Abolition Of Slavery And Of The Trade Itself.

[Timoth]

Can there be such a thing as national culpability when the events took place centuries ago? What about Germany post 2WW?

[jsks]

Can there be such a thing as national culpability when the events took place centuries ago? What about Germany post 2WW?

Germany is very quick to hold its hands up to the evil of the Nazi era. They have many memorials to the victims but none to the perpetrators. The exact opposite of UK.

[Timoth]

Slight time difference. Should the Italians hold up their hands for the Roman’s massacre of the British?

The problem is that the Left will countenance no debate, no real evaluation, just a slam dunk Empire BAD.

[Flaneur]

Presumably the culpability of Britain as it was then, Jackie, rather than as now?

[jsks]

Slight time difference. Should the Italians hold up their hands for the Roman’s massacre of the British?

You asked specifically about Germany. The reply was specifically about Germany.

What's so hard to grasp about the answer being to the question asked rather than the unasked supplementaries?

[Jackie]

Presumably the culpability of Britain as it was then, Jackie, rather than as now?

But it’s still not being faced up to now is it. Otherwise why are there still statues of Colston around. Why is this part of English history not taught in schools? It’s been swept under the carpet like some dirty little secret. Germany faced up their culpability/past as JSK has pointed out in a way Britain has never been able to do.

[Flaneur]

Slight time difference. Should the Italians hold up their hands for the Roman’s massacre of the British?

You asked specifically about Germany. The reply was specifically about Germany.

I think Timoth and Jackie and jsks are making the same point, though, aren't they? At what point does a country stop being culpable? We don't think of the Italians as being evil imperial oppressors that frequently (at least, I don't); we do think of the Nazi regime as being evil, but Germany itself is very sensitive to that and actively thwarts any celebration as far as it can.

As for the UK, I disagree that we are not facing up to it. It is taught in schools (see here, for example: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u ... istory.pdf) and I have never met anyone who thought slavery was a Good Thing. We have had a substantial number of statutes in the last decade dealing with modern slavery.

As for statues of people like Colston - plainly a complex and controversial figure - my guess is as good as yours, but it seems apparent that the debate about what should be done became extremely polarised, with people simply not prepared to debate and resorting to sloganeering.

[jsks]

Presumably the culpability of Britain as it was then, Jackie, rather than as now?

But it’s still not being faced up to now is it. Otherwise why are there still statues of Colston around. Why is this part of English history not taught in schools? It’s been swept under the carpet like some dirty little secret. Germany faced up their culpability/past as JSK has pointed out in a way Britain has never been able to do.

Its not just its inglorious past in slavery. How many of you schooled in England found the Irish famine or the Highland clearances formed part of the history curriculum? Bet you learned all about the Spanish Armada but not the invasion leading the the Glorious Revolution.

[Jackie]

Presumably the culpability of Britain as it was then, Jackie, rather than as now?

But it’s still not being faced up to now is it. Otherwise why are there still statues of Colston around. Why is this part of English history not taught in schools? It’s been swept under the carpet like some dirty little secret. Germany faced up their culpability/past as JSK has pointed out in a way Britain has never been able to do.

Its not just its inglorious past in slavery. How many of you schooled in England found the Irish famine or the Highland clearances formed part of the history curriculum? Bet you learned all about the Spanish Armada but not the invasion leading the the Glorious Revolution.

Personally speaking, I learnt about slavery by watching ‘Roots’ In the ‘70’s.

[Le Démerdeur]

Myself as well. History not taught in my school, it became Humanities & the teachers smoked dope in front of the class.