Should white people set up "Individual Reparations Accounts"?

Sweden said:

About 130,000 years ago people left Africa to colonise the world. Should Africans open Individual Reparations Accounts? I think not, though I am curious to know if anyone would favour some free money being showered upon them.

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I certainly deserve some.

joG said:

But why? If something is legitimate and legal at the time? The more difficult question comes up, when the behavior is legal and largely considered legitimate in the society.

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That is a dangerous road to go down. We end up with "I was just following orders" being a legitimate excuse. Or things like genocide being excused as long as it is sanctioned by the government.

joG said:

I certainly deserve some.

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It's my idea so, if I may quote soon-to-be-former-President Obama, "Get to the back of the queue!".

BrewerBob said:

That is a dangerous road to go down. We end up with "I was just following orders" being a legitimate excuse. Or things like genocide being excused as long as it is sanctioned by the government.

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No it doesn't even compare.

Jetboogieman said:

Just want to point out that strictly speaking, this statement is not true, it does continue to this day in the US in various forms although behind close doors and much more limited than what we're discussing.

Just couldn't help myself there.

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True. It has been some time since holding slaves became a capital offence. So here we are talking about a nasty crime. The interesting question comes up, when the behavior was illegal, became legal and then again becomes illegal.

BrewerBob said:

That is a dangerous road to go down. We end up with "I was just following orders" being a legitimate excuse. Or things like genocide being excused as long as it is sanctioned by the government.

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That is, what I sometimes point out to abortionists.

Nota bene: there is no one to claim compensation in those cases. Except maybe the fathers that aren't, come to think of it.

Sweden said:

It's my idea so, if I may quote soon-to-be-former-President Obama, "Get to the back of the queue!".

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I guess I will have to dust and polish my elbows.

My family, on both sides, were entirely in England/Scotland/Canada when the slavery horror was going on.

It has got nothing whatsoever to do with me or my family.

X Factor said:

Are you referring to me or Dyson? :mrgreen:

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haha, Dyson of course!

X Factor said:

Michael Eric Dyson says whites should keep 'individual reparations account' - Washington Times

Heard about this yesterday. First off, let's be clear, nothing about this is mandatory and probably (hopefully) never could be so let's immediately concede the inevitable "but nobody who doesn't want to doesn't have to" point. That's true. This would be a personal choice. What I'm asking if if you think it's something white people should do. I'm really just curious, more than anything, what you think of the idea itself.

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"Should" do? No.

Can do if they choose? Sure.

I voted other.

As for the question in the OP, Hell No, what a stupid idea.

Now for some food for thought:
So let's just say that reparations were going to be made, who would them make them to? ask because one cannot simply say that because they are Black that they deserved them because many Blacks moved here After the slaves were freed, those people were never slaves so hence would not be eligible. Do many Black People have records that prove their ancestors where slaves, I doubt it. What about those that have Caucasian blood also, would President Obama be eligible, would that like them paying themselves for what part of them did to the other. The thought of reparations is ludicrous to begin with and if one looks at the details you can see all sorts of issues with even trying to pay those supposedly "entitled" to the money. I have heard plenty of so-called reasons reparations should be paid, but have yet to see even one that is actually valid. People need to get it through their head that there will be No reparations and move on with life.

DA60 said:

My family, on both sides, were entirely in England/Scotland/Canada when the slavery horror was going on.

It has got nothing whatsoever to do with me or my family.

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Same here, except Ireland and Germany.

Would these be pre-tax or after tax accounts?

X Factor said:

Michael Eric Dyson says whites should keep 'individual reparations account' - Washington Times

Heard about this yesterday. First off, let's be clear, nothing about this is mandatory and probably (hopefully) never could be so let's immediately concede the inevitable "but nobody who doesn't want to doesn't have to" point. That's true. This would be a personal choice. What I'm asking if if you think it's something white people should do. I'm really just curious, more than anything, what you think of the idea itself.

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I literally laughed out loud at the mere idea.

But, could we pool some money and buy Al Sharpton's silence?

Casper said:

As for the question in the OP, Hell No, what a stupid idea.

Now for some food for thought:
So let's just say that reparations were going to be made, who would them make them to? ask because one cannot simply say that because they are Black that they deserved them because many Blacks moved here After the slaves were freed, those people were never slaves so hence would not be eligible. Do many Black People have records that prove their ancestors where slaves, I doubt it. What about those that have Caucasian blood also, would President Obama be eligible, would that like them paying themselves for what part of them did to the other. The thought of reparations is ludicrous to begin with and if one looks at the details you can see all sorts of issues with even trying to pay those supposedly "entitled" to the money. I have heard plenty of so-called reasons reparations should be paid, but have yet to see even one that is actually valid. People need to get it through their head that there will be No reparations and move on with life.

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If some dumb ass wants to scribble checks and hand them to random back people to assuage some hidden guilt for things they did not do, so be it. Who am I to stop them.

Since my background is German, my ancestors already did their part.



My conscience is clean...at least as far as Blacks are concerned. Jews? Well, we may have had a wee bit of a little issue there that needs redeeming.

I think starting down that path would set dangerous and unpleasant legal precedents.

No.


the lunatic fringe left, likes to set a trap for the white man, shaming him and attempting to bestow perpetual guilt over things he had no part in.

Gonzo Rodeo said:

Should black people set up crime offset accounts?

Nope. Because that would also be stupid and racist.

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I was thinking more along the lines of blacks setting up account to pay monies to Civil War soldiers that fought and died to abolish slavery.

Should they do that?

I don't know. :shrug: I'm not an expert on this sort of thing.

Excon said:

Yeah, that is just dumb.

It was a legal institution. You don't hold folks responsible for engaging in a legal activity.


The folks who lost their property have a better claim for reparations than the slaves who were freed do.

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Manufacturing asbestos was a legal activity too

If there are people stupid enough to fall for the carbon credit scheme there are probably some that would fall for this. SO sure...they should exploit the **** out of them. And think about it...what a great opportunity for those that bleat on about privilege and reparations (on the government dime) to put their money where their mouth is.

X Factor said:

Michael Eric Dyson says whites should keep 'individual reparations account' - Washington Times

Heard about this yesterday. First off, let's be clear, nothing about this is mandatory and probably (hopefully) never could be so let's immediately concede the inevitable "but nobody who doesn't want to doesn't have to" point. That's true. This would be a personal choice. What I'm asking if if you think it's something white people should do. I'm really just curious, more than anything, what you think of the idea itself.

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No. Enough with this cultural division. Those days are over. It may take some time for those trained to create animosity and division among the races to drift away and be ignored, but that day is coming.

VanceMack said:

If there are people stupid enough to fall for the carbon credit scheme there are probably some that would fall for this. SO sure...they should exploit the **** out of them. And think about it...what a great opportunity for those that bleat on about privilege and reparations (on the government dime) to put their money where their mouth is.

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Speaking of which,

Congress Introduces Bill To Make You Pay!

Dems renew demand for slavery reparations | Washington Examiner

Seems that it's Democrat congress critters who are hoisting this flag again.

As to why they are, I couldn't possibly say.

I think they should start at the source. Not the buyer, but the seller. The Muslims and the Dutch who were the major players in the slave trade.

After all, we let drug users off and go after dealers so what is different here?

X Factor said:

Michael Eric Dyson says whites should keep 'individual reparations account' - Washington Times

Heard about this yesterday. First off, let's be clear, nothing about this is mandatory and probably (hopefully) never could be so let's immediately concede the inevitable "but nobody who doesn't want to doesn't have to" point. That's true. This would be a personal choice. What I'm asking if if you think it's something white people should do. I'm really just curious, more than anything, what you think of the idea itself.

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I actually strongly disagree with using money as a social equalizer, including in the context of foreign aid. But I won't get too far into the reasoning of that, as it's rather OT. So anyway...

As a general concept, I think white people should carry the majority of the weight for solving racial discrimination, for a variety of reasons.

1. We own nearly all of the resources, thus we are the ones who have the time and ability to do this kind of work. We've left many black communities unable to even read or register to vote and under-represented by 50% of Congress. We still have slavery: 10% of black men working without pay in prisons, the vast majority of them locked up on minor and non-violent charges like overdue traffic tickets or drug possession, for which white people usually just get a slap on the wrist and are sent on their merry way (if they ever get caught at all, since white people don't get searched as much as black people do, despite having exactly the same rates of drug use and traffic violation). This is NOW, not "stuff dead people did." This is us. And it borders on mendacity for us to expect them to fix it for us.

2. We are the majority. So, ya know, speaking of representation, and given the enormous mountain of evidence of continued oppression...

3. The disadvantages black people face begin at birth when they can't do anything to help themselves obviously (or hell, even before birth, with the inferior prenatal care their receive), which is why stuff like AA doesn't work. It's too late. They've already lived through 18 years of deprived education and social unrest. Giving them a grant now isn't going to magically teach them the 5 years of math they didn't learn, or undo the PTSD they developed while living in the projects. Certainly their lives can improve, and many thousands of black people prove that, but it's a major uphill battle at that point. If the goal is an America where black people don't have to work any harder than whites to achieve the same amount, we have to look at black children and how to make their lives better. So, given that the improvement of racial inequality in America primarily rests with protecting children who cannot protect themselves, obviously it is up to us to do it.

As a general concept, anyone who has been granted power in society for no legitimate reason has a duty to protect those who have been denied it for no legitimate reason. That is what allyship is about; using your unfairly granted power to empower others, or to protect them as they empower themselves. This effectively reduces the aspects of your power than you never should have had to begin with (the power to hurt or dominate others), while still affirming the power you do deserve to have (the power of self-determination and self-control).

To tell the people who have been denied the power of self-determination and self-control that they should just do it themselves, while you're sitting there holding power over them, is, as I said, rather mendacious.