Re: Tariffs and bikes

On 4/5/2025 9:35 AM, AMuzi wrote:

On 4/5/2025 4:43 AM, John B. wrote:

 'Re Frank's post above... in early  America George Washington, a 3rd
generation slave owner,  assumed ownership of his first 10 slaves when
he was 11 years old. At his death there were 317 slaves  at Mount
Vernon.

 True although most were acquired at his marriage.
 Odd though that people do harp on him, and on Thomas Jefferson as well, while exempting John Adams and Benjamin Franklin from that line of conversation.

Washington and Jefferson were and are much more revered in the U.S. They attract much more attention, both positive and negative, than Adams and Franklin. But the same criticism has been directed at Adams, Franklin and others from time to time. Recently a lot of attention has been given to J.J. Audubon and his ownership of slaves.
I have never been in favor of slavery, but I recognize that our 21st century American views tend to oversimplify the issue. For someone living in 1776 it was a very complicated thing.

And the same people have no time or attention for today's open slave markets across the Gulf region, into Sudan and now, with the sudden absence of French special forces, across the Sahel as the jihadis take over.

That's "whataboutism." If those issues arose in conversation, I doubt anyone here would say "Well, those are OK."
There are an infinite number of injustices occurring around the world. It seems to me it's most appropriate for modern Americans to pay the most attention to the ones affecting modern Americans, and which modern Americans have the best chance at fixing.

... bashing Mr Washington is so entertaining.

My original remark wasn't bashing any individual. I was merely pointing out that 1700s blacks did not share the same opportunities as 1700s whites. Denying that truth seems absurd.
--
- Frank Krygowski