paying off ex-slaves

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

>Well, if there were simple justice, we'd give America back to the 
>Indians. But we're not gonna. Likewise with reparations. One raeson 
>it's a guilt trip is that it calls in a debt that cannot really be 
>denied or paid, this side of capitalism. It makes people 
>uncomfortable because the debt is quite real. But it is divisive in 
>part for this very reason; and because it's too big. Oh, I suppose 
>you might hypothetically try to settle it for a pittance, a few 
>thousand for every descendent of the slaves. But that would be like 
>trying to make good on the theft of Manahttan by giving back the $24 
>in beads. --jks

If reparations turn out to be a pittance, they can legitimate slavery 
in the past, present, & future, I'm afraid.  I wonder why 
conservatives haven't chosen a clever tactic of supporting the idea 
of reparations but bargaining payments down to a sum that adds insult 
to injury.

Yoshie