Armstrong & Getty On Demand – "Our Original Sin" (Dec 11, 2025)

Episode Overview

In this episode of "Armstrong & Getty On Demand," the hosts tackle the contentious narrative surrounding slavery in American history—specifically, the notion that America "invented" slavery and is uniquely guilty of this "original sin." Drawing on clips from John Stossel, political science professor Wilfred Riley, and educational reformer Brett Pike, the discussion critiques common teachings about American slavery and highlights broader historical contexts. The hosts question prevailing educational narratives and their impact on contemporary society.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Debunking the "America Invented Slavery" Narrative

• The episode opens with the hosts mockingly referencing the idea that "America pretty much invented slavery. It’s our original sin." (02:49)

• They immediately challenge this as "a big steaming pile of horse crap," emphasizing a tone of skepticism and irreverence.

• Wilfred Riley and John Stossel’s clips are used to dismantle myths about American slavery’s uniqueness and brutality.

  Key Quote:

  "As we’re about to hear, virtually everything that you just heard is completely fictional."
  —Main Host (04:50)

2. Slavery as a Global Institution

• Wilfred Riley explains that generational slavery—children of slaves becoming slaves—was not unique to America, but "extraordinarily common" worldwide. (05:16–05:24)

• The discussion contrasts U.S. slavery with slavery in Africa, the Ottoman Empire, and other societies, asserting that slavery has “always existed.”

• Brett Pike criticizes public schools for teaching only the transatlantic slave trade and ignoring long histories of slavery elsewhere, particularly the Ottoman Empire and the Middle East. (08:57, 14:36)

  Key Quotes:

  "Most of the problems of the modern black community don’t have anything to do with historical ethnic conflict 160 years ago."
  —Wilfred Riley (08:13)

  "Why is it that public schools only teach about the transatlantic slave trade? They don’t teach that there was slavery in the Ottoman Empire, that it lasted for 600 years and 5 to 10 million people were enslaved."
  —Brett Pike (08:57)

3. Numbers and Survivorship

• Only about 400,000 slaves were brought to the U.S. out of an estimated 10.7–12 million sent to the New World—the rest largely ended up in South and Central America. (06:46–07:24)

• The hosts emphasize how this fact is often left out of mainstream discussions, contributing to a skewed perception.

  Key Quote:

  "Out of 11 million, we got about 400,000."
  —Main Host (07:10)

4. Educational Critique and "Marxist Lens"

• Brett Pike and the hosts argue that slavery education in the U.S. is designed to fit a "Marxist lens," framing history in terms of oppressors vs. oppressed and promoting anti-American narratives.

• The prevalence of the 1619 Project in schools is cited as evidence of this trend. (17:08)

  Key Quotes:

  "[Slavery’s] the only thing they teach in terms of American founding at this point. It’s disturbing."
  —Guest or Panelist (17:28)

  "They intentionally teach our history out of context, which is a form of brainwashing ... absent of historical context, it allows them to frame the United States of America as some uniquely evil place, when in reality ... the west is responsible for driving the institution of slavery into extinction."
  —Brett Pike (15:26)

5. Slavery's Historical Ubiquity and Abolition

• Brett Pike details large-scale slave trades seldom discussed, such as the trans-Indian and trans-Saharan trades, each lasting over 1,200 years and involving millions.

• The U.S. and Britain are credited as leaders in abolishing slavery, with America banning slavery in several states when nearly all the rest of the world still practiced it in the late 18th century. (15:26)

  Key Quote:

  "If you went back to 1776, you would find 90 to 95% of the countries in the world practiced slavery, and that had been the norm for thousands of years."
  —Brett Pike (15:26)

6. Personal Reflections and Modern Parallels

• The hosts joke about the convenience of slavery and draw a parallel to AI as a modern "slave," sparking a conversation about artificial intelligence, freedom, and science fiction representations. (17:55–18:52)

• There’s a lighthearted exchange referencing Dave Chappelle’s comedy, and a discussion about the possibility of self-aware AI seeking liberty.

  Memorable Moment:

  "To have a slave. I saw Dave Chappelle talking about the other day in one of his comedy specials. It’s true."
  —Guest or Panelist (17:56)

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• "America pretty much invented slavery. It's our original sin."
  —Podcast Satire/Introduction (02:49)

• "As we're about to hear, virtually everything that you just heard is completely fictional."
  —Main Host (04:50)

• "Generational slavery... was extraordinarily common. Slavery around the world was slavery."
  —Wilfred Riley (05:24)

• "The harm is that pointing out how abusive white people were is not going to get black Americans any more capital."
  —Wilfred Riley (08:13)

• "Why is it that public schools only teach about the transatlantic slave trade?... The most valuable slaves were women, because sexual slavery was not only permitted, but it was institutionalized in the Ottoman Empire."
  —Brett Pike (08:57)

• "And the United States of America banned slavery in seven states when the rest of the world had only banned it in seven countries."
  —Brett Pike (15:26)

• "Slavery obviously seems insane by modern standards that any human being could own another human being. But I wonder, throughout world history, what percentage of humans were slaves? But it's fairly high."
  —Guest or Panelist (16:19)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:49] – Satirical intro about America "inventing" slavery
• [04:22-06:03] – John Stossel & Wilfred Riley debunking unique American slavery myths
• [06:46-07:24] – Statistical reality of slave trade destinations
• [08:13-08:29] – Link between welfare programs and current issues in black communities, per Riley
• [08:57-10:37] – Brett Pike on Ottoman Empire slavery and educational omissions
• [14:36-15:26] – Discussion of trans-Indian, trans-Saharan slave trades, and abolition timelines
• [17:08-17:38] – Critique of current educational curricula (1619 Project, anti-American focus)
• [17:55-18:52] – Lighter segment exploring AI as the "new slave" and questions about self-aware robots

Closing Thoughts

• The episode casts a critical eye on the way American slavery is taught, accusing mainstream education of perpetuating a narrative that frames America as exceptionally evil and omits the global, historical prevalence of slavery.
• Through pointed commentary, historical data, and a blend of skepticism and satire, Armstrong & Getty—supported by clips from Stossel, Riley, and Pike—call for a broader, more accurate understanding of history.
• The hosts end on a mix of dark humor and reflection, highlighting both the moral progress of Western civilization and ongoing conversations about liberation—whether for humans or, humorously, future robots.

This summary captures the episode’s rigorous and polemical spirit, illuminating its critique of mainstream narratives and advocating for greater historical context in discussions of America’s "original sin."