Bernie Sanders Asks the Right Question on Reparations: What Does It Mean?

[Uncle Joe]

(snip)

Blitzer posed a follow-up question demanding an up-or-down answer: “So what is your position specifically on reparations?”

At this point, Sanders asked a crucial, as yet unasked question: “What does that mean? What do they mean? I don’t think anyone’s been very clear.”

And he’s right.

(snip)

As I argued last week, the void left by a lack of serious political conversations about reparations has created opportunities for politicians to use reparations as political brinkmanship, a way to effect commitment to black Americans without committing to anything beyond lip service.

But by asking Blitzer to define what reparations actually means, Sanders shifted the conversation from speculative rhetoric to practical policy and in doing so, made it more likely that the goals of reparations will be pursued in good faith. He forced everyone to show their hand.

(snip)

https://theintercept.com/2019/02/26/reparations-bernie-sanders/

This is a thought provoking read.

[LongtimeAZDem]

1. "When pressed, Sanders refuses to say that he supports reparations"

[Mr. Smith]

2. That's a sensible position given the vagueness of the notion.

He was right to ask just what reparations means.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

30. Of course Bernie is right on this issue... shows why he's a smart, genuine & serious candidate!!

Also shows why so many of the other candidates have adopted the stance Bernie has taken on so many progressive issues.


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[David__77]

3. The word "reparations" can generate a push button response.

Someone might support policies that one could reasonably call “reparations,” and then also strongly oppose their understanding of the concept of reparations.

[metroins]

4. Reparations talk from any candidate is a non-starter for me

It's not smart to have this as a topic when we're going against Donald Trump.

[forklift]

5. Asking questions is good

in my opinion.

[CrossingTheRubicon]

6. Very unusual for BS to suddenly turn "practical."

[Eliot Rosewater]

8. Great observation, so we can afford college and healthcare but not reparations?

Hmmm...

Now I happen to think we can afford all 3.

[Autumn]

9. Bernie didn't say we can't afford reparations.

“What does that mean? What do they mean? I don’t think anyone’s been very clear.”

is what he said. He never said anything about not being able to afford reparations. His view on reparations is close to what I remember Obama saying.

[Go Vols]

10. pesky facts

[Autumn]

11. It's so inconvenient when Bernie doesn't say what people want him to say.

[Empowerer]

22. This came up in 2016 and he said there wasn't enough support for them to make them a priority

or something along those lines. At the same time he and his supporters were trashing Hillary for supposedly being too "pragmatic" by not pushing for universal healthcare, college for all etc.

Apparently his "revolution" is very selective ...

[Eliot Rosewater]

23. Of course.

[NurseJackie]

19. I wonder what the difference is, or what motivates such practicality.

I think it's a legitimate question that deserves an honest and straightforward response.

[Autumn]

7. I'm glad he asked that question,he's too smart to fall for gotcha crap. I'm very much against

any reparations. Those are a non starter as far as I'm concerned.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

12. In a perfect world Native Americans would get reparations too.

[ZeroSomeBrains]

14. Agreed n/t

[DemocratSinceBirth]

15. We screwed the African Americans and the Native Americans.

We enslaved and destroyed the culture of one and stole the land and destroyed the culture of the other.

[ZeroSomeBrains]

16. Not to mention the Trail of Tears

The United States of America made a concerted effort to exterminate the native population from this land and then enslave another group of people. It's a terrible legacy this country has. I sometimes hear people say that we're the greatest country on Earth and I think of our past. It's hard to say we are the best when we have inflicted so much pain and suffering onto people in the name of our government.

[LongtimeAZDem]

24. Actually, the Native Americans of the "five civilized tribes" had African slaves

As part of the treaty of 1866, they agreed to abolish slavery and grant their African slaves full tribal citizenship.

But recently, the Cherokee voted to strip the "Freedmen" of their citizenship, as they were not "blood" Cherokee. It wasn't until 2017 that a US district court ordered them to reinstate the citizenship they promised to the descendants of their former slaves.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

25. A lot of escaped slaves lived among the American Indians as free men and women.

[LongtimeAZDem]

27. Very true. My point was that Native American issues are extraordinarily complex, and

simple interpretations tend to gloss over the reality.

People tend to talk about "Native Americans" as if they were some homogeneous group, which they most certainly were not. Worse, they tend to use various tribes for emphasize disparate points. Here in the southwest, the Athabaskan incursion was essentially no different that the European one, and only preceded it by a century or so. Ask the Pima about the Apache.

I am in no way minimizing the obscenities of the westward American expansion; all I'm saying is that pat assumptions will not help the issue.

[LisaM]

26. History is a complicated thing.

Almost every civilization was built on the backs of slaves, unfortunately.

[LongtimeAZDem]

28. And conquest. Quite true.

[ZeroSomeBrains]

13. Reparations isn't a winning issue

I believe I saw a poll saying 68% disapproved of reparations. I think you could make a decent case that we should have reparations but it's a tough road to hoe to overcome those numbers. If you could tell people that you could receive a universal minimum income from a carbon tax then you could say that's a direct payment to all Americans.

[bigtree]

17. what, is he asking the fucking air?

...this is a backhanded slap at supporters of reparations.

Just tell us what he does support. Reparations isn't a new issue, but Bernie wants to pretend his own reticence is actually because he's unclear on the issue. Given the history of the issue of reparations, this just comes off as willful ignorance.

It's not like supporters of reparations don't know what they want. This is BERNIE not understanding those interests or concerns, and projecting his own ignorance or reticence as some sort of truth. Pretending supporters don't know what they're talking about is a curious way of demonstrating concern for that particular interest.

[TomCADem]

18. Sounds like a Bernie Version of "What is Aleppo?"

Seriously, Glenn Greenwald's site the Intercept is once again bending over backwards to apologize for Bernie Sanders. How is this different from Gary Johnson asking, "What is Aleppo?"

Yet, the Intercept treats a similar response from Bernie as a sign of courage when it is either ignorance or political cowardice.

This is a tough question. I personally would be fine with an answer that i support aggressively pushing for equal opportunity now and fighting voter suppression, rather than focusing on reparations in the form of cash payments based on race.

See? Some folks may like this. Others may hate it, but to just dodge the question?

Finally, to play dumb on the subject of reparations is tough when Bernie has been against it in the past. Why suddenly play coy now?

[WeekiWater]

20. He is a career politician who should have deeper thoughts than this.

He doesn't want to say his true thoughts. Most people would call this a balk. Only a true believer would see this as a good move.

As a career politician this isn't a good reply.

[disillusioned73]

21. K&R..

great writer

[spicysista]

29. It would have been thought provoking if....

It would have been thought provoking if the senator had stated what "reparations" mean to him. I would have loved it if he had given the names of anyone he's read/reading on the topic of reparations. Knowing that he will need a far more diverse coalition this time, he could have really had an important moment.

A few quick articles:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/
http://congressionalresearch.com/RS20740/document.php
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/reparations-black-americans-slavery_us_56c4dfa9e4b08ffac1276bd7

[MyNameGoesHere]

31. One has

https://www.marianne2020.com/issues/racial-reconciliation-and-healing

I think her plan is reasonable. The details are not complete but it gives a dollar range and a plan for who would be implementing it and for what.

[disillusioned73]

32. I've been meaning to read up on her more..

I follow her on twitter & I like a lot of what she has stated thus far..