1. Please read and take notes starting with "Politics in England and America" on pg. 130 through pg. 134.
2. Also, please read this Examiner article on Glenn Beck's attitude towards the institution of slavery, and make sure to listen to the 4 minute audio clip to help you better understand the opinion piece (slavery comes up around 2:30, be patient, it will help to have the context).
3. Using the "comment" function on this post, please answer the following questions in a minimum of two paragraphs (3-5 complete sentences per pgh). It will be graded.
- Based on what you have learned, do you think slavery "started with seemingly innocent ideas?" If so, did it ever lose its innocence? When?
- Do you think that health care reform is reintroducing the institution of slavery to the U.S.? If so, do you see a parallel between the beginning of slavery in the Atlantic slave trade and Beck's idea of slavery today?
*Tomorrow I will introduce an essay to be due next Friday 10/29 and will provide you with a review guide to help you study for your test on Monday.
I do not believe that slavery ever started with "seemingly innocent ideas". From what i have learned i believe that the original idea of slavery was to punish those in debt or those who are captured as war criminals, but it evolved to the capture of innocent natives of Africa. Even from the beginning the idea was to have cheap labor that could bring in large profits for the owners of these slaves or "Indentured Servants". These slaves brought in huge profits for their owners and for that exact reason slavery kept on its course till its eventual abolition after the civil war.
ReplyDeleteNo I don't think that the health care reform is reintroducing slavery into the United States, although i do see the similarities in the ways that the two are beginning. They both are beginning now with reforms and regulations of the old policies. The health care reform was passed to regulate health care laws, while the regulations passed on slavery were to regulate slavery laws and they both led to rises in what they were trying to regulate. They may have began the same ways, but this health care reform is not legally binding people to masters who are going to work them 16 hours a day.
Slavery did not start with "seemingly innocent ideas". The purpose of slavery was to take people force them to work for free, bringing massive amounts of money for the slave owners. The Whites claimed that they were superior, and they may have been in that they had better weapons with which they could enslave the blacks, but they were both human beings. Slavery in the U.S. may have been more innocent than in other areas of the Americas, but it was not in any way innocent.
ReplyDeleteThis health care reform is not forcing people to become slaves. It may raise prices for some, but it is working towards giving healthcare to all, which is much more important. The government may be taking more money from some people, but when it comes to healthcare, we should realize that at least we have an option for healthcare. Most slaves were given no healthcare unless they were hurt very seriously. Maybe these reforms are making us slightly less free, but the bottom line is that we are still free.
I don't believe that slavery started with "seemingly innocent ideas" just because the president said so. They say that slavery started around a campfire and that the slaves knew that it would end they just did not know exactly when. Slavery also took a long time to start just as long as it did to end. Therefore the nations who gave birth to slavery and practiced these methods knew exactly what they were doing and how harmful and destructive it was.
ReplyDeleteThe United States of America is not creating slaves that is not what is going on. If we were creating slaves the government would take into reconsideration the laws and guidelines of the Constitution. In doing so we would rewrite the document in a manner that would create a class system and enforce a lower class. I do not see the parallel.
I don't agree with Glenn Beck saying that slavery was a seemingly innocent idea at all. As Ryan Witt points out, there was nothing innocent in the manner they attained the slaves. Even if the resulting factor was going to be a thriving economy, the people back then must have realized what an evil and horrific act enslaving 21 million people was. By no means was the idea of owning slaves innocent. When he says it didn't begin with the kidnapping, or the ship voyages, or the auction, I respecively comletely disagree.
ReplyDeleteI think his idea of health care reform reintroducting slavery is a bit extreme and very different from actual slavery which dated back over 150 years ago. Having said that, he makes a good point and observes how both started with simple rules and regulations which, in the case of slavery, slowly grew to the monster of what we knew as slavery. But just because similar things are happening in this reform does not mean it will evolve into a new era of slavery in the US.
Colonial governments were searching for a solution to jump start their economy. Slavery was their solution, but it was not an innocent idea. The leaders of the colony were desperate. Buying slaves that they deemed to be "lesser" human beings. Africans were being taken from their land and used as workers. Slavery needs to be remembered as a oppressive, and endangering action that the European colonists decided was a good idea.
ReplyDeleteThe health care reform is not reintroducing slavery into the United States, however it is changing how the U.S manages its distribution of health care. Both arose from reforming or regulating "older policies". The health care debate is addressing that the U.S spends more money on health care per person than any other developed country. Beck is simply using the similarities between the two to support his view on the changes being undertaken in Congress.
The idea that slavery began with "seemingly innocent ideas" is an idea that I do not agree with. At no point is the idea of taking another human's freedom and subjecting them to the type of torture that slaves were subjected to considered "seemingly innocent." The original idea of slavery as a punishment escalated to the point of kidnapping Africans and bringing them to the Americas as slaves.
ReplyDeleteTHe health care reform is not causing people to become slaves to the government, although I do see how the prices are getting extremely high. The fact of the prices rising is making people make choices that affect if they have health care or how extensive their health care plan. This does restrict the public, however it does not enslave them.
No, I don't believe that slavery started with "seemingly innocent ideas". The people originally behind the slave trade and slavery in general were behind it for money, profits, and cheap labor. I've learned that over the years the slave trade became a cruel and competitive business in which people's lives were affected. The cheap labor and profit was the main source of slavery, and started with intentions of unfair conditions.
ReplyDeleteThe current health care reform is not enslaving people. Health care reform can make health insure easier, more affordable, more difficult, or more expensive for some people; yet it doesn't enslave them to their health care. The government now and earlier had to adjust laws and regulations based on current situations.
I do not believe that slavery started with "seemingly innocent ideas." From what I have learned, the whites thought that they were superior to Africans from the start. The whites knew exactly what they were doing when they were shipping many slaves over to the Americas and treating them like animals. All the whites wanted were slaves to do all of the work on the plantations for them without having to really care for them. In no way was slavery started with innocent ideas. Maybe some masters were less harsh on their slaves but they still had slaves and still took people from their homes and treated them like animals on purpose.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that the health care reform is reintroducing slavery into the United States. The health care reform is aimed to benefit all classes and all citizens of the United States. Slavery, on the other hand, only benefitted the ones who could afford to buy slaves and it ruined many people's lives. Although the prices vary from person to person, in the long run it should help the country as a whole and help all of the individuals. Slaves were beat and hurt for no reason and couldn't do anything about it or to help the wounds. Health care is preventing this to happen again.
Slavery did not start with "seemingly innocent ideas." Even though some people believed slavery didn't start until the government got involved, it never had the right intentions. Slavery is the epitome of dehuminization. The entire black race was looked down upon as savages. Slaves were taken away from their families in Africa to some to the Americas or other parts of the globe. They would waste their entire life working for people other than themselves. Even though slavery got worse when the government became involved, it was never a good idea.
ReplyDeleteThe heath care reform is not reintroducing slavery in the United States. The health care reform will eventually benefit the majority of the people in the US. Slavery never benefited the country in any way. It was a constant problem that refused to be solved. Slavery made the country weaker and disunified; on the other hand, the health care reform is trying to make our country stronger.
I agree with Glen Beck when he says that the idea of slavery started with seemingly innocent ideas if you looks at slavery starting with the idea of needing labor. If you look at slavery in that sense, then that idea is innocent because they don't think that they are going to go capture people and put them to work and work them to death. I think it lost its innocence right when the people who thought up slavery, whoever it was, thought about how they would go about getting free labor. The moment they thought about enslaving people I think it lost its innocence.
ReplyDeleteI don't really think the health care reform is introducing slavery. I just think it is poor execution of a good idea. I think that slavery is kind of an extreme form of the health care reform in this case and Glenn Beck makes a good point but I do not believe that in any way is it bringing slavery to American because we still have our freedoms.
-Mitch Nylen
I do not believe that slavery started with "seemingly innocent ideas". The people behind slavery knew what they were doing when they sold humans for profits, and when they made them endure harsh living conditions and physical harm. Those were not innocent ideas. The idea of slavery escalated into kidnapping and transporting slaves all over the world, killing many, and enslaving thousands of people under harsh conditions. Slavery was the farthest thing from "innocent ideas"
ReplyDeleteThe health care reform is not recreating slavery in america. It is trying to make it more affordable to some, and yes, it will be more difficult for some people pay for, but it is not enslaving them. He made a valid point, stating that they both started with simple laws and regulations, and but in both these attempts to regulate failed, and what they were trying to regulate then rose. Although this puts some restriction on the general public, i would not say that it is slavery.
Based on what I have learned about slavery through out the years it does not seem to have “started with seemingly innocent ideas”. The whole concept of slavery was to bring people over to the Americas to have some one to do the work for plantation owners. It was not an innocent idea because the way the slaves were captured was not innocent. The slaves were tricked and kidnapped and forced to travel through very dangerous and inhumane conditions. To me, nothing about slavery was innocent, the fact that people bought and sold other humans is wrong.
ReplyDeleteGlenn Beck mentions that we, the people of America, have become “slaves” to our own Health Care. By saying this Beck means that Health Care plays such a big part in our lifestyle that any sudden change is going to have an effect either for the good or for the bad. Glenn Beck says that slavery was an innocent act until the government interfered, after that it was to him considered “evil”. The same is true not only for the health care reform but for any political topic. Politics is an ongoing conflict.
Based on what i have learned i do not believe that slavery started with "seemingly innocent ideas".I believe that the original intentions were to dominate and control what whites thought to be an inferior race. Slavery lost its innocence the moment whites tried to control the blacks. They made slaves do their manual labor for them and regulated their lifestyles. This was morally wrong from the beginning and never maintained any innocence.
ReplyDeleteThe health care reform and slavery both have similar principles although the health care reform is not morally wrong like slavery. Both these policies carry restrictions and limit groups of people. The health care law doesn't bind people to masters or physically abuse innocent people it is meant to help where as slavery has no such similar qualities.
I think slavery was never an innocent idea. Maybe some now hide it and say it was an “innocent” idea as an excuse for how cruel and immorally unjust slavery really was. There is nothing innocent about cramming hundreds of chained up africans into a single boat and not even giving them enough space to sit up. Justifying the first thoughts of slavery is interesting because it brings up so many issues as to why enslaving humans was thought of and not immediately looked down upon. So the only thing involved in the process of slavery that is innocent are the people who are enslaved into it. The initial thought that justified hitting, whipping and, dictating human beings was never an innocent idea.
ReplyDeleteThe idea that healthcare is reintroducing slavery is a bit of an over exaggeration. In a way I guess we are “slaves” to our own health care, but not in the extremist way Glenn Beck mentions. Health Care stresses so many families out and with the new changes, it worries our country more and more. Unfair and unjust rules for Health Care make us enslaved to keep up solely on the ups and downs of it. For the most part though, Health Care is there to help us in a positive way. Comparing it to slavery is an immoral thing to do because though some, such as Glenn Beck, might not agree, slavery was evil and Health Care is suppose to be beneficial.
Haley Sternin
Based on what i have learned i do not believe that slavery started with "seemingly innocent ideas".I believe that the original intentions were to dominate and control what whites thought to be an inferior race. Slavery lost its innocence the moment whites tried to control the blacks. They made slaves do their manual labor for them and regulated their lifestyles. This was morally wrong from the beginning and never maintained any innocence.
ReplyDeleteThe health care reform and slavery both have similar principles although the health care reform is not morally wrong like slavery. Both these policies carry restrictions and limit groups of people. The health care law doesn't bind people to masters or physically abuse innocent people it is meant to help where as slavery has no such similar qualities.
No, I do not believe that slavery started with “seemingly innocent ideas.” From what I have learned so far, whites considered themselves as the superior race and therefore deemed it okay to capture and enslave Africans. The word slavery is defined as owning a slave and making he or she do manual labor for their owner’s profit. Going against Beck’s opinion, there is nothing innocent or right about the idea of slavery, regardless of what the whites thought at the time. I believe from the moment the whites captured and kidnapped Africans from their homeland, slavery became known as a terrible act.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that health care is reintroducing the institution of slavery to the United States. The effect the country will eventually see from health care will not just benefit one certain group of people, but the entire population. However, slavery only benefitted those that captured and used slaves and therefore ruined many innocent human beings. Health care is doing just the opposite of this; it is being put into action to avoid unfair benefits to one certain group of people.
I do not agree with the Beck's statement claiming that “slavery was started with seemingly innocent ideas.” Purchasing someone from a different continent as property and making them work under harsh conditions is never an innocent idea. Slaves were mistreated, abused, underfed, and overworked since they were caught in Africa to the time of their deaths. I would argue that it is a perverse and corrupt concept rather than innocent.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that the health care reform is reintroducing the idea of slavery in the United States. The health care reform would not take anyone's rights or make anyone work under harsh conditions expecting no benefits. The reason for the reform is for everyone to have access to health care and benefit from it but slavery only benefited those who owned slaves and received free labor. The beginnings of these two institutions are similar because they have to be edited, moderated, and changed in the government courts.
-Yadira Flores
Based on my knowledge of slavery, I don't believe that it started with "seemingly innocent ideas". The whites knew what they were doing from the start- and the conditions that they made these innocent people work in were cruel. The whites controlled them and treated them horribly. There was nothing good that ever came out of slavery, and there definitely wasn't anything innocent about it.
ReplyDeleteHealth reform in America is not re-creating slavery, but there are some similarities between the two. There are some unfair and unjust parts to Health care, but it is here to help people out, even if it is limited to certain people. They did both start out with simple laws, but slavery got completely out of hand and was a very unacceptable and immoral thing for people to do. I don't think that it should be compared to slavery because unlike slavery, it is not an immoral thing.
From what I have learned about slavery so far, I do not think that it came from "seemingly innocent ideas". From the point of view of the white slave owners of the time, they might have thought buying other humans for their own fieldwork was an 'innocent idea'. However, I do not agree to this idea because the actions and the actual life the white masters provided for the black slaves did not match those "seemingly innocent ideas". If slaves were brought to America as workers, why were they forced into it? Why were they all put into small chambers in a ship in inhumane conditions? I think Slavery first started off with wrong ideas that a certain race can actually buy other humans with money.
ReplyDeleteListening to Glenn Beck's speech, I think that he is exaggerating a little by using the word 'slavery'. Based on what I understood from his words is that health care is impacting a good portion of this country to an extent that they are becoming 'slaves' of this issue. Also, the government's solution of reforming the health care system counteracted on them, causing more trouble. Although I get how Glenn Beck connects this idea to slavery,I don't think that he should use this parallelism between these two issues.
I disagree with the statement that "slavery started with seemingly innocent ideas." To conjure up the idea that you want to enslave another race for your own benefit is automatically not innocent. The Whites captured the Africans and brought them through the Atlantic Ocean on a ship under extremely inhumane conditions. The Whites believed that they were superior to the Africans, and they could use them to complete the unappealing labor they did not want to do. That clearly does not have innocent written in it.
ReplyDeleteI also do not agree that the health care reform is reintroducing slavery to the US. The health care reform is there to give all American families the opportunity to receive affordable health care. Slavery was not benefiting anyone but the Whites, and even then it was at the Africans expense. Many people may have mixed emotions regarding the reform, but I'm pretty sure no one is loosing their freedom over it.
No I do not believe slavery began with innocent ideas,it was a way to make money by producing as much as possible with little cost.Thus it was evil from the start.Like the article said,the government left each state to do as they please on property.So government just part of the problem.
ReplyDeleteFor me its hard to take this man seriously.To compare these two is crazy.Heath care is not bringing slavery back into America.I have not heard anyone being kidnapped or beaten close to death.You cannot compare the two.
I do believe slavery started off with "seemingly innocent ideas." When slavery first started, not all blacks were slaves and had their rights. The Europeans used some slaves to jump start and inject money into their economy by investing in tobacco and sugar plantations. It started to turn horrific when they mass shipped "saltwater" slaves over to America and treated them poorly.
ReplyDeleteI do not agree that the health reform is reintroducing slavery to the United States. It is just changing how the U.S manages and distributes health. In addition it is helping the nation out by giving beneficial and cheap healthcare.
I believe that slavery started with "seemingly innocent ideas." People needed workers, and originally white indentured servants did the job. People started to want more production for less and thats when illegal slave trading came around. The trade slowly became more and more corrupt as we went.
ReplyDeleteI agree that health care reform has reintroduced slavery. ObamaCare, the new healthcare package, forces benefits upon people for more money that the government will eventually profit off of. They now want to force people to buy health insurance, which would basically make us slaves to their will. By creating a monopoly on the American public, they would be taking in enormous revenue and ripping us off.
Unlike Glenn Beck, who claims slavery was not really bad until the United States’ government got involved, I don’t think that slavery was ever innocent. Anyone who thinks they are superior to someone, let alone another race, is never completely innocent. Not only did the early Americans strip a nation of its culture and people, they treated the Africans like they were not even human. If anyone in our modern day society treated someone like how slaves were treated back in the 1600’s, they would immediately be charged and thought of as being mentally sick. Government or no government, the idea of a human being owning another human being, to be treated worse than any animal, is wrong.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that the United States health care reform is reintroducing slavery. Slavery was much more severe and controlled a slave's life. Though ones life in America, health care is very important, it does not completely take over ones life. Health care can be beneficial to some and it is just how the United States manages it's citizens health.
Slavery did not start with "seemingly innocent ideas." In the beginning of slavery, the countries did not care about the people they were enslaving. They planned to buy and sell human beings simply for cheap labor and money. They even caused people to sell their own countrymen into slavery. With this said, I find it extremely hard to say that slavery began with innocent ideas.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe the heath care reform is reintroducing slavery in the United States. Though the health car reform will coast some more than others, it will be beneficial the country as a whole. The United States will be able to provide health care for everyone. The slaves did not enjoy the benefits of heath care that the current Americans will. Therefore, the health care reform is far from reintroducing slavery.
yo what's up
ReplyDeleteSlavery did not start with "seemingly innocent ideas". When slavery started it was to punish people who were prisoners of war or who were foreigners. This was a concept that was ment to punish people who were not like the normal in the village. They used people and were cruel to them. Instead of looking at these humans as people just like everybody else, they looked at them as property that had a price tag on it. They bought and sold these humans and i believe it did not have innocent intension when it started.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that the health care reform is trying to reintroduce the the institution of slavery. Although it might cost more for some Americans then others, i still do not think that they are trying to reintroduce the concept of slavery in America. Other countries have the health care bill such as Canada and England and we have seen that nothing has happened to those countries and i believe anything will happen to America if the health care bill is passed