San Diego Housing Bubble News and Analysis

Nothing like buying off people to make them love each other.

At least if that happens the sales of chrome rims and gold chains would skyrocket. There's your next bubble.

Just what we need on this site, another RACIST. Alex angel, you're a disgusting excuse for a human being.

"I personally think that this country should apologize for slavery and pay the descendants of slaves compensation."

I'm reluctantly responding to this for fear that I'll be labelled a racist, but this is something I feel strongly about. Just who is responsible for this compensation? I've been a taxpayer all my adult life, and now my taxes approach the median income in San Diego. Here's my problem: my ancestors have only been in this country since the 1920's, fleeing the disaster of the Weimar Republic. Why is my family responsible for slavery? Why do my taxes have to pay compenstation? Are we going to pass the bill to the Ivory Coast kings who sold off the slaves in the first place?

This issue is much too complicated to say "if we just give them some money and say we're sorry, maybe they'll leave us alone" type of solution. Don't forget how many wounds you'll open with this kind of idea. If you think racism and resentment is bad now, wait and see what happens if we start paying compensation. In addition, look how far we have come in a single generation. If you told me 30 years ago that in 2008 we would have a serious black presidential candidate I would have thought you were doing drugs. Change can and does happen within one generation. We see living proof of that today. In my view, this compensation has the potential to undo all of what we have achieved.

One more thing. The blood of 500,000 Americans was shed earning freedom for slaves. I'm sorry, but in my book that is compensation and apology enough.

Submitted by Navydoc on June 4, 2008 - 1:33pm.

I'm reluctantly responding to this for fear that I'll be labelled a racist, but this is something I feel strongly about. Just who is responsible for this compensation?

Navydoc, what makes you think you'll be labeled a "racist"? I see nothing in your post that would warrant that label.

I'm just being overly cautious, as it seems any time this subject of compensation is challenged the challenger is accused of being racist. Thank you for seeing my logic.

Now, should we pay repatriation for the Japanese Americans interned in camps during WWII while German POWs got better food and living here in the US at the same time.

I think that answer will shed some light on your notions of military service, the Constitution and the treatment of US citizens.

Frankly, I'd like to keep the SCOTUS balanced between liberals and conservatives. With the recent appointments of Alito and Roberts, I'll vote Obama just to make sure there's a balance there.

Dukehorn, I think you meant reparations to Japanese Americans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Am...
In 1988, Congress passed and President Ronald Reagan signed legislation which apologized for the internment on behalf of the U.S. government. The legislation stated that government actions were based on "race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership".[10] $1.6 billion in reparations were later disbursed by the U.S. government to surviving internees and their heirs.

It worked-out to $20,000 per person. Not much.

*

Australia apologized to the aborigines (without compensation).

I agree with NavyDoc. I am also an immigrant so my ancestors were on another continent when this all happend minding their own business.

What about American Indians? Are casinios their pay back?

BTW. McCain (and please pick Rudy Guliani as your running mate).

No, $20k wasn't enough for how the Japanese citizens of this country were treated. Patiently, if the government were to issue compensation payments to African-Americans for slavery, what makes you think a measly $500 is adequate? This isn't an attack, I'm just wondering how you came up with that figure?

I want McCain for the president because he is a war hero.

Bah, sorry work-time typos--mixing up repatriation with reparations.

I know our government paid out. I'm just wondering if NavyDoc agrees with the payout since his ancestors happened to get here 30 years or so before it happened (as opposed to slavery).

Anyway, the ancestor thread is pretty tortured logic. If you became a citizen of this country, you accept the responsiblities and duties that came with US citizenship.

Based on that "when I came over" logic, you should be saying that the Constitution doesn't apply to you since it was written before your ancestors came over.

Or a variant (the "when I came into existence" scenario). That's like saying since a child was born in 2006, he isn't accountable for all the fed deficit that accrued beforehand.

Just tell me where you're willing to draw the bright line test with this brilliant argument.

Sort of like how Bush II was a hero compared to John Kerry.

Oh wait, one got a Silver Star and one got Quayled.

I'm voting Obama, because I think McCain's policies in general (with a few exceptions, such as his support for environmental policies and sound science) echo those of George Bush (though, of course, I think McCain would be far more competent in execution), and I think those policies in general are not good for the nation right now.

I'm also significantly concerned (as one other person above mentioned) that appointment of just one more justice who is very conservative could overturn a great many protections in the US for workers, minorities, and others. Frankly, I much prefer the courts to be on the "little guys" side rather than that of the corporations (who, I think, have enough advantages as is), so while I like a fairly balanced SOTC, I'd rather it to be tilted just slightly left of center, and as of right now, it is tilted slightly right of center with 4 very conservative justices (Alito, Roberts, Scalia, and Thomas), one justice who leans conservative (Kennedy), one centrist (Souter), and 3 liberals (Ginsberg, Breyer, Stevens), with the most likely upcoming replacements being of the liberal justices.

NO slaves who were set free in 1865 when the Civil War ended are still alive today. The USA owes their relatives ZERO, NADA, Squat! I am a descendant of Cherokee Indians on both my mother and father's sides of the family and I do not feel that I am owed a penny by the U.S. Government or anyone else.
How about we all live in the present, make our own bed, shape our own destiny, take responsibility for our actions and quit feeling guilty for the past actions of our ancestors? BTW: Do the descendants of the slaves who sold their own people to the slave traders and now live in the USA want to give some money to the descendants of the people that they sold? Nope, I didn't think so.

As the Italians say: Basta!
(translation=enough)

I think what we did to Japanese Americans during WWII was one of the darkest, most embarrassing things the American government has ever done, and we all should be ashamed of what happened, and make sure nothing like this ever happens again.

As for the payout, I would wholeheratedly agree with what was done if it occurred in 1945-46 instead of 1988. The government in place that committed the atrocity should have accepted the responsibility, not the generation afterward. I think the gesture was much too late, as many taxpayers footed the bill who had nothing to do with it.

Maybe I'm being too simplistic and naive, but I feel we advance ourselves by looking forward and not repeating the mistakes of the past, rather than trying to atone for all of them.

what makes you think a measly $500 is adequate? This isn't an attack, I'm just wondering how you came up with that figure?

I think an apology should come with a modicum of compensation to say you mean it. I don't think the voters would support large payments. I believe that an apology would allow us to move forward once and for all.

*

I should not have said anything about compensation as this detracts from the current issues.

I agree that we should look forward rather than backwards.

Again, the issue facing voters is that we have two imperfect choices. Which one would you choose? And you do have to choose one over the other.

Ex-SD: BTW: Do the descendants of the slaves who sold their own people to the slave traders and now live in the USA want to give some money to the descendants of the people that they sold? Nope, I didn't think so.

SD...You're entitled to your opinion, but your above statement is questionable, some would even say out of line. The evil was the white slave traders for turning a race against their own people, and government for allowed the inhumanity of slavery.

I'm not weighing in on this topic as it concerns reparations, but I will say no other race of people were treated as bad as Africans and African-Americans.

In agreement with patiently, I say we move forward rather than backwards. If the goverment starts giving out payments to African-Americans, you'll never hear the end of it from some people.

Marion, I am a student of history. I prefer ancient history to the much much more modern history but I have had a day or two in class in this area (no not high school).

I would absoulty love to hear the logic behind your argument that african americans have had it harder than any other subgroup of our population. Really, I want to hear it. Please follow the "motto" of the site and bring me some facts, not "well everyone knows it sucks to be black...." or any such crap.

As for the original posing of McCain V Obama,,,,, I dont know. I am a regestered repub, but have never once in my life voted for Bush. Man is a moron, and I called it on day 1. Weird as it may be, I really can see myself voting for either canadate.I guess what I want to know is who the VP's will be. I think this is a really big deal not because the VP's mean much, but because I think it will highlight what the presidental canadates intend to stress. The choice of VP will give us a great insight into what the canadates view as their strenghts (and weaknesses), and what is really important to them.

Marion: You think the statement that I made is out of line? You've got to be kidding?

If you really believe that the Africans/African Americans have been treated worse than ANY other groups, you really need to read some in depth history about the Trail Of Tears and other things that were done to the American Indians. Many groups have known adversity. That doesn't give them a license to wear it on their shoulders for the next 1000 years.

Personally, I have absolutely NO reason to carry any "white guilt" about something that "the while man" did in the 1800's. If you want to belong to the bleeding heart club and feel guilty about it you are more than welcome to do so.....................But, you're not going to get much support from many of the people who work, pay taxes and make this country go. We don't want to see our hard earned money that we pay for taxes going for this type of foolishness.

Regarding Reparations.

This would be a complicated subject. If descendants of one group need to pay reparations to descendants of another group it can get complicated.

Take Barack Obama for example:
He is the son of a white woman from Kansas and a black Kenyan immigrant. Should he pay reparations or receive them ?
He is not the descendant of slaves, but may be the descendant of slave owners [Ref 1].

Perhaps we should compensate all descendants of women in this country because they were taxed without representation prior to obtaining their right to vote.

I think we should get over it as a society and focus on getting rid of current discrimination and social intolerance of all types (well, except discrimination against stupid people, let's keep that).

[Ref 1]
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationw...

None of the above.

Both are socialists and will spend our country into oblivion even worse than George II did for past eight years.

What about Ron Paul? I think the entire nation should write him and vote him in office. Think about no more IRS- that would be nice.

We should definitely continue to give away all tax paying dollars to all who deserve it, i.e. illegal aliens, uneducated people on welfare and anyone else that feels they have been wronged at some point in their lives.

I agree with the post that states that we need to take responsibility for our actions and stop blaming everyone else. The mere thought of paying off a Black American is absurd and I think they would take it as such. Of course no one would be opposed to free money, but we all know that would lead to more problems down the road.

Let's all talk common sense and about the facts at hand. We are in trouble regardless of who is voted in. Neither man is capable of leading this country, so my thought is we stick to a man with experience and not a man who promises change yet has little to show for it.

So the winner is drum roll.........

McCain!

"The blood of 500,000 Americans was shed earning freedom for slaves."

Well put, navydoc. I hadn't considered that before.

Submitted by Ex-SD on June 4, 2008 - 4:38pm.

Marion: You think the statement that I made is out of line? You've got to be kidding?

Yes, I think it's out of line because you went and stated that some Africans were responsible for selling out their people when we know who was responsible for this.

We all know the American Indians were treated horribly, but the slaves were treated like animals. Worse than the Indians by far.

I'm not for any monetary reparations for black people. As has already been said, we should move forward now. We've already come a long way as evidenced by the fact that we have a black candidate for the presidency of the United States. There are other things we need to focus on such as a national health care plan.

I can't feel guilty about slavery, I'm black. However, a lot of people mistake me for some other race. Yesterday, the maintenance man came to look at my washing machine and asked me if I was Indian (Not the American kind). Haha.

These reparations can never be done, as it's too confusing. As someone pointed out earlier, what about people like Obama? Does he get a half share? What about the small number of African Americans who actually owned their own slaves. Do they not get any?

12 million Africans were brought to the new world. The vast majority went to Brazil, and the USA received about 650,000. Roughly 100,000 Irish were also brought to America as slaves too. Ever wonder why so many African Americans have Irish sounding last names? Many of the slave owners "bred" the African slaves to the Irish slaves.

It is impossible to track down, and there are too many confounding issues. A simple apology will do.

Marion, Marion, Marion: A quick search on Google and the very first hit was from The National Humanities Center: There are plenty more where you can read about the real history of slavery: Not just what the liberals teach you during Black History Month. Please read this and do a little more research and you will discover more things that you possibly did not know about slavery.

http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/...

From the article: "Our first reading is the extraordinary account of Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, a Muslim and a member of the Wolof group, and one of the few African-born slaves to return to his homeland. First enslaved by other Africans (Mandingoes), then sold to a European slavetrader and taken to Maryland, his freedom was purchased by an Englishman who helped him return to Gambia in 1734 and published the account of his life."

Also, please do a little Googling for The Trail of Tears.
Here's one link for you to get started: http://ngeorgia.com/history/nghisttt.html

Football Jersey sales would skyrocket. Grape and Red Juice sales would go nuts. I'd invest in KFC stock for sure. Maybe even Popeye's.

Marion. You're the most disgusting person here. Just go and read your posts in the walmart thread. Pathetic!

Anyone see the Catholic priest's rant against Hillary in that church in Chicago? According to him, if you don't give up your 401(k), all trappings of success, and give them to the black community you are just perpetuating racism.

Social mobility is higher in the United States than almost every other country. It's not perfect, and we could do more to encourage educational achievement in low income communities. Vocational programs, longer school days, more college prep, mentoring, and my favorite - a class on personal finance. But I'm not suing for reparations for how my relatives got screwed in southern Europe over the last couple hundred years. We have to just let it go. Aren't the Shias and Sunnis still pissed off over who killed who 1,000 years ago? Not a particularly productive attitude.

I'll probably vote for McCain. I think markets and free trade and NAFTA and capitalism in general are actually good things.