Irish Potato Famine - Black '47 - #3
Added 2019-03-01 00:33:44 +0000 UTCAs Ireland reeled toward famine, in London, Sir Charles Trevelyan was retooling his relief plan to be *less* generous. Trevelyan saw this potato blight not as a disaster, but a God-sent opportunity to remake Irish society. And he was determined to make the most of it--no matter how much suffering he had to inflict.
Comments
Now i understand why my dad said my irish ancestors hated the british so much.
Robinette
2019-03-01 21:39:40 +0000 UTCGreat video but I have to disagree with the idea that this is caused by the laissez faire approach to a free market. Ireland was steeped in government intervention that made the crisis worse. The video even mentions that the purchase of corn from the U.S. was forbidden, in the desire to protect and benefit British markets, hardly a capitalist/free market solution. Landlords were often protected from the damage of their poor decisions, almost a reflection of the modern "Too Big to Fail" attitude, while peasants that worked the land received less and less help that would have been more forthcoming to English subjects. Many in the government used so-called "non-interference" in the market to cover their genocidal attitudes to the Irish; look into Nassau Senior. There were also British law that encouraged food to leave Ireland, making it difficult to lower local food prices with locally produced goods. The potato itself was encouraged to be planted in such numbers through government action. British interference with previous famines had prevented the shift in laws and market forces that would likely have both allowed tenants to make improvements in their lands, which they were not legally allowed to do and would have reduced the risk of future famine, and forced Ireland to diversify their food crops. Instead, the British, eager to keep managing Ireland as a colony, decided to provide food aid each time. None of this, and much else that the British government can be blamed for, is capitalistic. Instead, the blame should be more squarely placed on the shoulders of government, colonialism, and the persistent belief that people can and should seek to control each other.
Christopher Pelletier
2019-03-01 17:54:29 +0000 UTCHoly crap, this is.....probably the darkest episode Extra Credits has ever done. Some episodes have some sort of funny moments, even the darkest and craziest ones, but this is just dark. Great episode, but holy fuck this was dark.
BlueFanfictionInc
2019-03-01 03:18:31 +0000 UTCThis really demonstrates how the health of a society is based on the conditions of its poorest.
Sientir
2019-03-01 02:39:01 +0000 UTCGreat video! A little tip for Irish accents matt, I had to be Irish for a show back in high school so I created a little saying " the little Irish kettle in the park outside Dublin" uses all the Irish sounds. Say it a few times for practice and your good! I know it's a hard accent, trust me I know lol
Rebecca Kues
2019-03-01 02:14:05 +0000 UTCwhy did you post the famine video 2 hours before I go to bed? I won't be sleeping tonight.
Thomas Alfred Weaver
2019-03-01 01:02:38 +0000 UTCWe recently confirmed a Family Rumour that our First Known Ancestors were Irish migrants Escaping from the Potato Famine. I have Heard that another Family story States one of my Forebears Served at the Battle of Trafalgar, but unfortunately the Irish Records only go Back so far.
Martin Verran
2019-03-01 00:50:12 +0000 UTC
