RE: Reparations? For what? Was it done to you? Did I do it to you? Or is it simply implementing "institutional racism".
You continue to belittle a very serious issue
Again as I told you before, its not as simple as "Were you a slave?"
The descendants of those that went through this vile system deserve every bit of reparation they are entitled to......
I would continue to advocate the need to carefully analyze the facts and look at the current system and how disadvantage these group of people are... Its really good at least we from the Caribbean aren't making an issue of it but still maintain respect and loyalty to the royal family but its history is ugly. Crowns lands still exist and entitlement to royal family still exist, as we speak the royal family is taking a tour of the Caribbean. Why should these benefits be maintained to them but we should ignore the fact of a vile system of the past. Should Haiti continue to pay France? Should the English and Dutch Caribbean continue to pay respect to their respective royal family? The reality, they still do, the Queen is still the Head of State, the people still don't own any land... They own nothing, the parents had nothing to pass on.
You continue to pontificate things that you don't see how bad your judgement and taste on the matter really is. Its painful to even read some of the nonsense you writing. For whatever its worth, there are people still hurting over these facts, lets not melt it down to the racism game or trivial issues. There are young people still searching for answers, lets be careful how we frame argument. I am very careful when I start discussing issues regarding Jews and what they went through and I fully respect not throwing tags and name around that issue. For whatever its worth, please don't move this issue to the level "Were you a slave?" and "Get over it" or "I believe no reparation, so its no reparation".
Lets try to cultivate appreciation on the past and try not to mix to much of the issues but you continue to push these issues, I don't know what what exactly you are trying to prove. As a reminder, while it isn't bitter issue in the Caribbean, people in Africa are still fighting over this matter, its the reason why South Africa is so divided, you also need to understand that these people still feel the pain of the fathers and mothers who never had a voice and wants everything that they should have gotten paid directly to them or their children enjoy the fruits that they fore fathers never got to enjoy. (Upvoted for visibility)
It is a serious issue. However, the politicians in the USA are corrupt. They are like Hugo Chavez offering his citizens so much and then making them so poor. The politicians offering "reparations" have the goal of dividing the USA, printing money, and targeting that money for votes. They USE social issues to justify their corruption and they do not help black people by training them to think of themselves as victims and disabled.
Well I certainly know the game politicians play and the USA with this two party system isn't really a model that has shown it has any moral authority. I am the descendant of Slavery, and I am very proud of it. I really don't know much about my heritage, all i know I am as mix up as they come: African, European and Indian but I predominantly identify as Afro-Caribbean.
People still don't understand how popular Hugo Chavez really is, and the many achievements, I assume you are educated base on western media information so your picture of Hugo Chavez is tainted with Socialism is bad and Chavez was a dictator but please again you need to really come to the Caribbean and go to the rural villages of Venezuela. Our people share a vary similar anti-colonial, anti-imperialist and a deep appreciation of our Afro-heritage. The reason why so many of the leaders that America point as dictator in Latin America and Caribbean ride on the same wave of anti-colonialist and anti-imperialist. You would realize our society is still plague by a class (racism) issue. Venezuela socio-economic problems is nothing new my friend, it was the reason why Hugo Chavez came into power. You need to realize, in the late 80's and throughout the 90's Venezuela face a serious class problem, many felt that the wealth of the country was enjoyed by a few. In fact, many felt that they were not feeling the Bolivarian revolution. Chavez recognized that and were able to ride that wave from the military right up to the Presidency. The first thing he did was put an end to privatization of national resources and redistribution of the wealth from the 1% to the millions of marginalized Venezuelans. For the first time, many Venezuelans were able to own land and have a home. Education became available to every Venezuelan irregardless of the socio-economic status. Chavez was able to bring many Latin American and Caribbean countries to the table and say, I AM GOING TO HELP. They were given preferential Oil and Gas prices that ensured these countries were able to afford and for the first time these government were not left wondering how their budget would meet their growing Oil and Gas demand.
Here where Chavez step on the foot of America and allies by nationalizing Oil blocks given to them under the previous administration privatization drive. With that move, the entire Gulf course of USA felt the impacts, even the refinery located in the Caribbean (Dutch Caribbean> Curacao & Aruba). How could this Afro-Venezuelan man come and cause so much disruption to a very profitable enterprise. That's when the financial blockade started against Venezuela. This is not the first coup in Venezuela, the most open and recent one was in 2002, it failed, after 5 days, the Americans had to abandon their plans as the people took to the streets demanding Chavez return. But I give the USA credit here, the financial blockade continued, intensified under Obama and Trump step on the accelerator. At the moment, Venezuela is completely cut out from the financial system. So before you start pointing fingers at Socialism is a failure, do some digging. The USA again is making a mistake, they are trying to build support for military intervention but now they realize the asset they need aren't giving them support which are the Lima Group. A lot of countries are split, and none wants to have the blood of the people that help them for two decades. The tried to get support in the Caribbean but surprising even to me, only Haiti gave its support, the other islands who usually go with whatever the USA says, basically told them to fuck off. Interesting, immediately after the Haitian President declared support for Guaido his entire country has been demanding he leaves power calling him an American puppet. The western media refuses to bring this coverage.
Again the idea that Socialism is a failure is not correct, look at Norway or other European countries where the nation wealth is spurred into social programs and national planning that benefit the people. This is actually working quite well for the people there. Why would the USA pick out Venezuela, is it a sour score from 20 years ago.
Politicians would continue to play the game, I am not even a fan of Socialism but I have to put the facts out there. My only worry America is increasingly seen as the "imperialist" in the Caribbean and just base on the psychology of the people, even when it means well, people are going to reject them. I think America problem is its foreign policy and what they consider their backyard and the so call 'Munroe' doctrine is going to hurt them. As I continue to say if America does not change, it would soon realize the Caribbean and Latin America would jump into the arms of China which is doubling investment in the region. Its only a matter of the banks in the region developing a channel with the banks in mainland China outside the control of the USA and its really game over. What worries me, is the type of governance in that country,, are we giving up one yolk to accept another... China understand these issues and they realize the sentiment of the people in the region are changing towards the USA, they are playing the cards skillfully. I am only just realizing, the Southern Caribbean which borders Venezuela is one of the richest Hydrocarbob (Oil and Gas) and Geothermal resources areas in the world. For American companies and their growth prospects, this is not the region they would want to give up easily. The reality, these small developing islands do not have the financial resources to develop and monetize these resources, so the Chinese would be hitting the lottery.