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Archiver > SOUTH-AFRICA > 1997-10 > 0875950540


From: Wally & Elrine Greig <>
Subject: Re: (Fwd) Slaves & Inherited Diseases
Date: Sat, 04 Oct 1997 00:35:40


This came through recently:

Dear Marty,
>Love the comment
>
>> Slavery in SA was abolished in 1834 (many, many years before USA)
>
>Pride in race-history of slave ownership? I can understand that!I was
>priviledged to work in Zambia in the eighties, in the villages, and
>discovered a nostalgia for British colonial administration quite
>unexpected. More surprisingly, a history of tribal slavery, taken for
>granted.
>Seems to me there are several forms of slavery..
>
>Ancient concepts, of vanquished-in-war, slaves destined by defeat, (Rome
>and Greece).
>Old Western ideas, war for trade of labour, ( European powers,
>1500-c1800).
>Modern ideology, impressing workers for the State. (1900-c1980)
>Civil war (Sudan, Afghanistan, Cambodia).
>
>But best example of modern, legal slavery must be the condition enforced
>upon blacks by Boer settlers, banned from owning slaves by their own
>political masters, the British.
>Who cares about the law, with a bible and gun and land for the the
>taking?
>But enslavement of local tribes was brutal beyond any western ideas of
>civilisation.
>It's time to recognise that, to gain historical appreciation you need to
>hold onto what you have?
>Go well,
>Don't get robbed or raped, don't be a boer anymore!

"Who cares about the law, with a bible and gun and land for the taking?"

Whoah! Let's keep it cool, please?

"...brutal beyond any western ideas of civilisation..." ???

Anyone read any Medieval history of England, Europe, etc, lately?

"...don't be a boer anymore..."

Gently with the blanket condemnation, friend - e.g. not ALL Australians are
loud-mouthed braggarts, as some folk seem to assume. Ditto, hold it with
sweeping statements about promiscuous Italians, stingy Scots, and
whatever-you-lable-them
boers -
let's carry on with the genealogy, guys, okay?

Regards
Elrine Greig

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