The Logistics of Reparations

[Rev. Rye]

[Drich]

[awty]

[Drich]

[HappySkeptic]

you wrongly assume whites are the only purest/racist people on the planet.

I won't comment on the rest of your post, but I agree with you here.

Every culture has racism.  Even minorities can be racist (though they don't have the power to give it any political importance).

Racism is something that humans do, probably as part of our tribal evolution.  But, we can train ourselves to notice when we are falling into racist patterns.  That doesn't mean we can't disagree with the ideas or viewpoints of another culture.  But, is our dislike of an idea rational or xenophobia (or both)?  It actually takes the activation of a few brain cells to be a decent human being.

[Rev. Rye]

he did repeal the 40 acres in union and reoffered it in south america, or a ride back to africa

it was not given up. for those who wanted to go/hated this country passage was provided and if you wanted your own land and a fresh start one could do so in a the 40 acres and a mule program. the reparations for those who wanted to stay was the right to stay. as many were inbred to the families they served. many of them were given lands to share crop.

you wrongly assume whites are the only purest/racist people on the planet. if you think whites are racist go to old korea. or japan or hell go to africa and not be black skinned. my point is not this was a valid solution, but what they were discussing in that day, and what's more the men and women who were actual slaves were over all happy with what they got. we got to remember different times different people

A: Which only proves my point that they were given bad terms that caused them to stay in America. You yourself stated that they stayed because their lives in America were all they knew. And once the choice went from "making a name for myself by running Massa's old land myself" to "abandon everything I know to possibly run a farm on another continent that the government may or may not actually let me have" (remember, they already changed the terms of the plan; who's to say they wouldn't do it again?) it only makes sense that far fewer would go along with it. It's not even a matter of whether they liked the conditions of slavery; it was a question of whether the devil you know is better than the devil you don't. 

B: The reason I said "given up" is that you argued, "Are you serious? reparations were paid" in response to Biker's question about the modern-day plan for reparations (which, in itself, is a strawman), heavily implying that because we tried that, there's no reason to try now.

C: No, I don't think white people are the only racist people on the planet. In fact, I specifically stated that I don't consider the prejudice plus power paradigm applies to individuals, and I remember you personally using the "I'm half-Korean, so by your rules, I can't be racist!" card in the past. And, frankly, the racism of Koreans or Africans is not the issue at hand in this thread: it's how we can address the systemic inequalities that have resulted from slavery.

[onlinebiker]

Holy shit..


This thread has gotten so wordy if somebody prints it out the resulting mass of paper will collapse under it's own weight forming into a black hole - sucking in the whole solar system and eventually the galaxy. Then the universe........


I feel bad about starting it now....

[The Grand Nudger]

There's no point in fact checking you after that abysmal performance, Drich.  Blaming lincoln for your own ignorant racism.

---

Annnnywho, to steer this out of klan territory and back into mere reality, reparations has nothing to do with racial guilt. It is the government acknowledging that the united states government failed and harmed an entire class of people, and the insistence that it do what it can to make this right. In case of slavery, to level the playing field....though, not really, more like slightly un-tilt it because that's the full extent of our practical ability until we invent time travel. It's not a giveaway based on slave or oppressor genes, and anyone who finds themselves thinking as much needs to seriously consider the kinds of places they've been getting their information.

[Fake Messiah]

Talking about reparations, can it be determined how many black people are descendants of slaves and how many are descended from people who came afterward, with their own free will?

I guess not many came afterward because there was segregation until a little over 50 years ago which didn't make the US very desirable for black people to come and live.

[Doug1943]

For the sake of argument, let's agree, for the moment, that American descendants of slaves should receive reparations.

The question then arises ... what form should these reparations take?  Just handing a big wad of money to someone is not necessarily in their best interests.

If we were talking about Chinese, or immigrants from the Indian sub-continent, we could be pretty sure that almost all of them would spend it wisely: starting or expanding a business, saving it, hiring another tutor for their children.

But would this be the case for the Black community?  Surely, some of them would use it wisely. But isn't it obvious that there are a significant number who would not? 

So, if there are going to be reparations, let them be like food stamps, which, in theory, can only be spent on food, not on drugs or alcohol.  (Note: the operative phrase there is "in theory".)

Here's how I think the reparations should be used: getting inner-city Blacks out of their terrible high crime environment, where the murder rate has shot up in the last two years, for some reason. 

So, let the money be used to build new high-rise apartments  -- like 'the Projects' in South Chicago -- but in safe areas, where they new inhabitants will be assured of a warm welcome (not among horrible racist XYZ-phobic Trumpsters!)

Identify the areas where 75% or more of the population voted for Joe Biden, and which have average family incomes of $100 000 or greater. (The American average is about $65 000). Areas like Marin County and other parts of the Bay Area, and similar places around the country. In other words, where well-off white liberals live.

Then buy up an acre or two of land there, demolish the homes on it (after compensating  the owners), and build the high-rise apartments, and move in several thousand Black people from areas like South Chicago.

The local police, in case they are harboring the same racist attitudes that inner-city police seem to develop, would need to be put on notice that they are not to harrass, arrest, or otherwise bother the new inhabitants. 

The local white population would be strongly encouraged to invite their new neighbors into their homes for a welcoming meal.   

This is surely the best way to spend reparations money!  I know that all white liberals and progressives would welcome this development!  (If they don't, they should check their privilege, or read Kendi X about liberal racism.)

Let's think outside of the box here!