Surviving Capitalism (Not) : For the sins of the fathers: Caribbean countries sue for slavery, but what could it mean for SA?

We’ve lived so long under the spell of hierarchy—from god-kings to feudal lords to party bosses—that only recently have we awakened to see not only that “regular” citizens have the capacity for self-governance, but that without their engagement our huge global crises cannot be addressed. The changes needed for human society simply to survive, let alone thrive, are so profound that the only way we will move toward them is if we ourselves, regular citizens, feel meaningful ownership of solutions through direct engagement. Our problems are too big, interrelated, and pervasive to yield to directives from on high.
—Frances Moore Lappé, excerpt from Time for Progressives to Grow Up

Sunday, October 27, 2013

For the sins of the fathers: Caribbean countries sue for slavery, but what could it mean for SA?

Click here to access article by Rebecca Davis from Daily Maverick (South Africa).

Capitalist historians don't like to write about how capitalist ruling classes were constructed on the backs and sweat of slave labor, but descendents of slaves seem unwilling to forgive and forget.

Regional Caribbean organisation Caricom, through its British law firm Leigh Day, will seek to make the case in the Hague that through their colonial participation in the slave-trade, Britain, France and the Netherlands essentially contributed towards the stunting of Caribbean development, and now owe 14 Caribbean nations reparations for slavery and an apology.

It seems that while ruling classes don't mind so much about apologizing, they don't want to "cough up" any significant money.