The Legacy Of Slavery

British and American plantation owners imported millions of Africans into the colonies as slave labour. That is a fact. The legacy of slavery. American Independence saw, in time, many northern states abolish slavery in their territories. Eventually, the Civil War 1861-66 was fought over the issue of slavery and the north won militarily. The result left 6 million African Americans in the United States who had been previously enslaved. The vast majority of these people were in the south. An assassin murdered President Abraham Lincoln while he was at the theatre. There had been much debate over what to do with all these former slaves. White folk in the north, whilst despising the institution of slavery in their nation, were not real keen on having all these black folk in their midst either. Being anti-slavery did not necessarily equate with not being a racist.Continue Reading

#UNGA President Donald J. Trump

America is the great democratic experiment. Although, this is getting on for some 250 years now. This nation is in the grip of the politics of grievance. Partisan politics in America is more about hating the other side than particularly loving the side you are voting for. Americans have been encouraged to focus their attention upon their grievances via decades of negative campaigning and attack ads. Demonizing ‘the other’ is the favoured political pastime in the 21C. Identity politics and social values are the main game these days. Economic issues are now seen through this ideological filter.Continue Reading