Why did Americans own slaves? The incredible justification of owning property generally, and "slaves" specifically, of John Locke (1632-1704), from EIR, Oct 27, 2006 issue:
Somehow, British and other slave holders were convinced that enslaved persons were the doomed prisoners of some tribal war, fought in darkest Africa, where they would have died but for being purchased into slavery. They should be grateful, for civilization and Xtian salvation!
"In the seventeenth century Europeans saw slaving as respectable and desirable. It was conveniently accepted that Africans sold into slavery by their rulers were prisoners of war, who would otherwise have been slaughtered." historyireland.com/18th-19th-cent…
Locke's "Detractors note that (in 1671) he was a major investor and beneficiary of the English slave-trade through the Royal African Company."- Wikipedia.
"Locke never associated natural rights with happiness, but his philosophical opponent Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz made such an association in the introduction to his Codex Iuris Gentium."en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life,_Lib…
The transition from Locke to Jefferson to Lincoln is clear. By substituting "happiness" for "property," the phrase "all men are created equal" became dominant in the philosophy of the United States. The hypocrisy of "slavery" was untenable.
Yet, the idea of equality was unacceptable to the still dominant British Empire, whose wealth was based on slavery- both physical enslavement and through addiction to opium.
The civil war was instigated by the British Empire so the southern, slave-based economy could continue to supply Britains textile mills with cheap cotton. "Property" being more essential to the Empire than the "happiness" promised by Jefferson and Franklin.
And that led to the violent resurgence of racism after the North won the war. "Jim Crow" followed, the renewal of the KKK under Wilson, and the false racial superiority claims of eugenicists arose to sustain the Empire's colonial exploitation to the present day.
As Americans, we are ashamed at the irony of the phrase "all men are created equal," in a world where elites use apparent racial differences to supply tacit justification for exploiting those not born into wealthy families of "good breeding."
This is the power of elite families today. Based on the pseudo-science of racism, and adopting the out-dated philosophy of a John Locke, they built and maintain the corrupt financial system that exploits the poor while the elites' wealth keeps on growing and growing.
Subtle but persistent changes in our government (Patriot act, etc.) have led to the current separation of elite billionaires and their sycophants from us common humans, by imposing an imperial cartel system, with its own rules, supplanting our natural and Constitutional rights.
That was impossible without first eliminating the current champions of human rights, such as JFK, RFK, and MLK.
"How long will they kill our Prophets, while we stand aside and look?"-- Bob Marley, "Redemption Song."
With an understanding of History, we can move forward together and restore the true path of our nation: One Nation, under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for *all*.
Thanks for reading; today is February 26, 2021. Let's make it a good day.
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