Reparations for which genocide should be paid first : of native Americans, Africans or victims of WWII?

Question

It is surprising when you look to countries and time in this text...

"Apologies

On May 21, 2001, the French National Assembly voted the Taubira law which recognized slavery as a crime against humanity [14].

At the same time the British, Spanish, Dutch and Portuguese delegations blocked an EU apology for slavery[citation needed].

The issue of an apology is linked to reparations for slavery and is still being pursued across the world. For example, the Jamaican Reparations Movement approved its declaration and action Plan.

In September 2006 it was reported [15] that the UK Government may issue a "statement of regret" over slavery, an act that was followed through by a "public statement of sorrow" from Tony Blair on November 27, 2006[16]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavery


Maybe WWII genocides would not happen if people involved in slavery and genocide of Indian and African slaves were found?

For "jizum200": I asked others about your answer at http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvAFvVGuwOksQ_ydCGXCQR4jzKIX?qid=20061213021641AAtONRm - in case it is interesting for you.

For "pooh": so you think that payment of reparations for Jews were a mistake? We may consider equally that usual people of Nazi Germany were also victims. Others think that enterprises had profit from slave labour, so they should pay. But entire banks emerged from slave trade after Columbus... So many people had use of this slave - bankers, creditors, other users of things done from credits and profits... Indians became citizens only in 1924.

Answer 1

i dont think anyone that personally didnt cause a genocide, slavery or whatever should apologise. I dont think the UK or USA should apologise for slavery. I say this because the UK and USA is now a country of mixed peoples, how can a black politician apologise to a balck citizen for slavery - makes no sense to me.

lets just leave it in the history books as a lesson to us all, and thats that

Answer 2

First, there is not a single former slave alive today. If there were they would certainly be due just compensation for their labor, but the ancestors of atrocities do not deserve compensation in any way. As a precedent for this point of view, from the last century, let us look at how the compensation of slave labor during the holocaust of World War II has been handled. The thousands of people that survived that inequity are being compensated by both the government of Germany and by the companies that gained from their forced labor, and rightfully so. But their children have no inherited right to collect for the uncompensated labor of their parents. Certainly the grandchildren and great grandchildren of American slaves never experienced the appalling life of slavery, and therefore, like the children of Jews and others enslaved in Germany 50 years ago, they have no claim for themselves.

Secondly, blacks do not have a monopoly on living in poverty in this country. According to the latest census data approximately 30 percent of blacks and whites live in poverty. Hispanics unfortunately have an even higher percentage living below the poverty line. All this current day poverty can not be attributed to a disgusting institution that was ended 150 years ago. It can however be attributed to present day governmental policy. There should be a monumental effort made by the government, at all levels, to get all Americans out of poverty, but a policy centered on only one race is just as wrong as slavery was.

Thirdly, slavery could not have existed without the complicity of black Africans who supplied most of the unfortunate humans that were sold into this dreadful condition. It was not just whites that kept this retched institution going for over 200 years. In addition, there were over 200,000 white Americans that paid the ultimate retribution during the Civil War, when they gave their lives to end slavery. The reparation debt owed to slaves was paid a long time ago when the North won the Civil War and freed them.

Answer 3

If you went for reperation, the West would be stripped of its current wealth, as the West got rich through slavery, colonialism and plunder. Of course, asking today's Westerns to pay the price of what their ancestors did doesn't sound logical to me. How will you suggest to pay back to the decendents of the underpriviliged class who suffered in Enland during the start of capitalism, for example?

Instead of reperation, the West should acknowledge the awfulness of the practice and should promise to stop using the rest of the world as post-modern colonies. Don't you think it would be wiser to follow up and prevent today's atrocities rather than grieving for past ones? You know, for the sake of futureless kids everywhere?

For example, Western voters are very enlightened about some international events, but they arenot aware that there are sweatshops in their countries making illegal immigrants work deadly hours RIGHT NOW! Now, if this is not called modern slavery, I don't know what is.

Answer 4

so much hate,pregidest,im so sorry for any color,slavery is an was wrong.GOD put us all here,as equals.i beleive all colors are somewhat slaves,the indian 1st the black2nd,now the white,they r slaves in war.took from home,for days,years, forced to fight,kill,be killed,all colors r today.why?.but instead of pulling together and stoping it.were still living on the past.i wasnt here100yrs ago,ive never owned a slave,never would.but i cant help what stupid folks did then.their all in hell now surely.we have got to get passed this,an pull 2 gether now,our worlds going to hell,white,black,brown,red,we all are.

Answer 5

Listen , what happened long ago is part of learning lessons in our planet , we can not put ourselves in 14 century minds, slavery is still alive and well in most parts of the world! There is slavery of all sorts in this modern world web live in , starting with children sold and kidnapped for sex! Reparations? It would never end! I would want instead and demand good schooling and health benefits for everyone! Money is what reparations is about , money comes and goes ,but schooling ,health and respect stay forever! Let the past be the past, let us be attentive to TODAYS problems and WHAT we can do to fix them! Saludos.

Answer 6

If this is the case, I would like reparartions from anyone who feels I should pay reparations for something that I did not personally do.

Add my name to the list.

Answer 7

Hello,

Jesus has already paid for our sins. Reparations for evils we as a nation and other nations have brought upon humans is not necssary to pay.

Just let it go!!

Hope this helps you...................... : - O

Answer 8

none. on earth the strongest survive. it's natures way. why pay for nature and her effects?

Answer 9

of me!!!!