Ok im watching FoxNews right now. And it seems NY city passed (or about to pass) a law stating that any business that wants to do business with the city has to make sure if they did not profitted from slavery. I agree Slavery was bad and wrong under today standards and my standards. But when is enough is enough. As far as history has gone, slavery has been a way of life. Blacks did it on blacks and whites did it one whites and each other. Hell there is proof that African tribes sold the slaves to the whites in the beginning of the slave trade. I don’t understand why people are bringing this issue up again and trying to get reperations for it. Its over live with it. Accept and understand what happened in the past not profit from it. If this is the case I’ll sue the middle east nations for enslaving my people back in the Ottaman Empire times. It would only be fare. Im sorry to rant but this stuff really disturbs me as no one can just accept past and move on. They have to dredge it and keep on complaining.
That’ll all change when the city starts losing money. Also, I agree with you that this is getting way out of hand, and wasn’t the civil war a good enough reperation?
Right on! If anybody has read the book “Out of Africa”, the black author states that slavery actually improved the quality of life of blacks, and that the descendants of slaves are lucky to be here.
So the city of NY is not giving contracts to any companies that profited from slavery? It sounds to me that they’re just trying to be a little too PC, not trying to make reparations.
Today there are slaves in New York and other western cities. People are smuggled in and forced to work to repay a deabt. Often women are made to work as prositutes. BBC News | AMERICAS | Man sentenced in US sex slave case
BBC News | EUROPE | Italian police bust sex slave ring
BBC News | EUROPE | EU 'to protect' sex slaves
BBC News | AFRICA | Nigerian girls sold as sex slaves
BBC News | AMERICAS | Crackdown on sex slavery
Also there is still slavery in the developing world. Take for instance chocolate slaves in Western Africa.
BBC NEWS | Africa | Meeting the 'chocolate slaves'
Anti-slavery activities should focus on modern slavery (which they can do something about) not historical slavery (which is history). Unless their goal is to line their pockets not anti-slavery.
Think what you may…but I don’t think that this is so much a “black and white” issue as it is a reflection of the litiginous nature of America…
The issue should NEVER reach a courtroom…and I’m a PROVEN direct descendant of slaves…
It is a big money grab. That is what it is all about. After seeing the current state of most African nations, and if I was an American of slavery decent, I would thank my lucky stars that my ancestors were slaves and made it to America. Africa is a violent, disease filled, dirty country; just to be clear, it has nothing to do with the color of most of their skins…it has everything to do with the philosophy that pervades that continent. It is sad, really.
Isn’t it generally assumed that a dark black person with a European last name is a descendant of slaves?
Guys, slow down a second. This is not about reparations. Reparations would be African Americans getting a big “rebate” check. This is about the city of New York not rewarding big contracts to companies that have a track record of human rights violations. This is the first I have heard of it so I can’t comment in detail, but on the surface I don’t think it is as insane as some of you guys make it sound. Hey, a year or two ago it was disclosed that one of the major banks had made money off of Nazi Germany’s looting of invaded countries (I think that’s how the story goes). Big business sometimes has mud (or blood) on their hands and I am glad when they are held accountable.
Some would suggest the following:
1. Africa is a continent, not a nation. (You got it right the second time.)
2.The roots of current social conditions found in Africa (and indeed, all of the third world) lie in the historic and continuing exploitation of these nations by industrialized nations.
I understand your point, but is it right to punish a company now for something done way back when? This, atleast to me, seems like a quick attempt at political correctness. Also, didn’t the gov benefit from slavery? Why should buisnesses have to answer to the goverment for practices that were, although horrible, legal at the time. thanks
Let me suggest, I got it right the first time (“most African nationS”). See the “s” at the end of “nations”? Yeah, that means plural. It was late and I was tired, so later I typed country instead of continent, so sue me. Later, I used “continent”. Looking at the totality of my post, it is clear that “country” was a typo. But, hey, thanks for pointing that out. It really helped further the discussion. Pointing out typos is so fun and helpful on message boards! Second, the only people who would say “exploitation by industrialized nations” are communists or college professors (the same thing really). It is the underlying philosopy that the people as a whole subscribe to. In fact, most of the world subscribes to that philosophy (the US so far has not at least fully). The only reason the rest of the world is not in such shambles is that they turned their back to that philosophy for a short period of time. The philosophy that causes these conditions (brutality, lack if respect for human life, etc.) is called RELATIVISM which applied practically equates to “Might makes right”. Looking at the histories of these third world countries makes it clear that they were in a similar shape BEFORE the industrial revolution! So, how can their plight be blamed on “inustrial nations”? It cannot; it is false; it is a lie and its purpose is to create a hatred for science, technology and capitalism and foster a system that does not respect individualism and makes men cogs or slaves to something “greater” (eg “the nation”, “society”, “the greater good”, “the mother land” “the father land”, etc.).
I’ll bite. If the intention behind reparations is to bring attention to slavery, then spend your time working on eliminating it in today’s world. If it is to repay for wrongs, it is stupid; it is just a shakedown scheme. As for payment for the exploitation of natural resources, that is dumb also. The conditions for economic growth are still unknown. Singapore has what we would call a represive government and yet it displays a decent standard of living. The same can be argued for South Korea pre 1995. Argentina (not the best example available) basically is democratic yet its economy is in a shamble. The USSR pre 1985 maintained a good growth rate and look at the exploitation there. Africa has many problems and to blame Multinationals for their issues is short sighted and based upon a debunked Marxist Analysis. And there is no such thing as sustainable growth model…either there is growth or there is no growth: stasis does not improve anyones life…just my two cents.
The cause of the political, social, and economic instability in Africa lies with the Africans, and only with the Africans. Most African countries are run by dictators who are more concerned with lining their own pockets than with the well being of their country. The two major factors keeping Africa poor are a lack of property rights and a lack of capital investment. Property rights in Africa are, in most countries, nonexistent. Because of this, Western companies don’t want to invest any capital to develop the natural resources there, because they know that this capital will eventually be seized by the government. Would you invest millions of dollars in a country, knowing that it would most likely get seized? Look at someone like Mugabe who seizes fertile land from whites to dole out to his friends, driving an entire region into famine. Look at Zaire, one of the richest countries in terms of natural resources, whose resources have enriched Mobutu, Kabila, and whoever else has controlled the mines.
None of the various social groups in America wether black,hispanic,middle eastern,ect. will ever achieve equality until they refuse to accept the “victom” mentality that is too common in America.Too many are too eager to blame their problems on others,rather than accept that their failures are often caused by their own poor decisions. Reparations activists constantly blame 200 year old incidents for their failure to succeed. Maybe they should instead be a little more critical of a culture that glorify’s violence,and drugs.
Most. Off. Topic. Posts. Ever! “NY city passed (or about to pass) a law stating that any business that wants to do business with the city has to make sure if they did not profitted from slavery.” What’s that got to do with the situation in Africa now? Umm, nothing. Oh well!
- “Africa is a violent, disease filled, dirty country”
Using country instead of continent is, in my book, not a typo. They’re radically different. However, if you just mixed them up because it was late and you were tired, that’s understandable. No biggie.
2. You’re right, that is a socialist sort of viewpoint. I just threw it out there as an opposing viewpoint. I, personally, believe it has just as much truth (and untruth) as the the ideas you expound.
3. I seriously doubt ‘things’ were as bad before the Industriali Revolution as they are now, if only because of the increasing population density and pollution.
4. Regarding human rights and capitalism, I’d say it is hard to argue that working conditions were by far the worst they’ve ever been in this country during the latter half of the 19th century, a period which coincides with the most pure implementation of capitalism the world has seen.
5. I’d say the ideas of ‘patriotism’, ‘nation’, and so forth are considerably more developed here than any 3rd world nation. Well, most industrialized nations as well.
6. My aim here is to challenge your major assumptions. I love to argue–think it’s good. So by all means, respond as promptly as possible and knock me off my rocker!
I used “nations” then “country” then “continent”. If what came before and after “country” does not prove it was a typo, I don’t know what will!?!? I will respond to the other stuff when I have more time! Maybe we can solve the whole problem!!