Alan Keyes on Reparations (AK contextualizes his comments)

The Illinois Leader ^ | 8-17-2004 | Chicago Bureau

[johnfrink]

Now I'm beginning to realize why's he renting his Illinois apartment on a month-by-month basis.

[NYCVirago]

I'm still trying to understand why this piece should make me say, "Oh, okay. Nevermind."

I guess it's that he wants to ultimately abolish the income tax for all. But, of course, he's not proposing that *that* immediately happen; he just wants reparations now.

Is there anything Keyes can say that his supporters won't defend? Supporting reparations is not a conservative idea, no matter how much his fans try to spin it.

[harrycarey]

contextualizing = backpeddaling = spinning = getting foot out of mouth

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Is there anything Keyes can say that his supporters won't defend?

No.

[Jim Robinson]

"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 Keyes

Yup. Restore the Republic - repeal the 16th and 17th.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Maybe I didn't read it right the first time, but it sounds to me like he's standing by his proposal. I think backpedaling would be an improvement at this point.

[Little Ray]

Didn't make it better. The man tries to have it both ways. Show me how blacks in this country are worse off than blacks in Africa. That is the ONLY legitimate way to determine if slavery "did real damage to black Americans, left real and persistent material wounds in need of healing."

Until he repudiates this stance, this Alan Keyes has nothing more to say that interests me. I hope Obama wins. The GOP tent ain't big enough for reparations bigots.

Pity. I VOTED for Alan Keyes over GW Bush in the 2000 primary and worked for the campaign.

[k2blader]

BUMP!

[unspun]

This is exactly what he has been saying all along, since this news broke out. Do you think that Keyes doesn't want this tax freedom to exist for African-Americans and not for the rest of us, too, ASAP?

[unspun]

You won't hope Obama wins, when (if) he's pushing European Socialism and moral decadence left and left in the US Senate.

[k2blader]

Hm, it appears (so far) that none of the anti-Keyes folks even read this statement let alone bothered to understand it.

Ah well. Lead a horse to water, but...

[unspun]

I don't defend it. I say he's talking it up and he's very, very worth living with. I also don't say it's a matter of guilt, for Keyes, but empowerment.

[Semaphore Heathcliffe]

"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."

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Hm, it appears (so far) that none of the anti-Keyes folks even read this statement let alone bothered to understand it.

Ah well. Lead a horse to water, but...

Well, then, why don't you explain it to us?

Make me drink, k2. I'm all ears.

[Catspaw]

Maybe I didn't read it right the first time, but it sounds to me like he's standing by his proposal. I think backpedaling would be an improvement at this point.

LOL! He said the same thing (the short version) on CNN's Crossfire this afternoon. I just checked & the transcript isn't up yet. When it is, I'll post it or a link.

[Little Ray]

The farther folks like Obama push the Democrats to the left, the more room in the center (not that I want the center - only yellow stripes and roadkill there...). Nancy Pelosi has probably done almost as much good for Republicans as the Contract with America did.

I like ending "tax slavery" but this has to be most polarzing, revolting and potentially divisive method Alan Keyes could possibly come up with.

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Thanks, Catspaw. I don't speak "Keyes", so I need all the help I can get.

[NYCVirago]

This is exactly what he has been saying all along, since this news broke out. Do you think that Keyes doesn't want this tax freedom to exist for African-Americans and not for the rest of us, too, ASAP?

But he's not proposing that the income tax be removed *now* on all Americans; he's only proposing it for black people. That's called reparations, and that's something no conservative should ever support.

[Truthsearcher]

Actually this is not backpedaling at all, this is brilliant, because it diffuses the entire reparations argument.

Tax relieft is fundamentally different from giving people money, because tax relief encourages people to work harder (you can't get tax relief unless you have income that can be taxed), while giving people money encourages them to not work.

What this also does is that is gets the minority communities to support TAX CUTS, which they *NEVER* do.
And you know what the next step is? After they get their tax cuts for a while, the debate becomes, should we raise the taxes minorities so that they pay the same as everyone else, or should be cut taxes for everyone else to get them to the same rate as the minorities. Now, the Dems, who wants to raise taxes, will want to raise taxes on the minorities, and the Republicans, will be the ones who say, no, we don't want to raise taxes on anyone, this will get the minories to vote for the people who won't raise *their* taxes.