Jefferson's Pillow

Paul Mackin paul.mackin at verizon.net
Thu Jul 18 10:10:57 CDT 2002


Whether sustainable or not, the Wilkins (if not the Walker) hypothesis at least
emphasizes the economic causes of slavery (as elucidated by the dismal science)
rather than upon  "racism" as it has been tossed around here so blithely. and
ahistorically .  I might be daring enough to ask if  p-listers would be willing
to accept the not very daring proposition that racism is less the cause of
slavery than an after the fact defense of and therefore result of it.

P.



MalignD at aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 7/18/02 6:28:46 AM, alfredjprufrock at club-internet.fr
> writes:
>
> << so africans did create wealth in america. walker wasn't so wrong after
> all, was she...  he he.
>
> <<During the interview, Lopate asked Wilkins, a history professor who happens
> to be black, if the revolution would have occurred without the institution of
> slavery. Without a moment's hesitation Wilkins responded that it would not
> have been possible for Washington, Jefferson, Mason and Madison to have
>  accumulated the wealth, inluence, intellectual prowess, etc., which allowed
> them the freedom from, well, Time, to have led the colonies to independence.
> Alternative histories loomed... >>
>
> A couple of things.  "Wealth creation" is generally used to mean the creation
> of economic wealth, i.e., production, investment, stimulus, growth -- none of
> which can be correctly attributed to slave labor chopping cotton -- and it's
> often no more than terminological sleight of hand that makes the claims of
> Afrocentrists sound weightier than they are.
>
> Second, Wilkins comments are entirely speculative -- what might have been if
> -- an approach to history that, taken too far or too seriously, leads to such
> schlock as "What If the South Had Won the War?" Or "What If Hitler Is Still
> Alive and Living in Bermuda?"  Or "What if the South Had Been in the North?"




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