Whether they would do "any good" is a totally separate issue. Take reparations out of it for a minute, if you provided everyone with 50K to apply to either higher education or home down payment, would it help? I'm not clear it would. In fact, it might just have more people either go to college who shouldn't be there, or buy homes they can't afford to keep up. - - - Updated - - - I would say they both exist in the real world. I'm sure there are plenty of American lefty types on this forum who could sing you their song of guilt and privilege. As could Black Americans explain their resentments. It's real.
It would help some people, others not so much. I remember a story about a homeless man who was given like 20,000 dollars or some large amount of money. He did good for a little while, but then fell back into his old ways and lost everything and went back to being homeless in like 6 months' time. Drug addicts and other such people would not be helped. They would blow it all on drugs and frivolous things. I've also heard of people who won big on lotteries and blew it all and were left with not much to show for it, so it definitely depends on the person.
People will always break up into smaller collectives. It is just a natural aspect of social life. People can live peacefully side by side, but a large "wehood" is very hard to achieve. Leadership is often the problem, if they are not forcing people apart they are forcing them into artifical "wehoods".
What people say they do and what they actually do often do not correspond. Most of the people tend to conform to current norms and conventional narratives. I do not think anyone is actually feeling guilt for being white.
That depends on a whole lot of things and certainly not just leadership unless you are suggesting we are all just a bunch of sheep with no thoughts of our own.
There is this study from the 1930's (Keep in mind this was during the era of "evil, racist America") where an American sociologist/cultural anthropologist whatever he was, travelled America with a Chinese immigrant couple and visited different hotels and restaurants. Only one hotel denied them entrence. When the researcher sent forms to the hotels and restaurants he had visited with the Chinese couple asking if they would ever allow Asian customers they all replied with a no. Conclusion Leadership=evil Capitalism=good
Any black who was held as a slave here in the US may seek reparations from the people that held him. The rest just want another handout.
Should blacks with slave ancestors be required to pay the families of those have ancestors who died fighting for the North in the Civil War? I have yet to read ONE black person expressing any appreciation for those who died to end slavery. But, then, no good deed goes unpunished.
The descendants of the 360,000 Yankees who were killed during the American Civil War should receive reparation payments from every black American who had ancestors who were slaves. I would likely not see one penny from these reparations because my great grandfathers cousin was an officer in the Yankee's cavalry and survived the war.
Interesting. I am not in agreement with reparations for anyone though, unless it was a recent event and the perpetrators are still alive and well maybe.
If reparations are to be paid for the slavery of ones ancestors why should it be limited to black people?
I am against reparations, as noted in my post that you quoted. I don't think anyone should get reparations for something that happened 100+ years ago.
Oh, well, it's hard to tell on the internet sometimes. - - - Updated - - - Also, you didn't vote in the poll, so I wouldn't have a way of knowing that.
Thanks for your vote! So we have one person so far who has voted for reparations, yet no explanation offered.
Why don't you make an argument for reparations? That is what the thread is all about, and you did vote in favor of them. Defend your position.
Is anybody prominent and credible still seriously arguing for this? I don't know of any, white OR black.
I am of the other (please explain) side of the fence. Generally speaking, I don't believe in them - they are not only an injustice but also a mean to continue and exploit them since we're paying for it - so it effectively dampens the collective conscience. Where I am for them is when the said person is still living, as it takes an appearance of justice.
I actually wanted to vote yes only because I love the way you wrote that one in; "Yes hooray for reparations!" Sounds so sarcastic. Anyways, in Randian thiught the person who voted yes is a parasite.
