I have been talking about the origins of slavery in America. In part, I’ve been doing so because there is a lot about that subject that most people don’t know - and our current political …
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Troy Smith
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11/5/23
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Last week, I talked about how slavery started in the English colonies and the fact that, for much of the 1600s plantation, labor was done by three groups -African slaves, white indentured servants, …
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Troy Smith
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10/30/23
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I am tired of weak-willed leadership and leaders who need to think more logically. I am also tired of a flaccid citizenry willing to accept the garbage from both major parties in Washington. If …
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John Gottlied
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10/27/23
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In the last couple of weeks, I have talked about the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, how it started, and the role Portugal and Spain played in its expansion. This week, I’m going to discuss it in …
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Troy Smith
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10/20/23
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This week, we are going to see just how the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was different from the various forms of slavery that existed for thousands of years before and even from the Arab Slave Trade …
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Troy Smith
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10/12/23
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“It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night… I loved the old man. He had never wronged me. He had never given me …
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Troy Smith
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9/25/23
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I agree with some of what Troy said last week. “Laws matter,” “Hillary Clinton did not get locked up,” and “Joe Biden did not get indicted” yet. Troy was incorrect …
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John Gottlied
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9/25/23
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I was all set to use this article to address Troy Smith’s article from last week. I could put the record straight about some misleading and, as of yet, unproven accusations about Donald …
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John Gottlied
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9/15/23
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I want to open this week by acknowledging John Gottlied’s references to my column last week. I can honestly say the same things about his writings that he said about mine: I often disagree …
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Troy Smith
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9/15/23
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I want to start this week by telling you that all my columns from the last two years are now collected in a book, “A Liberal Dose: Communiqués from the Holler.” If you like what I …
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Troy Smith
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9/7/23
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I am starting off this week with another academic deep dive, but - as you will see - it has direct relevance to what is going on right now politically.
For the past several decades, people …
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Troy Smith
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8/25/23
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Last week, Troy Smith discussed Peter Turchin’s book, “End Times: Elites, Counter-Elites, and the Path of Political Disintegration.” I am not familiar with the book. On the …
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John Gottlied
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8/25/23
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I appreciate those of you who humored me over the summer as I did a historical and sociological deep dive on these pages. I will soon get back to responding to current political events, but there is …
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Troy Smith
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8/21/23
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As some of you know, I have several health issues. The last few weeks have been especially hard for me. I am not admitting this to gain sympathy. I want you to understand why I might not wave while …
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John Gottlied
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8/21/23
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Most of y’all know I was born and raised in White County. I love my hometown, and I missed it during the years I was gone. I left in 2005 for grad school, in Illinois, and returned, in …
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Troy Smith
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8/11/23
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School is back in session, in White County, as of last week. A few days ago, I overheard a conversation between several individuals at Walmart. I silently stood as they said the vilest things …
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John Gottlied
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8/11/23
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Almost every day, there seems to be a new story about President Joe Biden falling or saying something outlandish. The 80-year-old politician has always been known for gaffs and for regularly …
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John Gottlied
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8/4/23
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I realize I still need to wrap this series up and tie it all together. I need a coda, if you will. First, I will briefly summarize the whole series of columns, distilling it down into a single …
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Troy Smith
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8/4/23
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For those who have been reading Troy Smith’s series on “Dispossessing the Poor” waiting for my response, here we go. Troy’s representation of history is accurate but skewed by …
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John Gottlied
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7/20/23
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A few weeks ago, I talked about agrarianism versus industrial capitalism and the fact that by 1800 many people had come to regard subsistence farmers as - not quite civilized. This was because …
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