A recent article in The Atlantic The Case for Reparations The odd thing is, it's really NOT making the case for reparations, merely detailing housing and mortgage discrimination in the 20th Century. Although I think there may in fact be a case for reparations, this article doesn't seem to make it, but an interesting read in any case. I think the real purpose of this article is to help drum up black voter turnout for 2014.
Well I think a moral case could be made. I'm less sure on a legal case. As a history, the article is extremely well done, but has what to do with reparations exactly? My gut feeling is that this is a well researched piece that Coates had been working on for a while, and the editors decided to run with the title and the tacked on conclusion about reparations. My guess is it’s after a call from either the White House, DNC, or whoever is planning election strategy for Democrats for this year. In case there was any doubt, in the same way that the Democratic strategy for the 2012 election was the “Republican War on Women,” 2014 will be the year of the “Republican War on Blacks.” In order to generate African American turnout.
There is no case for reparations. There is no legitimate reason to loot the living for the deeds of the dead on account of shared skin color, and give the money to people who suffered no personal harm. There is also no excuse to demand money from whites whose ancestors did not own slaves and give it to blacks whose ancestors were free blacks that did own slaves. Today's word is SHAKEDOWN. - - - Updated - - - Reparations for who? The slaves are dead and so are their masters. - - - Updated - - - Reparations for who? The slaves are dead and so are their masters.
The British government recently agreed to pay reparations for Mau Mau torture victims, who will receive payouts totalling £20m, but the Atlantic slave trade is too ancient and direct victims are no longer alive. Pressure groups representing former Korean comfort women are also demanding reparations on human rights grounds but there is a treaty between Japan and South Korea, under which the two countries agreed to avoid raising issues related to Korea's colonial era in exchange for economic aid. It's estimated that there are still around 330,000 Korean comfort women serving the US military and sex tourists in South Korea and South Korea's sex industry accounts for 4% of GDP. The comfort system in the pre-war era was built upon the existing sex industry in Korea and the “kisaeng,” or female prostitutes, traditioanally performed all kinds of services for the ruling elites since the mediaeval era.
If you as an individual can show that some other individual has done injury to you, I have no issue with you seeking reparations. But that's not what this is. They want to claim injury perpetrated against African-Americans collectively, and put the bill at the feet of taxpayers, most of whom have absolutely nothing to do with the injury whatsoever. The injury must be specific, the injured party must be specific, and the defendants must be specific. Simply using it as an excuse to give out welfare disgusts me.
karma will catch up on the slave master, jus sayin. - - - Updated - - - the german taxpayers paid up to the jewish holocaust institution even though they had nothing to do with it, jus sayin, that a precedent has already been set, years ago.
I disagree. I'd be shocked if any major political party made reparations a plank in their policy platform. It makes for an interesting historical discussion only because of the unfulfilled promise of forty acres and a mule for all freed slaves.
Well I don't really know what else to do with your comment. I mean, Karma is a ridiculous superstition on the first place so there is no such thing as Karma. Maybe your point was strictly religious and had nothing to do with the real world.
Karma means, that anybody who does something evil will eventually pay the price. I believe that nations have karma also but this is my personal opinion. You clearly feel that evil and wicked nations are cool, do you like heavy metal by any chance and all that satan worshipping stuff they sing about?
OK, so you expressed a religious/superstitious point about Karma. So I was correct. Please explain how from my comments in this thread, or any other thread for that matter, I feel that evil or wicked nations are "cool?" And no, I don't listen to heavy metal. I'm into heavy parody music.
If African Americans believe they should get reperation then I, as a white male, believe I should get reperations because 2.1 million mostly white men fought for the union to free the slaves. Thank You, Ryobi
Have you guys come up with a dollar figure yet for the reperations I'm owed for the mostly white men who fought during the civil war to free African Americans from slavery... If you guys could give me a dollar amount ASAP I would appreciate it, so I can calculate it into my finances. Thank You, Ryobi
Weren't they also fighting against other white men. Also so stopping a wrong is not compensation for the 200 yrs of wrong doing that was done. It doesn't have to come in the form of paper dollars.
The 200 years of wrongdoing was done to people who are all dead now. How do you figure that Blacks today are due any money/property/whatever that was earned by their suffering? As a side note, most people in the US who call themselves 'Black' are in fact mixed with Caucasoid/Asian/Amerind/Arab blood. Should they then pay reparations to themselves? What about the Blacks that originally enslaved their ancestors and sold them? Don't you think they should kick in some? How much and how will we make them pay? As long as they get off scot free I feel I should be given a bye too; my ancestors owned no Black slaves. What alternative form would you suggest?
its called paying your dues, you dont want to, nobody is forcing you, thats your decision and your decision alone and you will be judged eventually anyway, no biggie.
Why should the families that did not come to America until after slavery have to pay? Also what of the millions of mixed race families in America do they pay themselves? Just wondering about the logic used and how it would work.