No, the British didn't compensate their former slaves, it's owners were paid handsomely for loss of their property. And it was pretty expensive.
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| Beatrix, former queen of the Netherlands, in a golden carriage. What is conveniently left out from this Wikipedia image is a panel painted on the other side. Is called something like "Colonies paying tribute to the Dutch Virgin." The Virgin represents the Dutch Commonwealth. |
Dutch has set himself a goal: to become the most boring person of 2020. In order to reach that goal, I read boring stuff. Nothing is duller than taxes, it's why I read the Tax Justice Network newsletter.
Lady Luck cannot hate me. I'm born in a rich country, male, white and university-educated plus other privileges I will never know exist for real. I hope you understand irony, because that's what this next line is all about. Somehow I cannot win [loose], not even when I try to be boring. I was so sad the other day after reading the Tax Justice Network newsletter.
Removing statues of politically-incorrect historical figures is the biggest mistake ever. The less future generations know about the atrocities of the past, the harder it is to make them understand what's wrong in today's society. Paint them pink and put them on display in a museum, explanation about why they were truly evil next to it. Whatever you do, don't hide the truth.
Another truth that's been hidden for too long is that until 2015 British taxpayers have been paying back a loan that [technically] set free black slaves free. Of course the slaves didn't get compensated, their [former] owners did. We, white folks, received money for the loss of 'our' property. The British Government lent 20 million pounds - about 17 billion in today's money - to compensate white slave owners who according to the law, legally owned people of various colours other than white.
No matter the colour of your skin, until the year 2015, part of your British taxes went to paying of that loan. Dutch is white, I cannot stress that enough, but the people I love are not always. Not that it matters. Nor should the colour of your skin. Sadly, it does. Think about it, you're a dark-skinned British taxpayer and part of your money is being used to pay off a two century old loan that set your great-great-great-great-grandparents "free". Free without food, justice, housing or freedom to choose. But hey, free is free, whatever that means. Good thing dictionaries were pretty expensive back then.
Back in 2015 somebody - it could've been me if I were British - tweeted on behalf of HM Treasury about how great it is that to finally pay of that loan.
"The amount of money borrowed for the British Slavery Abolition Act was so large that it wasn't paid of until 2015. Which means living British citizens helped pay to end the slave trade."
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| Isn't being forced to pay for your own freedom slavery too? Just asking for a friend. |
No doubt, the person who wrote it, is currently in charge of steering the British economy safely through the Corona crisis.
"Slave owners not only received compensation from the British taxpayer, they won another concession, the euphemistically titled “apprenticeship” system. What this meant was that the slaves themselves were forced to work the fields for a further six years after the supposed abolition of slavery – 45 hours a week for no pay."
In 2018 David Olusoga writes in the Guardian how "the Treasury’s tweet shows slavery is still misunderstood." Those are the words of a true gentleman. If it was me, I would've said something very different.
Next, Mr. Olusoga quotes a tweet by Lexington Wright: “So basically, my father and his children and grandchildren have been paying taxes to compensate those who enslaved our ancestors, and you want me to be proud of that fact. Are you f**king insane???”"
Equally disturbing, John Gladstone, the father of prime minister William Ewart Gladstone was paid "£100,000 – the modern equivalent of about £80m – in compensation for 2,500 men, women and children they regarded as property." 2.500.
Where I don't agree with Mr. Olusoga is when he writes "Someone at the Treasury wisely deleted the tweet within hours." You cannot undo harm. What HM Treasury should have done is issue an apology next to the original tweet and invite someone to write a proper history lesson, condensed in a series of tweets. Now it feels as if it never happened. Ask yourself, who benefits from that? Just look at Portland, Oregon, USA where Black Lives Matters protesters are being detained by unidentified federal agent in unmarked vans. I still don't understand why but if it turns out to be a "mistake", let's forget all about it and erase the video tapes. Don't!
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| Colonies paying tribute to the Dutch Virgin, panel painted on the other side of the Golden Carriage. It's impossible to travel in this carriage and pretend you as king or queen want to represent all Dutch people. |
While writing this, I, no doubt, messed up and made some people angry. Just remember, it's better to mess up than to shut up.
By the way: dear OWK, I'm not done with you yet. Like the Daily Show's Trevor Noah says: Ain't nobody got time for that. Not right now but don't worry.
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