rfdesigner said:On the race relation issue, the USA is somewhat unique in the degree of race problems, and it's history with slavery. No other major country I can think of had half the country founded on slavery. So will Canon change it's naming of a worldwide product for the sake of 350Million North Americans?.. I doubt it.
Actually, the slaves were already here before the founding of the country. Brought to the colonies by the British. All thirteen British colonies allowed for slavery. There were white slave owners, black slave owners, and indian slave owners.
Almost immediately after the revolutionary war several states began to abolish slavery and the Constitution of the United States of America laid the groundwork for the final end to state supported slavery.
In 1776 the Spanish controlled most everything from the Mississippi River and West to California and all of Mexico. This area was called New Spain.
The British controlled Florida, West Florida, and most everything East of the Mississippi River to the revolting Colonies. By the end of the Revolutionary War, Spain had also taken over Florida and West Florida.
The British didn't bring anything new to the Americas regarding slavery. It was already here before Europeans got here.
North American Indians had their own nations, wars, slavery, and human sacrifice (human sacrificearticularly the Aztecs and Inca in the area we now call Mexico.).
So I don't know what you mean by "half the country founded on slavery." Half, not any part of the U.S.A, was founded on slavery. The United States was NOT a major country at the end of the Revolutionary War either.
The United States is not unique in any degree as far as racial problems go. There is nothing new under the sun.
By the way: Ever use the word enthralled? It is an old middle English word meaning bondman or slave. The "thrall" part is an adaptation from an old Norse word for slave or servant. Scandanavians used to raid to the south (Germania, etc) and capture thralls (slaves).
Slavery has been around since the beginning of man. It still exists today in many countries and cultures.
What constitutes a "major country" changes over time too. The Roman Empire controlled all of North Africa, a swath of Asia, and a huge part of Europe and also Britannia means it was once a "major empire". Slavery was rampant. yet nobody would ever say that Rome was founded on slavery.
Like most other words, they can be applied in different ways.
Slavery has been around for Millennia.
In electronics the terms master and slave have absolutely no racial connotations. heck, there's a Master Cylinder in your car that controls the slave cylinders (wheel cylinders or calipers) at each wheel. There's another in the clutch system that controls the throw-out bearing. It is found in pneumatic and all kinds of different technologies.
Japan is a far older country than ours and also with a history of slavery... A Major Country since at least the 12th century and some would argue for 10,000 years depending upon how one defines "Nation State".
So for anyone to get offended about master/slave when explaining a relationship between people, mechanical parts, or electronics is just silly.
I hope the Japanese never cave to this. No matter how hot the fragile little Snowflakes get.
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