| Author | Message | ||
     Cataract2 |
Of course, I have some serious doubts about the factuality of that entire premise. Did our government ever use slaves for any government business? Weren't slave strictly a matter for private citizens? I never heard about the government owning slaves to do work for the government. I guess looking to the Obamas for factual arguments isn't a smart thing to do though. https://www.whitehousehistory.org/questions/did-sl aves-build-the-white-house So very hard to look. Yes, they were used. You guys are something else. | ||
| Reepicheep |
I think it's a silly argument, and I celebrate that a person of color is the president of the greatest nation on earth. I have political and character differences with the individual, but I not only have no beef with his race, but I celebrate what it represents about a free country. I didn't listen to Michelle Obama's speech, but I am gathering that's the gist of it. So I agree with her. (I think she was an idiot when she said earlier "this is the first time I have been proud to be an American", but that's a different topic). But there was a public flogging for Trump's wife for the fact that her speech writer reused a paragraph or two of part of a speech written by Michelle's speechwriter. Which had jack and squat to do with either woman. But the criticism applied a crazy narrow criteria for "truth" and really stretched for relevance of the finding. If you apply the same really aggressive criteria to Michelle's speech that was applied to Ivanka's speech, then Michelle lied. To say that "slaves built the white house" would imply that all builders of the white house were slaves. Maybe you could be a little more generous, and say that if the majority of builders of the whitehouse (50.01%) were slaves, then it was still true. But I don't think that was the case, and that is certainly not the case made by that whitehouse article (which was made by the Obama in defense of the Obama administration, and so should be considered in that light). But don't get me wrong. I think this conversation is as pointless and stupid as the whole conversation about Ivanka "plagiarizing" her speech. Both were distractions from real issues and real problems, designed to sell clicks and stir up divisiveness, and the kind of unhealthy personal attacks absent any kind of intellectual honesty that are ruining the country. | ||
| Pwnzor |
So very hard to look. Yes, they were used. You guys are something else. So, am I to believe that you stand with the Obamas in their stated opinion that "The White House was built by slaves", which indicates that slave labor was used exclusively? You throw the link out there, and don't even read it or bother to clarify the statement. Slaves were used in all kinds of enterprises in those days, why should it be shocking to anyone that SOME were used to help build this, that, or any other house? Let's knock that house down, with the current residents inside. Now that would be something. | ||
| Mtnmason |
The Great Pyramids of Egypt were built (probably) exclusively by slaves, save for the design and such. Let's go ahead and knock them down too. They're already crumbling. May as well destroy ANY object that in ANY way represents ANY sort of inequity. | ||
| Sifo |
So very hard to look. Yes, they were used. You guys are something else. You say that like this has always been common knowledge. It's interesting, that there seems to be a number of levels of truth on this issue. Snopes calls the claim "mostly true" and sheds some light on it. According to Snopes, it stems from a 2005 study commissioned by Congress. It seems that up to that point, slave labor in the building of the Capitol was basically ignored by history. In essence, this is history that was written in the past 11 years. Forgive me for not knowing "facts" that were not generally known for 4/5ths of my life. As to the part that isn't true, it seems that the further you follow the trail from Michelle's claim, to the study that backs it up, you get farther and farther from Michelle's claim of slaves actually building the White House. Were slaves involved in the quarrying of materials, and general cutting of those materials. No doubt that they were. Were they involved in the actual construction of the White House? I'll admit, I haven't read the entire study, but it doesn't seem to support that claim reading the forward and introduction. What's more, some of it is still based on "assumption" according to the study. In essence, Michelle's claim seems a bit like me claiming my house was built by lumberjacks in Oregon. They may have been involved in generating some of the raw materials, but it takes some tortured logic to support the claim that the lumberjacks built my house. So there's no doubt that slaves were involved in many aspects of the economy at the founding of our nation. I have no interest in trying to hide that fact. At the same time, I have no interest in exaggerating the impact of slave labor. They were in fact, a very small portion of the overall workforce. That isn't meant to imply that it was in some way OK. It's not! Slavery should never be accepted. What I'm talking about is the real contribution of slave labor. Being a small slice of the overall population, they only participated in a small slice of the overall economy. "Built by slaves" gives the impression of a Pharaoh overseeing a slave labor force. Far from truth. Still, I'm happy to learn truth as it presents itself. Thanks for sharing. I've leaned something today. | ||
| Rick_a |
Agreed. On that note, Pelosi on middle America: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFvIoeQhrZM I have a hard time believing that these people believe or know what they're saying. She has all the conviction of a talking head. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Good stuff here | ||
| Reepicheep |
So stereotypes are OK about white males. I don't see how people who have experienced racism and sexism, are so ready to be racist and sexist. Almost like its an inherit evil present in everyone, and that needs to be consciously and continually fought against and rejected in yourself first and next in the people around you. | ||
| Rick_a |
Simple people merely need an excuse to be at their worst. As soon as a high profile public figure condones and encourages such behavior, it's as good as done. | ||
| Sifo |
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| Sifo |
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| Rick_a |
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| Sifo |
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| Jayvee |
What I found in 90 seconds of internet "research": In 1860, of the total US population, slaves were 12.8%. In 2010, of the total US population, black/African American were 12.2 % | ||
| Mtnmason |
The Muslim Dictator got behind the podium today and basically said, "Trump CAN NOT become president. Were it any other Republican, we may be able to deal with it. But Trump can't be president." This election will mean nothing. It is but a show to convince the sheeple that the process is being carried out as intended. | ||
| Zac4mac |
When I was in grade-school, that's how the USSR was described. | ||
| Rick_a |
They're looking rather scared... ...and desperate with the petty attacks. | ||
| Sifo |
Well, this certainly isn't likely to end well... UN Backs Secret Obama Takeover of Police | ||
| Pwnzor |
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| Mtnmason |
^ I don't think they'll let you join if you haven't served. Perhaps they've found it prudent to expand their ranks by any means necessary. | ||
| Pwnzor |
There is a different membership level for civilian supporters of the cause. | ||
| Mtnmason |
Well then, count me in! | ||
| Sifo |
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| Sifo |
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| Sifo |
Yep, the failure of Obamacare is right on schedule. Next president faces possible ObamaCare meltdown FIFTYS! | ||
| Torquehd |
Hey, that's cityxslicker's line! | ||
| Sifo |
Yes it is! | ||
| Sifo |
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| Cityxslicker |
Damn numbers, economics, policy performance, risk mitigation, policy underwriting, unfunded liabilities, derivative fractional re-insurance markets, millions in forced enrollment with no viable increase in supply of doc's, clinics or training.... and the ever declining purchase power of the dollar. Other than that ~ ObamaCare 'works' I do know I told you so  P.S. There is a way out of it, and no - it is not the Repeal and Revoke models currently on the table. They all still fail to address actual insurance underwriting and treat care as a 'Service' to be rendered as easily getting a Big Mac | ||
| Sifo |
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