@AC Re: Common Lego !!
I suspect that the somewhat rambling comment was to try and put slavery in its historical context and it is true that people at the bottom of the heap were often treated badly irrespective of whether they were tradeable property or not. The particulars of the European trade in slaves between Africa and the Americas do make it a special case though, it being a perfect storm of European colonial expansion and industrialisation meeting a pre-existing slave trade in Africa and causing it to expand massively. This resulted in unfathomable levels of misery and abuse, as well as massive demographic change as black Africans were shipped to the other side of the world. Given that the history of slavery led to segregation in America, and that this was only ended in living memory, with the black community in America still suffering from poor treatment today, it is fair to say that this particular period still resonates today. We all need to know our shared history in order to learn from it and grow together. It's the f*ckers that run things who would screw us all, always has been, always will be. If we all stand together and maintain vigilance we can try to mitigate their effect.
I've not touched on Britain's part in all of this: I'd be writing (even more of) an essay!
Biting the hand that feeds IT
