But African slavery!

[mprotsenko]

"Don't criticize American slavery exclusively - there was African slavery too!"

That's an argument that is pretty popular nowdays. A knee-jerk reaction is to toss it aside as classical both-side-ism (and I don't think that this reaction is a wrong one).

However, this argument deserves to be looked at more closely. Indeed, there WAS African slavery - so this argument is basically saying:

- When it comes to slavery, the United States' foundational ethics and morals were not better that the ones of African tribes and early feudal states.



Not exactly a compliment. As you keep adding context, and remember things like:
- chattel slavery,
- race as the basis for slavery,
- institutional decisions like "3/5 of a person"
- and others

...you cannot help but rephrase this conclusion:

- When it comes to slavery, the United States' foundational ethics and morals were noticeably worse that the ones of African tribes and early feudal states.

Comments

[mprotsenko]

The foundational ethics of equality ("all men are created equal") allowed the nation to reinvent itself twice: in 1860s after the civil war and in 1960s after the civil-rights reforms.

I cannot help but notice the common theme, connection the foundation and both reinventions - namely, the duality of the ethics ("equality, but not for all").

You quoted Lincoln - an iconic quote of a great man. However, there is another - less glamorous! - side of his views:

I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races, that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race.

https://teachingamericanhistory.org/document/the-lincoln-douglas-debates-4th-debate-part-i/

I guess there is more digging to be done even on the progressive/liberal side...

[tijd]

There is a lot of context to the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Whether Lincoln truly believed in what he said or was simply pandering to the audience and defending himself against the attacks by Douglas, he was able to argue that abolishing slavery is a matter of fundamental principles and not personal preference.

That is the conservative argument for equality, as explained by Jaffa, and that is why the Supreme Court was able to uphold the principle of equality when it was extended to civil rights.

[mprotsenko]

You can say: "Principles of equality were upheld by the Supreme Court to strike down segregation and oppression".

You can also say: "Principles of inequality were upheld by our government for one hundred years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed."

Those statements are not mutually exclusive.