14 Comments
User's avatar
Luke Lea's avatar

Quote: "When African leaders’ attitudes toward China, Britain and their continent’s own history are considered together, the inconsistency is unmistakable. They relentlessly condemn Britain for slavery, despite the fact that Britain spent considerable blood and treasure suppressing the practice."

Why would that be? Maybe because of Christianity, whose unique sense of humanity made it uniquely sensitive to the inhumanity of what it had done, which could then be exploited by those who saw an opportunity? Guilt tripping in other words. Or something like that.

Simon Mansell's avatar

The Global Slavery Index estimates 5.8 million modern day slaves in China, many of which are Muslims. The British abolished slavery 200 years ago, an act that China continues today.

Realist's avatar

"Its leaders apply their shakedown efforts to the West because they know they can rely on sympathetic domestic constituencies, such as ethnic lobbies and left-wing academics. Demand reparations from China or any Arab nation, and they would quickly be shown the door."

This can easily be read as Westerners are more stupid than the Chinese.

Aporia's avatar

Westerners are more WEIRD.

—NC

Realist's avatar

Are you using WEIRD as an acronym?

Blurtings and Blatherings's avatar

"Western educated industrialized rich democratic." See Joseph Heinrich

Realist's avatar

Thanks, I Googled WEIRD as an acronym and got that answer.

Blurtings and Blatherings's avatar

Heinrich's book of the title was a monster, but worth it in my opinion. Read it last year.

Realist's avatar

The educated part is questionable, more like indoctrinated. And the democratic part is definitely not true—there is nothing legitimate about elections in the West.

Blurtings and Blatherings's avatar

That may be true. The west’s education and democracy may be more de jure than de facto.

Compsci's avatar

“Demand reparations from China or any Arab nation, and they would quickly be shown the door."

Spot on. As usual you beat me to that point. Grifters can’t do their grift within societies that “catch wise” to the grift. China is under no such delusion (of guilt) and Arabs could care less what their prior involvement in the slave trade was. To that effect, we might take a lesson from them, but I doubt it.

Realist's avatar

I was quoting the article.

john mccarson's avatar

While I agree , I must insist that we take an even more nuanced look at this....

john's avatar

As there are no black descendents in China (as in Arabia) can we assume that the slaves were castrated (as in Arabia)?