told you it was coming.

[Old Greg]

OK if we make it illegal it becomes illegal for everyone. Be careful what you wish for!

Then let us prosecute everyone as I suggested but by the time African royalty started paying the slaves they captured and sold in the first few centuries their debt would be much bigger than 350Billion.

Italy, Greece & Egypt would also be bankrupt.

Are British slaves worth more than Africans? Should we exchange the reparations?

When Britons Were Slaves In Africa: The People Enslaved By Barbary Pirates - HistoryExtra



The Transatlantic Slave Trade: A Brief Guide & Timeline - HistoryExtra



oh forgot the vikings and spanish.

So you accept you're OK with historic war crimes if they were legal at the time and 'everyone was doing it'?

[Eirikur]

Maybe the UK can claim payments from Italy for the Roman occupation and enslavement

[Old Greg]

Maybe the UK can claim payments from Italy for the Roman occupation and enslavement

Italy isn't a successor state for the Roman Empire, which was really went into a state of debelliato in 1453.

[vetran]

So you accept you're OK with historic war crimes if they were legal at the time and 'everyone was doing it'?

No I am not, if you want to sentence every slaver to a life sentence or capital punishment then great. Problem is most of them died centuries ago, would make for some quiet prisons.

There are still a few in Africa, India the Arab states so why not.

Now paying reparations is a bit more difficult because A. It was legal & B calculating entitlements is very difficult so lets write it off and move on.

[vetran]

Italy isn't a successor state for the Roman Empire, which was really went into a state of debelliato in 1453.

was that before or after they abolished slavery? oh sorry they didn't.

So any African state that was the successor is on the hook for slavery then?

[vetran]

Maybe the UK can claim payments from Italy for the Roman occupation and enslavement

That is the logical conclusion of slavery reparations.

[Old Greg]

No I am not, if you want to sentence every slaver to a life sentence or capital punishment then great. Problem is most of them died centuries ago, would make for some quiet prisons.

Now paying reparations is a bit more difficult because A. It was legal & B calculating entitlements is very difficult so lets write it off and move on.

Why would you think I want to do that (apart for the obvious reason )? Compensation is not criminalisation.

But why is it that you see slavery as excused within its historic context, because it was legal and everyone was doing it, but you don't take the same view with war crimes?

[jayn200]

I'm starting to come around to the idea of reparations. Mostly because it's weird how Canada/USA/Australia pays reparations to Aboriginal people in many forms but there has been nothing for descendants of african slaves. The idea of reparations for all black people (regardless of whether they were a descendant of a slave) is absolutely ridiculous though and the sums suggested are pure fantasy. I would support and be okay for paying higher taxes if that money went to pay for university or something else that actually helped the black community better themselves and start earning more money, committing less crime and become more successful.

As far as cancelling debt to african nations, sure why not for the ones that hold proper democratic elections and are not in active conflicts.

[Old Greg]

That is the logical conclusion of slavery reparations.

No it isn't, because Italy isn't a successor state to the Roman Empire.

[Old Greg]

was that before or after they abolished slavery? oh sorry they didn't.

So any African state that was the successor is on the hook for slavery then?

This is a non sequitur to the state of debelliato that the Byzantine Empire fell into in 1453.