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i dont think there is a nation in this world that continues to allow slavery, its been banished world wide because it was wrong, not because every country had civil wars to abolish it.
The only thing not known is how long it would have taken to disban slavery in the country but its ridiculous to think that without the civil war, we'd continue to have it today.
It was falling apart on its own, mostly due to the invention of the cotton gin, and other modernizations which took place.
Yes and no. Over time, slavery certainly lost the appeal it once had, however, quite a few African countries still allowed (and had) slavery until very recently. Even some of the places where it is outlawed still have it due to lax enforcement.
I bet you would volunteer to be a chattel slave because they were "treated decently," huh? Who cares if they were considered less than fully human? What the hell were they complaining about? Mason says they were treated decently enough for a piece of property, after all.
This post is the perfect example of the kind of whitewashing the Conservatives want to do to the history curriculum. Slaves were HAPPY! They loved being the property of white men! Who wouldn't??
Conservatives are an embarrassment to the country.
You didn't disprove any of the statements that Mason wrote. You just resorted to emotionalism and name calling. You are the one who started a thread based on a false premise and over generalizations, yet you seem to think that you are somehow superior when you can't even properly debate someone.
It was a voluntary decision by the majority of the citizens of the United States. I'm not sure why you think the fact that some citizens disagreed and fought against this decision prevents if from being voluntary.
In South America, Central America and Mexico and many of the worst New World slave countries it was the slaves themselves who revolted against their oppressors. We on the other hand fought a bloody civil war amongst ourselves in order to end the practice.
You're half right, but I'll concede the point on volunteerism somewhat.
We tend to forget, this was, among other things, one of the more stupid wars in history. Based on a mistake that, as you said, was bound to fail eventually (It would certainly take time...but anyone even mentioning the South winning is talking out of their behind), where the North was nearly guaranteed a victory, but the South made the first strike, all over the distrust of a President's promise, and pure fanaticism.
There were, in theory, better, far better alternatives, but nope.
Although, I guess many, if not most, wars are based on sheer idiocy, rather than...Hm. Can't come up with another reason, actually. It should be a last choice - and it's a choice I always hate to take. So I know what you mean.
I do have to disagree about Lincoln, Grant, and Sherman, though. They were dealing with an attack by traitors (no offense to you), that literally enslaved a third of their own population. If we get to 0/3...that's a win for humanity, right?
That's what being a hero is. You do ugly things, but for the greater good - even if you don't deserve it. You ever see the 11PM News clip of some firefighter that saved 3 kids who says "I'm no hero." Nah, at some point, you are. And I think "Destroyed formal slavery based on skin color." qualifies.
I dunno what to say bout guys like Lee. Um...They worked for their States, back when that was more important than...freedom for all?
Indeed.
No offense taken--I wasn't there.....(thank God for small favors)!
There may have been much better alternatives, but we'll never know. I never really thought about it until I had a temporary field assignment near Jackson, MS, in the early 1980s.
MS is as deep south as you can get. They bleed their southern slave past, and reminders are everywhere. When we went down to Biloxi to see Jefferson Davis' Beauvoir (sp?) estate, the place just really creeped me out.
There were slave quarters on the grounds, and all of the old museum paraphernalia in the house. I swear I could feel the spirits of the slaves who built that estate, and the hair just stood up on the back of my neck.
I couldn't get out of there fast enough and back HOME. Just....EWWW.
Last edited by Cathy4017; 10-05-2014 at 02:39 PM..
You didn't but I will. I have no doubt about how Scalia and Thomas would vote in that case.
Of course, if Scalia or Thomas were on the Court in 1857 - and if they were true to their (wackadoodle) philosophy of Constitution interpretation - they absolutely would have voted with the majority that black people could not be citizens of the United States.
I wasn't saying that today Scalia and Thomas would "vote for slavery" as pghquest is falsely accusing me of having said.
The Dixiecrats weren't dumped, they left on their own.
They were practically dumped as the policies they supported were taken out of the DNC's agenda.
Anyway, even though they were democrats, they were conservatives not liberals.
Conservatives are responsible for slavery and Jim Crow.
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