US Considers Reparations For Slavery

[Andsed]

Another reason why this wouldn't work that you people ignore is that, surprisingly, slavery wasn't the only bad event that happened to a certain demographic. If we're giving reparations to slaves, why not also give reparations to every single demographic that's ever had something bad happen to them?

Why not indeed?

Because just giving out hand outs reparations for things that happened hundreds of years ago is pointless. I mean are we gonna fine Italy for the actions of the Romans. Not to mention all of these reparations are not going to help all that much. and a much better way to spend that money is improving conditions for poor people of all races

[The Grims]

Why ? Why should society not seize the money made by slavers, nazis,druglords etc etc but instead allow their families to benefit from their crimes ?

As people here said - those descendants could just get a job and earn money themselves instead of getting it for free

Let me guess, and then give it to the descendants of slaves?

Not necessarily. One could also use it to improve society as a whole.
But that is slightly less fair and balanced as Fox would say.

[Ifreann]

Why not indeed?

Because just giving out hand outs reparations for things that happened hundreds of years ago is pointless. I mean are we gonna fine Italy for the actions of the Romans.

The most common date given for the foundation of Rome is 753 BC. The Fall of Ravenna, which I understand to be the event which marks the end of the Western Roman Empire, happened in 476 AD, 1,228 years later, 1,543 years ago. The Eastern Roman Empire fell 977 years after that, 566 years ago. It's probably not possible to determine who would be owed reparations for the crimes of Rome. And the governments of modern Italy and Turkey cannot really be said to be successor states to Rome.

Racist slavery in the US was not quite so far in the past, and I think it is fair to say that the United States of America is a legitimate successor state to the United States of America.

Not to mention all of these reparations are not going to help all that much. and a much better way to spend that money is improving conditions for poor people of all races

If you were forced to labour without pay all your life I cannot imagine that you would be moved by any suggestion that the money you were owed could be better spent on social welfare than on being finally paid to you.

[Skarten]

Because just giving out hand outs reparations for things that happened hundreds of years ago is pointless. I mean are we gonna fine Italy for the actions of the Romans.

The most common date given for the foundation of Rome is 753 BC. The Fall of Ravenna, which I understand to be the event which marks the end of the Western Roman Empire, happened in 476 AD, 1,228 years later, 1,543 years ago. The Eastern Roman Empire fell 977 years after that, 566 years ago. It's probably not possible to determine who would be owed reparations for the crimes of Rome. And the governments of modern Italy and Turkey cannot really be said to be successor states to Rome.

Racist slavery in the US was not quite so far in the past, and I think it is fair to say that the United States of America is a legitimate successor state to the United States of America.

Not to mention all of these reparations are not going to help all that much. and a much better way to spend that money is improving conditions for poor people of all races

If you were forced to labour without pay all your life I cannot imagine that you would be moved by any suggestion that the money you were owed could be better spent on social welfare than on being finally paid to you.

It's been more than a century after slavery was abolished in the West. Get over it.

[Andsed]

Because just giving out hand outs reparations for things that happened hundreds of years ago is pointless. I mean are we gonna fine Italy for the actions of the Romans.

The most common date given for the foundation of Rome is 753 BC. The Fall of Ravenna, which I understand to be the event which marks the end of the Western Roman Empire, happened in 476 AD, 1,228 years later, 1,543 years ago. The Eastern Roman Empire fell 977 years after that, 566 years ago. It's probably not possible to determine who would be owed reparations for the crimes of Rome. And the governments of modern Italy and Turkey cannot really be said to be successor states to Rome.

Racist slavery in the US was not quite so far in the past, and I think it is fair to say that the United States of America is a legitimate successor state to the United States of America.

Not to mention all of these reparations are not going to help all that much. and a much better way to spend that money is improving conditions for poor people of all races

If you were forced to labour without pay all your life I cannot imagine that you would be moved by any suggestion that the money you were owed could be better spent on social welfare than on being finally paid to you.

Were not paying those slaves were paying their descendant who have done jack shit to earn that money instead of actually doing something to help improve conditions.

[The Xenopolis Confederation]

Another reason why this wouldn't work that you people ignore is that, surprisingly, slavery wasn't the only bad event that happened to a certain demographic. If we're giving reparations to slaves, why not also give reparations to every single demographic that's ever had something bad happen to them?

Why not indeed?

Because it's infeasible, invasive, it punishes people for the sins of their ancestors, and it begs the question of who gets to decide who's had something bad happen to them.

[Internationalist Bastard]

I get and enjoy this reference.

I'm surprised it took 17 pages to come up.

Right I thought for sure someone made it

[Ifreann]

The most common date given for the foundation of Rome is 753 BC. The Fall of Ravenna, which I understand to be the event which marks the end of the Western Roman Empire, happened in 476 AD, 1,228 years later, 1,543 years ago. The Eastern Roman Empire fell 977 years after that, 566 years ago. It's probably not possible to determine who would be owed reparations for the crimes of Rome. And the governments of modern Italy and Turkey cannot really be said to be successor states to Rome.

Racist slavery in the US was not quite so far in the past, and I think it is fair to say that the United States of America is a legitimate successor state to the United States of America.

If you were forced to labour without pay all your life I cannot imagine that you would be moved by any suggestion that the money you were owed could be better spent on social welfare than on being finally paid to you.

It's been more than a century after slavery was abolished in the West. Get over it.

Slavery's actually still legal in the US.

---

The most common date given for the foundation of Rome is 753 BC. The Fall of Ravenna, which I understand to be the event which marks the end of the Western Roman Empire, happened in 476 AD, 1,228 years later, 1,543 years ago. The Eastern Roman Empire fell 977 years after that, 566 years ago. It's probably not possible to determine who would be owed reparations for the crimes of Rome. And the governments of modern Italy and Turkey cannot really be said to be successor states to Rome.

Racist slavery in the US was not quite so far in the past, and I think it is fair to say that the United States of America is a legitimate successor state to the United States of America.

If you were forced to labour without pay all your life I cannot imagine that you would be moved by any suggestion that the money you were owed could be better spent on social welfare than on being finally paid to you.

Were not paying those slaves were paying their descendant who have done jack shit to earn that money

That's generally how inheritance works, yes.

instead of actually doing something to help improve conditions.

You keep acting like reparations and social welfare are mutually exclusive.

---

Why not indeed?

Because it's infeasible, invasive, it punishes people for the sins of their ancestors, and it begs the question of who gets to decide who's had something bad happen to them.

If someone robs a bank and gives you the money, it isn't a punishment for you to have to give the money back, is it?

[Internationalist Bastard]

It's been more than a century after slavery was abolished in the West. Get over it.

Slavery's actually still legal in the US.

---

Were not paying those slaves were paying their descendant who have done jack shit to earn that money

That's generally how inheritance works, yes.

instead of actually doing something to help improve conditions.

You keep acting like reparations and social welfare are mutually exclusive.

---

Because it's infeasible, invasive, it punishes people for the sins of their ancestors, and it begs the question of who gets to decide who's had something bad happen to them.

If someone robs a bank and gives you the money, it isn't a punishment for you to have to give the money back, is it?

Sure but if our great great grandfather robbed a bank and we don’t have the money am I supposed to pay for it?

[The Galactic Liberal Democracy]

If someone robs a bank and gives you the money, it isn't a punishment for you to have to give the money back, is it?

It is a punishment though. They are punishing you for having stolen money, but they just aren’t doing much more.

[The Xenopolis Confederation]

It's been more than a century after slavery was abolished in the West. Get over it.

Slavery's actually still legal in the US.

---

Were not paying those slaves were paying their descendant who have done jack shit to earn that money

That's generally how inheritance works, yes.

instead of actually doing something to help improve conditions.

You keep acting like reparations and social welfare are mutually exclusive.

---

Because it's infeasible, invasive, it punishes people for the sins of their ancestors, and it begs the question of who gets to decide who's had something bad happen to them.

If someone robs a bank and gives you the money, it isn't a punishment for you to have to give the money back, is it?

It is an unjust punishment if the bank was robbed by your great grandfather.

[Kowani]

Slavery's actually still legal in the US.

---

That's generally how inheritance works, yes.

You keep acting like reparations and social welfare are mutually exclusive.

---

If someone robs a bank and gives you the money, it isn't a punishment for you to have to give the money back, is it?

Sure but if our great great grandfather robbed a bank and we don’t have the money am I supposed to pay for it?

If there were reparations, it’d be through taxes, not the government coming down and rifling through your wallet.

[Holy Tedalonia]

Sure but if our great great grandfather robbed a bank and we don’t have the money am I supposed to pay for it?

If there were reparations, it’d be through taxes, not the government coming down and rifling through your wallet.

AFTER it goes through all those years of inheritance tax. By going with the inheritance logic.

[Ifreann]

Slavery's actually still legal in the US.

---

That's generally how inheritance works, yes.

You keep acting like reparations and social welfare are mutually exclusive.

---

If someone robs a bank and gives you the money, it isn't a punishment for you to have to give the money back, is it?

Sure but if our great great grandfather robbed a bank and we don’t have the money am I supposed to pay for it?

If you can't pay then I think it's safe to say that you can't pay.

---

If someone robs a bank and gives you the money, it isn't a punishment for you to have to give the money back, is it?

It is a punishment though. They are punishing you for having stolen money, but they just aren’t doing much more.

But I didn't steal money. Someone else stole money and gave it to me. I was totally uninvolved with the crime.

[Holy Tedalonia]

It is a punishment though. They are punishing you for having stolen money, but they just aren’t doing much more.

But I didn't steal money. Someone else stole money and gave it to me. I was totally uninvolved with the crime.

Aye, but the police can take it from you citing it as crime evidence. So there’s no point in keeping it unless you want to risk them thinking you were involved.

[Ifreann]

If there were reparations, it’d be through taxes, not the government coming down and rifling through your wallet.

AFTER it goes through all those years of inheritance tax. By going with the inheritance logic.

That's one of those temporarily embarrassed millionaire things, isn't it? Caring about inheritance taxes? Because, as I understand it, it's only something that applies to the estates of the very rich, but they complain so loudly about the awful unfairness of it that they've convinced people who will never pay it that it's a serious problem.

---

Slavery's actually still legal in the US.

---

That's generally how inheritance works, yes.

You keep acting like reparations and social welfare are mutually exclusive.

---

If someone robs a bank and gives you the money, it isn't a punishment for you to have to give the money back, is it?

It is an unjust punishment if the bank was robbed by your great grandfather.

So I should get to keep money that someone else stole and gave to me? Awesome. Now I just need to hire someone to rob a bank for me.

[Holy Tedalonia]

AFTER it goes through all those years of inheritance tax. By going with the inheritance logic.

That's one of those temporarily embarrassed millionaire things, isn't it? Caring about inheritance taxes? Because, as I understand it, it's only something that applies to the estates of the very rich, but they complain so loudly about the awful unfairness of it that they've convinced people who will never pay it that it's a serious problem.

Fair enough.

Even if that was the case, if it was inheritance then the money will be split among the descendants, making a meager $50 dollars or so even smaller. Furthermore for those who have ancestry that people had difficulty tracking, it could lead to many folk unpaid.

[Ifreann]

But I didn't steal money. Someone else stole money and gave it to me. I was totally uninvolved with the crime.

Aye, but...

It's just an analogy, don't get bogged down in unrelated details.

[Internationalist Bastard]

Sure but if our great great grandfather robbed a bank and we don’t have the money am I supposed to pay for it?

If there were reparations, it’d be through taxes, not the government coming down and rifling through your wallet.

Which brings up another point
I’m a first generation American. My ancestors didn’t own slaves, why am I getting taxed for it?

[Ifreann]

That's one of those temporarily embarrassed millionaire things, isn't it? Caring about inheritance taxes? Because, as I understand it, it's only something that applies to the estates of the very rich, but they complain so loudly about the awful unfairness of it that they've convinced people who will never pay it that it's a serious problem.

Fair enough.

Even if that was the case, if it was inheritance then the money will be split among the descendants, making a meager $50 dollars or so even smaller.

I'm really just using inheritance to help you all understand how people today can be suffering from slavery even though they personally were not enslaved, and likewise how people today can be benefiting from slavery without personally having owned slaves. That doesn't mean that reparations would necessarily be doled out on those terms.

Furthermore for those who have ancestry that people had difficulty tracking, it could lead to many folk unpaid.

I guess we'll just have to err on the side of generosity, then.

---

If there were reparations, it’d be through taxes, not the government coming down and rifling through your wallet.

Which brings up another point
I’m a first generation American. My ancestors didn’t own slaves, why am I getting taxed for it?

Supposing that was how it worked, it would be the same reason that you are getting taxed for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars even though you didn't start either of them.

[Skarten]

Fair enough.

Even if that was the case, if it was inheritance then the money will be split among the descendants, making a meager $50 dollars or so even smaller.

I'm really just using inheritance to help you all understand how people today can be suffering from slavery even though they personally were not enslaved, and likewise how people today can be benefiting from slavery without personally having owned slaves. That doesn't mean that reparations would necessarily be doled out on those terms.

Furthermore for those who have ancestry that people had difficulty tracking, it could lead to many folk unpaid.

I guess we'll just have to err on the side of generosity, then.

---

Which brings up another point
I’m a first generation American. My ancestors didn’t own slaves, why am I getting taxed for it?

Supposing that was how it worked, it would be the same reason that you are getting taxed for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars even though you didn't start either of them.

Tell me one way in which people are still suffering because of slavery even though they haven't been enslaved. Let me guess, it's because they're poor, and since their great great grandparents were enslaved is a valid excuse to doing nothing.

[Holy Tedalonia]

Fair enough.

Even if that was the case, if it was inheritance then the money will be split among the descendants, making a meager $50 dollars or so even smaller.

I'm really just using inheritance to help you all understand how people today can be suffering from slavery even though they personally were not enslaved, and likewise how people today can be benefiting from slavery without personally having owned slaves. That doesn't mean that reparations would necessarily be doled out on those terms.

Yeah, it was a bad comparison. The thing is this is what welfare is for, to provide for the less fortunate. Making those who had fortunes and benefits in the past, have not so much as a advantage in life.

Furthermore for those who have ancestry that people had difficulty tracking, it could lead to many folk unpaid.

I guess we'll just have to err on the side of generosity, then.

So your suggestion is to give money to a entire race of people. How well do you think its going to go over with other races? Black folk have come a long way to equality, but when they get this reparations, will it be equal still? Do you think Mexicans and Asians are going to smile upon the black mans new fortunes? Not really, more like their going to gun for reparations too.

Which brings up another point
I’m a first generation American. My ancestors didn’t own slaves, why am I getting taxed for it?

Supposing that was how it worked, it would be the same reason that you are getting taxed for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars even though you didn't start either of them.

We pay the military for our protection, but sometimes the military does things that are more then protection. What do we pay reparations for?

[Ifreann]

I'm really just using inheritance to help you all understand how people today can be suffering from slavery even though they personally were not enslaved, and likewise how people today can be benefiting from slavery without personally having owned slaves. That doesn't mean that reparations would necessarily be doled out on those terms.

I guess we'll just have to err on the side of generosity, then.

---

Supposing that was how it worked, it would be the same reason that you are getting taxed for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars even though you didn't start either of them.

Tell me one way in which people are still suffering because of slavery even though they haven't been enslaved.

It's perfectly simple. Slaves worked their whole lives and, through no fault of their own, had no inheritance to give their children. Those children, therefore, started their lives with approximately nothing, and would have been lucky to come to the end of their lives with much of an inheritance to give their children. And so on in that fashion until today. And this all compounds when you realise that the first generation of blacks born after the abolition of slavery were not born into a perfectly egalitarian post-racial society. Other racist policies kept them from accruing wealth.

[Internationalist Bastard]

Fair enough.

Even if that was the case, if it was inheritance then the money will be split among the descendants, making a meager $50 dollars or so even smaller.

I'm really just using inheritance to help you all understand how people today can be suffering from slavery even though they personally were not enslaved, and likewise how people today can be benefiting from slavery without personally having owned slaves. That doesn't mean that reparations would necessarily be doled out on those terms.

Furthermore for those who have ancestry that people had difficulty tracking, it could lead to many folk unpaid.

I guess we'll just have to err on the side of generosity, then.

---

Which brings up another point
I’m a first generation American. My ancestors didn’t own slaves, why am I getting taxed for it?

Supposing that was how it worked, it would be the same reason that you are getting taxed for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars even though you didn't start either of them.

Ah so I’m paying for these things in the same way I paid for those two wars of imperialism I shouldn’t have paid for

[Wunderstrafanstalt]

Normal innocent white kid: *exist*
US govt: "Y'great grand papa enslaved people. GIMMA Y'MONEY!"

In all seriousness don't they consider random drift?

Also if the govt really need money for the betterment of the black poor by making the privileged pay their fair share, we have an efficient, fair, sweeping, and effective way to do just that. I introduce you to this new revolutionary concept of "raising taxes".