Note: This is not meant to be a discussion of the ethnicity of being Jewish. Being Jewish is mainly considered to be born into a Jewish family with a cultural and religious tradition of Talmudic Judaism. The "racial" identity of Jewish people is sometimes spoken of as being "white" and sometimes spoken of as being "non-white," but rather racially Jewish. One cannot have it both ways. One is either racially Jewish and culturally/religiously Jewish or racially white but culturally/religiously Jewish. Sometimes Jewish people say, such as Mr. Cohen, that they are "white." Sometimes they say, "I'm not 'white,' I'm Jewish." OK. . . Please just make up your minds and stick to it. You are confusing the gentiles, especially the white ones.
white [Jewish] Americans, including men like me, have a special, and unquestionable, responsibility to take up the cause of reparations, and help make them happen.
As a white [Jewish] person who benefits from my country’s unpaid debt to ancestors of slaves, I too must take up the mantle of responsibility to call for and pay reparations that attempt to right a historic wrong.
Seth Cohen is a Jewish man, a member of a group that is benefiting from an ongoing reparations program for events that ended 77 years ago. Considering that Israeli citizenship is only open to people who can prove recent Jewish ancestry, and not open to people who are considered to be "white," is he a Jewish person actually trying to speak for "white" people concerning slavery reparations?
Although most black folks probably would be glad to receive reparations beyond affirmative action, welfare and other similar programs and recent advancements created specifically for people of color, the fact remains that no one alive today has ever been a slave nor owned a slave. Also, considering that slave ownership was costly, only wealthy people could afford to buy and keep slaves. Owners consisted of people of different races, as well as Jewish "white" people. How does one sort that out? Should the descendants of poor European whites pay reparations for something of which they are NOT GUILTY? Many white men bled and died to help put an end to slavery. After you have sacrificed life and limb, what more can you pay?
The idea opens up a huge can of logistical worms. Who will be held responsible to pay this money? And how does one establish to whom this money should be paid? And how much money should be paid?
Robert L. Johnson of BET proposes that $14 trillion [open eyes wide] in reparations ought to be paid.
“Wealth transfer is what’s needed,” Johnson said. “Think about this. Since 200-plus-years or so of slavery, labor taken with no compensation, is a wealth transfer. Denial of access to education, which is a primary driver of accumulation of income and wealth, is a wealth transfer.”
Based on just economics, paying reparations is not only necessary, but appropriate. “Damages is a normal factor in a capitalist society for when you have been deprived for certain rights,” Johnson said.
So we should punish today's generations of white people with "wealth transfer."
My proposal is that the multi-millionaires and billionaires should be the ones paying "voluntary" reparations. After all, they have been engaging in "wealth transfer" from all of us into their own already wealthy pockets for many years now. And the families receiving these reparations should sign off on them as the debt paid in full. Afterward no more talk of reparations you-owe-us. And if Mr. Cohen and other Jewish "white" people wish to make a contribution to the cause, they are welcome to transfer all the wealth they wish out of their own pockets. After all, I think American taxpayers have paid more than their fair share to the Jewish "white" people of modern Israel.
PS: I think Mr. Cohen meant to write "debt to the descendants of those slaves." Proofreader did not catch the error.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sethcohen/2020/06/21/its-finally-time-to-pay-black-americans-reparations/?sh=227144cc5cb5
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sethcohen/2020/06/28/reparations-now/?sh=16a694a5547e
Note: This is not meant to be a discussion of the ethnicity of being Jewish. Being Jewish is mainly considered to be born into a Jewish family with a cultural and religious tradition of Talmudic Judaism. The "racial" identity of Jewish people is sometimes spoken of as being "white" and sometimes spoken of as being "non-white," but rather racially Jewish. One cannot have it both ways. One is either racially Jewish and culturally/religiously Jewish or racially white but culturally/religiously Jewish. Sometimes Jewish people say, such as Mr. Cohen, that they are "white." Sometimes they say, "I'm not 'white,' I'm Jewish." OK. . . Please just make up your minds and stick to it. You are confusing the gentiles, especially the white ones.
Seth Cohen is a Jewish man, a member of a group that is benefiting from an ongoing reparations program for events that ended 77 years ago. Considering that Israeli citizenship is only open to people who can prove recent Jewish ancestry, and not open to people who are considered to be "white," is he a Jewish person actually trying to speak for "white" people concerning slavery reparations?
Paul Craig Roberts on the history of slavery:
https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2021/06/03/the-truth-about-slavery/
Although most black folks probably would be glad to receive reparations beyond affirmative action, welfare and other similar programs and recent advancements created specifically for people of color, the fact remains that no one alive today has ever been a slave nor owned a slave. Also, considering that slave ownership was costly, only wealthy people could afford to buy and keep slaves. Owners consisted of people of different races, as well as Jewish "white" people. How does one sort that out? Should the descendants of poor European whites pay reparations for something of which they are NOT GUILTY? Many white men bled and died to help put an end to slavery. After you have sacrificed life and limb, what more can you pay?
The idea opens up a huge can of logistical worms. Who will be held responsible to pay this money? And how does one establish to whom this money should be paid? And how much money should be paid?
Robert L. Johnson of BET proposes that $14 trillion [open eyes wide] in reparations ought to be paid.
So we should punish today's generations of white people with "wealth transfer."
My proposal is that the multi-millionaires and billionaires should be the ones paying "voluntary" reparations. After all, they have been engaging in "wealth transfer" from all of us into their own already wealthy pockets for many years now. And the families receiving these reparations should sign off on them as the debt paid in full. Afterward no more talk of reparations you-owe-us. And if Mr. Cohen and other Jewish "white" people wish to make a contribution to the cause, they are welcome to transfer all the wealth they wish out of their own pockets. After all, I think American taxpayers have paid more than their fair share to the Jewish "white" people of modern Israel.
PS: I think Mr. Cohen meant to write "debt to the descendants of those slaves." Proofreader did not catch the error.
I think he wrote what he meant, and meant what he wrote.....