Slavery......?

Question

its been stated on the news that Tony blair has said sorry for the slave trade. Now it seems there are some money grabbing individuals who want compensation for their ancestors being enslaved. Should the UK pay this? I personally think no, what happend in the past is in the past. It also looks like some one trying to create more racial tensions in this country. what do you all think?

Answer 1

I think enough has been said about the past and this compensation is going too far, people should be more concerned about the ongoing or continuing slave trade today which the media and pc brigade dont do enough to highlight. So lets leave the past and deal with today. The slave trade is alive and kicking and the continent still doing it is Africa (and the Middle East)

Nearly forgot to mention, there's the vast sex slave trade too in eastern european countries.

Answer 2

It's not an excuse for the behaviour of colonialist countries but the people occupying the African continent were already engaged in their own internal slave trading long before the colonialists arrived. I imagine that's one of the reasons why the African's themselves were ready to participate in the trade. Seems like it's very appropriate to acknowledge that it was a barbaric and inhuman practice and to apologise but I believe that the abolition of slavery achieved this quite nicely. As I heard a commentator on the radio earlier, it was only a tiny minority of the wealthy and powerful classes that profited from slavery in the UK, whilst the rest of the population were 'enslaved' themselves in cotton mills, down mines, as servants etc ... this commentator also said, should we ask the Italians to apologise to us and pay us compensation for invading the British Isles and feeding many of us to lions? I certainly hope no compensation is paid either by the UK government or the Italians!! Interesting question!

Answer 3

I agree that this was in the past and although an apology may be in order compensation should NOT be. I havent heard anything so ridiculous in my life. For a start, how many people would have to be compensated? And how to prove that they had ancestors that were enslaved?
If this goes ahead, then they should maybe think about suing africa also as the africans sold a lot of their own people into slavery.
Might jump on the bandwagon myself for what the romans and vikings did to the british hundreds of years ago and also what the english did to us scots in the past.
Dont think that would be allowed somehow...
Whats the difference?

Answer 4

Tony Blair didn't exactly say sorry just expressed sorrow for what had happened. This is precisely because to apologise fully would lead to some people trying to claim compensation by saying the country admitted it was wrong and therefore guilty of what had happened. This is also why china or any other country will never completely say sorry for past actions. Its unfortunate because some people would just like to hear an apology but the greed of a few prevents this.

Answer 5

I wish my ancesters (i assume) hadn't been involved with slavery. They may not have shipped them over here or used them but they weren't exactly William Wilberforces...

On the Today programme a valid point was made to say that if you start asking for compensation for the slave trade then what about the Brits asking the Norwegians for compensation for what the Vikings did to us?

The interviewee was affronted by this and said that the interviewer was being condescending and making light of it. I don't think he was - I think he was just asking a question that is on a lot of white people's lips in the UK...

I'm very despondent about this. There is no answer. Where do you draw the line....?

There needs to be public debate - but without too much political correctness for the sake of it. Othewise white pople will feel that their voices are not being heard - and that will stir up to many Right Wing organisations, which do not share the majority view.

I hate feeling like the colour of my skin condemns me to a life of guilt for what previous generations did. But then again, blacks have had to live with what the colour of their skin has meant to enslavers etc for hundreds of years...

It is a little hardship for us whites to bear really isn't it?

I think compensation of some sort should be offered 'en masse' - to help with regeneration of black areas. NOT given to individuals themselves. How would that be controlled though?

Answer 6

if they demand reparations for slavery, do they also need to demand reparations from the Africans who sold their ancestors to the European slavers? My people did not own slaves and if we go far enough back in history, I am sure that I have ancestors that were slaves. Whom do I turn to for reparation?

What about the slavery that is occurring today? I know the American government turns a blind eye to what is going on in the far east because profits are too good.

Get one fact straight, one does not have to be black to be enslaved. We should be more concerned with what is happening today. At least in the USA, there is a large influx of blacks into the middle class and there are still plenty of programs that give blacks in poverty a leg up. This is better than a one-time cash payment.

What's the old addage about teaching people to fish?

Answer 7

I'm always a little amused when people start looking for reparation for slavery. No one alive is or ever was a slave, they don't know anyone who is or was, and within ordered society, there aren't any slaves ... period. Slavery is an unfortunate part of history, but that's what it is ... HISTORY! Nobody ever looks to the brothers and sisters who sold their family members into slavery in the first place as being the ones who owe something to the people and families they ruined. They are the same variety of financial opportunists that we still have today. It's just that their product was different ... they bought and sold people for profit!

Answer 8

if the past is the past ...the whole third world should refuse to pay money owed to the developed world too
(whats was borrowed in the past is just the past)

But what I'd personally love Britain would be to pay Sri Lanka, the Actual value for the tea that was grown and take out of there, the value for the stolen Precious stones, thousands year old Art Work take from Sri Lanka in British Museums today, the extra Taxes US Sri Lankans had to pay during the 300 year occupation.

And most of all

Come back and Clean up the $hit that they left behind, referring to the racial Divisions that was left behind when the British left just like all other part of the world, also employment for the slaves they brought here from other countries and left behind

i mean the British only left 50years ago ...so it is not ancient history

Answer 9

If the UK does anything about slavery it should be helping free the black African slaves currently being held by arab muslims in Sudan. Anyone who is demanding money because their ancestors were allegedly slaves is a greedy jerk and should shut up and be glad they have the free life they currently enjoy, whether it be in the UK or the USA. Maybe we should pay for their one way ticket back to Africa, and nothing else.

Answer 10

No. We could use it as a reason to write off some more 3rd world debt, but there is no reason to pay out based upon ancient history...unless we can sue the Norwegians for all the damage the Vikings made. And sue the French for the Norman invasion ? But what if the Arabs sue us for the Crusades and.....where will it all end !!!!

Draw a line underneath it & move on, that's what I say.