A Question of Reparations

[lightandlovely1]

Yesterday there was an article in the Washington Post about the atrocities committed during the Bataan Death March during WWII: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11044-2002May25.html

Survivors are seeking an apology from Japan and they are seeking reparations as well. Several times statements are made that they were used for "slave labor." They go into great detail describing how they were packed so tightly in 1 of 3 "death ships" that when someone died, their body didn't even fall to the ground.

From what is told in just this article, I do not doubt that it was horrible and I do not doubt their stories. At one point a survivor makes the following statement: "Everything the Japanese did to us was deliberate, inhuman, brutal, calculated and racist," he said.

As I read this article, I couldn't help but to wonder what he did when he came back to this country (which would have been around 1943 or so). I wondered how many black people he sat down to dinner with or how many freedom marches he participated in. I wonder what his stand on reparations to slave descendants is. I wonder if anyone other than me sees the apparent double standard in the lawsuit.

[dulce]

oh, another group other than black folks are looking for reparations? yep, definitely a double standard jumping off but I'm not surprised. Humph, they're looking for $$$ while we're STILL going through bullshit without a snowball's chance in hell of getting any monetary compensation.

[Andre98]

.. .. that would be nothing new. We know Blacks are going to get the short end. But saying, " they got something, so we should get something" is not gonna do it. I have always said reparations, how ever noble an idea in principle and emotional sentiment simply won't work because to be done right, there has to be accurate records. We can't just assume we all have direct American slavery roots. Those of us with definable Southern roots are one thing, and even that will be tough. But the riots at the payout centers will be over all the Blacks that can't prove their cases, who are definitely trying to defraud ( modern day immigrants, dark skinned hispanics) or are just mad that their neighbor gets a check and they didn't and think the age old hustle of pitching a bitch will scare whitey into paying 'em off for peace. Unfortunately, this has been a time tested success, inspiring "civil rights violation" payback convictions in cases such as the Rodney King Beating. If you remove the money factor though, this subject dies in the very eyes of black folks themselves to a great degree. That's just my opinion, and I know it's not popular, but I think too many black folks just want a check. Well, that check will never be big enough, and I'll be damned if the U.S. should get off the hook for 56 dollars or some shit like that. Even if it was $1,000 dollars, or hey, let's dream, $10,000......what will it really mean? We have been lied to so long, is an apology and a gratuity going to make us feel all better? Does it mean that the classic stereotype welfare family gets rewarded by getting a bigger check because they have 6 kids and never had steady jobs, and we have no kids and have a decent income? The worst part about this issue is that I believe the very worst off people in society, the ones that are truly suffering and struggling to make it, are pinning their hopes on this dream, and hopes it wll magically result in a house and income that will out last one lump payment. That money will come and go and what will have changed except the elimination of every single social program that Bush or any administration can get their hands on.

Think about it, they were closing military bases before 9/11. Now, steeped in patriotic pride, the military now has an open pipeline of cash. The U.S. is going to be paying victims' families, paying businesses to re establish themselves, and paying to watchdog the next big attack. The energy any grass roots or national campaign could expend could be much better used trying to get our kids to stop killing each other.