Ta-Nehisi Coates Assails Mitch McConnell at Raucous Reparations Hearing

[SummerMadness]

What Reparations for Slavery Might Look Like in 2019

If you’re surprised that the issue of reparations for black Americans has taken so long to resolve, blame the president. President Andrew Johnson.

As the Civil War wound down in 1865, Gen. William T. Sherman made the promise that would come to be known as “40 acres and a mule” — redistributing a huge tract of Atlantic coastline to black Americans recently freed from bondage. President Abraham Lincoln and Congress gave their approval, and soon 40,000 freedmen in the South had started to plant and build.

 

[SummerMadness]

So why are so many folks in poverty these days? (And to think there are people voting for this to happen)

Is it because they want to be or is it because of politicians and the elite?

And what group of people is the most susceptible to being in poverty? (Might it be the ones you want to give reparations to)?

Now if you think about what this all means you will figure out what I meant about slavery hasn't ended it's just taken a different form, it effects more folks of all colors now...

You have provided no real answer here

Chattel slavery is not comparable to paying taxes. Slavery is not poverty, slavery is slavery.

 

[Sparagmos]

Slavery never went away in this country it just morphed into something else, it's financial now. (I have to laugh when politicians say we need to tax the rich more)

It’s not just politicians, a majority of Americans would like to see the rich pay more taxes. They pay a lower percentage than the middle class.

 

[Gigimo]

It’s not just politicians, a majority of Americans would like to see the rich pay more taxes. They pay a lower percentage than the middle class.

What I think most Americans (especially taxpaying ones) would rather see is more of the citizens of this country paying taxes (this means more jobs, higher wages, fewer illegals and the chance to make something of themselves). They're very tired of seeing people oppressed by those they vote for and are tired of paying for some folks free rides.

 

[Gigimo]

You have provided no real answer here

Chattel slavery is not comparable to paying taxes. Slavery is not poverty, slavery is slavery.

I didn't think you'd want to figure it out but others have, like Burgess Owens: Former NFL Player Burgess Owens Uses Testimony on Reparations to Highlight the Democratic Party's Racist Past

 

[Sparagmos]

What I think most Americans (especially taxpaying ones) would rather see is more of the citizens of this country paying taxes (this means more jobs, higher wages, fewer illegals and the chance to make something of themselves). They're very tired of seeing people oppressed by those they vote for and are tired of paying for some folks free rides.

There are plenty of jobs right now and if you’d like to see higher wages then you should support unions and the people working to raise the minimum wage. “Free rides” are basically a myth, unless you are talking about corporations who don’t pay taxes. Middle class and the working poor pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes than the rich.

 

[SummerMadness]

There are plenty of jobs right now and if you’d like to see higher wages then you should support unions and the people working to raise the minimum wage. “Free rides” are basically a myth, unless you are talking about corporations who don’t pay taxes. Middle class and the working poor pay a higher percentage of their income in taxes than the rich.

Exactly, we also need for people to stop levying the racist argument that puports African Americans as lazy people on welfare looking for a free ride. That claim about African Americans has been around since the Reconstruction era, it was racist characterization then and it is a racist characterization now.

 

[Sparagmos]

Exactly, we also need for people to stop levying the racist argument that puports African Americans as lazy people on welfare looking for a free ride. That claim about African Americans has been around since the Reconstruction era, it was racist characterization then and it is a racist characterization now.

Amen to that. Although I don’t think the racists will change, they’ll just be outnumbered. I’m excited to see southern states start flipping as people of color continue to mobilize and take back their communities!

 

[SummerMadness]

Amen to that. Although I don’t think the racists will change, they’ll just be outnumbered. I’m excited to see southern states start flipping as people of color continue to mobilize and take back their communities!

I think North Carolina will continue to move in that direction, especially as the populace becomes more educated. Gerrymandering and the targeting of African American voting is ultimately what will need to change in order for progress to continue. Stacey Abrams shows us Georgia is also moving in the right direction; I think that's why she encouraged people to not boycott the state. Part of theses states flipping is encouraging them to become a more "interstate" state, that is encouraging more investment and business from outside the state. The more interstate commerce you have, the easier it is to build the state, which means better infrastructure and education. And we all know the real enemy of progress in the South is education. But things are looking up, as our society becomes move ethnically diverse, the last hurrah for white nationalism in 2016 will be but a memory.

 

[Ironhold]

Here's this as an idea:

If a person of *any* race wants to move to an area where there is a dire shortage of workers, or seek employment in a field that's determined to be experiencing a dire shortage, then the government will pick up the tab for training and help them relocate *providing* they do in fact obtain a job.

For example, right now there's a nation-wide shortage of truck drivers that's reaching the point of being dire. We've also got localized shortages of prison guards, mechanics, and construction trades workers.

There are also across-the-board shortages of workers in places like North Dakota (as a whole state) and areas of West Texas. For example, a few months back a photo was circulating online showing a convenience store in Texas oil country; the store was so short-handed that they were offering an apartment for anyone who would work there.

So -

You're a struggling young person from the inner city. You're given the ability to attend a truck driving school. You're now making $50K - $90K a year traveling all across the country, and since you can get by on just half of that (maybe a little more with taxes) you're kicking the rest back to your family and friends.

How's that sound?

 

[Sparagmos]

Here's this as an idea:

If a person of *any* race wants to move to an area where there is a dire shortage of workers, or seek employment in a field that's determined to be experiencing a dire shortage, then the government will pick up the tab for training and help them relocate *providing* they do in fact obtain a job.

For example, right now there's a nation-wide shortage of truck drivers that's reaching the point of being dire. We've also got localized shortages of prison guards, mechanics, and construction trades workers.

There are also across-the-board shortages of workers in places like North Dakota (as a whole state) and areas of West Texas. For example, a few months back a photo was circulating online showing a convenience store in Texas oil country; the store was so short-handed that they were offering an apartment for anyone who would work there.

So -

You're a struggling young person from the inner city. You're given the ability to attend a truck driving school. You're now making $50K - $90K a year traveling all across the country, and since you can get by on just half of that (maybe a little more with taxes) you're kicking the rest back to your family and friends.

How's that sound?

That sounds great! And we should do reparations.

 

[rjs330]

Why do people keep making this ridiculous argument? Racism is an American problem. It's not the Democratic Party, it's not the Republican Party, it's not the Whigs, it's not the Federalists, it's an American problem. An American problem perpetrated and perpetuated by federal, state and local governments with multiple political parties in power.

When people make this "Democrats were the racists and Republicans fought racism" argument it shows a great lack of respect for the people that you're talking to because you believe they are too stupid to recognize shifts in political ideology across American history. There's a reason why the Confederate flag and most racists find their home in the Republican Party nowadays, but that's besides the point, as you believe people are dumb and should recognize the racism we see today as connected to something that happened in the past (we won't even get into the irony of demanding people follow a current political ideology based on something in the past while telling them to ignore the past a la segregation and slavery).

There is very little real racism today. And we have civil rights laws that ended the policies of the past. African Americans have the same opportunities as anyone else now. They can get an education, attend college, go to trade school or whatever. They can own houses anywhere they want to, travel anywhere they want. They can work in any field they want to. Nothing is preventing them from doing that.

 

[SummerMadness]

There is very little real racism today. And we have civil rights laws that ended the policies of the past. African Americans have the same opportunities as anyone else now. They can get an education, attend college, go to trade school or whatever. They can own houses anywhere they want to, travel anywhere they want. They can work in any field they want to. Nothing is preventing them from doing that.

Let me guess, you’re not African American (and likely not a person of color). You cannot tell people experiencing racism that they are not experiencing real racism. Try again.

 

[rjs330]

Why do people keep making this ridiculous argument? Racism is an American problem. It's not the Democratic Party, it's not the Republican Party, it's not the Whigs, it's not the Federalists, it's an American problem. An American problem perpetrated and perpetuated by federal, state and local governments with multiple political parties in power.

When people make this "Democrats were the racists and Republicans fought racism" argument it shows a great lack of respect for the people that you're talking to because you believe they are too stupid to recognize shifts in political ideology across American history. There's a reason why the Confederate flag and most racists find their home in the Republican Party nowadays, but that's besides the point, as you believe people are dumb and should recognize the racism we see today as connected to something that happened in the past (we won't even get into the irony of demanding people follow a current political ideology based on something in the past while telling them to ignore the past a la segregation and slavery).

And the Democrats were primarily the reason for the complaints you have. And now you want everyone to pay for reparations caused primarily by southern Democrats. And by the way, it was also the Republicans who primarily supported the Civil Rights and primarily the Democrats who opposed them.

And now that the deomcrats have become the party that wants to "help" the African American community what have they really done? Are African Americans really all that much better off for throwing their support for the Democrats? MOST of these cities where they are struggling have been run by the Dems for decades. Yet they still are struggling.

You know who has actually made things better for them? The administration of Donald Trump. The supposed racist.

 

[rjs330]

Let me guess, you’re not African American (and likely not a person of color). You cannot tell people experiencing racism that they are not experiencing real racism. Try again.

Holy cow, when will you ever get this right? Since you see everything through racism you can't even hear what's said. Please point out where I said that if people experience racism it's not real.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Here's this as an idea:

If a person of *any* race wants to move to an area where there is a dire shortage of workers, or seek employment in a field that's determined to be experiencing a dire shortage, then the government will pick up the tab for training and help them relocate *providing* they do in fact obtain a job.

For example, right now there's a nation-wide shortage of truck drivers that's reaching the point of being dire. We've also got localized shortages of prison guards, mechanics, and construction trades workers.

There are also across-the-board shortages of workers in places like North Dakota (as a whole state) and areas of West Texas. For example, a few months back a photo was circulating online showing a convenience store in Texas oil country; the store was so short-handed that they were offering an apartment for anyone who would work there.

So -

You're a struggling young person from the inner city. You're given the ability to attend a truck driving school. You're now making $50K - $90K a year traveling all across the country, and since you can get by on just half of that (maybe a little more with taxes) you're kicking the rest back to your family and friends.

How's that sound?

It doesn't sound like reparations.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Let me guess, you’re not African American (and likely not a person of color). You cannot tell people experiencing racism that they are not experiencing real racism. Try again.

Anyone of any race can understand racism.

Anyone of any race can be wrong about racism.

Being a different race from someone else doesn't invalidate one's opinion.

 

[Ana the Ist]

When Government Drew the Color Line


One of the great analyses in Rothstein’s book is how he demonstrates that government policies are the reason for the current problem. Arguments that de facto segregation is behind the current segregated country we live in is misplaced and ignores the policies that created the problem, along with the current inequality. You can’t address the issue until you address the direct impact of the government’s hand on these communities.

There's no real way to measure the direct impact of redlining. There's no doubt that redlining was a racist policy instituted against black people....but that doesn't mean it "impacted" every black person.

It definitely impacted those who tried to, or wanted to, move into areas they were restricted from....but that's not the entire population.

It's like if Harvard discriminated against whites....and didn't allow any white students to enroll. Does that mean I suddenly deserve some sort of justice from Harvard? No...of course not lol. I was never going to Harvard, regardless of my skin color, because I was never willing to work hard enough to be admitted in the first place.

I certainly don't need an exploratory committee to tell you to a certainty that redlining affected a portion of the black population....but we can never truly know what portion and to what extent.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Amen to that. Although I don’t think the racists will change, they’ll just be outnumbered. I’m excited to see southern states start flipping as people of color continue to mobilize and take back their communities!

Because only whites are racist? I can understand why someone would be apathetic about a racial demographic shift...but I can't see why anyone would be "excited" about it unless they were racist against one of the racial demographics.

 

[DanishLutheran]

Let me guess, you’re not African American (and likely not a person of color). You cannot tell people experiencing racism that they are not experiencing real racism. Try again.

Let me guess: You have no real argument, so therefore you resort to ad homs?
And for the moment I self-identify as a black lesbian, so according to your own logic, you can't argue with me! Not making any promises about 2 minutes from now, because everything is fluid, of course