Should we have reparations to black folk?

Just curious to what people think of this since this is a popular topic in left-leaning presidential candidates. I think reparations should have happened a long time ago. Black people did get screwed by slavery and jim crow laws. They had a significant disadvantage in creating wealth through generations. Whereas, white folk had no barriers and have created wealth through generations. Many white people are born poor today, but that does not discount the opportunities that black folk missed out on to create wealth. Therefor, that is what this term "white privilege" comes from. It's a subtle benefit that you may or may not receive by being born white. Generations of inequality has made black folks the turtle in the race. Lacking far behind white people.

Now, having said that, I don't think reparations should be enacted. Reparations will encourage further divide in the country and create a bizarre welfare system that has no meaning, other than fixing white guilt.

Not only will politicians have to find a right amount of reparations, but also try to pass them through congress. This could take years of debate and endless fighting. Furthermore, this does nothing but encourage the far-left to be even more extreme than they already are. This country needs stabilization. Not more hardcore left-wing politics that encourage years of fighting.

I have no doubt that black people got a sh!t card in this country, but trying to fix that card will only create more and more problems. One thing we don't need is another social issue to argue endlessly about. We need to focus on making America better.

Anyway, that's my rant. This is all opinion and don't take me too seriously. I'm not some professor lecturing at a university.

a reply to: blueman12

I think reparations should have happened a long time ago. Black people did get screwed by slavery and jim crow laws.

So in fairness to equality, does this extend to any other race?

Why?

No. The Red Americans should come first. They are the ones who got screwed over first.

no throwing money at the problem isn't going to fix the cultural issues keeping them in those positions

And while we are at it, the Catholics should start dolling out bucks to the million people that they tortured and murdered during the inquisition.

The only times people have been paid reparations, they were paid to those directly harmed - Germany to actual Holocaust survivors, the US to those directly harmed by Japanese interment.

To try to pay reparations to those harmed by slavery now would be an impossibly complicated task. Most blacks in the US are descended from blacks who were never slaves. Most whites are descended from those who came here after the Civil War.

Most southerners who lived in the South during the Civil War never owned slaves. Only a very, very small percentage of whites did own slaves, and there were even a few black slave owners. Slavery was outlawed in the Northern states within 15 years of the signing of the COTUS. Do you punish the descendants of those who lived in those states that did the right thing very early on after the founding?

What do you do with someone who is discovered to be a black descendant of slave owners. How about someone who is a white descendant of slaves? What about someone who is descendant of both slaver and enslaved? Do they pay themselves?

And all that leaves out the fact that there is no one alive today who was directly harmed by the nominal reason why we are paying people these reparations. No one today is being repaired for their slave status that they suffered.

Hell no. Life has always been about the strong conquering the weak, be that systemic weakness, the law of numbers, or technological advantages. It's simply the way things are and nonsense like reparations not only would open a Pandora's Box nobody is prepared to unleash, it effectively helps nothing... just turns one class of people into perpetual victims for the dollar values they receive in exchange for their willing victimhood.

a reply to: blueman12

All former slaves should get reparations.

a reply to: blueman12

My ancestor was brought to America as a slave.

He was an Irish Man. If they open pandora's box, they better be ready to pay everyone,
but no, it is too late. It probably should have been done, but that time is gone.

originally posted by: spiritualarchitect
No. The Red Americans should come first. They are the ones who got screwed over first.

We've got that covered sweety.

We have Casinos.

Yes, make the people pay for the crimes of their ancestors 5 generations ago...

Holy 💩 can we get over this 💩 already...

Wait, did we Mandela into the Dark Ages?

originally posted by: KKLOCO
Yes, make the people pay for the crimes of their ancestors 5 generations ago...

Holy 💩 can we get over this 💩 already...

Wait, did we Mandela into the Middle Ages.

See the new video game out called Outward? You start out the game owing a "Blood Debt" for things a member of your family had done. I had to chuckle to think that at one time in this world, there were tribes who most likely practiced that. To think something so brutal and unfair to had been practiced way back then, to only see it's ignorance rise again in a brite new shiny package called "Reparation".

History does repeat itself.

a reply to: blueman12

As has been explained time and time again, every race, every creed and colour of humanity has been enslaved. No I'm not excusing the way any colour has been treated, I'm not saying one deserved it more than the other or whatever way my comment will get twisted by some. Giving reparations to black people for something that most people living today hasn't had a hand in, wasn't a part of, didn't want and would be aghast at if it were happening today (which we are because it still does in most third world countries, black people selling black people, which is also how it started many moons ago for some areas) so no there should be no reparations.

In fact thinking about it, I would consider a lot of the programmes that are open to many non-white people could COULD be classed as reparations, help into colleges being an example. I'm not saying the idea of it is bad but when people start talking about reparations I get a little ticked off not because I think it's a bad idea but I think it is an idiotic idea. Also, fun fact as a Brit, during the time of the British Empire we were the first to ban slavery in most countries across the world. Slavery is rare nowadays but is prevalent in third world countries where sellers are almost always non-white people selling other non-white people.

Hopefully my comment is taken in the way it was meant and not as an attack on the OP or a racist diatribe against the idea of reparations.

Short version of the above: No. Most people alive didn't have a hand in it so no.

Compare the average net worth of Black Folk (your term) in America to the average net worth of Black people in Africa. In fact, go ahead and compare their total wealth. Would any Black person in America like to trade places? What Black people in America ought to do is say "Thank you very much that I don't have to live in that hell hole of a continent."

a reply to: blueman12

My ancestors fought a savage war to free the slaves. You're welcome. I don't know how many other countries fought wars for basic human rights for slaves, but I live in one, and I'm proud of my family's service. Come over if you want, I'll cook us some dinner.

I reckon any African Americans who feel they would have been better off in Africa should get a 1 time cash payout and a one way trip to the African nation of their choosing.

Upon landing they hand in their American passport, everyone shakes hands and happily goes on their merry way.

a reply to: JinMI

Well, the focus here is on black folk. Indians got reparations to some degrees right? I would think that black people are the second most hurt people by the U.S. The reason that reparations doesn't extend to other minorities is that their oppression is much smaller and reperations to black folk is already a massive undertaking if enacted. Even the far-left understands that you can't just ask reparations for everything including things like the Japanese during ww2.

Also, my family came here from Ireland in the 1890's so I'm not paying s****

a reply to: sine.nomine

An your ancestors most likely prospered while blacks were oppressed by laws AFTER slavery ended. I'm not suggesting your generation of ancestors are evil or anything either. But rather that black folk were oppressed through generations after slavery.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Except a lot of white slaves had the opportunity to free themselves. Most black slaves lived in generations of hopeless slavery.

I don't discount other races slavery in general, but there is a difference and saying that there was irish slaves does not cancel out black slavery, oppressive laws, and a total disregard for civil rights and policing equality.