Current Events > Thomas Jefferson's metaphor rationalizing the institution of slavery

(+) Yeah! (+)

Really makes you wonder what figures like Jefferson or Washington would have thought in hindsight about Abraham Lincoln.

It's no different than what were turning a blind eye to in China or wherever inhumane situations are allowed for our gain

Except it might be worse as they had more basic needs to fulfill besides having sweet Nikes and iPhones

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We pretty much let the wolf go but then put a muzzle on and wondered why it wasn't eating anything.

Also before the invention of the cotton gin, people believe slavery was kind of slowly dying out by itself, so its possible people like Jefferson just didn't think it was worth the effort, since it was dwindling down anyways.

Unsugarized_Foo posted...

It's no different than what were turning a blind eye to in China

We could go to war with China but we'd be risking one or the other pressing the nuclear option if we do.
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I'm sure there's a couple other strategies, but nuking gets attention

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Seeing as we eventually let the wolf go and nothing bad happened as a result he's pretty much dead ass wrong.

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Of course I get it, but that's still no justification.

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Proto_Spark posted...

We pretty much let the wolf go but then put a muzzle on and wondered why it wasn't eating anything.

Also before the invention of the cotton gin, people believe slavery was kind of slowly dying out by itself, so its possible people like Jefferson just didn't think it was worth the effort, since it was dwindling down anyways.

The cotton gin was invented by an abolishonist who was hoping slave owners would be like "wow I can keep the same production with only a 10th of my slaves so I can let the others go!"

Capitalism was standing behind him with a club.

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he was wrong

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It's a fine analogy if you want to rationalise why you're doing a bad thing but think of some implications the analogy lends in this context:

• Black people are compared to a wild and violently rabid animal. Especially in that point of history, you can see why this is a favourable way to dismiss the needs of a certain kind of human being by comparing them to a soulless and fundamentally violent beast
• The question of whether to "let it go" implies that this problem needs to be answered on the timescale of what white masters deem an appropriate and convenient time

Overall its extremely ugly to look back on. Just another example of white folk thinking they're being woke by thinking its a question they need to deliberate an answer on in the first place.

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is this the same guy who wrote a ton of anti-slavery stuff before he realized how much he stood to gain financially from owning slaves?

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If you need slavery to keep your movement alive then maybe your movement isn't worth it.

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Nope. They should have forced slavers to release their slaves immediately and basically give up all their property to said slaves as punishment for their crime.

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CADE FOSTER posted...

I remember when jefferson gave what was allocated as reperations for former slaves to the confederates instead he was a dick

Didn't Thomas Jefferson die like fifty years before the Civil War?

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Compsognathus posted...

If you need slavery to keep your movement alive then maybe your movement isn't worth it.

This.

Fuck anyone who said yes. You equate black people to violent animals. We time after time Violence were brought onto black people not the other away around. Fuck for years and years even most black abolitionist talked about non violence. Good thing people like John Brown came around.

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Black people would have been freed 30 years earlier if the American Revolution would have failed.

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It's the "afraid of Blacks gaining power and ruling whites" thing.

Old as the country itself.

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Yeah it was Andrew Johnson

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty_acres_and_a_mule

Pretty sure he meant the colonies would tear each other apart; not that black people are rabid animals.

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Jefferson was a piece of racist ass shit.

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pinky0926 posted...

It's a fine analogy if you want to rationalise why you're doing a bad thing but think of some implications the analogy lends in this context:

* Black people are compared to a wild and violently rabid animal. Especially in that point of history, you can see why this is a favourable way to dismiss the needs of a certain kind of human being by comparing them to a soulless and fundamentally violent beast
* The question of whether to "let it go" implies that this problem needs to be answered on the timescale of what white masters deem an appropriate and convenient time

Overall its extremely ugly to look back on. Just another example of white folk thinking they're being woke by thinking its a question they need to deliberate an answer on in the first place.

I don't think you understand. He isnt comparing black people to a violent animal in that metaphor. Its a metaphor akin to "holding a tiger by the tale", when it comes to how to handle a very difficult situation.

In this case, can the United States "let go" of the institution of slavery to act justly, or will doing so destroy us as a united nation?

Mezcla posted...

Jefferson was a piece of racist ass shit.

Jefferson was a great man. You watch your mouth

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Esrac posted...

I don't think you understand. He isnt comparing black people to a violent animal in that metaphor. Its a metaphor akin to "holding a tiger by the tale", when it comes to how to handle a very difficult situation.

In this case, can the United States "let go" of the institution of slavery to act justly, or will doing so destroy us as a united nation?

I get the intention of the analogy on this level but since there's a pretty well documented history of black folk being unfavourably compared to animals in literature and politics and culture I don't know if it's a wise analogy to make *today*, that's all.

*I appreciate that black folk are not being literally compared to wolves in this

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FairySportyOne posted...

Jefferson was a great man. You watch your mouth

I'm sorry the truth hurts your fee-fees.

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