@generica The British Empire sure as shit weren't sending their best and brightest over here.

Note that they started doing the same to Australia in 1788, after the American Revolution made using North America as a dumping ground untenable.

This explains a lot about the worst aspects of Aussie culture. Naturally, the Aussies were no better with the aborigines than the US was with the native Americans.

@starbreaker

Your post hit home - I won't bore you with too much detail but I do genealogy as a hobby. My white ancestors owned slaves. Were some nice? Maybe. My black ancestors worked nights after the field to buy emancipation. Were some assholes? Maybe. Which ones am I most proud of? Guess.

@generica I wouldn't be surprised if you were proudest of those who bought their way free. I would be, too.

Some of my ancestors settled in upstate New York. AFAIK, they didn't have slaves, and one of them lost an eye fighting for the Union, but they weren't above hiring black servants.

One of my ancestors eloped with one such servant, so if racists had their way and brought back the "one drop rule", I might just pass for white. My mother probably wouldn't, though.

@starbreaker

Interesting. A dna test might be fun for you. That is if you don't mind the world knowing all that.

@generica I've considered it, but I won't do it unless my results are treated as confidential medical records.