'Squad' Member Floats Eye-Catching Funding Plan For Reparations - State of the Union
By: Joseph Ellis (State of the Union)
By
Joseph Ellis
via Forbes
New York lawmaker Rep. Jamaal Bowman is advocating for a $14 trillion federal reparations measure, aiming to address the impact of slavery on Black Americans.
The bill aims to provide financial support to descendants of enslaved Black people and individuals of African descent, potentially spanning over several decades.
Bowman emphasized the historical economic contribution of slavery and proposes creative ways to distribute the funds.
"When COVID was destroying us, we invested in the American people in a way that kept the economy afloat," Bowman said. "The government can invest the same way in reparations without raising taxes on anyone."
"Where did the money come from?" Bowman said. "We spent it into existence."
Democrat Rep. Jamaal Bowman says Biden is losing support among Black Americans because there has been "no conversation at all about reparations" pic.twitter.com/WcIQQxuYtO — RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 22, 2023
The U.S. has "a moral and legal obligation to provide reparations for the enslavement of Africans and its lasting harm on the lives of millions of Black people in the United States."
Bowman additionally believes the "incarcerated should be able to vote."
"And I definitely think that when they come out, they should automatically be enfranchised," he said.
The bill aims to address racial disparities in housing, incarceration, education, and wealth, with a focus on eliminating the racial wealth gap.
"Who says the $14 trillion needs to be paid out in one shot?," Bowman pressed.
"It might be possible for it to be paid out over five or 10 or 20 years. You could take that $333,000 and break it up into monthly checks over X amount of time. There are creative ways to do the right thing and do what needs to be done."
"There were 246 years of free labor that produced trillions or hundreds of trillions of dollars for the U.S. economy," he said. "The economy wouldn't exist in the way it does today if slavery hadn't built it."
The measure faces opposition in the Senate and is part of a broader national and state-level movement for reparations.
No fascist nonsense.
This right here is indicative of the idiotic thinking from Washington politicians that has resulted in our staggering debt.
Well, gee, how shocking.
This is the sad future of the Democratic Party.
i m actually in agreement on this one “ we spent it into existence “
Hell of a way to raise money.
Right now, it may garner votes in certain quarters.
When the day comes that there is a demographic change in America it will become a reality.
No, we borrowed the extra $6T.
It's getting close to critical for the debt.
And we don't have nearly enough people in DC to make a damn but of difference in trying to handle the problem.
"The downfall of a democracy starts when the populace realizes it can vote itself a share of the treasury."
And in general, we have.
We need Treasury to start minting those platinum trillion-dollar coins that Rashida Tlaib was talking about, several years ago. You've got to handle them carefully though, damn thing can burn a hole in your pocket!
Is that enough? Why not 50 trillion? There’s no point in being constrained by reality.
It certainly appears that politicians have accepted that point and feel no restraints.
It's the greatest racket of all time. Borrow from your kids to enrich yourself for the suffering of someone you never met that you already benefited from.
And he will be first in line to get a check
More evidence of how radical the Democratic Party has become:
2024: "Give us 14 trillion dollars of borrowed money so we can give to people because of the color of their skin."
1932: “As an immediate program of action we must abolish useless offices. We must eliminate actual prefunctions of government—functions, in fact, that are definitely not essential to the continuance of government. we must merge, we must consolidate subdivisions of government, and like the private citizen, give up luxuries we can no longer afford.” FDR
Unfortunately FDR said one thing and did another.
He expanded the federal government greatly under the new deal; and spent/borrowed money like there was no tomorrow.
He was a typical politician. Say one thing to get elected; and then do another completely.
The time to do monetary reparations was in the first generation or two after slavery ended, 160 years later is just too long a passage of time.
That is not to say its not justified, its just not economically feasible. Legal systematic racial discrimination continued for 100 YEARS after slavery ended, and will forever be a disgrace on America. Forever.
Might be kind of hard convincing Democrats of that.
Why should the innocent pay people who were never victims?
"Why should the innocent pay people who were never victims?".
Bingo!
To assuage some silly, misplaced "white guilt".
No, it's never justified, and it was the Democrat's racist policies and practices that caused "legal systematic racial discrimination [to be] continued for 100 YEARS after slavery ended, and will forever be a disgrace on America. Forever."
It never ceases to amaze me how progressive democrats constantly want the productive members of society to pay for their fuck-ups.
BULLS***!
The only ones that can give 100% verifiable proof that they were born into slavery should be eligible. American Americans that were born in other countries or, like Obama ,have no relatives that were slaves do not deserve it either. As a matter fact with Obama his family had slave owners.
They should pay the rest of us for putting up with them