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Maeve

(43,451 posts)

10. The attitude was very Ebenezer Scrooge

Sat Jan 5, 2013, 10:11 AM

Jan 2013

Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir."

"Are there no prisons?" asked Scrooge.

"Plenty of prisons," said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.

"And the Union workhouses?" demanded Scrooge. "Are they still in operation?"

"They are. Still," returned the gentleman, "I wish I could say they were not."

"The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?" said Scrooge.

"Both very busy, sir."

"Oh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their
useful course," said Scrooge. "I'm very glad to hear it."
...
I help to support the establishments I have mentioned--they cost enough; and those who are badly off must go there."

"Many can't go there; and many would rather die."

"If they would rather die," said Scrooge, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."

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Ireland’s Great Hunger Museum [View all] pampango Jan 2013 OP

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An inadequate response to a potato fungus is hardly equivalent to Nye Bevan Jan 2013 #2

Paddys lament Dman292 Jan 2013 #4

Not an inadequate response / a deliberate response with intended results rosesaylavee Jan 2013 #5

Holy shit. Thanks for the link. SunSeeker Jan 2013 #19

I think it happened so long ago rosesaylavee Jan 2013 #20

I won't try to argue that they are equivalent... caraher Jan 2013 #7

Not only that theKed Jan 2013 #33

There are many genocides Pmc1962 Jan 2013 #9

Thank you for your comments life long demo Jan 2013 #11

Thanks for the info, lld. +1, nt. Mc Mike Jan 2013 #13

Thanks for that article which I had never seen before. Another group that labored mightily for... dmosh42 Jan 2013 #17

The Choctaw contribution has not been forgotten corksean Jan 2013 #28

Kind of ironic that the US was "horrified" by this while slavery was in full force there. Nye Bevan Jan 2013 #27

So just how many Irish would the Brit's have to had genocided to get to equivalency? westerebus Jan 2013 #24

6 million. And they would have had to also prevent emigration to ensure that nobody could escape, Nye Bevan Jan 2013 #26

It was pre gas chamber. westerebus Jan 2013 #30

I think the landscape of Wales rosesaylavee Jan 2013 #32

The only interest I have in the Welsh is how they effected English and Irish history. westerebus Jan 2013 #34

The attitude was very Ebenezer Scrooge Maeve Jan 2013 #10

During the mid to late 1800s, the British were more racist than the Germans FarCenter Jan 2013 #14

The UK abolished slavery in 1833. Nye Bevan Jan 2013 #18

The act excepted slavery in India and Ceylon FarCenter Jan 2013 #23

You don't have to wait--it's in Connecticut. MADem Jan 2013 #3

Boston has some statues in memoriam of the famine WilliamPitt Jan 2013 #6

Amazing and powerful! Thank you. (nt) Demo_Chris Jan 2013 #8

Where are those statues, Will? A-Long-Little-Doggie Jan 2013 #12

At the corner of School Street and Washington Street WilliamPitt Jan 2013 #15

I studied the Great Hunger while in college years ago. fasttense Jan 2013 #16

There are many parallels today. Starving Africa and many other places that mean nothing to us than jwirr Jan 2013 #35

My gggrandparents came to America from County Limerick.. ananda Jan 2013 #21

Yes, the USA was a great place to emigrate to in the mid 1800s. Nye Bevan Jan 2013 #22

There is an Irish Memorial here in Philly BumRushDaShow Jan 2013 #25

When you go, you might walk along the river in downtown Dublin to see the famine statues there. postulater Jan 2013 #29

Manhattan Irish Hunger Memorial CitizenK9 Jan 2013 #31

K & R Scurrilous Jan 2013 #36