History has also shown, time and again, that the most dangerous times are when previously oppressive regimes and institutions are liberalised. Retribution by newly-freed slaves was a very real prospect. Jefferson’s description of slavery as “holding a wolf by its ears” was starkly demonstrated in the bloody Haitian revolution a few years later.

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Punk rock philosopher. Liberalist contrarian. Grumpy old bastard. I grew up in a generational-Labor-voting family. I kept the faith long after the political left had abandoned it. In the last decade...