Should Glasgow Apologise For Slavery?, Increasing calls for the city to say sorry Options

[davidhendry]

Slavery is obviously wrong, to our way of thinking. It wasn't always so. We had our own people transported. Any apologies? Never, they were transported by the great, the good and, obviously the rich. Their descendents are still around and still wield power.

The African slave trade was an Arab industry. The people were already enslaved when bought. Not that this alters anything, but we Brits must shake off the guilt of believing we're responsible for all that ails the world.

Mr. Dolan made a smart move, eh !!!

Davie.

[Dave Grieve]

Does anybody hear the Black descendents of the present owners of the Carribean islands apologizing for grabbing these islands after the native Indian population were exterminated. An act of Genocide in any language in which the slaves took part and a much bigger crime against humanity than slavery will ever be.

The descendents of Black slaves living in America today should go down on their knees and thank God for the fact that their ancestors were taken as slaves in the first place.

As for all the hand wringers if you really want to do something about the horrors of slavery in the present day why don't you start putting pressure on the moslem goverments of the world to put a stop to it, it still goes on and will never stop as it is ingrained in their cultural way of life.

[Doug1]

Slavery is obviously wrong, to our way of thinking. It wasn't always so. We had our own people transported. Any apologies? Never, they were transported by the great, the good and, obviously the rich. Their descendents are still around and still wield power.

The African slave trade was an Arab industry. The people were already enslaved when bought. Not that this alters anything, but we Brits must shake off the guilt of believing we're responsible for all that ails the world.

Mr. Dolan made a smart move, eh !!!

Davie.

Good post David. A lot of people may not realise that the Arab slave trade was huge and had been going on for centuries and indeed although I could be wrong here but were the Arabs not partly responsible for supplying slaves to the Western slave traders !!

[davidhendry]

Good post David. A lot of people may not realise that the Arab slave trade was huge and had been going on for centuries and indeed although I could be wrong here but were the Arabs not partly responsible for supplying slaves to the Western slave traders !!

What even more people don't realise, is the trade is alive and well even today. In my travels in the Middle East I met several slaves. All over the Arab world you'll see negro Arabs. All descendents of slaves.

In India they have the same shit but it's called bonded labour. Children are given to secure a loan which, surprise, surprise never gets paid off. Ever. Met a family of four working a field. The landlord ALLOWED them to eat any rats they caught.

Both the east and west coasts of Africa were heavily trafficked by the Arabs. Until very recently Zanzibar was a possession of Oman.

Davie.

[Scotsman]

It was not done in my name and the hand wringers cannot apologise in my name either. The greedy tobacco barons got all the money and mostly they kept it.... the ordinary people of Glasgow never saw any of the wealth!!

And what about our workers who worked as wage slaves in the worst conditions in the industrial world and who lived short and horrid existences making money for the barons. What about them?? Is there going to be an apology to them??

Slavery was possible only because of the Arabs and the African chiefs who took part for their own greedy reasons. And what about the million Europeans who were sold into the slave trade in North Africa. You dont read much about them because it is not PC but instead we are told that we should all feel guilty for the acts of a few selfish and greedy robber barons hundreds of years ago. Aye right!!

[Doug1]

Yes David you are of course quite right. In the wider context of slavery, where on earth do you begin. It's a huge industry which takes in human trafficking, selling women and children into slavery and so on. We often see in our own newspapers about families employing slave labour in their own houses. Eastern Europe is awash with human trafficking. Another thread I think !!

[**greta**]

Didnt think the tory government had abolished slavery the way they tax the ordinary working man in this country. Time to move on ,we are a multiracial society now as any decent new world country should be.

[*james hill*]

Why should present Glasgow apologise for slavery all those years ago? They never seem to mention the good things that was left behind. I think we have already repaid any dues. (Non-stop aid!)

[jimmystreet]

Whilst slavery is an evil, it still goes on today in various formats throughout the world. I do not expect an apology from the Italians or the Scandanavians for the actions of their countries in the past. The dynamics of the world and peoples behaviour towards one another is continually evolving and we should look for improvement. Whilst there are lessons to be learnt from the past, living in it, dwelling on it and continually going over it does nothing but create an industry out of oppression, guilt and fear, with people profiting from the misery of others. Great cities like Glasgow and Britain should be proud of their past and what we brought to the worlds stage. The good far outweighed the bad

[john.mcn]

Didnt think the tory government had abolished slavery the way they tax the ordinary working man in this country. Time to move on ,we are a multiracial society now as any decent new world country should be.

So the ones that aren't multi racial aren't decent ?

Why must ...i was going to say Europe but it's white countries, anyway why must 'white' countries strive to be multi racial when looking round the world you'll find lots of countries that are closed off to the mass experiment 'multiculturalism' or as it's now re-branded diversity. Are they opening their borders to hundreds of thousands of immigrants a year, i very much doubt it.

[Mathieson]

What a load of self-seeking nonsense from Mr Dolan and Ms Smith. One with a book to sell and the other with a reputation of professional bleeding-heart lefty to live up to.

Let both of them apologise to their hearts' content if they so wish but don't do it in my name.

[droschke7]

Are the English going to appologise to Australia, the US, Canada and Scotland? Why do you think so many Australians , Americans and Canadians have Scottish names?

[Jupiter]

drosschke7, Ive missed your point in that post.

[*Jack Russell*]

Don't be silly - how far are we going to go back apologising for past wrongs performed by countries - how about the Japanese apologising for their treatment of POWs in WWII - or the Vikings for pillaging Scotland and on and on - how about apologising to the children - some under 12 being misused (chimney sweeps etc.) in the 18th Century. Stop it now!!!!!

[droschke7]

drosschke7, Ive missed your point in that post.

The point is that the English transported people to Australia, Canada, the US and even Ireland who didn't want to go but were forced to by the English Landowners and the Legal system at the time, and many were indentured and forced to work as "White Slaves" in the colonies or sent there as prisoners for "stealing a loaf of bread to feed the family"and then treated as slaves for years sometimes decades. Don't get me wrong the French, the Dutch, the Portuguese, the Italians and the Germans did the same thing, no apology's there yet either. My point is White Slavery also existed not just Black Slavery. It's almost like the Holocaust. The Holocaust did happen but it wasn't just 6 million Jews that died, 21 million Russians died and many million Germans amongst many others were also killed by the Nazi's, no apology for them either.