Angry protesters in Cape Town have confronted the king and queen of the Netherlands as they visited a museum that traces part of their country's 150-year involvement in slavery in South Africa.
Its not just “ancestral guilt”. Like I said : “they have kept the loot and are still profiting from it”, And by loot I dont mean only valuable goods but power too. They still benefit from the power imbalance between countries that was created during colonialism. Just look at the world economy and the dynamic between the “economic south” and “economic north”
They are not guilty of colonialism “per se” but they are guilty of perpetuating, and using, the inequality and oppression that colonialism was built on for their own benefit.
Poor people or slaves could have rich ancestors who enslaved others as well though, single lost war in the medieval Africa could meant rich slaver becoming the slave .
Many descendants of slaves and many poor people benefit from the atrocities of their ancestors, simply to a lesser degree. Short of being part of a completely dispossessed people isolated from broader society, we are all where we are due to the atrocities of our ancestors.
Not even sure about that. Even if you were part of some totally isolated group for tens of thousands of years you might have rape in your ancestry. Inherited guilt doesn’t work.
I was born poor but doing pretty well now. So my status started out fine and the moment I started doing well it was solely because of my ancestors? Were my ancestors in the 19th century or so slacking off in the 1990s but got their act together when I graduated college? I am really confused how this process works. How does the spiritual “status” of my ancestors interact with normal matter, why does it seem like sometimes I go to work and do my job is part of why I have money when it is really my ancestors spirits?
So, ancestral guilt.
Its not just “ancestral guilt”. Like I said : “they have kept the loot and are still profiting from it”, And by loot I dont mean only valuable goods but power too. They still benefit from the power imbalance between countries that was created during colonialism. Just look at the world economy and the dynamic between the “economic south” and “economic north”
They are not guilty of colonialism “per se” but they are guilty of perpetuating, and using, the inequality and oppression that colonialism was built on for their own benefit.
So, do you mind telling me whose socioeconomic status isn’t a result of the crimes of their ancestors?
Slaves, descendents of slaves, and the poor. You know, most people.
Poor people or slaves could have rich ancestors who enslaved others as well though, single lost war in the medieval Africa could meant rich slaver becoming the slave .
Many descendants of slaves and many poor people benefit from the atrocities of their ancestors, simply to a lesser degree. Short of being part of a completely dispossessed people isolated from broader society, we are all where we are due to the atrocities of our ancestors.
Not even sure about that. Even if you were part of some totally isolated group for tens of thousands of years you might have rape in your ancestry. Inherited guilt doesn’t work.
I was born poor but doing pretty well now. So my status started out fine and the moment I started doing well it was solely because of my ancestors? Were my ancestors in the 19th century or so slacking off in the 1990s but got their act together when I graduated college? I am really confused how this process works. How does the spiritual “status” of my ancestors interact with normal matter, why does it seem like sometimes I go to work and do my job is part of why I have money when it is really my ancestors spirits?
Even the descendants of slaves are living in a country slavery helped build.
Right ancestral guilt. Sins of the grandparents visited onto the children. People punished for crimes they didn’t commit.