One of our favorite liberal thinkers, Louie CK, gives Jay Leno a lesson in the relevance of historical context in this hysterical clip from the Tonight Show.
“Every year white people add 100 years to how long ago slavery was. I’ve heard educated white people say, ‘slavery was 400 years ago.’ No it very wasn’t. It was 140 years ago…that’s two 70-year-old ladies living and dying back to back. That’s how recently you could buy a guy.”
We’ve been saying this for years to people who don’t seem to understand the concept of inertia when it comes to the abduction, enslavement and horrific abuse and of an entire race of human beings. It’s not something any of us can just “get over.” Of course, many of them think “inertia” is just some crazy liberal view too, it being science and all.
Louie CK has a different style, but his sentiments remind us a lot of the late, great Bill Hicks.
Watch the amazing video!
AATTP
“liberal thinkers” Isn’t that an oxymoron?
Are WE the people pissed off enough yet?
What would have solved this problem, is if they had remained a subject state of the British Empire for about 50 more years, becoming far more profitable and structured, peacefully changing inequitable laws, and THEN leaving the Commonwealth.
It’s too bad, but they DIDN’T. You are engaging in a contrafactual. Isn’t it more useful to suggest how to address the problems begotten by the Atlantic slave trade, and/or of a premature departure from an imperial, unequal polity, affect society NOW?
Slavery is not dead in America. It just moved to our Corporate run/owned Private Prison System.
February 19, 2013: Mississipi ratifies the aboltion of slavery.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/02/19/172432523/after-snafu-mississippi-ratifies-amendment-abolishing-slavery
Some additional historical context…slavery may have officially ended in the US…but it is alive and well in Africa, just like it was before the Europeans ever got there.
What a false eqvuivalency and false assertion. First of all there is no government in Africa or anywhere else in the world that legal sanctions slavery. Furthermore, the biggest human trafficking operation in coming from European countries under the guise of Sex Slaves. Thirdly there is no documented history of Africa chattel slavery. Africa had indentured servents equivalent to what Europe and the rest of the world had at the time. The were fully intergrated into the society as a whole scientifically speaking. And while indentered servitude is not humane in and of itself, it is still different from the Transatlantic slave system based on race. Slaves were completely dehumanized, marginalized, and bond to servitude by birth. What you are asserting is a gross false equivalency, and furthermore has nothing to do with the descendants of slavery in America.
this is liberal mumbo jumbo, I am from ukraine, islam countries always had slaves, they bought them and sold them.
@ alex. What an intelligent, and thoughtful rebuttal–”Liberal Mumbo Jumbo”–Name one Country that legally sanctions slavery today!!! Just one to support your idiotic assertion…
Yep and that slavery is directly related to the influence of european and american corporations.
Didn’t slavery go back to the time of the Romans? Where does he get 400 yrs. Or does it just count for one group of people?
Transatlantic Slavery is what is in question. Where are the victims of the Romans, and show me how they are afflicted in the present. Transatlantic Slavery, however, established a systematic advantage to some and a systematic disadvantage to others. This dynamic is still present today.
It was actually way before the Romans as well, the Babylonians, Persians, Assyrians and Egyptians are for the most part recognized as the worlds first large empires and every single one of them had slaves. Those empires were ancient to the Romans. Slavery did not start with black Africans being brought to the America’s, it just happens to be the most recent case of documented mass slavery and Louis is right, it’s not that far removed which is why it’s still a bit of a sticky issue.
Pretty much every race/ethnicity on this was a slave or owned a slave at some point in history, it’s not just “White People = Bad”.
That’s beside the point. Slavery produced white supremacy in this country and all throughout the Americas. White supremacy produced systematic privalege for whites and systematic oppression for blacks. American’s refuse to accept the systematic disparities produced long after so-called emancipation proclamation. There’s Jim Crow, Restrictive White Convenants, Redlining, unequal Education, Persistent Job Discrimination, Historical Misinformation diseminated through schools, COINTELPRO, Red Squads, Reverse Redlining, Police Brutality, The Draconian Drug Wars, Unfair Drug Sentencing, Racially based voter redistricting, and many more issues too numerous to list that exist well into 2013. The masses are historically inept and therefore unresponsive to these issues, but that isn’t an indicator that these issues don’t exist for they are well documented and substantiated. Far too often, people use instances of non relevant issues to obfuscate responsibility for the relevant ones. For example, Ancient Rome had slaves so blah blah blah. Would you tell a battered women that well “Susy’s getting battered too and she not complaining about being hit by her husband”. This is how low brow the popular logic is in this discussion has become, and it is completely devoid of facts and substance.
Amazing comment. Thank for adding to the conversation–we at AATTP wholeheartedly agree with your assessment.
Absolutely brilliant…Well said….You preach it,I’ll amplify it..FORWARD…not backwards..
You are the essence of knowledge being power. The bold ignorance of Zelazny Zoibek you replied to is quickly put in it’s place of a statement unworthy of trash cans.
someone should punch you in a mouth you self-hating creature.
Eric Wright, You rock. Thank you for putting that so well.
“A little bit of a sticky issue”? Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds? As does your “everybody did it, so what if we did and are still benefiting from it” logic. WTF, dude?
I think you might be reading into my comment a little more then I’ve written and are making your own assumptions. It’s not a justification, merely a history lesson and I did state that Louis was right. I’m very aware of the plight of those who are not white in the world and extremely sympathetic, coming from Canada where make no mistake racism does exist though I’d say at a much lower level then other places in the world as we generally tend to get along and that’s where I get my perspective.
While I’m compassionate and stick up for those who are disenfranchised and downtrodden and consider myself an ally in the equal rights struggle, I’m certainly not going to apologize for being a white male as I had no choice in the matter
That’s a straw man argument. No one ask you to feel guilty solely on the basis of being white, nor has anyone suggested that being white makes you guilty. My only contention is that every one stops obfuscating the truth about America’s history because by doing so you are contributing to the sustaining of an unjust system.
he’s talking about when slavery ended in the united states. and the “400 years” was a joke about when people imagined slavery to have ended in the US. did you listen while you were watching?
oh hell I feel that no body has the right to bitch but the Native Americans come on get real
Well obviously you don’t have a complete understanding of the history of America. Of course we understand that Native Americans have an axe to grind, but you forgot that people where enslaved for nearly three centuries and these individuals never realized the fruits of there labor leave. The saying is “Stolen Labor, to work Stolen Land” and not just
“Stolen Land”
Where does the Native Americans bitch concerning massacre and genocide fit into your little scenario…Just stolen land…what an oblivious joke..
Obviously you can’t read very well. I stated Stolen Labor to work Stolen Land you imbecile.
He is not “Schooling” Leno, he is being set up for a bit Louie C.K. has been doing on stage for many months. Listen to his performance on “Live at Carnegie Hall.”
Jomes wrote: “The US government didn’t close the book on slavery until sometime in the 1960s”
Schools and economic conditions and living conditions are so poor today in places like Chicago and Oakland, I suggest that “the book” is not yet closed.
Several studies demonstrate that drug laws and sentencing guidelines and practices are extensions of racial apartheid in Amerika.
Great civilizations are built on the back of suffering. Now that we have a massive infrastructure that can afford to get rid of cultural and corporate feudalism, and today’s generations get to enjoy equality without the memory of suffering all that, why be upset anymore?? If you can buy the plantation house your great great grandmother was owned in, then kudos. The truth is, empire building always begins with massive inequities that equalize when the populace becomes more and more comfortable, middle-class, and educated. Regardless of who was historically on the bottom or top, nowadays if that is meaningless, why live in that mindset of white guilt or black anger?
I am American living in Ireland and I have seen an entire nation hold itself back through its own retro-progressive attachment to papal infallibility and discarding the amenities of the British Empire too soon. This resulted in massive poverty for decades, destruction of trade infrastructure like shutting down 70% of Ireland’s pre-1950 railways, the subjugation of women in society and in Magdalene laundries, the use of Ireland as a quiet Vatican dumping ground for active pedophiles due to their nationalist devotion to Catholic identity, and the resulting severe damage to children, addiction, violence and the subjugation of Protestants who did not suffer abuse. Joining the EU alleviated a lot of this trouble, but the truth is, Ireland is now a subject state of the EU due to the banking scandal to the tune of 87 billion Euro, which a corrupt mafia-structured leadership enabled to happen thanks to unregulated greed.
What would have solved this problem, is if they had remained a subject state of the British Empire for about 50 more years, becoming far more profitable and structured, peacefully changing inequitable laws, and THEN leaving the Commonwealth.
The truth is, when you look at the lesson of Ireland, it becomes obvious that infrastructure is what gives us enough of the luxury of education and common sense to create far more equality in society. This is where the African-American community needs to look again and realize how lucky they are to be enjoying independence, equality, education, and changes in society right now, that did not consist of a deliberately segregated state (Like Lincoln’s Liberia), that integrated a profitable cultural presence in society of African-American people, and more or less peacefully brought about full integration and equality.
This will truly be felt when the last generations who bitterly remember either being massively privileged as whites, and miss those privileges, or massively underprivileged as blacks, finally die out.
How lucky all of us really are to be Americans.
Wow, what an impressively well thought out response, Alison. Although I believe some of your points could be effectively argued against- such as the importance of collective memory, I do believe your analysis of the Catholic church’s effect on Ireland is right on target. I am American and live in Brazil, and I see daily the wreckage the church continues to wreak upon the Brazilian people. In addition to vile economic, sexual, social and intellectual subjugation, evangelical offshoots have sprung which are ever more offensive than the Catholic/Rome axis itself. These people are destroying the financial well-being of poverty-stricken, gullible Brazilian people by enriching themselves to the complete detriment of their believers. Some are billionaires, and although guilty of breaking any number of laws here they continue to pack their mega-churches with citizens only too happy to open their wallets for ravaging. Where is the church in all this? Continuing to peddle their product to customers; here they use all the fancy frocks and often hold mass in Latin. As long as the Vatican sits on those piles of gold in their vaults, infrastructure will suffer where it’s most needed as the opiate works its effects.
You betcha,
I wish those Jews would STFU as well..You would think that they would feel honored in giving up 6,000,000+ Jews to the concentration camps “oven” and “showers”..I mean look at Germany now..Democratic,stable economy,fabulous infrastructure,EQUALITY..Putting up with suppression/oppression is the ONLY possible way for a society to develop..Right?..I mean we GOTTA have slaves and some group to suppress for society to flourish…All the blacks and Jews want to do is talk about Slavery and the Holocaust..They just wont let it die..selfish I tell you..What could ever possibly be learn from History..hell I think we should revise history just to see if we can’t put these “little situations” behind us…after all we are equal “enough” now..right?..maybe we need a new group to oppress to help “rebuild” our failing infrastructure and help our economy…Well I be damn thats a page right out of Tea-Nutology..The are right now currently suppressing/oppressing gays,women(pro-rape you know),the poor,sick,educated,labor,any religion other than “approved” Christianity and what the hell lets throw blacks back into the mix(they helped so well the first go around),actually any color not Aryan(not white,Aryan)..Tea-Nutology says White,Heterosexual,Male Christians are correct(true Patriots)the rest of us are just leeches and the “problem.
I assume you agree…most sociopaths who dwell in the psychotic realm do..you seem to fit the bill…Deluded Racist Nut….Blacks should appreciate the “rebel flag” just as Jews should adore the “swastika….What convoluted white trash logic….
larrty, very funny.
The US government didn’t close the book on slavery until sometime in the 1960s. Black men in the south were being arrested on trumped up charges and forced to work in prison labor camps while perpetually having their sentences extended. The worked there until they died for minor even made up offenses.
You really think that slavery of black people is over? The 13th amendment was just ratified YESTERDAY in SC…a little behind the times? There are far more minorities on jail for longer terms than the white people are serving for the same crimes. Ask the young men being arrested daily in NYC for minor crimes (read: marajuana) that white kids are just not being stopped for. The privatization of our prison system has created a NEW slavery system where prisoners are paid a pittance, FORCED to do work that should rightfully be going to well paid unionized workers. WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE? Yet you idiots sit there and pretend all is well now and people are all treated equally no matter the color or race. PUH-LEEZE. None so blind as those who outright REFUSE to see…Btw, I am WHITE, 3rd generation German descendant. Damn right you should feel guilty, and silence and acceptance of the status quo are UNacceptable!
Ummm…..It was Mississippi, not SC. Need to get your Basic facts straight if you want anyone to read past your first sentence.
You could tell Louie CK will be a great Dad! Hey, what about Native Americans? Can they complain?
Louis CK is a Mexican Indian descendent so I’m pretty sure he is well aware of native atrocities vs white privilege.
I’m a 47 yo white guy and I totally agree…White ppl have a right to bitch, but black ppl have a right to bitch more…Absolutely…
I think no one should be bitching, get on with your lives and make the most of it without blaming others. Stop acting like children.
As long as white supremacy is the life line of the American operation, there is no moving on!!!!!!!