Doing research on Reparations and what role Norway and Denmark played in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, and the utter ignorance and stupidity of the comments after reading one of the articles left me breathless. The same arguments that Africans sold their own into slavery, why should I pay, blah blah blah. First off, you fools aren't paying these reparations.
It's institutions, organizations, and in some cases, local governments that will be allocating these Reparation funds. Regular citizens will not. So. Just. STOP. Furthermore, let's get something straight about the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade.
The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was different from any other slavery that was and is still being practiced. The closest to it was Sharecropping(USA Jim Crow era) but took some of its ideas from Western European Serfdom(100s of yrs earlier).
Most other cultures and countries that had slavery, even in the ancient Roman Empire, gave their slaves the chance to earn their freedom. To even gain citizenship. Also, slavery practiced in many cultures had it limited TO INDIVIDUALS.
Slaves were often prisoners of war, but still accorded certain dignities. What made the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade so very different was that it PUNISHED future generations. Your children and children's children would STILL be enslaved even after you've died.
Furthermore, even after the abolishing of Slavery, the US South still held on to their slaves and other countries continued the "practice" such as Denmark. Also, lest we forget that the Sharecropping system(which is STILL in existence in the US TODAY), was a direct retaliation to the US South having to literally FREE THEIR SLAVES under punishment by the North.
Not to mention that governments around the world, especially from nations that took part in the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade have levied steep penalties and loans to African nations that are still paying TO THIS DAY.
As well as Black communities in the US that continue to struggle on their own because of wealth, businesses, livelihoods, and other forms of power stolen from them. The Robin Hood Legend is misunderstood just like the idea of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and the idea of Reparations. We often say that Robin Hood stole from the rich to give to the poor...
But this is false... It was the rich, wealthy, and powerful, as they've always done and continue to do, to STEAL FROM the poor, the destitute, and the powerless. Robin Hood was simply taking back and returning what was stolen from the poor to make the rich richer and made the poor poorer. The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade stole much of what would've helped had it remained.
Folks have to understand that a lot of organizations and institutions and even Old Wealth families gained a lot from the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade at the detriment of OTHER nations and communities. Before you get angry at me for saying this, question yourself and why.
This isn't ABOUT YOU. It is about a global wrong that was enacted on many countries and global communities who are still in present-day pain. True freedom, equality, and equity is only achieved when EVERYONE is free.
And that means paying back countries, nations, and communities that suffered and continue to suffer in the present day.
