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I’m indebted to BizNews community member Tom Rudd for what follows. He was inspired by yesterday’s note on our Ivermectin-related YouTube ban, so pointed me towards chapter four of a book called The Starfish and The Spider. In it the authors refer to Big Sugar vs Granville Sharp, a story which played out in London during the late 1700s.
___STEADY_PAYWALL___Sharp, a musician, helped 16-year-old slave Jonathan Strong heal after a near fatal beating by his master. He was outraged when the owner reclaimed his “property” and sold him to a plantation owner for £30 (£5 500 in today’s money). So Sharp went to court, eventually winning the case to secure Strong’s freedom.
That began Sharp’s anti-slavery journey pitting him against then the world’s largest industry, one dependent on slavery for survival. When Sharp wrote pamphlets about mistreatment of slaves aboard transport ships, Big Sugar “declared that the journey was the happiest time in an African person’s life.” After Sharp and fellow abolitionists organised sugar boycotts, Big Sugar “warned people that NOT eating sugar was bad for your teeth.” Fake news wasn’t invented in the 21st century.
Looking back, it’s all rather obvious. But at the time, even in slave-free Britain, Sharp was in the minority. The book’s authors write that most people saw nothing wrong in a practice that was older than the Roman Empire. A bit like today’s apathy towards vested interests censoring challengers of official Covid narratives.
History sure rhymes don’t it Mr Twain?
More for you to read today:
- The DA’s leadership problem. RW Johnson on why John Steenhuisen’s “roadkill” remarks were disqualifying, and on the need for a new Popular Front.
- Investors Are Pouring Into U.S. Stocks to Avoid Greater Turbulence Overseas. There’s scarier places to be than in the U.S.,’ says one investor who has been seeking safety in defensive sectors of the U.S. stock market.
- Elon Musk and Twitter to Face Off at Wide-Ranging Hearing. Among the issues the Delaware court will consider is the billionaire’s request to add a whistleblower’s allegations to his claims.
- When to Use a VPN—and When It Won’t Protect Your Data. Internet service providers, hackers and others can collect a treasure trove of user data. VPNs can offer more privacy…sometimes.
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