleed red
and we all face a pink slip. If you HAVE to work, you're a slave.
Goad, by way of tracing the etymology of the term "redneck" back to the
early sixteenth century English planter derogatory term for their white
slave "redlegs" on Barbados, and by way of an analysis of serfdom much
like that in the brilliant "Rent is still theft" post yesterday, shows how
the European concept of slavery has gradually evolved, has roots thousands
of years deep, and has afflicted and continues to afflict white people
wholesale. The prime reason for switching gradually over to the use of
Africans as chattel was technical and not ideologic. The runaways were
easier to spot in a crowd. The ideology of genetic superiority came later,
mostly as a justification, less as a motivation.
Calling your ancestors "indentured servants" and promulgating the myth
that most came here willingly and were "free" after seven years is both
intellectually dishonest and ultimately self defeating. Chattel slavery
and bond slavery are two sides of the same coin.
On this last point Goad and I disagree. The way I see it, chattel slavery
and bond slavery are one side of the coin. Wage slavery is the other.
Break it down to smaller change and we have rent slavery, debt slavery,
consumerism and military conscription both statutory and economic.
There are only three classes: masters, slaves and outlaws. The small print
doesn't matter. And since technically outlaws are merely runaway slaves,
there are really only two classes, masters and slaves. It will be this way
as long as we practice classism. It is easy to see classism as a purely
economic function because economics is its most obvious manifestation. But
class is not about economics. Economics is about class. Class is about
dominance and submission. Dominance accrues wealth because submission
gives it up. Capiesc'?
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spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL
gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers;
be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and
nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
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