Whipping and branding, Axel? How common were whippings? How common was branding? Did the slave who had proven his dilligence, honesty and trustworthiness — and I think it would be racist to say that slaves were not generally so — really have to face such treatments? I doubt it.

So, as long as one cooperated fully with one’s captors, and acted with trustworthiness and good faith, not to mention working one’s ass off for the benefit of people who had complete control over one’s life, one could expect to be treated fairly decently. Gotcha.

I don’t know words strong enough. This man is morally stunted, and absolutely blinded by a racism so deep he is incapable of seeing it, a racism of a generation not only before mine, but before his own.

It’s almost like being an historical sociopath.