Posted under Cuisine
Maurice’s BBQ is famous for its refusal to take down the flag (a costly stance), but it also once sold books defending slavery, seeking to educate its customers [thus freeing Southerners from guilt]. Now, were I in the same position I likely wouldn’t defend slavery in the restaurants (though there’s nothing inherently immoral about it provided a society treats its slaves well), but my point is culture war books were sold with the Southern cuisine. Select music and videos (e.g. “Gone With the Wind” and perhaps “Braveheart”) could be added too. Where is the Olde South today? Most of it stops in at a BBQ joint at least a few times a year. A local Greek restaurant has a map of Greece on its wall, and a group of Vietnamese has declared its presence with a restaurant of its own. These are culturally important.
There’s one demon in particular I’d like to slay though: unhealthy Southern food. The philosophy of New Orleans chefs is “anything worth doing is worth overdoing”, and that might extend to the South as a whole. However, I wish this spirit were moderated by health concerns. I can think right off of Low Country dishes that are as healthy as what one finds in a Whole Foods without sacrificing the taste. It’s certainly possible to gather them up, and an enlightened Southern restaurant would promote good health for its patrons (e.g. fewer fried foods and no soft drinks).
You’ll note I’m not naming any particular foods. I might undertake something like this one day, though I’d love for another to develop something similar using his own ingenuity. If done right this could use recommendations from those who’ve come before, such as the League of the South, and greatly magnify their impact.
To be clear, I’m thinking of a New Olde South: cutting edge with a foundation on the old. Politically this means the latest ideas, such as those reflected by the A3P (e.g. prudent environmentalism and no classical liberalism); technologically this means a nice looking, modern store that’s even ahead of the brand stores (abandoned rural general store style is a miss). The usual left-wing health food store product line would be carried too, e.g. no Styrofoam. An enlightened Southerner might hunt and fish, but he also keeps up the environment, albeit without falling for the global warming scam.
Side note: Ralf Nader’s father, Nathra, ran a restaurant where he discussed politics – promoted his views. And many political figures have run book stores – Mao comes to mind.
Also see: “The Food Issue“.
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Sean Scallon on 25 Apr 2010 at 3:25 am #
“(though there’s nothing inherently immoral about it provided a society treats its slaves well.”)
If you believe that then you shouldn’t have a problem with the welfare state.
Weaver on 25 Apr 2010 at 10:06 am #
The welfare state, like big business, is ruled by strangers who don’t know let alone care for their dependents – it is wrong because fallen man cannot be entrusted with such power. Obama-Messiah might rule us justly, but we shouldn’t expect such luck with his successor. Slavery was more personal, as are small businesses: we cared for, and still care for, local blacks. It’s not a matter of freedom but of abuse of power.
Like the welfare state, slavery’s not my ideal because it leaves open the potential for abuse of power and of dehumanising of blacks (we’re also left with racial divisions which can cause conflict), but this is only a potential evil and not an evil in itself. I do not wish to restore the system, but I refuse the albatross. I don’t find the South’s slavery any worse than early capitalism elsewhere. And today blacks are materially better off in America than in Africa (where slavery still exists). Blacks seem to do better under white rule than under black rule.
I do view slavery as a mistake, but I do not see it as this great crime. If we’re to take guilt for it, then so too ought Europe’s nobility and other past as well as current privileged groups. One group who would deserve guilt in particular is the Northern and European merchants who sold the slaves – if Southern heritage is judged immoral then so too is much of Europe and northeastern US.
Slavery of whites has a long history, and whites were not treated well by the Muslims in North Africa. The South treated its slaves well, even with laws protecting them. There was a potential for abuse, but we resisted.
There’s nothing inherently open about capitalism either: it can easily keep down those who lack capital or access to some limited resource. America today is very much an oligarchy, and one ruled by strangers not locals.
I saw Chris Rock on a comedy show spout off a popular black myth, that we bred blacks to be stupid and that’s why they’re behind (I was shocked he could say this). Odd that African-American IQs are higher than native African IQs – nutrition isn’t entirely responsible for that (out breeding with whites is but regardless we didn’t make them stupid).
There are many wild stories of how we oppressed blacks, and they’re used to pit blacks against Southern whites. Blacks are told their problems are our fault, just as they are in Africa. A Rhodesian white (who has long left Zimbabwe) told me a couple weeks ago that he was forced to attend school in South Africa because of Zimbabwe’s extreme racial policies. Mugabe rules Zimbabwe by blaming the whites, and this seems a common strategy throughout Africa. What was once the bread basket of Africa is now a disaster, and the same post-colonial shock seems to course throughout Africa. The Chinese are moving in to fill where whites have left.
In the ideal Africa would be left alone, I find this ideal for blacks to retain their own tribes or develop nation-states (which can develop traditions and identity), but whites have ruled them on the whole well. And leaving Africa’s resources untouched is like a vacuum in physics: it tempts others to fill it. Blacks in the US are probably best off living with whites where they have some roots, though I think they should decide on their own what they want.
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I would have used a different example had I remembered another book sold in Maurice’s. There weren’t many though, and that 50 cent book catches the eye. It’s a shame this side issue detracts from my post.
This is not a winning issue, but I again refuse the albatross. I’m proud of where I came from, and if my past is less than ideal I ask what people look down on me from a moral vantage? Present a people, and the South can equal them in honour.
The South today ought to move to ensure blacks fully have equal opportunity, but it also ought to expect less from them. Hating Southern whites is not a solution and will only bring violence – they must accept that they’re different and ought to acknowledge that we didn’t treat them badly under slavery.
The differences between whites and blacks do not stop with IQ. Blacks are apt to be lazy which gets them in trouble. On the positive side they’re friendly and warm – very good, nice people.
Main points:
It’s not a matter of freedom but of abuse of power.
Blacks seem to do better under white rule than under black rule.
Sean Scallon on 25 Apr 2010 at 12:43 pm #
I don’t think any society or people should have to wear the Mark of Cain over slavery considering it still exists today in Africa and the Rastarik system in Haiti. But no man should have total control over the life of another in that manner. Nor should really be an issue in the present context. Mr. Bessinger is free to distribute or sell whatever books he wishes at his restaurants but he also accepts the responsibility as well. If people don’t like it, they can eat someplace else.
Don’t forget about white slavery (indentured servitude) which also helped to build the U.S.
Kirt Higdon on 25 Apr 2010 at 1:01 pm #
Slavery is not just a matter of rule. Slavery consists in holding innocent people captive against their will and forcing them to work for compensation determined unilaterally by the slave holder. That makes it inherently wrong even if the slave holder is the nicest of guys and treats his slaves well. It’s both specious and illogical to argue that slavery is not immoral because it was (arguably) worse elsewhere than in the American South or because other systems were worse than slavery without being called that.
“And leaving Africa’s resources untouched is like a vacuum in physics: it tempts others to fill it.”
Guess there’s nothing inherently immoral about theft either. You’re not refusing albatrosses; you’re embracing them.
Weaver on 25 Apr 2010 at 5:00 pm #
Kirt,
I find colonialism to be something worth apologising for, but the whites ruled South Africa well. Under white rule, South Africa and Rhodesia developed farmland and mined resources the blacks had never touched. Many of the tribes there were nomadic and didn’t own the land quite as we do, and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn whites in some areas were actually welcomed in as opposed to forcing their way in. I don’t know the history beyond what I’ve learned from a handful of white and black South Africans and a book by Ian Smith. I can say that well intending white liberals from the US and Britain have blood on their hands for ruining that poor country, “freeing it” from white rule. Even if less than ideal before, the situation there now is Hellish. The freedom to be at the mercy of men with guns and to starve is not a worthy freedom. Now South Africa is following Rhodesia’s path.
If Europe isn’t in Africa, China has made it plain that it will enter. Europe trespassed largely because it had the power to do so and was ruled by mere humans. Others will trespass in Europe’s absence.
Rhodesia nearly joined South Africa by the way.
Reg. slavery and freedoms: those who have the choice between working for a capitalist and not eating aren’t better off even if told they’re “free”, especially when the only store is the “company store”.
Reg. alleged good behaviour, this makes all the difference in the world. Much of European history involves slavery and serfdom too. Perhaps much of Christiandom should be apologised for along with the South – nothing is quite good enough then.
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Sean,
yes slavery was too absolute. More laws should have protected slaves I think, but there were laws. It was less than ideal, but it was not evil. Perhaps the best course is to dismiss it as an institution others have used too, but I firmly believe the South treated its slaves well and deserves recognition for this.
As you can imagine, the book mentioned uses Biblical quotes to defend the peculiar institution.
S.L. Toddard on 25 Apr 2010 at 6:19 pm #
How is the bbq at Maurice’s?
Bede on 25 Apr 2010 at 6:48 pm #
Speaking of BBQ, I just put a brown-sugar and sea-salt rub on some St. Louis style pork ribs, which are now submerged in apple cider vinegar. They will remain that way until tomorrow afternoon when I grill them slowly, coat them with BBQ sauce, and finish them off in the oven and finally in my stomach.
Weaver on 26 Apr 2010 at 1:41 am #
SL,
it’s some of the best in SC – mustard based. The ribs are especially good.
Weaver on 02 May 2010 at 7:15 pm #
Ate at a BBQ place this weekend with my folks and grandfather.
This is in the Low Country, and they had a folk music band – sounded like mountain music to me.
I’d never seen a band there before. The crowd was mostly older-than-childbearing-age sadly…
Regarding blacks and whites: most of the folks (all but one lady) eating were white and a little more than half of the staff was black. The owner (old white lady) came out and spoke to my grandfather – occasionally someone will anonymously pay for his (and thus our) meal (because he’s a friendly local I suppose) though that didn’t happen this time
This was not a fancy place – low prices, semi-unhealthy food. I don’t like the BBQ there as well as I do Maurice’s, though apparently locals prefer that place and find Maurice’s mustard base strange.