Squarely rooted — Capital and Moral Inheritance

On reparations for slavery.

Squarely rooted
Capital and Moral Inheritance
(h/t Brad DeLong)


First, beyond the economic and moral questions involved, there is also the pragmatic question of negative externality. What is the cost of the negative externality of not dealing with this issue for a century and a half? What is the economic cost in wasted resources and social costs? Worse, what is the human "cost" in terms of lost opportunity and well-being, and psychological and physical suffering?


Secondly, once reparations for slavery on the table for discussion, what about primitive acquisition of territory through conquest, enclosure and other forms of exploitation through power.


Thirdly, this suggests that the effects of institutional power in general also need to be examined for legalizing criminal behavior by a privileged cohort.