Graham,

In Australia, your history of slavery is different than ours. As far as my limited knowledge of Australian history goes, you had convictism and indentured servitude of caucasians and orientals as well as aboriginals. Here in the United States, slavery was nearly exclusively perpetrated on black people. Negroes were kidnapped from Africa to be bought and traded. That's why when we talk of slavery, it always has the overtone of being specific to the black race.

Additionally, blues music, invented by the newly freed slaves, began as a "race specific" genre. Early blues labels such as Okeh and Bluebird put out recordings that were called "race records." The blues was born from injustice and the evil of slavery. Many blues lyrics are metaphorically speaking of racial injustice.

That's why many people here take blues "jokes" to be racially charged and of a "slave owner" mentality. They connect the stereotypical blues themes: wife ran away, broke, car repoed, etc., with the negro race and look on any, albeit culturally innocent, jokes made as being bigotted and of a "slave owner" mentality.

Often we in the United States forget that political correctness includes sensitivity and tolerance to the ignorance of our unique cultural foibles by those in other countries.
It's our American imperialist mentality.

All the Best,
Mike

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Mike Dunbar Music

You've got to know your limitations. I don't know what your limitations are. I found out what mine were when I was twelve. I found out that there weren't too many limitations, if I did it my way. -Johnny Cash

It's only music.
-niteshift

Mike Dunbar Music