You give Lincoln’s racism a pass in historical context....as do I like (like I’m so damned racism obsessed anyhow admittedly)
My question was ...do you also grant the same historical context to North American Slavery?
Yes.
Truth is, slavery was NOT uncommon at the time. In fact, it was western ideals that eliminated it. That we were the last western power to rid ourselves of it is annoying, but I do not look back on slavery and lament that it was sooooo horrible that it makes us evil as a result. truth is, EVERYONE had slavery when we began this country!
Truth is most of the world outside the west STILL had slavery up until the 1900s! Saudi Arabia didn’t “officially” outlaw it until the 1960’s fer Lord’s sake!
So, yes, it was bad. But we did lose 600,000 men to fighting it and we DID get rid of it.
It is what it is. No reason to act s if it was any worse here than anywhere else in the world, throughout time.