Should countries compensate for slave trade?

Question

2007 marks the 200th anniversary of the ending of the slave trade in the British empire (the first to do so permanently - and almost 60 years before the US did). Should all nations involved in the trade apologise and and compensate the descendents of the slave trade? Why (not)?

If so, should the british and germans demand compensation from the Italians for slave trade done during the Roman empire (of which both were cruelly subjected to)? why (not)

I am not talking about apologies specifically but compensation! If you are fed up of the question do not answer you silly **** face

Answer 1

Hi Magic,

I respect the sincerity of your question; but my answer is a categorical "No!"

Apart from the practical considerations, I doubt there is a people on the face of the earth who cannot claim to have been persecuted at one point or another. How does the thought strike you that if we're all victims, none of us are victims.

The only way for people to progress is by choosing not to think of themselves as victims anymore. So long as you think of yourself as a victim, you'll always look to those whom you believe have oppressed you to make things right. And by doing this you're giving away your power to others. In effect, you're saying, "I'm in this position because you victimized me; and I can't get out until you do something about it." That is a recipe for being a loser in life. And at some point we all have to move on regardless of past injustices

Some things can never be made right -- they are what they are. And unless we let go and move on; we're stuck in the past.

It's over. It's done. Let's learn the lessons of past injustices, and let's just get on with life, unencumbered by all of the negative baggage.

Cheers, mate.

Answer 2

We have to start letting the past stay in the past. The people of today were not responsible for the actions of people from hundreds of years ago. Compensation at this point is just a money grab and is ridiculous.

Besides, where do you stop? Okay, so 200 years ago country A did something bad to country B. However, country B did something 350 years ago to Country C, and country C did something 600 years ago to country A. Okay, now who owes money to whom? It gets out of hand really quickly. Even making a formal apology is silly. It's like accepting blame for conditions and events that are completely beyond your control or influence.

Answer 3

No. Many horrific acts have taken place throughout history, including slavery, and dwelling on this is wrong. Demanding compensation is rediculous, especially when you consider that most of the black slaves sold were sold by blacks.

If this were to happen, where does it stop? British people demanding compensation from Denmark for the Viking raids? Muslims demanding compensation for the Crusades? Its simply ridiculous.

Answer 4

Slavery has existed in one country or another though out most recorded history.

If you can find an individual alive today, not their descendants, who was actually a slave, a case can be made for compensation. Otherwise no. Today such current and former slaves will be found in Africa where the slave trade still exists.

Answer 5

No. Many hve suffered from one group of peoples dominance. Irish, Germans, French over religon. The list is endless. If YOU have been treated poorly and YOU havre suffered, then YOU can have a claim. Your Great great Grandfather might have an issue, but he is probably in the bosom of Abraham where the last shal be first.

Answer 6

Absolutely not! The decendents of people are NOT responsible for their forefathers actions.
Nor can we just pick a time past which people can not demand compensation for- or we will be paying for actions 7 thousand years ago or more.

Answer 7

Why yes they should. All the way back to Joshua, Abraham, Noah, Lot, The Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Celts, the Iberians, the English, the Germans. Get a new drum, this one has been beat to death.

Answer 8

That is a question for Africans to answer. There were a variety of forms of African bondage and perhaps not all of them were equally brutal.
It is my opinion that U.S blacks were repressed and exploited to an inhuman degree during and after slavery. If i were black, i would find the place where my forefathers worked and would make a home for myself. Then i would go to the municipal government to delineate an acre around my home as my property and ask for cash equivalent to a mule. I would find the family that enslaved my forefathers and recount my story and wait for some recognition that everything they own they owe to my family. I would bring them to my own acre and have a barbecue.
I would also post a sign up prohibiting the police and the FBI from coming into my property. Both are racist institutions, blacks should demand their own police and intelligence agencies.
Places where miscegenation actually occurred could not go about the same way.... I myself have some African in me, as well as Moroccan, Spanish and Amerindian, so if i wanted reparations i would have to ask myself.

Answer 9

Apology, good. Compensation, legal nightmare.

Reminds me of the comfort woman issue in Japan.

Good not to forget such horrors existed -- we wouldn't want to keep repeating the same mistakes.

Answer 10

No, no one living today was involved, why should we pay?
By the by, many Africans were involved as well. Different tribes would kidnap and then sell their enemies to the whites who would then ship them off. It seems everyone's hands were dirty.