The pyramids of Egypt are without a doubt

[NM_Birder]

the most visited, most widely known, highest profile, often celebrated, and at the same time most blindly ignored monuments to human slavery ever known.

Why is nobody anywhere advocating tearing down this monument that celebrates slave labor. It can't be that it simply is located in a foreign country ? could it ? is it because they were Christian ? Is it because they weren't really slaves because they weren't black ?

It'll be interesting to hear the reasons that this monument to slave labor and human oppression is considered a "wonder of the world", and an amazing tribute to what people can accomplish.

I assume " because it wasn't done on American soil" will be the default reason for not giving a crap. But I'm still interested in why there has never, been any discussion or reference to the hundreds of thousands of slaves from all over the world that were worked and tortured to death to build the Pharaoh's stone block pile ?

the second most common answer will likely be a joke, that disregards the slaves murdered for this construction project, and instead makes light of their slavery for the sake an alien visitor one liner.

If the answer is "because it's their problem to deal with", then doesn't that remove all credibility for American protests regarding foreign slave labor ?

[randys1]

1. ...HUGE sigh

Cant be allowed to celebrate that fucking piece of shit flag being torn down for even a full hour.

[uppityperson]

171. THANKS SKINNER

sorry for the yell, wanted it up high.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=305302&sub=trans
Pattern of racially insensitive posts.

[Quayblue]

174. ..

[snooper2]

2. It isn't a fact that they were built with slave labor

Slaves did help build the White House though-


Call the President and see if he wants to tear it down.....

[L. Coyote]

145. Slaves built the United States economy

and Bush tore it down already, so never mind.

[Monk06]

192. The pyramids weren't built by slaves. They were built by skilled masons and farmers idled by the

seasonal flooding of the Nile. They were in fact a public works project. They were paid and quite well paid at that since Egypt controlled Nubian and Ethiopian gold mines.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

3. Maybe they weren't monuments to treason as well.

Any particular reason you're ticked off that they took the Confederate flag down?

[randys1]

4. Kinda sounds like that, dont it

[yuiyoshida]

159. I THINK ITS WORTH seeing AGAIN! Don't you?

[randys1]

160. Oh HELL YES

thank you

the honor shown to that piece of shit is infuriating but

SAYONARA assholes

[arcane1]

184. My first viewing! That was a thing of beauty.

I would love to know what those guys were thinking. The ones removing the flag, and those nearby.

[yuiyoshida]

186. I would guess they were thinking...

Okay we know how to fold up an US flag, but how the hell do we fold this up, and why fold it up, why not stash it in a bag some where like dirty laundry!!!

[mercuryblues]

196. rolled up

Since it was not the American flag, it does not fall under the flag code. Rolling it up did indicate that it was the flag of surrender. That is what Lee's army did with it when they surrendered. They rolled it around a flag pole.

Yes the racists are furious that it was rolled up and not treated "holy enough" Later on in the day a crane came in and removed the flag pole. Racists are even furious about that. LOL

[1StrongBlackMan]

39. +1 ...

Thanks ... You saved me from a hide.

[bravenak]

172. N_M Birder has been banned by Skinner...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=305302

[pinboy3niner]

178. The hieroglyphics were on the wall

Skinner didn't even wait for a 5th hide.

[bravenak]

181. Lol!

You're punny!

[peacebird]

119. Exactly, AND SC did not hoist that damn flag on capital until after desegregation! It was put there

To say eff you to the uppity folks who were forcing them to do away with Jim Crow and to let blacks vote!

[B2G]

5. I was going to post about this yesterday, but

Last edited Fri Jul 10, 2015, 03:39 PM - Edit history (1)

I'd had my fill of being called a racist for the day.

ETA

Well I learned something today. Several things in fact.

[ibegurpard]

14. No worries

I'm certain you'll provide plenty of opportunities for that in the future.

[ibegurpard]

17. nobody likes a racist either

Oh wait...

[Electric Monk]

38. Jury results for B2G's alert on your post: 2-5 to leave it

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

I'm about done being called a racist by this poster.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Fri Jul 10, 2015, 07:16 PM, and the Jury voted 2-5 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: I've seen some of B2G's previous posts, and the shoe fits. imho
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Tough call. That probably does go over the line. But the other guy did call him a racist.

And frankly IMHO, the OP should have been juried, because this is a defense of the Confederate Flag, and it seems to reveal the poster as one of the RW trolls lurking on DU. If B2G is not a sockpuppet, he or she seems to belong in the same group.

I'm making a judgment call and letting this slide as a justified call out. I hope other jurors read the whole thread and read the OP and drew the same conclusion.
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: This sounds more like two kids accusing each other of being rotten, juvenile but not banned under DU rules.
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No one does like a racist. That is a true statement. If they'd said "you are a racist", I'd vote to hide. But they didn't. I'd suggest putting them on ignore.
Juror #6 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Entirely reasonable to object to being called a racist by a stalker.
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Well, there's one way to avoid being called a racist.

[1StrongBlackMan]

45. Is there a difference between the two? ...

Wait ... never mind ... I don't wish to offend the #NotAllA$$HolesAreRacist posters.

[randys1]

103. Well stated, we have several on this board, I could practically name them but of course

wont.

I am not the only one who could.

[Scootaloo]

19. Speak for yourself n/t

[LanternWaste]

33. Which is often said in place "don't be accurate. Nobody likes accuracy..."

Which is often said in place "don't be accurate. Nobody likes accuracy..."

[jberryhill]

54. Nobody?

Ummm... (quietly lowers raised hand... looks around)... okay.

[B2G]

56. I stand corrected. nt

[ann---]

6. They are not symbols

HONORING slavery the way the confederate flag was.
Not comparable. They were built by slaves - just as the White House
was built by slaves.

[Cleita]

7. For one, archaeologists are finding out they weren't built entirely by slave labor.

It seems that a lot of the monument building that happened in the ancient world was a way for the rulers to keep the proles busy, who were usually farmers, in the off growing season. There was no money exchanged, but they did get rations of grain, cloth and other goods in exchange for their labor. There were slaves, but the slaves were throughout the society, not just the building projects. They got the dirtiest and basest of jobs that the free men wouldn't do.

[hifiguy]

22. This. During the inundation of farmland

By the Nile idled farmers could and did work on the pyramids for payment in kind. They probably did the majority of the labor on the monuments.

Also it was 5000 years ago, not 150.

The OP is woefully ignorant of Egyptian history.

[Fawke Em]

100. Psssh...

They were built by aliens!

[Cleita]

137. But, but but...were the aliens slaves? eom

[Darb]

8. Remarkably inane post.

Why do you consider them a monument to slavery? That's not why they were built. I am certain some slaves were involved, but it was not a monument to slavery in and of itself.

Weak.

[jberryhill]

9. "this monument that celebrates slave labor"

Lol.

Yeah, and with Yul Brynner in charge of them. Good thing Charlton Heston came along.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/11/new-discovery-shows-slave_n_419326.html

Graves of the pyramid builders were first discovered in the area in 1990 when a tourist on horseback stumbled over a wall that later proved to be a tomb. Egypt's archaeology chief Zahi Hawass said that discovery and the latest finds last week show that the workers were paid laborers, rather than the slaves of popular imagination.

...

One popular myth that Egyptologists say was perpetrated in part by Hollywood movies held that ancient Israelite slaves – ancestors of the Jewish people – built the pyramids.

...

"No Jews built the pyramids because Jews didn't exist at the period when the pyramids were built," Mazar said.


http://harvardmagazine.com/2003/07/who-built-the-pyramids-html

Rooted firmly in the popular imagination is the idea that the pyramids were built by slaves serving a merciless pharaoh. This notion of a vast slave class in Egypt originated in Judeo-Christian tradition and has been popularized by Hollywood productions like Cecil B. De Mille’s The Ten Commandments, in which a captive people labor in the scorching sun beneath the whips of pharaoh’s overseers. But graffiti from inside the Giza monuments themselves have long suggested something very different.

[MADem]

93. We need some Edward G. Robinson up in the mix, see? SEE?

Or some Billy Crystal doing Edward G..... Where's yer Moses NAOOOOOOOW?

This thread needs something to save it from utter horror....! Maybe a little EG by BC (and some YB as well) will do it!!!

[NuclearDem]

10. Because the fucking pyramids weren't built to honor a war fought primarily to preserve slavery.

Jesus Christ on a pogo stick.

[Scootaloo]

11. Becuase the people who built them weren't slaves

The workers at the pyramids of Giza were highly-skilled masons who were paid for their time - also they were given housing and victuals for their time. The labor was seasonal. basically these were the Khemetic equivalent of public work projects - the harvest was in, people had free time, offer them silver and salt to come cut limestone for the God-King.

http://news.discovery.com/history/ancient-egypt/pyramids-tombs-giza-egypt.htm

is it because they were Christian ?

The pyramids pre-date Christianity, by quite a long time. They predate monotheism for that matter.

Is it because they weren't really slaves because they weren't black ?

Please tell me you don't think that the Egyptians looked like Claudette Colbert and Anne Baxter.

[jberryhill]

13. So, you are going to ignore the video evidence?

[Rex]

44. Good archived footage!

The OP found good source material.

[pinboy3niner]

50. In the immortal words of noted historian Steve Martin: "King Tut...he's my favorite honky"

[Scootaloo]

64. I prefer the SNL version

https://screen.yahoo.com/king-tut-000000724.html

[Quayblue]

156. lulz

[hifiguy]

24. Great post!

[arcane1]

29. Seriously. It's like they watched Disney's "Prince of Egypt" cartoon and thought it was history

[Scootaloo]

57. It wasn't Disney!

Augh! Prince of Egypt and Anastasia both, so often labeled as Disney!



Prince of Egypt was a DreamWorks production, distributed by Universal Studios (same as Shrek and uh... Saving Private Ryan? really?)

I guess technically it's a Disney property now since Disney owns DreamWorks as of 2009.. .but at the timee...

As for Anastasia? Everything Don Bluth worked on gets mistaken for Disney. Which is strange since the Disney films he actually worked on are fucking terrible - and there's only three of them!

[arcane1]

58. Good point! I'm ignorant of history too :)

[d_r]

143. Hang on

Disney distributes DreamWorks movies through touchstone but doesn't own DreamWorks.

Disney owns Pixar since 2006.

[Scootaloo]

146. Still, point is Prince of Egypt wasn't disney

Yes. A forum full of political screaming, and this is the burr under my collar

[chade]

170. I appreciate the correction!

If you ignore the inaccuracies, it's a very pretty movie, with some early 3D work. And I *love* the soundtrack! Also I'd totally build some pyramids too if Ralph Fiennes was my pharaoh.

[Spazito]

48. "Please tell me you don't think that the Egyptians looked like Claudette Colbert and Anne Baxter."

I laughed so hard when I read this I frightened my cat!

and

[jberryhill]

53. Well, one thing we do know

For all you kids at home, Santa IS white.

[Spazito]

59. Blame Coke for that one or the illustrator of Twas the Night Before Christmas...

Who knew the study of Santa Claus, the white one, was a compulsory course in Megyn's law school!

[hifiguy]

74. Well he probably is, seeing as how

Saint Nicholas, Sinter Klaas and Father Christmas, Santa's forebears, WERE all Northern European.

[jberryhill]

75. Turkey is in Northern Europe now, is it?

This thread is a festival of historical fail.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas#History

The folk feast celebrates the name day, 6 December, of Saint Nicholas (270–343), patron saint of children. Saint Nicholas was a Greek bishop of Myra in present-day Turkey.



Southern Turkey is in Northern Europe.... the things I learn on DU.

All this time I thought everything East of the Dardenelles was in Asia.

[hifiguy]

78. St Nicholas is the patron saint of

Russia IIRC.

[jberryhill]

82. So? WTF?

These are classic depictions of Saint Nicholas:



It doesn't matter that a lot of places adopted him as patron saint. He was from southern Turkey, in Asia, not Northern Europe or Russia.

He's patron saint of Peru, too. So what?

http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/places/

[jberryhill]

87. And here is a RUSSIAN depiction of him

St Nicholas the Wonderworker, Russia, 19th century

[muriel_volestrangler]

89. And St. George is the patron saint of England. And Georgia (the country)

And was born in present-day Israel, as far as they can tell, and never went either to England or Georgia.

Patron saints are like 'favorite' sports teams; if there's a famous one from your neck of the woods, that's the one you normally pick, otherwise you come up with any old reason for your choice.

[Coventina]

92. St Andrew as the patron saint of Scotland is a good example. He was a Jew from Palestine!

One of the original 12 disciples.

In no way was he remotely Scottish.....

[muriel_volestrangler]

98. I believe, without looking it up to check, he was claimed because of a 'miracle'

Before some battle (probably against the English), some Scots said they saw a diagonal cross of white clouds against a blue sky, 'and they took it as a sign'. They won the battle, said that's their emblem, and since St. Andrew was crucified on a diagonal cross, said it was his cross, and he was their patron saint.

[Coventina]

99. You nailed it! Fascinating!!

"King Angus of the Picts, facing a larger army of Saxons at Athelstaneford in what is now East Lothian in Scotland, was overwhelmed by a blinding light the night before the battle and, during the night, had a dream. The message he was given was that he would see a Cross in the sky and would conquer his enemies in its name.

The following morning King Angus looked into the rising sun and saw the Saltire Cross in its blinding light. This filled him and his men with great confidence and they were victorious. From that time Saint Andrew and his Saltire Cross were adopted as the national symbols for an emerging Scotland."

From Scotland.org

on edit: typo

[jberryhill]

106. No, Muriel did not nail it

I don't believe any DUer is old enough to have nailed that.

If anyone nailed it, it would have been the Romans.

However, by all accounts, it was not nailed in the first place, but tied:

[Coventina]

107. OUCH!!

That is a terrible joke!!

[pinboy3niner]

128. This subthread is going phar, I see

[Quayblue]

173. and wonderfully so..

Btw, you are hilarious

[muriel_volestrangler]

79. Saint Nicholas (the one who did actually exist) was a Greek from Asia Minor

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas

[randys1]

104. I know, right LOLOLOL

[Rex]

49. Yeah that OP packs a lot in don't it?

They are probably googling Egypt and reading about the Nubian dynasties and turning a shade of something deeper. Nah kidding, why would the OP do that? So much easier to just have a Disney history level of knowledge...most Americans hover around that area. History is meaningless until it can be used as a horrible analogy.

This was of course WAAYY before Jesus Christ.

[PoliticAverse]

12. Did slaves really build the pyramids?...

http://news.discovery.com/history/ancient-egypt/pyramids-tombs-giza-egypt.htm

[Snow Leopard]

15. You've got to

Be kidding right?

[LanternWaste]

18. I presume false equivalencies are the go-to tactic for those lacking any valid premise...

I presume false equivalencies are the go-to tactic for those lacking any valid premise and are feeling both disappointed and frustrated that a flag directly representing slavery is not being flown over particular statehouses anymore.

Yet yours begs the question: what precisely leads you to believe that any slavery used to create the pyramids is "blindly ignored." Is that simply your own experience with your own group of acquaintances, or do you have objective, peer-reviewed analysis supporting your allegation?

[Coventina]

20. WRONG! The pyramids were NOT built by slaves, but by paid workmen.

There is extensive documentation to prove this in the archeological record.

Please get your facts straight before attempting a false equivalency.

on edit: typo

[Exultant Democracy]

21. There are records of the salary paid to the skilled laborors

the rest were probably freemen as their payment toward one of the most widespread forms of taxation in the ancient world. Which was to go work for a few days each month for the king. The built a lot of irrigation the same way they built the pyramids.

Aside for the account in the bible which is considered dubious at best as history, there is every indication that they were not built by a slave labor force.

edit to add: There is also every indication the Pyramid building might have been a pretty good time, like a drawn out ancient stag party. They would get up, get wasted with the boys, go play with big rocks, drink more take a nap. Play with more rocks after the mid day nap and then get hammered again before bed.

[hifiguy]

97. The Egyptians definitely liked their beer.

[Coventina]

116. Beer built civilization!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/opinion/sunday/how-beer-gave-us-civilization.html?_r=0

[Adsos Letter]

110. The only biblical reference to Hebrew slaves in connection with ancient egyptian building projects

Last edited Sat Jul 11, 2015, 12:10 AM - Edit history (1)

that I am aware of is the construction of the pharaonic treasure/store cities of Pithom and Raamses mentioned in Exodus 1:11. Some scholars have identified these with ruins located in the eastern delta region.

Not sure where the association of the pyramids with the ancient Hebrews first got started.

[LuvNewcastle]

175. Are the pyramids mentioned

in the Bible at all? I can't think of anything. People have just assumed the Bible was talking about the pyramids because they were monumental and required a lot of labor. A lot of these weird ideas people have about the Bible are the result of people using their 'logic' to make different stories seem more important than they were. I guess you could call what they do 'intuitive reasoning' .

[Adsos Letter]

188. I can't think of any references to the pyramids either.

I'm pretty sure that the narrative of the Hebrews in ancient Egypt has them located in the eastern delta region, which would be consistent with the reference to Pithom and Raameses if Pithom is meant to indicate either Tell er-Retaba or Tell el-Maskhuta in the Wadi Tumilat, and Raamses with modern day Qantir.

I took a course on Historiography of the Bible as part of a graduate degree in History in college, but it's been years and the specifics are pretty vague at this point.

[LuvNewcastle]

195. I knew that you were well-educated

on the subject, so I thought I'd check. Trust me, you've forgotten more than I'll ever know about the Bible in history. It's so hard to tell where facts and imagination part when it comes to ancient sources like the Bible. It's good that the scribes wrote down all they had heard instead of all that they personally knew to be true, however. It gives researchers more possibilities for finding the truth.

[REP]

23. The pyramids weren't built by slaves. The laborers weren't "worked and tortured to death"

What you know about ancient Egyptian history could fill a thimble and leave ample room.

[HERVEPA]

25. Just some more of tyour usual shit. Don't you get tired of it. Go back to your birds.

[arcane1]

26. That's a lot of historical ignorance for one post

Not to mention an absurd comparison. The Traitor Flag is no longer being flown by the SC government, and the crybabies will have to get over it. Finally.

[Rex]

31. Nah give him credit, that took a few weeks to come up with.

And it shows a vast FU to history or common knowledge about the human race. The Rebel Flag represents slavery, nobody can pretend it is about something noble.

It is a POS rag that needed to be retired into a museum (thank's Obama) decades ago.

[arcane1]

36. True, historical ignorance is behind much of the flag's defense.

That whole "It merely represents southern pride" crap didn't start until the 1960's

[Exilednight]

27. Jury results

On Fri Jul 10, 2015, 02:56 PM an alert was sent on the following post:

The pyramids of Egypt are without a doubt
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026960874

REASON FOR ALERT

This post is disruptive, hurtful, rude, insensitive, over-the-top, or otherwise inappropriate.

ALERTER'S COMMENTS

This post is BS equating the pyramids with the confederate flag. The poster sounds like one of those racists claiming a traitor's flag is about heritage. This thread really should be hidden.

You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Fri Jul 10, 2015, 03:06 PM, and the Jury voted 3-4 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Troll.
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: I think the poster makes an interesting point and the alerter should argue their position. I see nothing at all racist in the original post.
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Meh.
Juror #4 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Agree with the alerter that the OP is in error.
Not hide-worthy though.
Destroy the argument with razors of logic.
Juror #5 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Looks like flame bait to me.
Juror #6 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Obviously this is someone who doesn't get enough attention at home. This is what happens when you leave them alone and they fidget with the radio and stumble upon Rush Lintballs (not that I know personally that they're covered in lint, but I've heard stories) and you get dumb ass posts like this.
Juror #7 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: I'm not a big fan of the "We can't talk about this because the other thing hasn't been solved" line of thinking. It's for fucking 4 year-olds and is employed commonly here on DU (usually about drones, or war in general). But despite that, I see no violation of the TOS here so I vote to keep it.

Thank you very much for participating in our Jury system, and we hope you will be able to participate again in the future.

[NM_Birder]

60. bummer.

My guess was that it would get three alerts.
Is there any way to find out how many times it was alerted on ?

[LanternWaste]

66. Self-assigned martyrdom is a trendy little thing

Self-assigned martyrdom is a trendy little thing. Might I suggest constructing your own cross to hang from... as it may allow you even more righteousness in this creatively staged oppression you're burdened with.

[Iggo]

68. Yeah, but that don't work. You can't get the last nail in.

[NM_Birder]

71. LOL, not even close..... but writting is definatley your calling.

"Might I suggest" is the only part of that that seems a little conceited. Other than that, you write beautifully.


But, back to the question you didn't answer, do you know if there is a way to tell how many times it was alerted on ?

[jberryhill]

73. writting is definatley not your caling

The first alert is adjudicated. After that, no further alerts have any effect.

[NM_Birder]

77. no, writting is in no way my calling, that is a correct observation.

So it cannot be alerted on more than once ? I didn't know that.

[bluedigger]

88. It can be alerted on infinite times.

It only gets juried once.

[uppityperson]

136. It can be alerted on multiple times and they all go to admin.

Only the first gets juried, but all the subsequent ones go to admin and I'd assume if there were several they would surely notice.

Is that seriously your only comment on being shown how false your assumptions about slaves and the pyramids were? Not that you were wrong, or even that you learned something, just wondering how many alerts it generated?

[Warpy]

102. I'd have voted to leave it because

BS often needs to be debunked publicly.

Just because you find a post unpleasant or in error is no reason to alert on it.

[randys1]

105. Juror #6 needs to write for the new Late Show with Colbert LOL

Juror #6 voted to HIDE IT
Explanation: Obviously this is someone who doesn't get enough attention at home. This is what happens when you leave them alone and they fidget with the radio and stumble upon Rush Lintballs (not that I know personally that they're covered in lint, but I've heard stories) and you get dumb ass posts like this.

who are you #6, I want to read more of your posts

[ileus]

142. Looks like everyone ignores the "don't be abusive" in your comments rule. LOL

I think if I'm requested to be a juror for some crybaby alert, or if someone deserves being made fun of that should be fair gain.

[onenote]

166. So is it okay to make fun of your misuse of the phrase "fair game"?

Just playing with you….

[Rex]

28. Well that one took you a few weeks, but well done.

The Rebel Flag only has one real meaning, I am so sorry to my fellow Southerners if that is offensive to you. I guess the shoe is on the other foot now?

All I know is I've watch an untold number of people give Jesus Christ lip service, but the families of the nine slain showed that they can forgive and pray for the murderer. That is such a powerful statement, that it has humiliated many enough to no longer pretend the Rebel Flag is about Heritage.

It caused rage in some and shame in others and that is what was needed.

What about the Great Wall of China with the bones of Chinese slaves forced to build it?

You gonna go knock it down? Goodluck.

The pyramids are a symbol of a vast and wealthy (at one time) empire. You pretend as if human history just started after 9 poor souls died at the hands of a white racist.

Sorry, but you don't get to make the rules.

[Exilednight]

32. your second paragraph +1trillion

[Rex]

37. That moved me in ways I've never felt before.

Thank God some do really practice what they preach, my heart died a long time ago toward Western Culture and their perverse treatment of Jesus Christ.

It brings tears to my eyes right now.

[H2O Man]

191. Thank you.

I enjoy & appreciate your posts on this thread.

[Rex]

197. Thanks brother.

It is hard not to say something when an OP like that is so full of false facts and made up garbage. People are just losing it over the removal of the racist Rebel flag!

You would think we asked them to give up being a racist! All we ask for is a little respect and understanding toward the AA community at a time of grieving for 9 innocent souls. And to move forward in hopes of a better day for all minorities.

Too much to ask for I guess.

[ibegurpard]

69. righteous rant

Well said!

[Starry Messenger]

30. I'm so sorry for your flag sadz.

Must suck.

[Warren Stupidity]

161. +!

[ChisolmTrailDem]

34. Traitor flag sore loser looks desperately around for something to throw a fit about. nt

[bravenak]

162. Bingo!

[Marr]

35. They were built by skilled tradesmen, not slaves. But even if they *had been* built by slaves...

...the pyramids would not be symbols of slavery. They're tombs.

The Confederate flag is the symbol of a secession movement that was carried out not only to preserve slavery in the south, but to extend it into new states.

It should never have been allowed to fly on any public grounds after that treasonous movement was stamped out-- and only started flying over certain state houses during the Civil Rights Movement. Odd coincidence, right...?

[fishwax]

40. is this meant as some tortured defense of the confederate flag?

Why should people demand the pyramids be torn down?

[bvf]

41. If you're pushing for that ban,

you'll have to do better than this, but good luck! I'm sure a lot of us are pulling for you.

[uponit7771]

42. Were they ever DEFINED to represent human supremacy?! NO!! sigh

[qazplm]

43. so much lack of knowledge

1. not built with slave labor. Plenty of evidence suggests it was a voluntary, well compensated public works project.
2. Should we tear down the Parthenon the rest of the way? Pretty much every Greek and Roman building of note WAS constructed with slave labor. You can't swing a black plague infested rat in Europe without coming across a major medieval or earlier structure that probably didn't have forced labor attached to it.

[The_Commonist]

46. This is by far the most ridiculous OP I've seen in a long time.

Have you been sufficiently spanked yet?
Were you just looking for something to be OUTRAGED!!!!! about today?
Will you delete this OP?

Seriously, you come off as completely deranged.
Sorry to be the one to tell you.

[kcr]

167. I noticed upthead, it seems OP was just looking for alerts

They're disappointed they only got three.

[uppityperson]

47. What"hundreds of thousands of slaves from all over the world that were worked and tortured to death"

do you possibly mean?

Educate yourself.

http://news.discovery.com/history/ancient-egypt/pyramids-tombs-giza-egypt.htm
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/jan/11/great-pyramid-tombs-slaves-egypt

Great Pyramid tombs unearth 'proof' workers were not slaves
Egypt's leading archaeologist says 4,000-year-old burial plots with skeletons expose myth that builders were slaves......

[Rex]

52. Wait until the OP finds out

about the Nubian dynasties...but you know, because Egyptians are all descendants of Pan Asians or some junk. Ancient History 101 fail.

[rock]

51. I believe the latest findings

show that slaves did not build the pyramids of Egypt. They were ordinary workers. So as they say on SNL, "Simmadanau!".

[mahina]

55. Isis would love to help you out with that.

[CTBlueboy]

61. Come again

Op you have a problem with the Confederate flag coming down ?

I would advise you to research about Africa/Egypt before talking about the pyramids

I've seen conservatives on twitter making the same argument your making

[flying rabbit]

62. Wow

just, Wow.

[Agnosticsherbet]

63. Egypt: New Find Shows Slaves Didn't Build Pyramids

Egypt: New Find Shows Slaves Didn't Build Pyramids
The series of modest nine-foot-deep shafts held a dozen skeletons of pyramid builders, perfectly preserved by dry desert sand along with jars that once contained beer and bread meant for the workers' afterlife.

The mud-brick tombs were uncovered last week in the backyard of the Giza pyramids, stretching beyond a burial site first discovered in the 1990s and dating to the 4th Dynasty (2575 B.C. to 2467 B.C.), when the great pyramids were built on the fringes of present-day Cairo.

The ancient Greek historian Herodotus once described the pyramid builders as slaves, creating what Egyptologists say is a myth later propagated by Hollywood films.

Graves of the pyramid builders were first discovered in the area in 1990 when a tourist on horseback stumbled over a wall that later proved to be a tomb. Egypt's archaeology chief Zahi Hawass said that discovery and the latest finds last week show that the workers were paid laborers, rather than the slaves of popular imagination.

Hawass told reporters at the site that the find, first announced on Sunday, sheds more light on the lifestyle and origins of the pyramid builders. Most importantly, he said the workers were not recruited from slaves commonly found across Egypt during pharaonic times.

[Agnosticsherbet]

65. Slaves helped build White House, U.S. Capitol

Slaves helped build White House, U.S. CapitolWASHINGTON (CNN) -- In January, President-elect Barack Obama and his family will make history, becoming the first African-American first family to move into the White House -- a house with a history of slavery. In fact, the legacy of American presidents owning slaves goes all the way back to George Washington.

Twelve American presidents owned slaves and eight of them, starting with Washington, owned slaves while in office. Almost from the very start, slaves were a common sight in the executive mansion. A list of construction workers building the White House in 1795 includes five slaves - named Tom, Peter, Ben, Harry and Daniel -- all put to work as carpenters. Other slaves worked as masons in the government quarries, cutting the stone for early government buildings, including the White House and U.S. Capitol. According to records kept by the White House Historical Association, slaves often worked seven days a week -- even in the hot and humid Washington summers.

In 1800, John Adams was the first president to live in the White House, moving in before it was finished. Adams was a staunch opponent of slavery, and kept no slaves. Future presidents, however, didn't follow his lead. Thomas Jefferson, who succeeded Adams, wrote that slavery was an "assemblage of horrors" and yet he brought his slaves with him. Early presidents were expected to pay their household expenses themselves, and many who came from the so-called "slave states" simply brought their slaves with them.

[Quayblue]

67. I find it extremely interesting that this post of yours and others in this thread

seem to reach for (and fall short) discrediting any steps forward in combating racism and acknowledging bloody, bigoted history which unfortunately, is part of the good ole USA. You guys keep trying though.

[closeupready]

70. So was the US Capitol. I try NEVER to overlook the suffering

of humans who helped build monuments and societies in our world.

That said, there are those who are now arguing that slave labor had nothing to do with the pyramids. Which is not believable and strikes me as historical revisionist whitewashing.

[jberryhill]

72. When was "believable" a criterion for truth?

Can you point me to relevant Egyptological scholarship on the subject?

Or, basically, is the bottom line here "I don't believe them."

What, pray tell, is the incentive for "historical revisionist whitewashing"? There are offended Pharoah supporters trying to burnish their reputations?

[Coventina]

76. The Egyptians had slaves. But slaves did not build the pyraminds.

The archeological record is quite clear on this.

Nobody is whitewashing anything.

[Rex]

80. It is not a new discovery that slaves did not build the Great Pyramids.

The Great Pyramids of Giza were around 2,000 years before the notion of slaves building them became an idea. Free citizens of the various dynasties built them. Some took 80 years to build. The idea of slaves building them came from a Greek explorer.

Not saying there weren't slaves, but they would have had a far more menial task than building the pyramids. This information has been known for about 15 years now. It was an honor to work on the burial place for your God.

Slaves would not have been given that honor.

[Agnosticsherbet]

81. Egypt: New Find Shows Slaves Didn't Build Pyramids

Egypt: New Find Shows Slaves Didn't Build Pyramids
The series of modest nine-foot-deep shafts held a dozen skeletons of pyramid builders, perfectly preserved by dry desert sand along with jars that once contained beer and bread meant for the workers' afterlife.

The mud-brick tombs were uncovered last week in the backyard of the Giza pyramids, stretching beyond a burial site first discovered in the 1990s and dating to the 4th Dynasty (2575 B.C. to 2467 B.C.), when the great pyramids were built on the fringes of present-day Cairo.

The ancient Greek historian Herodotus once described the pyramid builders as slaves, creating what Egyptologists say is a myth later propagated by Hollywood films.

Graves of the pyramid builders were first discovered in the area in 1990 when a tourist on horseback stumbled over a wall that later proved to be a tomb. Egypt's archaeology chief Zahi Hawass said that discovery and the latest finds last week show that the workers were paid laborers, rather than the slaves of popular imagination.

Hawass told reporters at the site that the find, first announced on Sunday, sheds more light on the lifestyle and origins of the pyramid builders. Most importantly, he said the workers were not recruited from slaves commonly found across Egypt during pharaonic times.

[ileus]

83. We need more pyramid poutrage.

[Coventina]

84. I'm outraged that child labor was used to build Stonehenge!!!

(most scholars agree that the bulk of the labor was done by teenagers)

[MADem]

85. How obtuse. For the same reason no one is advocating tearing down the

plantation houses with their slave quarters in Charleston, SC or other places--or Mount Vernon, or Monticello, with their slave quarters, as well. News flash, because, apparently, you didn't realize you had an "example" closer to home--THE WHITE HOUSE was built by slaves.

You're great at missing the point, though--from your post, that is painfully obvious.

You are seriously comparing a scrap of cloth that symbolized hatred, that was slapped up on the fucking DOME of the SC state house in 1961 as a big F-U to that newly-elected, pro-integration, liberal northern Catholic Prez-dunt, with the pyramids of Egypt?

You're actually making that link? Or striving to so do?

SMH. Damn!!

Never, ever did I think I would see this kind of a post here on DU. NEVER! You sure showed me!!!

[Reter]

86. Because they weren't even built by humans

n/t

[closeupready]

91. Correct.

[jberryhill]

94. Well, there's that

I'm surprised we got this far in the thread before this.

[Coventina]

95. LOL! That is obviously faked!! Aliens would know better than to land those things on hilly terrain

[randys1]

109. I will have you know I have been on one of those ships, so cease and desist with the

ridicule.

Otherwise I will tell my friend Vlalphoshue to zap your ass...

[jberryhill]

112. Really? How's Uranus?

[randys1]

117. Funny you should ask, we looked up there just yesterday and who do you think we found?

Yep

[jberryhill]

157. So, no intelligent life there

[Adsos Letter]

125. lol The guy with the camel is thinking "Man, I gotta' lay off of the blue lotus flowers." n/t

[Quackers]

138. Uhhh.....WRONG!

They were landing platforms, obviously!

[yuiyoshida]

169. THIS photo requires music....

[0rganism]

122. i'm not saying it was aliens, but...

[gordianot]

90. Without a doubt this post and analogy is based on a false equivalency.

Since this is a discussion board that is OK. The confederate flag would make good toilet paper I reserve that right under the first amendment.

[bluedigger]

96. Maybe try the Colosseum in Rome.

Not sure if it was built with slave labor (likely) but at least Christianity existed, sort of, when it was first built c. 70 AD.

Or, you could just quit while you are behind. That would be my advise.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

113. I'm amazed that he/she hasn't self-deleted yet, out of sheer embarrassment.

Must have posted, then gone offline. Bad mistake (well, bad mistake to have posted in the first place.)

[Coventina]

120. I hope s/he doesn't. This is the most fun I've had on DU in a while!!!

[bluedigger]

124. From what I've seen posted previously, embarrassment is an unknown concept to this one.

[Warpy]

101. "Slave labor" is a misnomer.

The labor was voluntary, the workers were housed and fed and their taxes for that year were cancelled out. That was a big deal if you were a farmer and your harvest had been poor that year. You could work for the Pharaoh over the non growing season instead of being idle and hungry, you'd get fed and supplied with beer, and you wouldn't owe any taxes. It was a great deal for peasants. Once the Nile flooded and the growing season was about to start, they went back to their own fields.

There was a great deal more reciprocity in the arrangement than the outdated words "slave labor" would lead one to believe. Current research has come up with quite a different picture of the people who built the pyramids.

[notadmblnd]

108. I had surgery last Thursday and have at least 150 metal staples in my belly

Last edited Fri Jul 10, 2015, 05:24 PM - Edit history (1)

And I'll bet I can't be in half as much pain as you are. SMDH

The Pyramids are not a monument to slavery, they are a mausoleum for dead kings.

[jberryhill]

111. On further thought - okay

No pyramids in US National Parks. I'm down with that.

[Coventina]

114. There is one in a state park, though.

Missouri....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Monks_Mound_in_July.JPG

[jberryhill]

115. Ah, you missed the bigger problem....

[Coventina]

118. AHHHHHHH!!!!!

It's coming from INSIDE MY WALLET!!!!

[jberryhill]

121. It's okay

I'm conducting a "Protest the Pyramid" event.

Send me all of your one dollar bills and I will build a huge stack of them to protest the treatment of Egyptians 5,000 years ago!

[Coventina]

123. LOLOLOL!

[bluedigger]

126. Illinois.

http://www.cahokiamounds.org/

[Coventina]

131. Whoops! My bad!!

I always think of them as in MO. due to their proximity to St. Louis!!

[bluedigger]

133. de nada.

Just didn't want our friends driving around Missouri and cussing you out. The new interpretive center there is awesome, btw.

[Coventina]

139. *makes note to self to visit*

Thanks!!!!

[JCMach1]

127. Most of the evidence these days points to non-slave labour

sorry...

[ljm2002]

129. I can think of a few reasons off the top of my head...

...such as:

1 - 150 years ago (end of US Civil War) vs 4500 years ago (most recent estimate of when the pyramids were built)
2 - foreign country -- we have no jurisdiction
3 - large ancient edifices representing an entire ancient civilization vs small modern cloth symbol of racism in our own country

Are you suggesting we should tear down the Pyramids, similar to what the Taliban and ISIS do with large historic "graven image" statues? Are you suggesting they have no historic significance? Are you suggesting that due to the historic significance of the Confederate Battle Flag, it should still be proudly flown in front of statehouses in the South? And since we are not limiting ourselves to things in this country, are you suggesting that Germany should proudly display the Nazi swastika?

Just what are you suggesting?

[ananda]

130. Well if ISIS gets ahold of Egypt..

.. I would expect the monuments to be destroyed.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

132. 130 replies, 0 recs. Is this a new record? Anyone? nt

[edhopper]

134. One would assume

that the OP believes the Old Testament to be true and not the fantasy myths they are, including the nonexistence of Moses.

[tammywammy]

135. I love threads where the OP is just so wrong and stupid.

So amusing. BTW, since you can use the internet, you should have Googled pyramids and slaves before posting this.

[Texasgal]

140. Notice that the poster

has not retuned either!! Classic POOP N' SWOOP.

[Bobbie Jo]

141. Somebody rec'ed this?

[L. Coyote]

144. Can we send an e-mail?

[Coventina]

147. If I could specify WHY I was recommending, I'd do it for the comedy value.

But, things being as they are, I don't want to appear to be supporting the OP.

[ileus]

148. It's a highly entertaining thread.

Some of the best replies in comedy I've seen here in weeks. Sometimes a troll thread is useful....but either way I unrec'd it.

My bad.

[Bobbie Jo]

150. No

I totally get it, but glad you clarified.

[Deadshot]

149. Recent archaeological evidence has shown that the pyramids were made by skilled workers, not slaves.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_pyramid_construction_techniques

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

151. Slaves cannot be skilled?

The U.S. had slaves that were skilled. All it takes is training.

Yes, the pyramids had skilled builders. And unskilled workers. But were they slaves? I don't know.

[Deadshot]

152. See post #11.

[LostOne4Ever]

153. Really bad analogy. REALLY REALLY bad research. Complete train-wreck of a post.

[font style="font-family:'Georgia','Baskerville Old Face','Helvetica',fantasy;" size=4 color=teal]Total score: 0/10

Try harder next time.[/font]

[ileus]

155. I really think I've seen this argument meme on facebook.

[tabasco]

154. Maybe because slaves didn't build them

Pick up a book.

[Sunk in Tupelo]

158. I'm pretty sure there are more pressing issues in the world.

Like people getting killed in all the wars that are CURRENTLY going on. Why waste time on arrival post like this?

[Adrahil]

163. They are thousands of years old.

Not 150 years old.

Egypt is not struggling with the legacy of the pharaohs today. We are still struggling with the legacy of the American Civil War and slavery.

[B Calm]

164. The flag of losers from the Civil War is not a structure, but a racist symbol.

Hope that helps you understand. It didn't take thousands of slaves to sew a racist flag.

[kcr]

165. Awww. The sad over the confederate flag just won't go away.

Or will it ? Will there come a time where you will realize that time moves on ? Progress happens ? And it just might be best to go with it ? Maybe ? Or will the answer be no ? Keep trying to come up with equal scenarios that maybe make sense ? Sort of ? I assume the answer " will be Confederate flag nothing wrong with it. " ?

[AlbertCat]

168. to human slavery ever known.

Stopped reading after this.... because the Pyramids were not built by slaves..... or aliens.....

[Starry Messenger]

176. This OP is a monument.

I want to leave it flowers, like the dead raccoon in Toronto.

[bravenak]

177. It got somebody a pizza delivery at least.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=305302

[Starry Messenger]

180. !!!!

At long last!!!!

[bravenak]

183. I was so glad to see that one go!

[gollygee]

189. Yeah well he had a particular issue with you, didn't he?

or was that someone else?

[bravenak]

190. Yeah it was me. Called me a drunk racist.

[gollygee]

187. This is up there with the "I Don't Drink With You" thread

There are a few other classics too.

[Solly Mack]

179. Seriously? You're getting all bent out of shape over a symbol of hate being removed?

Because I don't buy your reasoning.

Here Read

The Confederacy built absolutely nothing of lasting value. It was most decidedly not a great civilization. It held no secrets. It wasn't a mystery to be solved - it was a disgrace that spilled the blood of humans, in bondage and in war. It produced nothing that endures - except ignorance and hate.

That you would compare the very real slavery that still goes on in the world today with the lack of protests over the pyramids in Egypt exposes the ignorance of your ill chosen comparison and your true feelings about a symbol of hate coming down.

Shame on you.

[Recursion]

182. You should maybe study them. The pyramids were built with union labor

The workers were paid (in beer, actually), and went on strike when their pay was cut.

[BainsBane]

185. The IWW

Christians? Holy mother of God. Where does he get this stuff? RW radio? Anyway, he's been PPR'd.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=305302&sub=trans

[H2O Man]

193. The pyramids were

the work of the white Christian slaves in 1491 ad/est. The slaves were "owned" by the liberal Democrats in an attempt to bring European socialism to the New World, which at the time was really not a New World at all ....it was about 5,000 years old.

One of those slaves -- his name, according to bible tradition, was Patrick Buchanan -- led the other slaves to engage in civil disobedience, in order to win their freedom. Then the great American explorer Christopher Columbus, discovered the United States. He brought the Pilgrims and other Founding Fathers, including Buchanan, to these shores, under the confederate flag.

Your kind assistance in bringing this impotent history lesson to DU:GD is highly appreciated.

[LostOne4Ever]

194. Thank you Skinner