Roots Archives Forum

Like many, I foolishly thought that slavery had been more or less abolished a long time ago. Of course I realise that actual slavery still continues today dressed up as poorly paid or so called bonded labour. But 'real' slavery as in capture, chains etc, I thought that was pre 20 c history.

Until I read this:

"At this point, Lij Iyasu decided to leave the capital, ostensibly on a military expedition against the Afar, but he simply traveled through eastern Shewa and into Wollo, meeting with the common people. He had promised to return to Addis Ababa in May 1912, but instead visited Debre Libanos, then Addis Alem, before joining Dajazmach Kabbada's expedition into southwest Ethiopia. Here Lij Iyasu took part in a series of slave raids, in which 40,000 people of both sexes were captured, "half of whom died en route of smallpox, dysentery, hunger and fatigue."

40,000 slaves in 1912!

This Lij Iyasu was part of the Ethiopian royal line!

Ites!

bloody human slavery still exists harshly inna 2008 all over de world. example, poor children from Congo who work as slaves inna mines fi mineral international mafia wid total worldwide approval

wikkid babylon

BLESS

As I said in another thread, this material world is ruled by anger, greed and lust. And it ain't about to get any better any time soon.

well, from what I've read and seen the Ethiopian Royal family took quite a while to shake off their tribal ways and adopt a more 'modern' outlook. Haile Selassie was by all accounts I've read quite a circumspect and astute individual, unlike many of his predecessors and rivals (within his family) and knew that reforms and changes had to be made. Much to the disgruntlement of many of his court.

I can't remember many of the details off hand - there is an old English (I think) documentary about him that is surprisingly positive in its treatment of H.I.M. Many of the events preceding his coronation would resemble the machinations of a medieval feudal court in Europe to most 'western' people who know a bit of their history. Or certainly something that could easily be adapted into a Shakespearian tragedy!

For his time and circumstances he was quite progressive, though like all people, not without his faults.

His coronation, regardless of many of the facts of Ethiopian history is still very much a great symbol of hope for African and those of African heritage. Very interesting stuff, with or without the JA/Reggae/Rasta connections but made all the more fascinating because of them.

Just my take on it.

Re: slavery in general. It takes many forms and as others have pointed out, is indeed still very much with us today. As long as one man feels he can wield power over another man, slavery in some form will always be with us. Much to our shame.
It is worth pointing out I think, that all across Europe particularly during feudal times most people were basically slaves. Up to about the time of 'Enlightenment'. The rise of nationalism (not a good thing either IMO) did a lot to reform this system as it recognized people as meaningful members of an significant group - a 'people' - sadly this meant that people could be sent off to serve their countries, instead of their Duke, Lord, King etc. in wars.
My 'people' - the Irish - were essentially slaves for the Englishman's table for a couple of hundred years. During the 'Great Famine' of 1846-1848 (?) millions died and emigrated - while enough food was being produced to feed the Irish many times over. If that is not slavery, I don't know what is.
To this day, the allocation of land to certain kinds of farming has changed little. Where I grew up is beef pasture country. Was then, is now. The midlands were not affected by the famine as much because as the oft used phrase goes, the people of this region were involved in the production of 'beef for the Englishman's table'. People from other parts of the country were not so fortunate when the potatoes would not grow. They were expendable as far as the ruling class (both English and Irish) were concerned.
And just to add some balance - some of the most brutal slavemasters/overseers in the time of Caribbean slavery are documented to have been Irish! But they were probably protestants !!!

Hope this wasn't to dry or preachy, but I really think this issue deserves some 'reasoning' by all thinking people. I really think we need to take the race out of it and look at it from a purely human perspective.
We're all brothers and sisters!

Of course, we are all slaves of our senses.

or senselesness...
we gots to be more sensutiv!

ACEtone wrote:or senselesness...
we gots to be more sensutiv!

I agree. However, by "senses" I don't think that Leggo meant rationality, or empathy. He was merely reiterating his statements that almost everybody is controlled by desire.

We make associations with external stimuli through our five senses, and then constantly try to recreate those that we have deemed pleasant. To some degree, saints excluded, we all become addicted and enslaved by this pursuit of wants.

So yes, slavery in many forms exists to this very day. I'm sure you all remember this one.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritzl_case

OK, I think I understood Leggo Rockers point - i was merely trying to make fun of the failure of notions of 'sensitivity training' enforced upon such places as the US and EU.
The point being - as a person, stop doing bad things - respect other people's dignity and stop farting about being 'sensutiv' to people's emotional weakness. Stand up and be counted. Reject unfairness, inequality etc.
It is for want of some moral backbone that the citizens of so called developed nations will dissolve into a pool of emotional weakness. As seen nowadays, making it ever more possible for cruel and opportunist business enterprises to control politics and people. The strong will always control the weak and often the weak are in that position due to their own inability to stand against small injustices.
And then it grows and builds until...

get me?
yes I remember the Fritzl thing - what a weirdo. I have always wondered - the amount of physical and mental energy required to set up a system such as he had in place. to keep this thing going for years and years - if you could somehow tap that energy you could probably power a small town on it! It is clearly a matter of insanity - but also clearly it shows us that in certain individuals insanity can be managed, maintained, extended over potentially life long periods of time.
One illustration of this phenomenon that comes to mind is BushCheney
There are many crazy people that would pass for sane when psychoanalyzed - proving that that particular branch of medical alchemy is a crock!

Yes, DB understands exactly what I am saying.

If we all put the energy we expend in feeding our voracious senses (which can NEVER be satisfied) into searching for ourselves and for the TRUTH, we'd all be home by now.

I'm not pretending to be a saint, I've got the disease too. But I constantly pray that I'll be released from this bondage sometime. That's what freedom really means. There is no freedom here because we are all slaves to our senses and under the control of material nature.

This is what the Bible, and other scriptures, really mean when they talk about liberation, freedom etc.

But please don't think I am in any way condoning the holding of men or women against their will or the manipulation of people for the same end. Slavery is evil in any form, subtle or not.

Money ina yu hand nah gwaan buy yu freedom