Slavish Devotion
Today is the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery but somehow there seems to be something wrong with the focus of this “celebration”. Shouldn’t it be a day when the British could hold their head up with pride in the knowledge that we were the first major world power in the history of humanity to abolish this terrible trade that has existed since the dawn of humanity, not only abolish it ourselves but put pressure on all the other world powers to follow suit? But no, instead we are being pressured into a kneeling position to apologise for crimes not committed by any living British person while the trade still lives today in other corners of the world. Something seems very wrong with this twisted logic.
No return for Sudan’s forgotten slaves.
Some 8,000 people are believed to be living in slavery in Sudan, 200 years after Britain banned the Atlantic slave trade and 153 years after it also tried to abolish slavery in Sudan.
Somehow because the perpetrators of this crime are Arabs it is of little concern.
Desperate plight of Nepal ’slave girls’.
She is one of at least 20,000 girls in western Nepal who are working as indentured domestic servants in conditions campaigners say amount to slavery.
Somehow because the perpetrators of this crime are Asians it is of little concern.
Sex slavery widespread in England.
Modern slavery in a medieval city.
The Home Office estimated in 2003 that 4,000 women were trafficked into the UK for sexual exploitation. It is thought the figure may have grown since.
Somehow because the victims of this crime are white it is of little concern.
It looks to me that our work to stamp out slavery is far from over and the only way to do that is to get up off our knees and get to work.
Linkage :
The Fulham Reactionary comments on article by the Bishop of Rochester.
Update :
See Bishop Nazir Ali on Newsnight (BBC2) 10:30pm tonight (27th March).
Excellent. I DID slavery but your points are very different so bunged a link to this from mine. (Always like anything that saves effort, me)
I’ve written a post questioning the motives of some of the people behind abolition but that doesn’t detract from the fact that abolition was a good thing.
The fact that the Royal Navy drove the slave ships off the oceans two hundred years ago is something the British should take pride in and celebrate.
If our nation cannot take pride in that what can we take pride in?
And this apology nonsense is chunder-inducing in the extreme and a blatant attempt to cash-in on the suffering of people who are now long dead. But it’s easier than working to alleviate the exploitation of the living isn’t it
As I’ve commented in my own blog, maybe somebody will get around to apologising for today’s suffering in another 200 years time
And as for the modern slavery in the UK thing, I have seen evidence of this practice growing from strength to strength over the last ten years
So what’s the deal with the government and media’s coverage of this issue? What? They’ve only just noticed?
If not by action then by omission of action our establishment has permitted some very nasty and exploitative practices to take root in this country. But hey, let’s all focus on apologising for things that happened 200 years ago instead
I despair…
I left a comment and I am not seeing it. Probably problems with anti-spam. I thought the article was excellent and it is much needed to remind people of today’s other forms of slavery. There is enough and at the same time, not enough to celebrate.
Hi Wolfie.
Love your banner picture! How did you do this? I’ve been trying to figure this out for ages.
Will add you to my blogroll. Are you a regular at Steve’s site?
Greetings Pammygranate,
The banner is the view of the Thames from my apartment balcony taken by a friend of mine, this is quite easy to do if you use Wordpress.
You could say I’m a regular at Steve’s blog, however I quite often find myself arguing against rather than with the other regulars.
Nice view, Wolfie!
Sadly, i dont use WordPress.