Badtux the Snarky Penguin

In a time of chimpanzees, I was a penguin.

Religious fundamentalists are motivated by the sneaking suspicion that someone, somewhere, is having fun -- and that this must be stopped.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Those fine old days of the antebellum South

Thinking about it, the whole "they're better off" meme has disturbing resonances with the whole "the nigras was better off under slavery" meme, which was common in the American South prior to, say, the mid 1970's, when doyennes of the Daughters of the Confederacy would rant about how that mean Abraham Lincoln stole their slaves and how the black people were better off under slavery because at least then they were valuable property and thus were cared for and given medical attention, unlike today, when they're disposable goods, and they'd rant about how Abraham Lincoln was a dictator who destroyed the best place ever, God's land, the antebellum South of graceful plantation homes and happy darkies singing in the fields...

Then I hear about military recruiters having a job fair next Wednesday in the Astrodome. In a place full of desperate, now-jobless people. And I wonder: in the aftermath of Katrina, has the Bush Administration finally figured out a way to fill the ranks of the U.S. Army without a draft? I.e., by taking a bunch of people who've lost everything, and giving them a choice of either starving to death on the streets, or joining the Army?

Granted, the above is only a rumor at a web site with a poor reputation for accuracy (to say the least!). But I don't think it's an accident that this rumor would exist. Even in today's "enlightened" times, there are those who pine for those good old days of the antebellum South, where men were gentlemen and darkies were, well, slaves. Given that a military man is basically a slave to the United States Government for the term of his enlistment (or until the government feels like letting them leave), with no Constitutional rights, no ability to move about as will and change jobs and live a normal life... what better form of slavery than one that the person "voluntarily" subjects himself to?

Ah yes, those good ole' days of the antebellum south, when white folk were in charge and darkies were, well, slaves. It's 1855 all over again! Because, y'know, them nigras will just be better off under slavery, yessiree...

- Badtux the Historian Penguin

Posted by: BadTux / 9/08/2005 04:22:00 PM

Comments:

and there you have it. The elite have spoken! Now, you know why I'm sharpening up my pitchforks.
# posted by oldwhitelady : 8/9/05 10:09 PM

The slavedriver-wanna-bes would do well to remember the words of that mean Abe Lincoln:

"If there must be slavery, then it should first be for those who desire it for themselves, and second for those who desire it for others. Whenever I hear someone advocating the enslavement of others, I feel a strong desire to see it tried on him personally."

Or words to that effect...
# posted by Mimus Pauly : 9/9/05 1:06 AM

Honor Roll

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Liberated Iraqis

Children celebrate liberation of parents
More pics of children celebrating
Liberated baby
Liberated women and children
More liberation, yessiree
More to follow, after I finish cursing SOB chickenhawks and get my breath back...

"Keep fighting for freedom and justice, beloveds, but don't forget to have fun doin' it. Lord, let your laughter ring forth. Be outrageous, ridicule the fraidy-cats, rejoice in all the oddities that freedom can produce." -- Molly Ivins, 1944-2007

"The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men."

-- Plato

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