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by Rod D. Martin
September 23, 2015
The question comes up again and again: should the U.S. government pay reparations to the descendants of African American slaves? There are a variety of arguments for this, the most obvious of which is the obvious horror of slavery itself. Speaking as a member of the Party that freed the slaves and consistently opposed segregation, I am especially sympathetic to those who make this case.
And yet, reparations is one of those ideas that really only make sense if you don’t examine it too deeply.
The biggest problem is responsibility. No African American alive has been a slave, nor has any white person been a slave owner. Slavery was abolished in 1865, and several hundred thousand white people died in the war that led to their freedom. Since they were freed, a century and a half has passed in which countless millions have immigrated to the United States, having had no responsibility for American slavery (though they all came from places that enslaved people, because there is no place on Earth that in the past did not). Moreover, black people have intermarried with many of those people, as well as the descendants of the white people who enslaved their ancestors.
This raises questions that are uncomfortable at best:
1. Why should a bunch of Irish people, or Mexicans, or Chinese, who arrived in America after 1865 have to pay for these reparations? And even if they were specifically exempted somehow, how would they not suffer the economic effects of this economic chaos resulting from such a giant expropriation?
2. Will blacks who are partially of white descent have to pay? If not, why not?
3. Why should anyone who had nothing to do with slavery have to pay anyone for anything?
4. Why should anyone who was not personally enslaved receive any compensation for what happened to someone else?
5. If African Americans are to receive compensation for the oppression their ancestors experienced, why should they not have to immediately pay some or all of it to the descendants of the Union soldiers who died or were maimed freeing those same ancestors?
6. If African Americans should receive reparations for something that took place (at the very latest) 150 years ago, why should still other groups not also receive reparations? For instance, many think that Reconstruction was unjust: should the South receive reparations for that? From 1775 to 1783, Americans of all races took up arms to deprive their King of his possessions in North America: should the United States pay reparations to the United Kingdom? Or perhaps should the United Kingdom pay reparations to the United States for the various offenses that led to the Revolution?
We can just go on like this forever. Some say the English were partly responsible for the Irish potato famine: should the UK have to pay reparations to the United States for our having to deal with the influx of refugees in that period? Perhaps the UK government should pay reparations to the Angles and Saxons for William the Conqueror’s defeat of Harold at the Battle of Hastings; or maybe we should do DNA testing to find people of Roman descent who could be forced to pay reparations for having sent Christians to the lions in the Colosseum.
Where does it end?
I don’t know. But it has long been a principle of law that sons are not responsible for the crimes of their fathers, nor fathers for their sons. Reparations are a complete perversion of justice that will invite demands for redress of every real or imagined slight since the founding of the world. There are a thousand economic, moral and political reasons why they are impractical or unworkable, but the central reason they are a terrible idea is simply this: they elevate not justice nor forgiveness but plain old vengeance — taken on people who are in no way responsible — to both a moral virtue and a matter of public policy.
It is a terrible shame that slavery ever existed anywhere (and just to be clear, it existed absolutely everywhere and for all of history). That’s why we fought a war to end it and amended the Constitution to prevent it every happening again. We should be celebrating the collectively enlightenment that has taken place, ending a practice ubiquitous in all lands for all of time. We should not be trying to figure out a way to deprive the innocent out of their possessions in a misguided attempt at “justice.”
Rod is one of our nation’s leading minds. He’s smart, original, and very committed—a combination that one rarely finds.
Rod Martin and [former Howard Dean campaign manager] Joe Trippi are America’s two foremost experts on online politics.
Rod Martin is a Reaganite-Thatcherite conservative…[and] a man who has spent much of his life ministering to and working for the benefit of others. I know Rod as an advocate for freedom, a leader who understands the real changes we need in Washington, and who has the drive and ability to make those changes happen.
Rod Martin is the kind of dynamic leader who has the knowledge, ability and experience to lead us successfully into the 21st Century. His vision for America is compelling.
Rod Martin literally wrote the book on excellence. Humble yet brilliant, a man of love and compassion, with penetrating clarity he illuminates the world around us, and we are both stirred and enlightened.
Rod Martin is a born leader and an outstanding political mind. Anyone who takes him on is going to have a serious fight on their hands.
Rod Martin is a man of uncommon vision and character. Ever since I first worked alongside Rod in the early days of PayPal, I’ve been struck by his powerful vision for the future. Rod understands the intersection of technology, politics and culture in a way that few others do.
Rod Martin wears with uncommon grace an uncanny ability to link his vigorous faith to the practical challenges of both the business world and the political arena. Yet the respect he shows for others carries a warmth and modesty that are both too rare among those who are strong advocates of feisty positions.
America badly needs more leaders who really get the future. We need more Rod Martins.
Rod Martin is a modern day philosopher-statesman. He is a capitalist intellectual, a conservative iconoclast, a gentle adversary and a kind prophet. He inspires us towards a fresh national vision built upon the original founding principles.
Rod Martin is not only effective and efficient, but he is also perceptive, wise and gracious. He gets things done. He is a great friend and a great ally.
Rod is one of the sharpest, most gracious men I know, and one of the most gifted political thinkers today. His ability to analyze issues and communicate thoughtful insights on them have earned him the respect of people across the political spectrum.
I am proud to have been Rod Martin’s friend for a quarter century, and I can tell you that he is one of the finest men and most outstanding leaders in our church and in our country today. He has a knack for turning everything he touches to success.
Rod Martin is a cornucopian entrepreneur and eutropic thinker whose influence radiates through an array of companies, institutions, movements and churches. A renaissance American, he is also a prolific friend of freedom and faith around the globe.
If Rod Martin represents the next generation of leaders, America has nothing to worry about.
A leader and a servant, in public life and in private, Rod Martin strides at the top of his profession, and has nowhere to go but up. He is in the truest sense of the word ‘outstanding’.
Rod Martin is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished thought leaders today. He is a wonderful mentor, a humble role model, and a deep inspiration for the next generation of scientific innovators and entrepreneurs.
Rod’s achievements pale beside his character and his brilliance. He sees what others can’t. He leads when others won’t.
Rod Martin is one of America’s finest young minds.
