Reparations revived; was; Defacing Websites

[Kelley Walker]

At 04:12 PM 3/29/01 -0500, Doug Henwood wrote:
>Ian Murray wrote:
>
>>Perhaps those who have successfully agitated/organized for the holocaust
>>reparations have created a cookbook for strategies and tactics that are
>>transposable to a US context? Names, phone #'s etc to make contacts yaddah
>>yaddah.
>
>That's some model. Enrich lawyers and establishment organizations, while 
>the real victims get a few bucks.
>
>Doug

why do we want to base it on the model of an "historic injustice" or a 
"crime against humanity" anyway?  why not call it for what it was: slavery 
as the preliminary model for a full blown capitalist global enterprise?

it reminds me of the historians' debate in germany, prompted by the debates 
over reparations/holocaust.  as i recall, the argument that the holocaust 
was a unique event in human history--a pathology of the germans, etc.--was 
used by both sides.

anyway, i think calling it a "crime against humanity" is a cop out that 
does implicate capitalism as much as i want.

kelley