Re: two questions about Slavery in the US
 

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Question 1: If you were given the power to alter history and make it so that the US never used slavery would you? why or why not?

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i would not want to hang out w/ anyone who answered no to this question. i truly hope none of my friends would answer that way.

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how much worse off would things have to be now for you to change your mind?

For example let's say in some sci-fi way you discovered that getting rid of slavery in the US, resulted in a weaker America and because of that Nazi Germany and Japan won WWII? Would that make a difference?

What about somethig less extreme like most current day American's off all races having a much lower standard of living and more poverty?

Note-- i'm not argueing that any of the above is a reasonable assumption.

Re: two questions about Slavery in the US
 

interesting scenario. just short of some night-marish reality or the human race almost being wiped out i would sacrifice what i have now to have done away w/ US slavery.

for over 400 years (i believe) the transatlantic slave trade carried on and carried millions upon millions of slaves to all parts of the world. to stop the US influx in order so we're not as economically stable or technologically advanced seems like a no brainer. we're talking MILLLIONS of lives. i dont need my 2100fp monitor that badly.

Re: two questions about Slavery in the US
 

Maybe it is obvious to some of you, but I'm not so sure that slavery had a net positive economic impact on the US if you consider it's costs up to the present. Slavery cost this country a lot and it's legacy still costs. Most of the dramatic increases in US power took place after slavery was abolished.

Re: two questions about Slavery in the US
 

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Maybe it is obvious to some of you, but I'm not so sure that slavery had a net positive economic impact on the US if you consider it's costs up to the present. Slavery cost this country a lot and it's legacy still costs. Most of the dramatic increases in US power took place after slavery was abolished.

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especially when you consider the cost of civl war alone.

Re: two questions about Slavery in the US
 

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Maybe it is obvious to some of you, but I'm not so sure that slavery had a net positive economic impact on the US if you consider it's costs up to the present. Slavery cost this country a lot and it's legacy still costs. Most of the dramatic increases in US power took place after slavery was abolished.

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Slavery wasn't that productive while it was happening either. It had nothing to do with our prosperity and growth. We would have used whatever resources we happened to have to get where we are. Slavery just happened to be available to us, but was not necessary.

Re: two questions about Slavery in the US
 

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Maybe it is obvious to some of you, but I'm not so sure that slavery had a net positive economic impact on the US if you consider it's costs up to the present. Slavery cost this country a lot and it's legacy still costs. Most of the dramatic increases in US power took place after slavery was abolished.

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Slavery was not as bad of a relationship as many would have us believe -- and given conditions in some parts of the world, it wasn't necessarily such a bad deal for the slaves. Considering where many were coming from, they may have come voluntarily. No question America had a lot of really nasty slave owners. It seems the masters in the south wanted their slaves dignity and their souls as well as their labor -- the labor they would have had in any event.

Re: two questions about Slavery in the US
 

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Question 1: If you were given the power to alter history and make it so that the US never used slavery would you? why or why not?

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i would not want to hang out w/ anyone who answered no to this question. i truly hope none of my friends would answer that way.

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how much worse off would things have to be now for you to change your mind?

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It doesn't matter. No outcome can justify the violation of others' rights. Avoiding a future violation of rights cannot be used as an excuse for a present violation.

However, this is less repugnant than the idea that past rights violations are justified by current prosperity they enabled.

Re: two questions about Slavery in the US
 

Slavery was not necessary for economic growth. Has anyone heard of the cotton gin, thrashers, steamboats, railroads etc.? Economic growth would still have happened.

Without slavery there would have been no brutality of an extreme amount of innocent people (I don't know the total number of slaves in this country), no civil rights abuses, a big reduction in constitutional amendments, laws, court cases, etc.

The Civil War would still have happened. Slavery was just one of many last straws that would have ignited the war.

Re: two questions about Slavery in the US
 

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Has anyone heard of the cotton gin, ...

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The invention of the cotton gin singlehandedly cemented the slave status of the Blacks in the South.

Depends........
 

Question 1: If you were given the power to alter history and make it so that the US never used slavery would you? why or why not?
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Depends.....If I was a black American and I cared for my family, I would thank god for slavery. Why? Because without slavery I'd still be in Africa living in squalor, disease, corruption, and trying to avoid rampant crime/thuggery. In the USA, my family would have a chance of having a happy/normal life.
Otherwise, I would have made sure slavery in American never existed. Check out some of Walter Williams columns. Walter is a conservative economics professor who often substitutes for Rush Limbaugh on his radio talk show. Walter is black and his views on slavery and race relations are a good read.
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/w.../archive.shtml


Question 2: How different would the US be today if slavery had never been used?
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Economy: The US economic growth would have been slowed due to smaller production of cotton but after the civil war cotton never reclaimed its "King Cotton" status. The economic slowdown would have be compensated since the American Civil War never would have occurred. This war devestated the economy of the South. Bottom line: The overall economic effects would have been minute and perhaps better if slavery never occurred.

Race relations: There wouldn't be many blacks in the USA. I see no changes here. The Klu Klux Klan would never have existed.

Role of blacks in America: Again there would not be very many blacks in the USA. Most Africans could not afford to buy a boat ticket to come to the USA. America would be mostly white and hispanics would be the dominent minority. Seeing blacks in the USA would be like seeing unicorns.

Politics and the parties: The modern democratic party would be MUCH, MUCH weaker.

Sports/Culture: No Michael Jordans, no Wilt Chamberlains, no New Orleans Jazz, etc... Blacks have had a big impact in the entertainment/sports industry in the USA. Fewer gold medals in track and field events in the Olympics.

Crime: Less Crime. If you were to survey crimes by race in the USA, blacks engage in more than their fair share of crime. Even Jesse Jackson made the comment that once he heard a bunch of loud talking teenagers behind him and when he turned around he felt relief because they were white. American blacks also are the biggest victims of black crime.