Caribbean nations to seek slavery reparations from European colonial powers

[TexasTowelie]

Source: AP

MIAMI — Caribbean nations are joining together to seek reparations for slavery from three former colonial powers.

The prime minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is leading the effort. Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves tells The Associated Press that the 14 nations of the Caribbean Community organization have enlisted help from a British human rights law firm. Gonsalves says Caricom is also creating a special commission to pursue what he calls an "honest, sober and robust conversation" with Britain, France and the Netherlands about the legacy of slavery and the genocide of native people.

Individual nations and organizations have sought reparations in the past but this is the first push by Caricom. The British High Commissioner to Jamaica said in a radio interview Wednesday that his government opposes reparations.


Read more: http://lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2013-07-25/caribbean-nations-seek-slavery-reparations-european-colonial-powers

[bemildred]

1. Oh my! This should be good.

[The Magistrate]

3. Indeed, Sir

Should be rum fun.

[Archae]

2. Who is going to be paying? And who is going to be receiving?

The people responsible for slavery have been dead for 150 years.

And we all KNOW how honest and incorruptible these Caribbean nations are...

[freshwest]

4. Isn't that where Romney keeps his billions?

[bemildred]

5. Yeah, he better move it while he can. nt

[marshall]

12. And don't forget the collusion between slave traders and their African associates

The blame is spread across continents.

[ronnie624]

6. Western powers owe a tremendous debt to the peoples of the Caribbean.

Our history in the region is shameful.

[NYC Liberal]

7. Paid for by whom?

If the governments pay out money it will come from the taxpayers. Those taxpayers include everyone -- including people who immigrated only a few years ago from distant countries that had nothing to do with any of this. That's not to mention that no one alive today had anything to do with what was done that long ago.

[GaribaldiB5]

8. If you start down this road

This is lunacy. Where would it end? Where do you draw the line in terms of how far back you could go? France and Britain could just say that they need to get their own reparations from Rome before they think about paying anything out to anyone else. And then the Greeks might want to sue Rome as well. And Perisa had a very nice empire, before Alexander came along.

[DavidDvorkin]

9. Exactly.

[bemildred]

10. Just start over, re-divide everything up evenly and start over.

That would be fair.

[Posteritatis]

16. I'm surprised to hear that the Roman and Achaemenid states still exist. (nt)

[cpwm17]

11. Very bad idea

I'm all for reparations for recent crimes, such as US wars against Iraq and Vietnam. But reparations for something that happened so long ago - no way.

There a certain conflict right now in the Middle East started by some folks that make an ancient claim. The current victims in that conflict have nothing to do with the ancient claim. This is the same faulty logic.

[geek tragedy]

13. Just let them keep all the plutocrats' money stashed in their bank accounts.

Problem solved.

[brooklynite]

14. Great political effort to help get the Caribbean leaders re-elected....

....which will achieve nothing.

[tblue]

15. France needs to let Haiti off the hook.

That has to happen.

[XemaSab]

17. Cash payouts are just going to line the pockets of the wealthy

What's really needed in the region is comprehensive education, construction, and sanitation programs. And reforestation in Haiti.

And first world nations should be on the hook for those.

[24601]

18. About time we started looking at reparations. How long were the Israelites held in Egyptian slavery?

With interest, that should add up quite well.