What's wrong with the feeling of slavery victimhood?

Question

After all we permit the commemoration of the Jewish holocaust.

Reparations and restitution of property was paid by Germany to the tune of 70billion dollars to Israel (didn't even exist during Holocaust) and 25billion dollars to individuals.

America as usual want to escape it's responsibilities. If it's good for the Jews it should be good for us African descendants.

The Racists and Racist States must be made to face up to their responsibilities

Answer 1

Reparations???


WHO WILL PAY?

- will the Federal government or all state governments have to pay? After all, the northern ones spent billions and lost most of their young men in the Civil War to free slaves.

- will any governments outside the US have to pay? After all, it was British and Middle Eastern slave traders who did the merchandising, and African tribes who forced conquered people into slavery.

- will all people have to pay? What if your ancestors were not even here?

WHO WILL GET PAID?

- will those who benefited from Afirmative Action get paid?

- will ancestors of Federal soldiers who were killed in the fight to free slaves, get any portion of the reparations? If you as an individual got some payment, would you seek out any ancestors of any soldiers who fought to free your ancestors, and thank them?

- if you are an ancestor of a slave from some other part of the world or some other era(Europe, the Far East, Ireland, the Middle East), will you seek out the perpetrators of that slavery and get reparations?



Point being...a court and a claim is our way of law...to do it any other way would not pass constitutional muster.

You "permit" the commemoration of the Jewish holocaust? What makes you think you have any right to permit, or not permit, a commemoration?

Why do you hate Jews?

Answer 2

I think these are two different situations and it is hard to compare.
Both were horrible and those directly responsible should or should have been accountable for their actions.

The holocaust was within the last century
and the reparations were ordered within a few decades of the event. Slavery has been over for more than a century. No one directly involved in slavery is still alive.

Who would pay the reparations? People who had nothing to do with slavery?
Should we also seek reparations from countries in Africa? It is well-known that Africans sold other Africans into slavery.

If you compare that to the more current drug problem one might argue that the "dealers" are more responsible than the "buyers". In that case, I would think you might want to sue the west African nations first for reparations.

Did you know that in some countries slavery still exists? Maybe those who are passionate about slavery should do something about the ongoing slavery rather than seeking financial gain from others who are not guilty of anything.

Answer 3

You know we meet pretty close on most issues.

But this reparations thing is one I may drift away with. First The Germans were truly shamed and embarrassed by the Holocaust. As you can easily see from most posts day after day. White America is not sorry about slavery.

I like the Bible as a guide to social interaction. It is so old, yet so much never changes. I think Simon and Garfunkel sang that. It's man's the first psychology book. The verse Godly sorrow works repentance. Comes to mind. America is not sorry about slavery and will not change/repent.

Now for the small picture. I had one of those Oprah moments a few months ago. I was watching BBC filmed in Africa. And the human suffering was beyond description. And I thought of an African friend I have and said in my heart Thank God Marcel got out of there. And with that came a flood of thought about all I knew about Africa. My sister lived in Uganda for 9 years etc. And I started thinking how African Americans are special and not only spared from but saved from the horrors of post colonial Africa.

Like the Vietnamese that were shot by the Camerouge in a act of mercy. A gun shot wound being kindness compared to the horrors of the killing field. Slavery has created a Black community of healthy educated people sparred from the horrors of post Oil development Africa.

Don't shoot the messenger.

Answer 4

First of all, the Jews that were affected by Nazi Germany were still alive during the restitution period.
There is not a single person living in the United States today that was a slave.....so do I pay for someone that's dead or someone that has no clue what they went through.
Are the countries in Africa, where your people were caught, bought, and sold going to pay restitution since it was other blacks selling your ancestors into slavery.
Can we send you back to Africa, I'd pay for that, gladly.
Be glad you and all the kids you'll likely have out of wedlock that I will have to pay for (Welfare, foodstamps, free education), live in a country like the United States and not still living in some third world, AIDS infested backwater African country.

Answer 5

you know.. I feel just as bad about slavery as you do believe it or not.. neither of us were slaves or slave owners.. neither of us can go back 150 years ago and experience what it was like.. so why are we so focused on the past? Germany killed 6 million Jews and there are still many Jewish people alive today who were alive then.. how many people are still alive that were around when slavery was legal? I'm sorry that our past was tragic.. but it is what made us who we are today.. without our tragedies you would most likely not exist.. nor would I... if there were no slavery most likely the nation would be so different today that our parents would never have met... if they even would have existed... so should we pay reparations to the slave owners for creating the world we live in today? we should learn from the past.. but we can't dwell on it... if you want an apology? fine.. I apologies on behalf of all white people for what happened to your great grandfather and the generations before them by some of our great grandfathers and the generations before them.. as for those white people that fought and died in the Civil War which won your ancestors your freedom.. I suppose they owe no apology.. are we good now?

Answer 6

Most of Germany's financial crimes were tracked and documented during the war or beginning shortly thereafter. Plus, the Jews had property and material things that were tangible and recoverable. Most of the criminals and victims who were part of that restitution were alive when it was made.

The same is not true of the slaves, as it was nearly 150 years ago. You're going to hold me accountable for what my ancestors did? Do you realize that you're using the same logic that Arab Muslims use against us and against each other? The Shia-Sunni feud goes back at least 500 years.

Can you PROVE you're descended from American slaves and not from people who came here in the 20th Century? What if you're half-white? Should you get the same as someone who is a direct descendant of slaves?

Martin Luther King, Jr. never spoke of reparations and I do not believe he would support your claim. I think it would be more productive for you to confront the everyday racism that still exists in America today. Asking for reparations that couldn't be fairly distributed in the first place, is just going to close ears to your more legitimate and pressing concerns.

However, if it hasn't happened already, an official apology for slavery from our federal government to Black America, is justified.

Answer 7

Americans have an insatiable desire to hear about the Holocaust. When you start talking about how many died on slave trade ships well just no enthusiasm. I think it was the manner in which they died to an extent, dehydration and diarrhea is just not as amazing as special showers. Can you name an atrocity with more movies dedicated to it??? Slavery they get Amistad and a TV series Roots but look at the massive numbers of Holocaust films.. recent memory serves just fine.. Schindlers list, the pianist, sophie's choice as a starter.
Search Amazon.com for videos-
jewish holocaust gets 51 results
slavery in america gets 4 results

Answer 8

Slavery reparations are a mistake.

First of all, who is responsible for slavery? How would you track down descendents of slave owners? Why should they be held accountable for ancestors three generations removed? Some descendants of black slaves are now white. Should they be compensated?

Who would be compensated? All blacks? Just people shown to be direct descendants of slaves (which includes white people)?

There were also white slaves, few though they were. Should their families be compensated?

How much would you ask for? Would any amount ever be enough?

Would monetary reparations fix the problems caused by slavery?

After reparations, would blacks stop acting like victims?

Answer 9

Liberia was purchased from France as a country for slaves who wanted to repatriate. Most slaves chose to remain in the US. The key being that they had free will to stay here.

There is no comparison between the holocaust where property was taken from people and used by the government and slavery which was ignored by the government until being made illegal.

Answer 10

The problem is that no one currently alive had anything to do with slavery in the United States. Germany paid reparations to Halocaust survivors, most of which live in Israel. How is it fair for some people to be forced to pay for the crimes of their great-great-great grandparents or be forced to pay for the crimes of others (their family immigrated to the United States after the Civil War) and others to benefit from the suffering of their great-great-great grandparents.

Reparations should have been paid in 1865, not now nearly 150 years later.