Perspective: Slavery’s Defenders vs. The First Abolitionists
https://www.libertarianism.org/columns/slaverys-defenders-vs-first-abolitionists
Perspective
Slavery Was Lucrative …
Cheap labour was scarce, so from a pure economic standpoint if you are able to supply a scarce commodity that is in demand you ,an fetch the highest asking price … or you the supplier is in a strong bargaining position.
Slavery did not exist solely because men were immoral or greedy … surely some were and today are still. Slavery was filling an urgent beed for labour to facitate product so as the keep production and commerce alive. Nothing beibg produced or at low a quantity and at too expensive a price is very poor business.
Slavery as abominable as it was filled that gap. Many traders “licked their fingers” as we say in Jamaica, West Indies. Ironically it was not only the sugar … by-product of sugar cane … mainly sugar & rum distilleries, plantations etc where slaves toiled in the harsh tropical sun of 32 plus degrees Celsius … doing back breaking tasks like planning and cutting/reaping by machete, matured sugar cane. … fields had to be prepared for planting. There was little or no mechanization.
Cameron
Former UK PM refused to apologize firstly then recognize the need to compensate us for past inhuman acts related to slavery …they benefited greatly and his forefathers are believed to have gotten wealthy from slavery. This wealth was bequeathed to descendants like Cameron.
Cameron showed no respect or sensitivity to our demands for Reparations, yet planters/traders were compensated when slavery ended by Proclamation for disrupting their livelihood … Slavery.
In my poem entitled “Respect” Cameron’s response was immortalized … (use vision search engine to see same.)
Yes, slavery was good business … it was market forces and not abolitionists that ended slavery.
Do you agree …let us hear from you. As usual, the verdict is yours.
Hopeton O’Connor-Dennie is Senior International Correspondent & Photojournalist for Vision Newspaper Canada.
