Although I am no friend of the empire I think that the whole reparations idea is dead on arrival, and possibly a diversion created to deflect workable ideas of more equitable wealth distribution. It is dead on arrival for the following reasons:
1. It relies on stereotypy and the racist notions that all black and all whites uniforms and clearly defined groups. Without that notion, the whole concept falls apart like a house of cards. Clearly, not all whites were supporters of slavery and blacks were slaves, some of them were slave owners. Who should pay and who should receive? All "pure bread" whites and all "pure bread" blacks - is there is such a thing? How about those with biracial parents - should they receive only a portion of what 'pure bread' blacks get, and by the same token, pay only a portion of what "pure bread" whites pay?
The absurdity of the concept of reparations becomes apparent when you start thinking about details.
2. How is the amount of reparations going to be determined? Cost of unpaid labor, plus interest less subsequent benefits? Or some monetary value of a human being? Again, absurdity becomes apparent when details are considered.
3. Reparations will not solve the problem of economic equality. Suppose that the amount of reparations were somewhat determined at some decent level, say, double the level of the imperial adventure in Iraq - $400bn. Divided by 37 million people - it will produce about $10,800 per head. I cannot see how that amount is going to solve the racial and economic disparity.
4. Reparations will likely result in more internal conflicts and divisions, not just between blacks and whites, but also within each ethnic group - which will further weaken any collective action, and strengthen the hand of the elite.
5. Finally. The concept lends itself to a slippery slope. If one groups gets reparations, why not other groups that got a raw treatment from the hands of other group at some point in time, such as the Indians, the Irish, the Chinese, the Slavs, etc. And why limiting oneself to ethnic groups? Who not cultural or religious groups: Muslim and Protestants getting reparations from Catholics? Catholics and Buddhists getting reparations from Communists? The list is endless, indeed ad absurdum.
In short, "reparations" is a stupid lawyerly concept than has no little or no chance of implementation, does nothing to solve the problem it supposedly addresses even if it were implemented, and will likely result in even more inequality in a long run.
The way to go is to struggle for universal human rights, equitable distribution of wealth based on those rights, and institutional safeguards protecting these rights and wealth distruibution. The reparations idea is a red herring diverting attention from these goals.
Wojtek