The movement against modern policing has renewed the call for reparations to descendants of slaves.
Reparations? How Can You Justify That?
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication and WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a contributor to Centerclip and co-host of "The Final Countdown" talk show on Radio Sputnik. He is a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "2024: Revisited."
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Apologies OK, if with utter reluctance – but reparations, Ted ? Never, never – spend that money on the military instead, where it does so much good for all !…
Henri
This will be unpopular, but I disagree with this, in part due to its Identity Politics divisiveness.
How will the reparations (we’ll come to what in a moment) be determined? What group will sit down to perform this task? You know you’ll never get consensus.
Second, what? What form will the reparations take? Cash? Property? Land? A monthly payment? Credit vouchers for school and childcare? Again, consensus will not be possible.
Third, who? Who gets the reparations? What of the black people who cannot prove black ancestors who were slaves? Will there be a sliding scale? How can any of the necessary details be calculated?
The idea that black people have been systematically screwed over is undeniable. And the same can be said of the native Americans, the gays, the women, and pretty much all of the 99% over the past 50 years. (The little box in the drawing is one small example: “couldn’t afford college” — do you think all the students with loans took them because they COULD afford college?)
Until I see a coherent plan for implementing the Great Payback, I can’t support this. Not because I think the advocates don’t have a case but because I don’t see any way to do it. And once it’s done (if it is somehow made possible) where do we find the money or vouchers or whatevers for the American Indians?
Re: the question from character on left serving up the zeitgeist of the empire’s criminal captains of predatory capitalism … along with their masses of ass-licking, sycophant acolytes.
Answer: Since when? Good question, glad you asked! Since 1619.
Attempt #2:
Re: the question from character on left serving up the zeitgeist of the empire’s criminal captains of predatory capitalism … along with their masses of ass-licking, sycophant acolytes.
Answer: Since when? Good question, glad you asked! Since 1619.
Attempt #3
Re: the question from character on left serving up the zeitgeist of the empire’s criminal captains of predatory capitalism … along with their masses of ass-licking, sycophant acolytes.
Answer: Since when? Good question, glad you asked! Since 1619.
What about the Irish, Chinese, Catholics, Italians and so on and so on, who were discriminated against? Unlike many of the African Americans, Blacks or whatever they want to be called these days, these groups assimilated and made something of themselves through hard work. We didn’t hear them crying for a govmit’ check.
« Unlike many of the African Americans, Blacks or whatever they want to be called these days …»It is hard to keep up, I know, b_robb, but not so hard, perhaps to guess what you generally call them, viz a disyllabic contruction derived from the Portuguese and Spanish….
Henri
Nice, Henri.
But I think that went over his head.
And that made it even nicer.
The dead can never be repaid.
But the conditions inherited from the dead can be eliminated with a guaranteed minimum income.
Nixon gave serious consideration to the guaranteed minimum income when he was under pressure.
It’s guaranteed minimum income now or complete collapse.
The Demos is not now showing any tendency to just lie down and die.
The Oligarchic Corporatocracy cannot have it all with a restive Demos organized in opposition to it.
Don’t confuse the Demos with the Democratic Party.
These are two different animals. The Democratic Party is an obstructionist co-opting Ass.
One: The shreds of the white middle and working class are afraid of reparations, because they know any new taxes, fees, or government service cuts to pay for it will hit them hard. Large corporations and the wealthy will lobby hard enough (or play off shore shell company games) to pay only a token amount .
Two: What to do with mixed races, persons that no records if you go too far down their family tree. What do you do with minorities that endured only a generation or four of limited opportunities because they came here after 1900. Do you tax a rich Black family with slave roots to pay for very poor mixed race family with slave roots. What about other minorities…. diving into all these issues creates a whole nest of worms…too bad reparations weren’t taken care right after the Civil War.
A more workable answer to reparations today would be an REAL anti poverty program paid for by those with deep pockets. A program that doesn’t quit when a poor person finds a underpaid job, it tappers off as you do better. A program that will help you with training, health care, drug treatment, job placement if needed, moving expenses, getting a small place. A program that helps older laid off workers make it to a livable retirement. No major luxuries, no stigma, no skipping meals to pay the rent or basic utilities. 2008’s meltdown and today’s virus prove many us need help now and then and since it’s not raced base program there is less to argue about.
Still Green ($$$) Lives are the lives that matter in the state houses and D.C., a bill like this would die in congress or your state legislature.
From a vet that lived in his car for a year.