The Logistics of Reparations

[The Grand Nudger]

No matter what the number that any hypothetical reparations may be, it will be limited by our government's ability to pay. I'm sure that it would disappoint many people and fall wildly short of what may be required - not unlike our recent covid stimulus.

That's just the reality of the logistics of reparations, or anything else that our government does. Even in the deficit spending model numbers are based on expectations of future ability to repay. That may be why real and tangible assets rather than liquid currency is the way to go. 40 acres wasn't worth much back in the day, as a reference.

[Rev. Rye]

No matter what the number that any hypothetical reparations may be, it will be limited by our government's ability to pay.  I'm sure that it would  disappoint many people and fall wildly short of what may be required -  not unlike our recent covid stimulus.

That's just the reality of the logistics of reparations, or anything else that our government does.  Even in the deficit spending model numbers are based on expectations of future ability to repay.  That may be why real and tangible assets rather than liquid currency is the way to go.  40 acres wasn't worth much back in the day, as a reference.

And naturally, with that in mind, then we figure out how to optimize the impact of the amount we do pay.

[onlinebiker]

I would have preferred they did not do it. I said so at the time if you recall. I also thought it was a boneheaded idea when Bush Jr did the same thing.

You keep playing this stupid game of either/or. "If you don't agree with what we cooked up - you must be ___________ (fill in blank with appropriate snide remark)

All at the same time that you skipped over any question I raised about eligibility or responsibility.

Yes, you preferred they not send you the money, but you kept it all the same. You seem ok with deficit spending as long as it benefits you personally, not so much when it benefits other people.

I did indeed skip over eligibility (your government bears responsibility, I’m pretty sure I said that).

As to who is eligible, how about every black citizen of the US?

Boru

And how are you going to say who is black?

...

And black people who emigrated after emancipation?

They are eligible?


How are you going to tell ? DNA testing? (And what is "too white to qualify"?)



You seem to want to put a whole bunch of people in one pigeon hole - and yet you call ME a racist?

Exactly how does THAT work?

[The Grand Nudger]

It works in the usual way. You say racist shit, people note that you say racist shit, and then you ask what's racist about saying racist shit.

Glad to clear that up for you, as always.

With regards to how we optimize the impact of any program, reparations or not, payments or some other thing, the answer is similar Rev. In the usual way. Long and tedious studies of fact based observations. Our government has some experience in this area, and an army of people employed in carrying out those deliberations. Not only that, we have data on programs employed in the past that have produced the effects intended for african american communities - even though they were historically excluded from them. It will be politically difficult, but it's not a mystery from the point of process or policy. The same types of programs that have historically benefited white™ americans will also benefit black™ americans...both are, after all, americans. We're not discussing the care and feeding of an alien species.

The presumed difficulty is, imo, a political trap meant to exhaust any effort before it's begun as an unsolvable bureaucratic morass. Just ask OLB, lol.

[Rev. Rye]

So, I guess the road to reparations is going to be a bit longer and maybe a bit less lucrative than a lot of people might like. But, if we can pull it off in a way that actually helps put black people on an even economic keel with white people, it should at least be worth it to try and pull it off.

[The Grand Nudger]

We might find, along the way, that we should have been doing these things for everyone all along. Even the poor downtrodden white™ man. Beset on all sides, as he is, by an army of looting blacks and browns out to get his 30$ and all those back issues of Field and Stream.

A dive into specific programs or sorts of programs that have been shown to work would probably be fun, but I doubt that another one of OLBs racist shit-posting threads is the proper venue for that.

[The Architect Of Fate]

And how are you going to say who is black?

The fact they are black 

And black people who emigrated after emancipation?

Obviously no 

They are eligible?

No

How are you going to tell ? DNA testing? (And what is "too white to qualify"?)

Are you for real?

You seem to want to put a whole bunch of people in one pigeon hole - and yet you call ME a racist?

Accept he didn't 

Exactly how does THAT work?

Because you say racist shit

---

So, I guess the road to reparations is going to be a bit longer and maybe a bit less lucrative than a lot of people might like. But, if we can pull it off in a way that actually helps put black people on an even economic keel with white people, it should at least be worth it to try and pull it off.

But here's the thing it doesn't have to be monetary

[onlinebiker]

So, I guess the road to reparations is going to be a bit longer and maybe a bit less lucrative than a lot of people might like. But, if we can pull it off in a way that actually helps put black people on an even economic keel with white people, it should at least be worth it to try and pull it off.

So you want to draw lines and monetarilly reward one group based on how people look. You do after all define these groups by color.

Isn't defining people by the color of their skin a definition of racism?

[The Architect Of Fate]

So you want to draw lines and monetarilly reward one group based on how people look. You do after all define these groups by color.

Isn't defining people by the color of their skin a definition of racism?

HOW THE HELL CAN YOU BE THIS DENSE!!!

[The Grand Nudger]

Are you under the impression that being white or black has ever been about anything more than how people look, OLB? Honestly, it's not always been about even that much. Dark skinned brown eyed italians were black, but red headed blue eyed irishmen weren't white. Now they're both white. Such is the fiction of a white race. The thing that has you so very economically anxious and concerned about racism has never been anything more or less than an obsession with a fantasy of race.

The notion that we would even have to have a commission to determine who is and who aint black, or black enough, and by what metric...to effect meaningful reparations for slavery and our continued systemic issues is, itself, a fantasy. Any hypothetical funds could simply be directed towards programs that produce the intended effects in marginalized communities. No Race Panel required.

As ever, glad to clear things up for you.