"Racism is a western invention. Western colonialism is the defining experience in human history, and we enslaved more than anybody else. All those things we learned at university? They’re Dead Wrong®. Find out how large the slave trade actually was from Free To Choose® Media Executive Editor and Cato Institute Senior Fellow Johan Norberg."
Transcript:
Racism is a western invention. And western colonialism, the defining experience of human history. And we enslaved more than anybody else and all those things we learned at university.
They are Dead Wrong.
If anything is Eurocentric this is it. The white man has committed horrible acts of slavery and murder which cannot be excused by anyone, but so did men of all other colours.
In a myth busting new book, Swedish author Fredrik Segerfeldt points out that of the ten biggest empires of human history only three were western European and what European colonialists brutal conquered were often other empires. The Moguls. The Aztecs. The Incas.
Neither was slavery a western monopoly. The Arab trade with African slaves was more extensive than the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. And there were more slaves in Africa than African slaves in the United States. But for some reason it seems we stop caring about atrocities when our ancestors aren't involved.
Throughout history almost every culture has been racist and tried to invade and enslave their neighbours.
If we are to be judged by our past, we are all guilty. But the real difference is some cultures try to stop, while some try to persist.
And hey, here's a note to publishers out there, Fredrik's book is not yet translated into English.
