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In human history, I don't think anyone comes close to Britain when it comes to spreading systems that implement race based divisions. They may not have been lyn

In human history, I don't think anyone comes close to Britain when it comes to spreading systems that implement race based divisions. They may not have been lynchy like the US or chopping off limbs like belgium but they are remarkably efficient at spreading systems that show them as superior and civilized because of their skin. Slavery in US colonies,caste system in india,apartheid rule in South Africa come to mind as good examples and as diverse as the UK maybe, there are still strong elements of it that hold onto the "we don't want to exterminate people but we are still superior because of our skin color" mentality. The French from what I know were not as efficient at implementing explicit systems like this. The spanish empire perhaps comes close in efficiency and similarity but not when you look at the scale and spread of the british empire. My suspicion is the rise of darwinism (who was a brit) intersected with the rise of colonialism. Colonizers may not have been too accepting of the whole "everyone comes from adam and eve" narrative when they met locals they deemed to be savages and inferior. Not that I am saying darwinism is the cause,just that their greed and arrogance thrived on any ideology that can be abused to help them with their goals.

blackrock 6y ago
To add to this, the reason why the British and American system of slavery, was so evil and morally bankrupt, was because it institutionalized the racism. We know that throughout human history, there had always been slaves. Whether they were from war conquests, prisoners, or what not. And maybe, some of them eventually got their freedoms, after serving for a term. Basically, they came and went, and no one thought anything of it. But, what truly made the British and American system of slavery so evil, was that it became codified into laws. And written on papers, and enforced by the military, and police. And financed by the banks. This was truly, predatory capitalism, of the highest order. Thus, slavery became institutionalized. This elevated slavery, from something that unfortunately happened to random people like prisoners, to completely enslaving, subjugating, humiliating, and genociding, a specific race of people, purely based on the color of their skin. And all this, happened in a democracy.
- badrabbit 6y ago
  Yup. Once it becomes formalized people accept it. The holocaust is a good example but China's treatment of Uighur's right now is another example, the average Chinese supports what the government is doing because "they're in a cult" or "why hold radical beliefs". It's official and authorities support it. There is evil and there is evil caused and enforced by an authority the people approve of,the society at large is responsible.

blackrock 6y ago

To add to this, the reason why the British and American system of slavery, was so evil and morally bankrupt, was because it institutionalized the racism. We know that throughout human history, there had always been slaves. Whether they were from war conquests, prisoners, or what not. And maybe, some of them eventually got their freedoms, after serving for a term. Basically, they came and went, and no one thought anything of it. But, what truly made the British and American system of slavery so evil, was that it became codified into laws. And written on papers, and enforced by the military, and police. And financed by the banks. This was truly, predatory capitalism, of the highest order. Thus, slavery became institutionalized. This elevated slavery, from something that unfortunately happened to random people like prisoners, to completely enslaving, subjugating, humiliating, and genociding, a specific race of people, purely based on the color of their skin. And all this, happened in a democracy.

badrabbit 6y ago
Yup. Once it becomes formalized people accept it. The holocaust is a good example but China's treatment of Uighur's right now is another example, the average Chinese supports what the government is doing because "they're in a cult" or "why hold radical beliefs". It's official and authorities support it. There is evil and there is evil caused and enforced by an authority the people approve of,the society at large is responsible.