When you look at america and you look at africa, where would you rather be? As the roots series is coming on tv, adults are remebering the rascist times. My dad got so mad at how blacks were treated he stopped watching. After speaking with some classmates, there parents react likewise. None of these people people experienced slavery. They just hear about it. I am against slavery, but look where we could have been. Being african american, of course i am a little angry at how ways used to be but i got over it. I'm sorry my ancestors had to go through slavery, but i thank them for keeping me out of africa. I know not all of africa isn't as bad as it is shown on tv, but i still like america. If you look at where africa was technologically and culturally, i see how they can be seen as inferior. Where Europe was able to join and become civilized africa failed. There were many more cultures and languages to overcome. Communication failed and thus did unity. Europeans had explored the world and discovered many things. The africans did too, but clearly they were behind. Most of the african countries couldn't compete economically or militarily with the Europeans or Asians. The weapons of the africans were mediocre compared to the europeans advances in weaponry. Africa had the ability to become a supreme power. Many rivers for trade, including the nile which flowed both ways, and they had many natural resources. Yet, the europeans were able to outsmart them and deprive them of their riches. If there was a way to get a mass population of africans to america without slavery, i'd look back on it and apreciate. But the only way to do it was through force because the africans lacked the ports, ships and shipping technology, and experience to travel. PLease voice your opinions
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Well, in a sense, what you're saying is that the "ends justified the means" - and I think that is where some people are having problems.
But, not all of Africa's problems stem simply from slavery, and slavery was not solely other nations' faults (although, we didn't exactly help, either).
As horrible as it is to say, slavery did have benefits. As what you pointed out that the African Americans that are descended from slaves are here now, likely living a better life than they would have been. This isn't to say that it's true in all cases, but in some cases yes. Slavery also provided America with the means to build itself up so fast so early in its infancy. I doubt that the United States would have grown to be as powerful as it did as quickly as it did without slaves. The same appears true for other nations that used slaves to build: egyptians, Romans...etc.
But, I don't think that these perceived benefits outweigh the horrors of slavery or the nightmares that slavery caused.
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"Dream as though you'll live forever, but live as though there's no tomorrow" --James Dean
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/fanaile-essence
Thanks for replying. I'm glad you agree. I am not the greatest writer so i try to express my view and they may come out to strongly or general. I apologize
But, not all of Africa's problems stem simply from slavery, and slavery was not solely other nations' faults (although, we didn't exactly help, either).
Now without losing my cool im going to tell you why that is wrong, the concept of slavery in Africa was different than european slavery. African Slavery was more along the lines of indentured servitude and only happened in a few cases
1 as a prisoner of was situation, those that were captured during war were servants untill they were released.
2 debts, when a man owned some one and they agreed the way to apy it off was for the man to leave his family and pay off his debt by working wherever the debtor said work was to be done at.
3 Crime, as punishment for a peticular crime, for low crime the punishment (not too sure on this one)
so saying that we didnt help wasnt exactly truth, shame is no one really know it but historians and those that have been to africa
the knowledge that in every breath, every second that we take, we are that much closer to death...
Somewhere above you said "adults are remebering the rascist times. My dad got so mad at how blacks were treated he stopped watching. "
My black friends seem to think that racism still exists...they where constantly telling me how they had to be more careful not to do anything remotely "bad" because they where black and people tend to see black people making mistakes in a more negative way then white people...I definately think we as a nation still have a long way to go to erase racism.
Also I don't think Europeans just "outsmarted the Africans..." I think first they weakened the continent by taking slaves away and then moving missionaries in who taught the Africans that they where dirty savages and then tricking chiefs individually by making contracts with them that they couldn't understand. You should read my post "The things we didn't learn in history class..."