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Guilty or not guilty?
by neonmeatdreams @ 2008-05-28 - 13:03:16

I was recently discussing British colonial history with a few friends of mine.

It is obvious that despite bringing immense benefits to Britain the Empire was extremely exploitative and discriminatory of the native populations it conquered.

So, should we feel guilty in this day and age for what our forefathers perpetrated in the form of the Empire? I know one of my friends does.

Or is it all ancient history?

Similarly should families whose ancestors were sold in the slave trade recieve compensation?

If so who should pay it?

Do you feel guilty that the land we live in was built on the back of racist slavers and exploiters of other nations resources?

And just for the Americans what is your position on native Americans and their status in modern society, do you feel guilty about the position your forebearers have put them in?

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DominicGeeDominicGee [Member]
2008-05-28 @ 16:01

It's completely insincere bull-shit to apologize for shit in the past. one can express regret but saying sorry is utterly meaningless - also it assumes that they would have behaved better in similar circumstances. Yes Britain conquered and held a massive and unjust empire but that's got fuck all to do with our own actions.
Compensation for slavery? Who from? The whites who bought them or the African natives who sold them?
That's called having an almighty chip on your shoulder and is exactly the kind of attitude that perpetuates conflicts like Israel/Palestine and others. Move on.

On second thoughts, maybe my children should ask the children of my school bullies to give them my dinner money back once i've died. yes, excellent idea, no inherent flaws in that.

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neonmeatdreamsneonmeatdreams [Member]
2008-05-28 @ 16:33

I totally agree we cannot and should not be responsible for the acts of others in the past, and when Prime Ministers go on Tv and apologise for the slave trade it is, as you say yourself, complete insincere bullshit.
There was some suggestion a while back that descendants of slaves wanted to sue Lloyds bank who at the time insured all the slaving ships although i don't know how that panned out.

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DominicGeeDominicGee [Member]
2008-05-28 @ 16:44

To be perfectly frank, you don't exactly see decendants of slaves in America emigrating back to Africa do you. Yet you do see Africans emigrating to the States. Oh, the irony.

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