Should the US pay reparations for slavery?

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Isn’t that fooling people then? Which mind you, I think it’s unfair. Wouldn’t it be better to truthfully reveal the intention instead of obfuscating it all behind slavery? That would be more honest, IMO, and may garner him more sympathy.

Well assuming that there is a significant pro slavery repatriations movement (I would need more data on this) being a bit dishonest to quiet them at the same time doing good is something I would be willing to do.
Politics IS dishonesty unfortunately in this post truth, post modern world we live in.
But you play the cards you are dealt, not those you wish you had.

So what’s been counted upon is for that percentage to blindly go for it? Because it’s perceived to be for a greater good?

[Trollgaard]

No, the last last slave would have died at least half a century ago, if not more. Slavery sucked but there's no need for reparations now. A hundred years ago there would be a good argument for it.

[The Great-German Empire]

On the little debate on whether to call anti-outsourcing legislation and policies "reparations" as Novus said, I don't think that's a good political soundbyte at all. Over half the country opposes the label's connotations: All republicans and I would imagine a substantial majority of in-between independents.

[Novus America]

Well assuming that there is a significant pro slavery repatriations movement (I would need more data on this) being a bit dishonest to quiet them at the same time doing good is something I would be willing to do.
Politics IS dishonesty unfortunately in this post truth, post modern world we live in.
But you play the cards you are dealt, not those you wish you had.

So what’s been counted upon is for that percentage to blindly go for it? Because it’s perceived to be for a greater good?

Well really most people blindly go for stuff like that. See any recent election.

If enough people want something you have to give them something.
But they generally do not understand the details, and you can use that.

[Franchestolia]

No, tell the slaves to start working before I whip 'em

(Note: this is obviously a joke but some people can't understand the concept of a joke so I have to put this here).

[First American Empire]

We should have done so when there were former slaves to give reparations to, but right now the only people we should give reparations for slavery to are the few remaining immediate children of former slaves. (The US government is currently still paying a civil war pension for a child of a civil war veteran, so there should be a few living people who's parents were enslaved.)

That being said, we should also give reparations to the victims of segregation, there are enough of them still around for it to matter.

[Mystic Warriors]

We should have done so when there were former slaves to give reparations to, but right now the only people we should give reparations for slavery to are the few remaining immediate children of former slaves. (The US government is currently still paying a civil war pension for a child of a civil war veteran, so there should be a few living people who's parents were enslaved.)

That being said, we should also give reparations to the victims of segregation, there are enough of them still around for it to matter.

I have a slave in my family history. GIMME MONEY

[Estanglia]

For slavery? No. All the victims are dead, and so are all the perpetrators. You'd be taking money from people who did not own slaves to give to people who weren't slaves.

[Western Vale Confederacy]

No, the last last slave would have died at least half a century ago, if not more. Slavery sucked but there's no need for reparations now. A hundred years ago there would be a good argument for it.

The last African-American person to have been a slave in his lifetime (modern slavery not included) died in 1935.

Frankly, the whole idea of reparations is total worthless honk.

[Gun Manufacturers]

Both sides of my family immigrated to the US AFTER slavery was abolished, therefore I don't see how I would owe reparations for slavery.

[Otira]

no

[The Huskar Social Union]

No, its been way too long and people today should not have to pay for something they didnt do to the descendants of people they didnt own. It was a fucking horrible thing to do to people, everyone other than a bunch of racist clampets knows this, and its been recognised as a shitty thing that was done.

The recognition and acknowledgement of past wrongs i think is far more important than people who were not slave owners giving money to people who are not slaves because their ancestors were. It would amount to nothing but sowing division amongst people.

[LiberNovusAmericae]

We should have done so when there were former slaves to give reparations to, but right now the only people we should give reparations for slavery to are the few remaining immediate children of former slaves. (The US government is currently still paying a civil war pension for a child of a civil war veteran, so there should be a few living people who's parents were enslaved.)

That being said, we should also give reparations to the victims of segregation, there are enough of them still around for it to matter.

I ain't paying for an institution that my family had no part in.

[Ifreann]

Iffy subject. Slavery is a black mark in many a country’s history. It was bad. It happened. It’s acknowledged. I, however, am a taxpayer who never owned slaves. I don’t think I should pay reparations for something I had no part in.

Who dares summon me?!

[Duhon]

No.

/thread

[Ifreann]

Anyway, the US should pay reparations for these reparations threads.

[Ebrilond]

It's a stupid question in the first place. Why pay for something which is gone for a long time ago?

[Ifreann]

It's a stupid question in the first place. Why pay for something which is gone for a long time ago?

Slavery is still legal in the US.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Iffy subject. Slavery is a black mark in many a country’s history. It was bad. It happened. It’s acknowledged. I, however, am a taxpayer who never owned slaves. I don’t think I should pay reparations for something I had no part in.

Who dares summon me?!

Go back to your lamp. It was a miss dial.

[US-SSR]

Given that the current power and prosperity of the US is founded on setting enslaved Africans to work on land taken from natives, no amount of money can properly compensate their descendants. I favor the reparations solution proposed by Ta-Nehisi Coates: every descendant of an enslaved African (or Native American for that matter) is automatically registered to vote at age 18, no paperwork or red tape required, and their votes all count for 5/3 of a vote.

In addition, public schools in the US should be required to teach about US history so that their graduates understand the implications of slavery, Jim Crow, segregation, injustice and institutional racism. "(White) brother fought against (white) brother but hooray! the slaves were freed and everything is OK now because Martin Luther King" is no longer good enough.

[Myrensis]

I hate to break it to you guys, but there's a whole lot of shit you pay for as a taxpayer that has absolutely nothing to do with you or what your ancestors did or didn't do.

It's not my fault a tornado hit some shmuck's house in Oklahoma, yet the government goes ahead and puts a gun to my head and steals my money for so called "disaster relief" anyway, so infuriating.

[Novus America]

Given that the current power and prosperity of the US is founded on setting enslaved Africans to work on land taken from natives, no amount of money can properly compensate their descendants. I favor the reparations solution proposed by Ta-Nehisi Coates: every descendant of an enslaved African (or Native American for that matter) is automatically registered to vote at age 18, no paperwork or red tape required, and their votes all count for 5/3 of a vote.

So we address the problems of racism and making one race a privileged class over others, by doing the same thing?
Yeah, I am sure that would work so well...

And actually the current wealth of the US was built on manufacturing, not export of cash crops to pay for imports of manufactured goods. A bad economic model that caused the South to be less wealthy than the north.

US wealth was built on the American School of Economics, protectionism and government infrastructure investments. Both things the South and CSA adamantly opposed.

[Ifreann]

Who dares summon me?!

Go back to your lamp. It was a miss dial.

You owe me reparations for this.

[Estanglia]

Given that the current power and prosperity of the US is founded on setting enslaved Africans to work on land taken from natives, no amount of money can properly compensate their descendants. I favor the reparations solution proposed by Ta-Nehisi Coates: every descendant of an enslaved African (or Native American for that matter) is automatically registered to vote at age 18, no paperwork or red tape required, and their votes all count for 5/3 of a vote.

Because that won't inflame racial tensions at all.

It's also mildly hypocritical that your solution to situations where one race was elevated over another is to elevate races over others.

Also, do you plan on keeping this forever or just for however long the US has existed? Because if it is the former, I can see that backfiring heavily (and for the latter too, just at a lesser extent).

[US-SSR]

Given that the current power and prosperity of the US is founded on setting enslaved Africans to work on land taken from natives, no amount of money can properly compensate their descendants. I favor the reparations solution proposed by Ta-Nehisi Coates: every descendant of an enslaved African (or Native American for that matter) is automatically registered to vote at age 18, no paperwork or red tape required, and their votes all count for 5/3 of a vote.

Because that won't inflame racial tensions at all.

It's also mildly hypocritical that your solution to situations where one race was elevated over another is to elevate races over others.

Also, do you plan on keeping this forever or just for however long the US has existed? Because if it is the former, I can see that backfiring heavily (and for the latter too, just at a lesser extent).

That would be called "reparations." And it would arguably do more to push politicians to value the concerns of those whose votes counted for more than one vote than to inflame any tensions. Personally I'd keep it until the proportion of descendants of enslaved Africans in elected office matched their proportion of the population.