I've read his stuff and he makes of course very compelling arguments. More to CNS's point though I think why the amount becomes sticky is how much? How do you calculate what is owed, and what is considered "fair" to all sides? Would $100 billion set aside be enough or a slap to the face (that would come out BTW to around $2400/person for 41.7 million African Americans living in the US). Would you calculate it for the average amount of slaves working 60 hour weeks at nominal farm wages over the lifespan of the US (1776-1865) and is that even fair and good enough? Like I agree that reparations should happen, but what would solve the problem? MIR, thoughts?
The numeric value can all be calculated for whatever you want. (in his original piece, he mentions housing discrimination as a major issue beyond slavery, as well.) Someone just needs to start a conversation and hash it out. Right now it's basically a non-starter (as even the most liberal major political candidate in recent memory won't touch the subject), which is sad and wrong.
I agree that it's a sad and wrong that that isn't being talked about, but just brushing it as "you can come up with w/e amount" and "hashing it out" and leaving it at that is just not thinking the problem and solution through and IMO I'm trying to start said conversation. I'd be worried that whatever that number is, it would seem disingenuous to African American (what? they only giving us this? white people screwing us over again), and I also would wonder if any sort of amount will truly fix the problem (IMO it won't, it'll help, a step in the right direction, but systematic racism over time can only take time and diligence to eradicate, if ever). Those of course shouldn't be stumbling blocks to fixing the problem, I guess I'm exhausted of hearing a problem and not offering or hearing what would be a solution. Problems are a dime a dozen, I literally hear hundreds everyday big and small, necessary and cosmetic, but few people ever offer a solution or a step towards what they want the solution to look like. That's why I asked MIR what would he'd like to see.
I do however, find it odd that Coates is so disappointed in Bernie over this. Sure, Bernie should be the guy to try to take this on, but it's odd to pick on a guy who has done so much over the years to work on righting the wrongs when literally all the others won't come close to touching the subject either. Guess you can't be everything to everyone.