Slave reparations and the intelligence of those of Polish descent
Dionysus
HEAD: Senate Slavery Apology
by Walter E. Williams
Last month, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed Senate Resolution 26
"Apologizing for the enslavement and racial segregation of
African-Americans." The resolution ends with: "Disclaimer. -- Nothing in
this resolution (a) authorizes or supports any claim against the United
States; or (b) serves as a settlement of any claim against the United
States." That means Congress apologizes but is not going to pay reparations,
as least for now.
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus have expressed concerns about the
disclaimer, thinking that it's an attempt to stave off reparations claims
from the descendants of slaves. Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman
Barbara Lee, D-Calif., said her organization is studying the language of the
resolution and Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss, said "putting in a disclaimer
takes away from the meaning of an apology. A number of us are prepared to
vote against it in its present form. There are several members of the
Progressive Caucus who feel the same way."
It goes without saying that slavery was a gross violation of human rights.
Justice would demand that all the perpetrators -- that includes slave
owners, and African and Arab slave sellers -- make compensatory reparation
payments to victims. Since slaves, slave owners and slave sellers are no
longer with us, such compensation is beyond our reach and a matter to be
settled in the world beyond.
Absent from the reparations debate is: Who pays? Don't say the government
because the government doesn't have any money that it doesn't first take
from some American. So which Americans owe black people what? Reparations
advocates don't want that question asked but let's you and I.
Are the millions of Europeans, Asians, and Latin Americans who immigrated to
the U.S. in the 20th century responsible for slavery and should they be
forced to cough up reparations money? What about descendants of Northern
whites who fought and died in the name of freeing slaves? Should they cough
up reparations money for black Americans? What about non-slave-owning
Southern whites, a majority of whites; should they be made to pay
reparations? And, by the way, would President Obama, whose father is Kenyan
and mother white, be eligible for a reparations payment?
On black people's side of the ledger, thorny issues also arise. Some blacks
purchased other blacks as a means to free family members. But other blacks
owned slaves for the same reason whites owned slaves -- to work farms or
plantations. Are descendants of these blacks eligible and deserving of
reparations? There is no way that Europeans could have captured millions of
Africans. They had African and Arab help. Should Congress haul
representatives of Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Muslim states before them
and demand they compensate American blacks because of their ancestors'
involvement in capturing and selling slaves?
Reparations advocates make the foolish unchallenged pronouncement that
United States became rich on the backs of free black labor. That's utter
nonsense. Slavery has never had a very good record of producing wealth.
Think about it. Slavery was all over the South. Buying into the reparations
nonsense, you'd have to conclude that the antebellum South was rich and the
slave-starved North was poor. The truth of the matter is just the opposite.
In fact, the poorest states and regions of our country were places where
slavery flourished: Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia while the richest
states and regions were those where slavery was absent: Pennsylvania, New
York and Massachusetts.
The Senate apology is nothing more than political theater but it could be a
slick way to get the camel's nose into the tent for future reparations. If
the senators are motivated by white guilt, I have the cure. About 15 years
ago I wrote a Proclamation of Amnesty and Pardon Granted to All Persons of
European Descent:
"Whereas, Europeans kept my forebears in bondage some three centuries
toiling without pay, Americans of European ancestry are guilty of great
crimes against my ancestors and their progeny.
"But, in the recognition Europeans themselves have been victims of various
and sundry human rights violations to wit: the Norman Conquest, the Irish
Potato Famine, Decline of the Hapsburg Dynasty, Napoleonic and Czarist
adventurism, and gratuitous insults and speculations about the intelligence
of Europeans of Polish descent,
"I, Walter E. Williams, do declare full and general amnesty and pardon to
all persons of European ancestry, for both their own grievances, and those
of their forebears, against my people.
"Therefore, from this day forward Americans of European ancestry can stand
straight and proud knowing they are without guilt and thus obliged not to
act like damn fools in their relationships with Americans of African
ancestry."
****************
"Beware the fallacies into which undisciplined thinkers most easily
fall--they are the real distorting prisms of human nature." --Francis Bacon
"The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are
evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it" --Albert
Einstein
Dionysus
AnAmericanCitizen
I agree slavery was a terrible thing, however, it was the slaves' ancestors and our
early ancestors that were responsible. Hence, an apology at this late date doesn't
mean a thing coming at this time unless, of course, there are those who are looking
for reparations which would go to people who were born free to be paid by people who
never supported or benefited from slavery.....AAC
Lamont Cranston
> I agree slavery was a terrible thing, however, it was the
> slaves'
> ancestors and our early ancestors that were responsible.
> Hence, an
> apology at this late date doesn't mean a thing coming at
> this time
> unless, of course, there are those who are looking for
> reparations
> which would go to people who were born free to be paid by
> people who
> never supported or benefited from slavery.....AAC
Our entire economy was based on slavery. Everybody
benefitted.
There are many people in this country whose current wealth
is the direct result of slavery.
Dionysus
"Lamont Cranston"
<Lamont....@WhoKnowsWhatEvilLurksInTheHeartsOfRepugs.com> wrote in
message news:h356si$c1l$1...@news.datemas.de...
> AnAmericanCitizen wrote:
>> I agree slavery was a terrible thing, however, it was the slaves'
>> ancestors and our early ancestors that were responsible. Hence, an
>> apology at this late date doesn't mean a thing coming at this time
>> unless, of course, there are those who are looking for reparations
>> which would go to people who were born free to be paid by people who
>> never supported or benefited from slavery.....AAC
>
> Our entire economy was based on slavery. Everybody benefitted.
>
> There are many people in this country whose current wealth is the direct
> result of slavery.
Puh-leeze, oh you of the clouded, dim mind. Is that why the south was so
wealthy it could outspend the north and win the civil war? (note sarcasm
here, dim one). Is that why hundreds of thousands of northerners went to war
and ten of thouands of them died...to defeat that system that benefitted the
entire economy? (note lack of sarcasm here, dim one).
In the immortal words of B. Bunny, esq, "What a maroon, what an ultra
marooon."
"Beware the fallacies into which undisciplined thinkers most easily
fall--they are the real distorting prisms of human nature." --Francis Bacon
Dionysus
Lamont Cranston
No, simple one, it was the cheap raw materials from the
South that allowed the North to expand its industry and gain
the wealth that allowed it to outspend the South and win the
Civil War. You really need to go back to school, Denis. Go
to a real one this time, not the Dick Cheney Before He Dicks
You Academy for Mindless Morons.
[remainder of mindless horseshit snipped to nip gag reflex
in the bud]
Dionysus
"Lamont Cranston"
<Lamont....@WhoKnowsWhatEvilLurksInTheHeartsOfRepugs.com> wrote in
> Denis wrote:
>> "Lamont Cranston"
>> <Lamont....@WhoKnowsWhatEvilLurksInTheHeartsOfRepugs.com> wrote
>> in message news:h356si$c1l$1...@news.datemas.de...
>>> AnAmericanCitizen wrote:
>>>> I agree slavery was a terrible thing, however, it was the slaves'
>>>> ancestors and our early ancestors that were responsible. Hence, an
>>>> apology at this late date doesn't mean a thing coming at this time
>>>> unless, of course, there are those who are looking for reparations
>>>> which would go to people who were born free to be paid by people who
>>>> never supported or benefited from slavery.....AAC
>>>
>>> Our entire economy was based on slavery. Everybody benefitted.
>>>
>>> There are many people in this country whose current wealth is the
>>> direct result of slavery.
>> ***************
>> Puh-leeze, oh you of the clouded, dim mind. Is that why the south was
>> so wealthy it could outspend the north and win the civil war?
>
> No, simple one, it was the cheap raw materials from the South that allowed
> the North to expand its industry and gain the wealth that allowed it to
> outspend the South and win the Civil War.
"Cheap raw materials"!?!? BWAHAHAHAH. Like an economic system tied to cotton
and cotton, you mal-educated fool? The south had little mineral wealth, a
primitive transportation system, and rigid class society. The north was not
burdened with any of those. Its dynamism and upwardly mobile population was
180 degrees different from the stagnant south.
> You really need to go back to school, Denis. Go to a real one this time,
> not the Dick Cheney Before He Dicks You Academy for Mindless Morons.
>
> [remainder of mindless horseshit snipped to nip gag reflex in the bud]
Here, read these thoughts from men much, much smarter than you, then I have
something else for you to gag on:
"Beware the fallacies into which undisciplined thinkers most easily
fall--they are the real distorting prisms of human nature." --Francis Bacon
�Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I�m not sure
about the universe.� --Albert Einstein
"The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant; it's
just that they know so much that isn't so." -- Ronald Reagan
Dionysus
>
Dionysus
"pirate investigator" <vnm...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:77fffd52-3454-4806...@l35g2000pra.googlegroups.com...
On Jul 9, 9:50 am, "Lamont Cranston"
In terms of biological ancestry, each person had two parents, four
grandparents, eight great grandparents, 16 great great grandparents
and over 1000 great great great great great great great great
grandparents. Most descendants of slaves have AT LEAST ONE biological
ancestor who was a slave owner. The typical one would have numerous
such ancestors. In fact, the typical descendant of slaves probably
has more slave owners in his ancestry than 100 million americans whose
US ancestry does not go back as far as 1865. And many of the latter
have been required to pay more in taxes to subsidize the descendants
of slaves. So in all fairness, descendants of slaves could be
expected to pay out more in reparations than they get back.
*************
Well reasoned. Good on you. That'll get their knickers in a knot!
Dionysus
Lamont Cranston
Stay stupid, Denis. It's fun to watch retards like you make
your weird animal noises.
Dionysus
"Lamont Cranston"
<Lamont....@WhoKnowsWhatEvilLurksInTheHeartsOfRepugs.com> wrote in
Your capitulation to superior intellect is noted by all here, Dim One.
Dionysus
>
Diogenes
>
> "Lamont Cranston"
> <Lamont....@WhoKnowsWhatEvilLurksInTheHeartsOfRepugs.com> wrote in
> message news:h356si$c1l$1...@news.datemas.de...
>> AnAmericanCitizen wrote:
>>> I agree slavery was a terrible thing, however, it was the slaves'
>>> ancestors and our early ancestors that were responsible. Hence, an
>>> apology at this late date doesn't mean a thing coming at this time
>>> unless, of course, there are those who are looking for reparations
>>> which would go to people who were born free to be paid by people who
>>> never supported or benefited from slavery.....AAC
>>
>> Our entire economy was based on slavery. Everybody benefitted.
>>
>> There are many people in this country whose current wealth is the
>> direct result of slavery.
> ***************
or another. The modern-day equivalent is the illegal immigrant or the
outsourcing of jobs to foreign countries. If there had been a welfare
program for slaves, they would have probably liked slavery a lot better.
The fly in the ointment is that the modern-day wage-slave doesn't just
work for the low wage, but gets all kinds of government handouts which
offsets the benefit of wage-slavery by passing the buck from the modern
equivalent of the ole massa to the taxpayer.
The only people who would have any right to reparations would be people
who were actually slaves, not their descendants who already are
receiving food stamps, child support, earned income tax credits and
representation withiout taxation.