Posted on 08/17/2004 2:38:57 PM PDT by unspun
By The Leader-Chicago Bureau (admin@illinoisleader.com)
CHICAGO -- Republican U.S. Senate candidate Alan Keyes has just released a statement clarifying what appeared to be a surprising position he took at a news conference yesterday.
"I think a cogent argument could be made for reparations in principle," Keyes is quoted as saying to reporters yesterday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
The Chicago Tribune expanded:
Keyes gave a brief tutorial on Roman history and said that in regard to reparations for slavery, the U.S. should do what the Romans did: "When a city had been devastated [in the Roman empire], for a certain length of time--a generation or two--they exempted the damaged city from taxation."Keyes proposed that for a generation or two, African-Americans of slave heritage should be exempted from federal taxes--federal because slavery "was an egregious failure on the part of the federal establishment."
The response from conservatives was immediate. "Who downstate will now vote for Keyes?" wrote IllinoisLeader.com reader Randall Mead of Springfield today. "I certainly won't."
This afternoon, Keyes released the following statement, clarifying his position:
I have consistently opposed the effort to extort monetary damages from the American people. As I have argued in the past, the great sacrifices involved in the Civil War represented the requital in blood and treasure for the terrible injustices involved in slavery. In this form the so called "reparations" movement represents an insult to the historic commitment that many Americans made to the end of slavery, which included the sacrifice of their lives.I have also consistently maintained that the history of slavery, racial segregation and discrimination did real damage to black Americans, left real and persistent material wounds in need of healing.
In various ways through the generations since the end of slavery, America has tried to address this objective fact, but without real success. This was at least in part the rational for many elements of the Great Society programs of the sixties, and for the original and proper concept of affirmative action developed under Republican leadership during the Nixon years.
Unfortunately, the government-dominated approaches of the Great Society, which purported to heal and repair the legacy of historical damage, actually widened and deepened the wounds. They undermined the moral foundations of the black community and seriously corrupted the family structure and the incentives to work, savings, investment, and business ownership.
The idea I have often put forward to address this challenge involves a traditionally Republican, conservative and market-oriented approach: removing the tax burden from the black community for a generation or two in order to encourage business ownership, create jobs and support the development of strong economic foundations for working families.
This has the advantage of letting people help themselves, rather then pouring money into government bureaucracies that displace and discourage their own efforts. It takes no money from other citizens, while righting the historic imbalance that results from the truth that black slaves toiled for generations at a tax rate that was effectively 100 percent.
I have also made it clear that while I believe that the descendants of slaves would be helped by this period of tax relief, my firm goal and ultimate objective is to replace the income tax, and thereby free all Americans from this insidious form of tax slavery. It is well known that this is one of the key priorities of the Keyes campaign.
In response to Keyes' statement, conservative Jack Roeser of Family Taxpayers Network told IllinoisLeader.com, "I expect Keyes would say this is one of those interesting subjects to be talked about among people sharing ideas. Reparations is an impractical concept. Everybody in every category has been wronged in one or the other, and you cannot single one out."
Roeser continued, "Keyes is a man of ideas, and I expect he gets into discussions like this that are proper in their proper place, but that he would never vote for reparations. The problem with American politics is that people don't get into deep discussions."
© 2004 IllinoisLeader.com -- all rights reserved
______What are your thoughts concerning the issues raised in this story? Write a letter to the editor at letters@illinoisleader.com and include your name and town.
Well, perhaps only the outsiders will see it then. But that's not good for Obama and his backers if he has ambitions for higher national office. And by the way, I believe Obama's already backing off some of his big talk about big historic Lincoln/Douglas style debates so maybe his ears are already pinned back a bit. Bring on the debates.
Ah, the "if only we threw enough gasoline on this fire, we'd be able to extinguish it" theory.
I guess that might make sense in a universe where "throwing money at 'problems' makes them go away", but in a reality-base in which you always get more of what you subsidize, the only think you'll "put to rest once and for all" is the idea of ever "paying enough" to "make up for the injustice!"
If 40 years of massive income redistribution ain't "enough", then nothing is gonna be "enough."
You don't put out fires by throwing gasoline at them. Even if you throw lots of it!
You don't cure an addict by giving him more of his drug-of-choice. Even if you give him a lot of it!
And you don't cure contrived "social ills" by ripping off one class of people to pay off another.
This "solution" is so pregnant with potential for "unintended consequences" that I am shocked that anyone (other than the hard left) would advocate it.
It's basically a slightly warmed-over Marxist class-warfare formula, and the goal? The same as is historically sought by Marxists.
He is trying to reach the black electorate. That is more than I can say about many here. While I am somewhat ambivalent about his proposal, I am at least willing to think about it honestly, which is more than many here.
On that point, we agree: Keyes will wipe the floor with Obama in a debate.
Keyes is a consummate orator with a debating style that is among the best in the nation if not on the planet.
Really? You posted earlier that people were too "sensitive" if they were offended by this discrimination.
Well okay not sure I agree though. How does this send a message that the GOP is no good for blacks? They don't need Alan Keyes to say that.
I don't care if you like him or not; I'm shocked at conservatives being all about thinking reparations are fine and dandy.
When is he going to get to the ISSUES?
Go Leahy yourself.
Yes.
What scares me -- almost as much as the fact that conservatives are advocating it -- is that so damn few others can imagine how ugly it could get.
I'm talking about the kneejerk reaction that happens when talking about any form reparations for black Americans at all. I'd probably vote for Alan Keyes because I think Obama is much worse.
How about trying to reach the black electorate by emphasizing the conservative principles many religious blacks already believe in, instead of pandering by supporting reparations? And we're all thinking about the proposal honestly, and we see it as the racist nonsense it is.
Same here. It's quite stunning that some people can't see it.
Lower taxes, Marriage act, and school vouchers to name a few.
Of course I see that sinkspur and I'm not for reparations in any form. I wish he would have chosen different wording. But it is what it is and I'll continue to trust that he knows what he's doing. But I wont sit here and bitch and moan on every post of how bad Keyes has screwed up.
My focus is still hoping that Obama with all his liberal ideals will not make it to the senate. Remember him, he's annointed favorite of the left. Keyes is just a voice--Obama and other democrats regain the senate and no amount of moaning will do if they are able to give the whole storehouse just out of spite.
Not really a back-door plan when the guy says it.
The Keysters are twisting themselves into knots, insisting that Keyes is saying something he clearly didn't say.
You mean like this:
I have also made it clear that while I believe that the descendants of slaves would be helped by this period of tax relief, my firm goal and ultimate objective is to replace the income tax, and thereby free all Americans from this insidious form of tax slavery. It is well known that this is one of the key priorities of the Keyes campaign.
Alan has triangulated the reparations issue in to the income tax issue brilliantly. He's gotten explosive national attention by this plan and he's deflated the hand-out conditions of the traditional reparations plan.
Imagine the confusion in the Obama campaign. He's offering anyone who can prove they are descendents of slaves the opportunity to live income tax free for life (twice). They can buy and own property and probably in a nicer neighborhood (and pay more property taxes). They can invest in stocks and pursue the American dream (and pay more sales and cosumption taxes). If they don't earn money they don't keep more of it. And while that's happening those non-income tax payers will stand as a testament to the possibility of life without it for all Americans.
Address slavery while defining income taxes as slavery. Brilliant!
Uh, yeah, because nothing about reparations can ever be a conservative principle. Why should people who were never slaves get compensated from people who never owned slaves?
No, imagine the high-fives in the Obama campaign. Because they are high-fiving themselves over the opportunity to make their candidate look reasonable and statesmanlike, and Keyes has given them that on a silver platter.
I'm not descended from slaves either but I'm at least thinking about what black people went through in this country. Do you mean to tell me that people would get upset over a tax break more than black people did over slavery, Jim Crow and Segregation? Esp. since in this day and age there are more than even judical barriers to such a thing. Reparations will never happen but I'm not ashamed to look at history and alernative solutions.
You've been speaking in generalities. Can you give specifics? BTW, IL is Kerry country.
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