Its been confirmed that Britain was built on the back of slavery. ..Isn't it time for Amnesty for Immigrants

Question

Shouldnt our Goverment offer Amnesty to the thousands of immigrants who clean our streets everyday , clean the toilets and work in our bars...Wouldnt that be both moral and legal?
As a English man I fully support it to celebrate this dark period of our history

Britains Involvement in the trade started in 1562, and all the profits were used to finance the industrial revolution, and all the major Banks and Insurance companies today

Answer 1

I applaud this as the best question of the century , HEAR HEAR ! Its a shame the UK is full of some ignorant fools who do not have a clue about the wrongs their forefathers did .
IT IS TIME TO RIGHT THOSE WRONGS and the least they can do is give amnesty to people who just want to better their lives , what is there to lose? James t I salute you .

Answer 2

Do you know what a ''thane'' or a ''surf'' is, these were the equivalent to white slaves that toiled the land for the land owner in medieval times, the only difference is they were white people and if you are English as you say, they were your ancestors. The thane or surf had no rights and and belonged totally body and sole to the land owner. The Land owner could take advantage of any woman he chose that was his property and lashing and other hard punishments were the means of keeping them under control.

England was the first country to abolish slavery and slaves working on the land in Britain were non existent, slaves in Britain worked in relatively harmony within country homes and were dressed in cloths that the poor indigenous Britain could not have possibly dreamt of. Slavery was banned but the poor indigenous people lived on a pittance coal mining and children and the poor were sent to poor houses where they toiled in atrocious conditions that pigs would not live in. The industrial revolution had the poor Britain's being treated much worse than any slave could have ever been.

You like many others forget your own history and the hardships your own ancestors went through, Slaves were an investment and treating any investment badly just simply did not did not make sence. A slave on a plantation would have been expected to work and under those circiumstances would have been treated much like those white people in the workhouses but do you really think that those whites in the work houses wanted to be there.

Answer 3

Don't know where you got you information from,but totally wrong. Britain was built on many things but mainly the rule of law. When the 1807 act was passed by parliament forbidding the transportation of slave's it was rigorously enforced by the Royal Navy. Once you start flouting the law and giving amnesty to all you are creating a greater problem, by setting a precedent. Far from celebrating this dark period in the worlds history we should be thankful that it came to an end, and be grateful to the brave men and women who fought against it.

Answer 4

This is hardly an argument. At the time of the trans-Atlantic slave trade the working conditions of the English, Irish and Scottish workers were very horrible and there was no chance at all at a decent living with a reasonable life expectation. . How many Irish did not die without help in the Irish Potato Famine of 1846 and 1847? This was years after the abolition of slave trade and slavery! But also in great cities like London, Manchester, Leeds and in the mining industry living conditions for the workers well up to the beginning of the Second World War were just horrible. It is said that in the slave trade the death rate of the slaves was lower than that of the crew. I agree, however, that we should look at the past and distant ourselves from past crimes in order not to repeat them! .

Answer 5

Goodness me, the lefties have really got to you. In any event, what has it got to do with illegal immigrants two hundred years later. I haven't heard of any Arabs or African tribes involved with the slave trade offering to make any reparations. I don't believe in inherited guilt. The people that should be cleaning our streets etc, are the 3.5million people on benefits who should be on the unemployment register. Even the government admits this.

Britain certainly wasn't built on the back of slavery. It had ended before the industrial revolution got under way. Even if we accept the negatives, what about the benefits derived by all the modern day black people living in America and the Caribbean Islands. Should that be taken into the calculation?

Don't forget, there have been white slaves. Serfs in the middle ages toiled the land for their Lords and masters. Children, during the Industrial Revolution worked twelve hours a day in the mills. Boys were put up chimneys, and many died. Millions have died in wars as cannon fodder. The pyramids were built by slave labour, so on and so forth.

What about all the invasions into this country in the past. Should Italy, for example, make reparations for the Romans. It's all very silly. You can't bring the attitudes of the eighteenth century into the context of the twenty first century.

This slavery business is all about left wingers trying to make us feel guilty about our past so that they can impose more immigration and multiculturalism onto us.

Answer 6

The sins of the fathers shall fall on the children , well this child has had enough bullshit about immigrants and the tough life they have, i should be so lucky to be supplied with council housing ,benefits etc,and the only amnesty i would give any of them is a free passage back to where they came from,we managed very well without them be for ,and sure as hell can do again

Answer 7

I think most of the people you are referring to are legal immigrants, and as such need no amnesty. I cant for the life of me see the connection between giving illegal immigrants amnesty because our ancestors 200 + years ago used slavery to make this country rich. I feel absolutely zero guilt about the slave trade, I had nothing to do with it, neither should you or any other Englishman alive today.

Answer 8

Slavery, per se, finished in this country centuries ago. Although some of our ethnic minorities may have antecedents who were slaves, most of our immigrants and their descendents came here of their own free will.

The continual singling out of minorites for special treatment because of past misdeeds destabilises society, puts immigrants at risk of scapegoating and militates against inter-communal racial and social harmony.

I am a white Englishman. I work in a low-paid job, but I don't blame anyone for this.

The way to improve the lot of immigrants is to improve the lot of everyone, by legislating to improve conditions in the workplace and to increase the minimum wage. England needs to be seen as a positive country that is going forward, not a ragbag collective of whingers, racists and cringing do-gooders.

Answer 9

you are joking aren't you?

Either that or your knowledge of history, poor analytical abilities, and general level of ignorance is an embarassment to the British school system.

My answer is NO!

None of the so-called people you refer to who are now illegal immigrants were alive before the Industrial Revolution by which time britain had outlawed slavery...

I think this question is a troll - just to annoy others and waste time on YA

Answer 10

Confirmed by whom ? Where is your link that proves your posts content ? Please post a link to your "facts". Till them it is only an assumption on your part.. Immigrants dont need amnesty ,they are legal already.No illegal alien in any country "deserves" blanket amnesty for any deed/deeds that were committed hundreds of years ago. That's a self imposed guilt trip that I refuse to carry. This is 2007 , I live in the here and now ,not the then and was.

Answer 11

I think that your comment is very idealistic!, and do you just mean people from foreign counties? because you would be very misguided. Many British, Irish and Scots people were also enslaved and trapped by their wealthy bosses, THEY TOO BUILT BRITAIN. I feel deeply ashamed that our country was involved in the slave trade, however, do not forget - just the same as today - many of their own people sold them, and continue to do so. Lets stop concentrating on whats past and help the poor slaves of today!!!