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Fifteen reasons reparations are a dumb idea
Fifteen reasons reparations are a dumb idea
(The Daily Kenn) - Arguments against reparations stress that no current taxpayers owned slaves, implementation faces massive logistical hurdles, and costs could harm the economy. They note significant post-slavery progress through civil rights measures and warn that payments might foster division and victimhood rather than empowerment. Focus on opportunity-enhancing policies offers a more unifying way to address disparities.
Imagine a nation pouring energy into settling scores from centuries ago while everyday challenges like violent crime, illegal “immigration,” and a war on traditional families demand attention today. The push for cash reparations to descendants of enslaved negros stirs strong feelings, but practical and principled problems make it a flawed path forward.
Here are 15 reasons to reconsider.
1. No living person bears direct responsibility. Slavery ended in 1865. Taxpayers today—including recent immigrants and families who fought against it—did not own slaves or enact Jim Crow laws. Holding them accountable creates collective guilt, not justice.
2. Identifying recipients proves nearly impossible. Millions of Black Americans descend from post-1865 immigrants. Tracing ancestry accurately for every claim would spark endless disputes, fraud risks, and…
And the only reason needed is that there is no good argument for reparations. If they want, we'd be happy to send them back to point of origin and call it good. And they could ask for reparations from those (other Africans) that sold them to the slave trade in the first place.