The BBC tells us, “Commonwealth leaders have agreed the ‘time has come’ for a conversation about reparations for the slave trade, despite the UK’s desire to keep the subject off the agenda at a two-day summit in Samoa.”
Great! Has the “time come” for everyone to paint themselves blue, speak in squeaky voices, and to run naked in the streets singing show tunes? I bet the Commonewealth, made up of former members of the British empire, would love to have poor, declining Great Britain transfer millions to all the “victims” of the nation’s imperial and colonial ways. The UK would be permanently crippled, but right is right.
England banned the slave trade in 1809, more than 200 years ago. Ah, but evil is forever! Besides, just imagine every all the other things Great Britain had to own up to. I think it should be forced to pay reparations to all descendants of slaves in the U.S., and all the people in the world, especially Native Americans, permanently wounded by our awful country. After all, the “1609 Project” says the United States was founded on slavery. But that’s just the beginning. The American music industry should get reparations as compensation for the “British invasion” in the Sixties. At least for Herman’s Hermits….
A document signed by 56 heads of government, including UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, calls for “discussions on reparatory justice” and a “meaningful, truthful and respectful conversations” about the “abhorrent” transatlantic slave trade. Maybe all they want is to talk about it. Talk never hurt anyone, after all—well, that’s not the current position of the Democratic Party and its prosecutors, who want to imprison Donald Trump for talking (among other things), but talking about reparations with having any intention of really paying them is a Great Stupid pastime. The UK signed the document despite saying that it has made it”very clear” in its position that it would not pay reparations.
What is the point of talking about them, then?
The BBC notes that “reparatory justice” (it’s comforting to know that the Brits like deceptive euphemisms as much as we Colonists, don’t you think?) could “take the form of a formal apology, educational programmes or public health assistance.”
Hey! Maybe they can get Joe Biden to apologize for them!
Ethics Alarms 
2024 – 1809 = 215 years.
300, 200…it wasn’t a typo, it was a rushed post: I was late for a funeral. But I fixed the mistake. Thanks.
I hope the funeral went well this week.
Post coming up in 5-4-3-2-1….
The UK has had slavery from before the publication of the Domesday Book to 1809.
That is over eight hundred years.
It is likely that His Majesty Charles III was descended from persons enslaved under UK law, along with pretty much everyone in the UK.
So..a refundable tax credit for everyone?
Are the Ghanaian kings and the other African tribal chiefs who engaged in hunting men for the slave trade going to chip in? Why do they get a pass?
If you think about it, the Brits were just middlemen. No one sued the dealership or the buyers for the Pinto’s exploding gas tank.
What about the Arabs that ran the Eastern African slave trade?
The Arab-controlled trade sold an estimated 15 million Africans into slavery from the 7th Century until 1920 when it was formally abolished. Trade of African slaves to the Middle East began in at least 2500 BC. Muslim slavers also traded in other slaves, such as Japanese women.
Intra-African slave trade is untold tens of millions.
The Muslims captured European Christians in vast quantities for slaves. From 1600-1800 alone, over 1.2 million Europeans were captured by Muslims just to sell to N. Africa. Many millions more were sold in Constantinople to other areas. Our word ‘slave’ derives from ‘Slav’, because so many Slavs were taken by the Muslims as slaves.
What about the rest of the Western Hemisphere?
Area Number of slaves imported
N. America 400,000
Brazil 5,000,000
British Caribbean 2,300,000
French Caribbian 1,300,000
Danish West Indies and America 550,000
Spanish Americas 1,100,000
So, why are WE the bad guys here?
Up to 1/3 of the population of African nations were slaves in the 16th and 17th centuries.
About 20% of the Ottoman empire were slaves.
Muslim countries only banned slavery in the 1900’s because of Western pressure. Mauritania didn’t outlaw slavery until 1981.
The truth is, no one thought slavery was wrong except for the Jews and Christians. Nehemiah banned the sale of Israelite slaves. In early Christian works, slavery is dissuaded. By the 9th century, the pope was calling slavery sinful. William the Conqueror banned the sale of slaves to non-Christians and by 1102, slavery was banned in England. During the age of exploration, slavery was but a distant memory when Europeans were again confronted with human slavery.
The only thing in history that has stopped slavery on a large scale is Western Christianity. What gets blamed for slavery? Western Christianity.
… by 1102, slavery was banned in England.
That does not happen to be the case. In legal form, simply as a way of dealing with them within the feudal system and to ensure that they received a paternalist sort of protection from others, all Jews in England were slaves of the king. That continued until they were banished in the 13th century. And, of course, the leading case effectively ending slavery within England did not take place until the 18th century (there was an analogue of it in Scotland, too).
Always happy when you weigh in, P.M.
“The truth is, no one thought slavery was wrong except for the Jews and Christians.”
The Quakers and nascent Republicans deserver mention.
PWS
The time has come?
No, the time has passed.
The time to discuss reparations was when the proposal for 40 acres and a mule proposed.
Wait, that was reparations! That was a proposal to get former slaves a start at a free life. That would have gone directly to those injured by slavery.
It is unfortunate that it worked out poorly; much of Reconstruction worked out poorly.
However, trying to compensate people now when they were not victims of slavery opens this can of worms: it affirms that uninjured people deserve compensation.
So, if Person A is given $100,000.00 in reparations, what will happen when Person A’s great-grandson makes a similar demand for reparations? Person A’s great-grandson has just as legitimate a claim for reparations as Person A does.
Oh, what’s that? You say reparations will fix the problem so Person A’s great-grandson won’t need reparations?
That’s a nice thought. I like thinking government programs are effective at accomplishing their goals, too.
-Jut
I’m surprised the wokie Euros chose Samoa. It’s got to be one of the most Christian areas on the planet; about 98% of the population. They actual go to church, and will offer to say a prayer for you at the drop of the proverbial hat. Sunlight to vampires for many Brits these days.
Where do I sign up for my share of the British Invasion, that ruined American rock and Roll? I need payment for the triggered stress from “Imagine.”