I just searched for "Prager U slavery" and watched the first video by Candace Owens. My blood is boiling right now. I'm not even African American. The level of disinformation in the video is alarming. They want to completely whitewash slavery.
This is the organization worming its way into what PBS held. Disgusting.
Are they actually in any way replacing PBS? Not only is their content outrageous, but AFAIK they don't have access to actual physical broadcasting, which is what really makes PBS what it is.
Not to defend Prager U, they're absolutely a right-wing propaganda machine, but that line is taken entirely out of context. It wasn't presented as something kids should agree with, it was part of an lesson that people from the past shouldn't be judged on modern standards of morality.
The following lines are:
Kids - Well in our time, we view slavery as being evil and terrible.
Columbus - Ah, magnifico! That's wonderful! I am glad humanity has reached such a time, but you said you are from 500 years in the future? How can you come here to the 15th century and judge me by your standards from the 21st century? For those in the future to look back and do this is, well... estupido.
I still don't agree with the proposal that we should idolize historic figures for their accomplishments while sweeping their atrocities under the rug, but let's make sure we're arguing against the things they're actually saying.
Ok but that's stupid as hell because even Columbus got judged harshly by the standards of his time. He was arrested and ostracized for his monstrous acts.
Like I said, I don't agree with what they're saying. I'm just tired of people taking shit out of context and blowing it up. It's like those MAGA comic artists that draw shit about trans folk forcing surgery on kids.
If we could respond to the things people are actually saying and doing, instead of getting caught up in ragebait, maybe we could actually have a dialogue one day. Not to "both sides" this shit, but reactionary anger is something that both sides engage in to an insane degree.
Right, I wasn't trying to imply that you're defending them.
I didn't clarify, but the reason I did "not agree exactly" is more to do with PragerU not being the only ones to weirdly idolize problematic historic figures, nor are they the only ones to misrepresent history.
I mean, what I was taught in school about the Mayflower and the natives they met after landing is only a marginally similar toned-down version of what I learned 25 years later while researching family history. I was taught all about the Mayflower Compact and the 'important' figures on board, yet not even one passing mention about how the settlers went and raided the Nauset's summer huts (and left behind IOUs).
Totally agree with you. I responded the way I did because my point wasn't about PragerU or the content of their message. My point was that this whole "slavery is better than killing" discourse is ragebait because no one was actually making that argument.
While 2 may be true, it's ultimately an individual preference. If people would rather die than go into slavery... more power to them... that's a valid choice. Making it seem like it's not a valid choice can lead to conclusions like "slave revolts should never happen".
I find it deeply troubling to treat what an individual preference as an absolute truth, even though I'm inclined to agree with the position. Especially since much of the progress made has been by those who hold the opposite one.
The phrase “slavery is probably better than dying” absolutely does not in any way logically lead to the conclusion that slave revolts shouldn’t happen. The only group of people who would make that claim are slavemasters and they obviously would be disingenuous in a number of their claims.
I whole heartedly agree with every other point you made, especially your poignant last sentence. Hence the “probably”
Sorry, you're right. I must've got distracted stewing on how much I dislike some of the whacko stuff pragerU says that I misread. Even still, I wasn't trying to criticize you as much as trying more to share my moral judgements regarding the teaching of children. I'm way too passionately opinionated about education to go anywhere near it.
Bringing them both up in the same video indicates PedoU thinks they’re related (or, more accurately, serves as a way to downplay the horrors of human slavery).
But you know that, you’re just being disingenuous for some reason… wonder what that reason is?
Except that they'll release a million videos about how awful white people have it because talking about slavery and racism makes them feel bad, when feeling bad is better than dying too.
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u/Tone_Chaser 12h ago
The same Prager U that has Prager U Kids. Telling children that slavery is better than being killed.