Reparations from slavery?

i was watching the oreily factor, in between chris mathews' hardball...im much more aligned with mathews then with oreily...normally i cant stand the bastard...but he had some interesting comments on slave reparations....some that i actually agreed with, i tried to wash off the conservative right from body immediately after the program, but was left with the thoughts this morning...

so, i thought id bring it to the boards in a hope of stimulation....

the questions i aske myself are:

is this a pandoras box, with no end to the road...if reparations are paid, who will pay? the government? big business? the south? most likely the consumer and taxpayer, whom a significant majority of are black...so then is it a symbolic gesture? what about the fact that alot of slaves were actually captured by other african tribes?...do we then need to address other groups, although not nearly as heinous as slavery, but discrimnated against, such as the irish/japanese/italians, etc...

should we pay because what has happened has caused african american peope in this country hardship in the major areas of economics, politics and social injustices...do we owe a piece of american economic growth to african americans?....is this what a majority of african americans want?

some thoughts....lets see where this goes.....

you really know how to drop a bombshell topic at 9:30am. i may or may not be back later

i say we should just get over it . because if we gave reparation to every minority group that has experience hardships. we would be paying for years.

I believe a reaction should depend on what the African American community wants, although that is bound to change with time, so the answer will overwhelmingly depend on when you ask. I feel as though the government paying the reparations would be inappropriate because, like you said, much of the money would originally come from African Americans anyway. But such is the joy of any tax-based political system .... the radical redistribution of previously stolen goods - my favorite definition of 'politics.'

I too would like to read what other people have to say.

haha...seriously beardo, i havent even had my second cup of coffee bean elixer...i thought the same thing, dropping AM bombs...hopefully we will talk to you later....

just happened on this link.. what a coinkidink..

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,48781,00.html

CSX also issued a statement late Monday.

"The claimants named CSX because slave labor was used to construct portions of some U.S. rail lines under the political and legal system in place more than a century before CSX was formed in 1980. The lawsuit to be filed in federal court in New York City against CSX and other corporations demanding financial reparations is wholly without merit and should be dismissed," it said.

...interesting.....that is probably why oreily brought up the subject last night....

looks like this could get sticky.....

can companies that were operating as completely different entities over 150 years ago within federal law at the time be held accountable? how the hell do you even figure out restituion....

not a snowballs chance in hell theyd win that lawsuit. BUT you can bet that all those companies will make heafty donations in the near future.. somethin's shakin on shakedown street..

how about we can all sign the congressional "get over it" bill

it used to be the heart of town....

and i quote:

"Among the three already named, Hartford-based Aetna, at the prompting of Farmer-Paellmann, has admitted that it insured slaves for slave owners.

Two years ago, the company, which has given over $36 million to the black community and hosts an annual symposium on race at its corporate offices, apologized."

...and might i say its real easy to say get over it when your not the afflicted party....i dunno know how id feel if i was black...shit im white and im not sure how i feel...

Call me dumb, closed-minded, racist, whatever, but I honestly don't see how paying to repair what happened will solve anything. It happened, and it didn't happen to anyone currently alive, so they shouldn't see any of it. (Does that make sense?)

I'm just trying to say that the people who will recieve the reparation were not living back then to suffer through it, and although they may have had to suffer do to their color in their life, it is not because they were slaves...

I've come to the conclusion it is still too early to think and put words together properly, so hopefully they came off the way I wanted it too...

aaaaaand just because a company or whoever it may be is paying money to the "black community" does not mean that all the members of said community have ancestors directly related to them who were slaves.:confused:

ever stand outside a bar or club at like 230am, you and a few friends, one car, and everyone is trying to decide what to do, where to go...

another bar, that new club that just opened, swing by that girls dorm, go get some food, go get some drugs, go home and crash, go paint, go play some GTA3...

the problem with slave reparations is that there is never going to be a consensus, never going to be some group that isnt pissed the fuck off and feels cheated or betrayed. people are going to look for the answer that makes everyone happy, and that answer never exists. everyone has their own idea about whats fair and right.

and second, once that decision is made, implementing (aka: funding) that is a whole 'nother ball game.

im glad that it got brought up, mr. roe, that although the white man is traditionally demonized, the reality is quite different. not to let whitey off the hook, but read the chapter in howard zinn's book, and then we can talk.

ok, so me personally? toughie. i think the floodgates/pandoras box gets opened when you start making reperations. you better have one of those red-round-deli counter-take a number and wait for it to flash on the digital sign thingies in place. where does it start? where does it end? the easy example is the WTC victims. why them? what about WTC '93? or what about the US embassy bombing in africa? anyways... what would my answer be? ill have to get back after my second cup of the coffee bean elixer...

....yikes.

roe droppin' daisycutters>

a guess: reparations won't do much.

minorities such as the black community and aboriginal

community are still gonna be anchored in the bullshit

of the past. the only way to get past anything would

be to completely erase that past.

i don't know.

johnny albino.

Originally posted by mental invalid

...and might i say its real easy to say get over it when your not the afflicted party....i dunno know how id feel if i was black...shit im white and im not sure how i feel...

fuck i wanted to sign my last response:

dusty40acresandamulelipschitz

that woulda been witty...

First of all, the Japanese who were interned during WWII are or have been paid for all that. I know because my grandparents were there and they are or were paid. The first Bush did that. Not that that money in any way makes up for losing homes, lives, friends, families and all dignity in the world, but it was a move in the right direction. Second, I read a whole bunch of stuff about these slave reparations in USA Today, and whats happening is a group of lawyers is preparing to sue the major corporations involved in slavery, many of which still exist. Some of these companies were absorbed or taked over by newer names or have since changed their name, but people have been digging and they're doing their homework. USA Today listed a whole bunch of companies that were involved in all that and that was just the tip of the iceberg. I don't think the government or taxpayer will be affected by any of it. I guess the biggest question is whether or not some of these companies who have since changed their policies or no longer have any connection to what went on are still responsible. In my opinion something needs to be done. I think the idea of setting up funds and other programs is being kicked around, rather than just paying out money which might be a better idea, because there is also the question of who is actually directly affected by slavery being that not all African Americans have slave ancestry, and there are few records being able to tie them to it. And again, these corporations will be responsible financially for setting those things up. Anyways, so thats what I know about the topic. Oh, and just for the record, the team of lawyers is working pro bono, so its not about the money for them necessarily.

youre always witty dusty, even after the fact...

browner brings up a good point, and one i was going to drop just for fun to fuck with people as the thread developed more....but ill drop it now:

if we are entertaining ideas for lawsuits and federal action for the reparations of africans:

what ground does the leave us on when dealing with the native american indian?

like woah.....

Originally posted by mental invalid

...and might i say its real easy to say get over it when your not the afflicted party....i dunno know how id feel if i was black...shit im white and im not sure how i feel...

very true, its really hard to comment when your on this side of the fence. in certain situations i would love to see some reperations be made. for instance, black families who had land taken from them, i believe they are entitled to a certain amount of finacial reperation for that, its stolen and lost income as a direct result of the racial injustice that was going on in the late 1800s-early 1900's. even then though i think it all boils down to practicality and lets face it, its not practical....whos going pay? i would hope not the goverment. trying to hold companies responsible is also, in most cases, out of the question. i would vote for more indirect reperations, possibly redirecting some funding, say to inner city schools, youth programs, low income housing.....i would be happy to have my tax money go towards that, i think its more that well deserved, its well needed. i do however absoluty abhor the idea of my tax money going to someone just because they are black.....its as ridiculous as me having to pay just because im white.....its not that cut and dry and to do something like that would not only be unfair but it would also be a slap in the face to the black community.....just tossing around a couple of dollars, calling it even and brushing them under the carpet.....

"I don't think the government or taxpayer will be affected by any of it."

no but the taxpayer in the form of cosumer will still take it up the ass...if you hit big business they will have tog et the money somwhere...and thus again you have was poop man put so eloquently, "the radical redistribution of previously stolen goods"....african americans will have to pay the increase cost as a comsumer, not as a taxpayer....

as dusty said there is no right answer where everyone is gonna hold hands and prance around happyland....

I think my problem with all of this is that the companies around today are nut run by the same people as before... no one is around today who was DIRECTLY involved, therefore all this money or what-have-you is being given and taken and taken and given from people not directly responsible for the actions of those no longer around...

?

true. i don't think there are any old slavemasters hanging around anywhere... i say we put our time and effort into something important like taking care of the homeless, not some bullshit nobody can ever change.

like mental, brownie and i were sayong... where do you draw the line? when? with who?

i also was thinking along the lines of boogie. put the money back into communities, schools, acholarships, small/minority owned business' in the community. i think that idea is great, but unfortunatley a pipe dream. if we could get them (big business/the government) to do that already, to spend the money wisely and where it is needed and not into their already bulging pockets, things may not be in the situation they already are. i dont think cutting a check and just handing it out to blacks is the answer. i dont think anything positive or lasting would come of it.

ill aske the querry again:

where does this leave our agenda with native american indians...is there even an agenda on the table? have they ever even acquired reparations?

word.:idea:

native american indians have land, their own government (basically) and casino gaming, i havent heard of them asking for more.

that's right.:rolleyes:

if anything, reinstate slavery. not just for blacks but for anyone except for myself. piss me off, throw some chains on them, i got a fucking lemonade. its that easy.

it's a nice dream...

but it's goes against the "rich get richer, poor get poorer" policy the democratic republic has going for it.

I'd like believe that ever person alive now had ancient ancestors that were slaves for the Atlantians.

wowzers, this subject is mind boggling. i personally don't think reparations are in order whatsoever. based on the fact that, you can't decide who will pay it, and who will receive it. there are no african americans alive today that were subjected to the terrible life of slavery. they are all passed on., now it is only the descendants and other africans. are we supposed to only pay those people who are descended from actual slaves? and what if they are mixed (black and white) do they receive less reparations? and so on. i think everyone already agrees with that, and i also think that the gov. / tax payers should definitely not be held responsible to pay the benifites. in the case of law suits against specific companies who used slaves back, back in the day; i really doubt any of the people running them TODAY have any thing to do with the slavery of the past. it could be run by board of african trustees. i guess i'm just leaving more open ends then answering questions. slavery was a disgusting thing and it wasn't just one race, or company responsible. everthing has changed so much from then. maybe that is enuff reparations. not to mention affirmitive action.

-sorry it's 8:30 am where i live