Reparations clamor of dubious design

Washington Times ^ | 9/10/01 | Bruce Bartlett

[kattracks]

The recent United Nations conference on racism in Durban, South Africa, raised again the issue of reparations for slavery.

This is an idea that was first developed last year by Randall Robinson's book, "The Debt: What America Owes to Blacks." Now, it seems, the issue has moved past compensating the descendants of slaves to compensating those who sold them into slavery in the first place.

[supercat]

I thought reparations were something a "winner" demanded of a "loser". Perhaps one might question why whites are being made "losers"... [or why the U.S. pays such subsidies to the Soviet Union, whom we beat in the Cold War, for that matter]

[DB]

Be careful with the group "they" thing. Not all have been a "burden" ever since. It isn't that simple. For those that do hate this country, in exchange for their US citizenship they can have $100,000 and a one way ticket back to their "homeland". Their homeland will be glad to have them if they have that much cash… And ultimately we will be far better off.

[meenie]

I am of the opinion that there should be a repatriation of those individuals or families that are dissatisfied with their lot in America. The payment of an amount should be decided and paid in lieu of any foreign aid which the African nations are demanding. Indirectly the African nations would benefit from the influx of money coming into their country from the repatriots. The US would benefit from shucking the likes of Jesse and Al.