More Scarey Bundy Hype

Another example of media distortion from the New York Times.  Regarding the revealing of supposed "racism" from rancher/philosopher Cliven Bundy.  As it turns out, the Times own revision of the "evidence" was presented through carefully edited video comments from Bundy.  The original uncut video shows how it was modified for the NY Times to use.

Difficult to unravel the lies and false premise from layers of revisionism. Although I find no general justification for trading in human lives, I had the impression that black slavery has been a common practice between warring tribes in Africa as a convenient way to dispose of enemy prisoners. Apparently economic demand from other countries just made it more profitable.

There are existing records which seem to indicate that American slaves, at least some of them, were far better off than their African counterparts. I have met and worked with black families whose ancestors were American colonial slaves. They had chosen to be adopted into the slave owners family, took the same last name, and were treated like every other family member. This family group owned and operated a ranching cooperative, shared the work, and the profits. They did not depend on the welfare state.

While I have no reason to insist that happy coexistence may have been representative, it provides some evidence that black slavery in America was probably not the unrelenting hellish nightmare some would have us believe.  Bundy's real crime - he was naive enough to believe that he could speak the truth without apologizing.

Defending these ideas is not popular these days. Everyone is more anxious to establish their own victim's posture. But it seems problematic to counteract supposed lies with lies of your own.

Apparently colonial slavery was not limited to Africans. Slavery at that time was equal-opportunity indenture.


One of many interesting comments about this issue.

Bundy's idea was hardly original.  Stated by others...

Welfare has been worse than slavery. (E.W. Jackson)

The welfare state has done to black Americans what slavery could not have done, the harshest Jim Crow laws and racism could not have done, namely break up the black family.  (Walter Williams)

Bill Cosby has long been an outspoken critic of the nanny state.

Ben Carson has stated:

• Charities better at providing for needy than the government. (Mar 2013)
• Those who don't want to work? They are on their own. (Jan 2012)
• Government entitlements compete with private-sector charity. (Jan 2012)
• Eradicate poverty by providing education and requiring work. (Jan 2012)

Don't people ever grow weary of hearing everyone identified as "racist"?  These men cannot be considered "racists" for making such observations.