Comments by "Winston Smith" (@kryts27) on "Exposing Africa's Part In The Slave Trade" video.

  1. I've heard about the inconvenient facts about trans-Atlantic slavery already, but this is more detailed. I can hear the howls of derision and accusation already, particularly of racism (which is somewhat valid). Notably, why Europeans did not enslave themselves if they wanted forced indentured labour for their plantations in the New World? This did actually happen, among young poor women in particular as household slaves, but also poor white famlies that were sponsored to emmigate then forced to work for their new landholders in the Americas. However, in many places, such as the Caribbean, black slaves vastly outnumbered white slaves. Firstly, one thing springs to mind with regard to black slavery. That the interior of Africa had plenty of people to raid and become captives. Slavery in these interior kingdoms of Africa would only been possible if this waa the case, This means that populations within Africa were NOT decimated by the outbreaks of epidemics, that were happening periodically in Europe at that time. Bear in mind, that the trans-Atlantic slavery carried on for about 300 years. There was malaria, yes (still is), but outbreaks of cholera and typhoid were probably less decimating on African populations because the Africans simply had better hygene and water supplies in their towns and cities (Mali for example), than in European cities. Also large populations of people lived in extensive farming communities, which may had less drinking water pollution issues. Bubonic plague was also less common, which is very interesting and scientically unverified because this disease seems to do better in the tropics, but also might be related to where the black rat (Rattus rattus) could reach and be a vector for this devestating epidemic. Outside large African towns, were possibly extensive preyed upon by native rodent hunters (these are animals, not people employed to do so) or sucessfully outcompeted by native rodents. At any rate, slavery is morally wrong whomsoever are the captives or whatever historical time it was practised, although at the time and place it was not thought so. This moral rejection of slavery is called ethical advancement and Enlightenment values. Unfortunately, for most of human history, wherever there are cities, towns, trading and agriculture, across much of the so called civilised world, there was slavery also.
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