Reparations for slavery

[A18]

Make sure you read the question. Then discuss.

[NewFederalist]

independent/Other- No "War is hell!" (Famous dead guy quote)

[Virginian87]

Of course not.

[The Dowager Mod]

Nope.

[Bdub]

No way.

[Colin]

No way.

Let me rephrase that, not until I get my reparations check from the government of the UK for treating my English Catholic ancestors so badly.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

No way.

Let me rephrase that, not until I get my reparations check from the government of the UK France for treating my English Catholic Huguenot ancestors so badly.

[Colin]

No way.

Let me rephrase that, not until I get my reparations check from the government of the UK France for treating my English Catholic Huguenot ancestors so badly.

[afleitch]

Of course not! Besides what if your mothers side were enslaved and your fathers side their enslavers? Do you sue yourself?

[Undisguised Sockpuppet]

Of course not! Besides what if your mothers side were enslaved and your fathers side their enslavers? Do you sue yourself?

That would make it confusing.

[adam]

The government screws us all in one way or another every single day, when are we getting our reparations?

No (O)

[MasterJedi]

Nope

[Dr. Cynic]

No

[ian]

Yes, obviously with provisions.
It only makes sense that people that were screwed out of money get it.  If my great grandparents had money that didn't get passed down to me, I would expect it.
However, I think it should be in the form of scholarships or something useful, not just a random check given to all great-grandchildren of slaves.

[adam]

Yes, obviously with provisions.
It only makes sense that people that were screwed out of money get it.  If my great grandparents had money that didn't get passed down to me, I would expect it.
However, I think it should be in the form of scholarships or something useful, not just a random check given to all great-grandchildren of slaves.

So when am I getting my tax dollars back? Don't say social programs and government spending, because I don't experience the benefits of either.

[MasterJedi]

Yes, obviously with provisions.
It only makes sense that people that were screwed out of money get it.  If my great grandparents had money that didn't get passed down to me, I would expect it.
However, I think it should be in the form of scholarships or something useful, not just a random check given to all great-grandchildren of slaves.

Then go give some money to some black people in an inner city by you right now.

[Democratic Hawk]

Absolutely not

Dave

[A18]

Some of you obviously did not read the question, and others likely did not.

Should the government have to pay reparations to the descendants of the millions of Americans it enslaved in various wars?

[ragnar]

No, the US should not pay reparation to the millions of drafted soldiers used in various wars.

[The Constitarian]

No

what do you mean enslaved in varius wars, are you talking about the draft, or real slaves used in wars.

[ragnar]

He is talking about the draft.

[memphis]

Yes, obviously with provisions.
It only makes sense that people that were screwed out of money get it.  If my great grandparents had money that didn't get passed down to me, I would expect it.
However, I think it should be in the form of scholarships or something useful, not just a random check given to all great-grandchildren of slaves.

So when am I getting my tax dollars back? Don't say social programs and government spending, because I don't experience the benefits of either.

Bull!
Your local police are protecting you right now.
The US military is protecting you right now.
Firefighters are protecting you right now.
We have the finest roads in the world for you to use.
You have local, state, and national parks which you can visit.
There are public schools should you choose to attend them.
When you are old, the government will provide health insurance for you far cheaper and far more efficiently than the private sector would.
The government is keeping unlicensed professionals from scamming you.
Your food is dirt cheap because of farm subsidies.
If you cannot afford college, the gov't may offer grants or loans
The gov't maintains prisons, keeping criminals off the streets

These things don't come cheap, but you wouldn't want to live without them. Our government's not perfect, but I hate when people don't even consider all the crap it does for you and just bitch about taxes.

[MaC]

Yes, obviously with provisions.
It only makes sense that people that were screwed out of money get it.  If my great grandparents had money that didn't get passed down to me, I would expect it.
However, I think it should be in the form of scholarships or something useful, not just a random check given to all great-grandchildren of slaves.

So when am I getting my tax dollars back? Don't say social programs and government spending, because I don't experience the benefits of either.

Bull!
Your local police are protecting you right now.
The US military is protecting you right now.
Firefighters are protecting you right now.
We have the finest roads in the world for you to use.
The gov't maintains prisons, keeping criminals off the streets

Out of what you mentioned, these are the only things government needs to do.  Other things such as the social insurance can be done better privately.  The police and fire shouldn't be anything but local, and the roads absolutely suck, if you haven't noticed.  Plenty of potholes, road strips and such that only need redoing every 5 years anyways.  And this is for political reasons.  Governors and other officials can always fix roads around election time and say "look at me, I gave a job to construction workers and fixed the roads, elect me!".

To think that most social programs help more they hurt is a mistake.

[adam]

Yes, obviously with provisions.
It only makes sense that people that were screwed out of money get it.  If my great grandparents had money that didn't get passed down to me, I would expect it.
However, I think it should be in the form of scholarships or something useful, not just a random check given to all great-grandchildren of slaves.

So when am I getting my tax dollars back? Don't say social programs and government spending, because I don't experience the benefits of either.

Bull!
Your local police are protecting you right now.
The US military is protecting you right now.
Firefighters are protecting you right now.
We have the finest roads in the world for you to use.
The gov't maintains prisons, keeping criminals off the streets

Out of what you mentioned, these are the only things government needs to do.  Other things such as the social insurance can be done better privately.  The police and fire shouldn't be anything but local, and the roads absolutely suck, if you haven't noticed.  Plenty of potholes, road strips and such that only need redoing every 5 years anyways.  And this is for political reasons.  Governors and other officials can always fix roads around election time and say "look at me, I gave a job to construction workers and fixed the roads, elect me!".

To think that most social programs help more they hurt is a mistake.

Took the words out of my mouth.

[memphis]

You guys are crazy if you think our roads are anything but the best in the world. The interstate highways are the most amazing engineering project in the history of humanity. A few cities have problems with their roads, but this is the exception. Without public schools parks and Social Security American would be a feudal backwater and a complete hellhole. Without student loans there would be no pretense of meritocracy. The difficulty of social mobility is already a major hurdle holding Americans back.