
While some reparations claims succeed-such as those made by Americans of Japanese decent interned during World War II and those made by European Jews against Germany after World War II-most do not. Reparations traditionally are understood as material or symbolic awards to victims of an abusive regime granted outside of a legal process. That is certainly true in the debate over reparations in transitions to democracy. It is sometimes the case that a debate goes off the rails so early that riders assume the rough country around them is the natural backdrop for their travels. New is the estimation method and the resulting upward correction of reparations estimates. Neither problems nor solutions associated with multigenerational reparations are new. Historical precedents suggest that political rather than narrowly legal processes will determine any ultimate claims.Conclusions slave labor in 2009 dollars to range from $5.9 to $14.2 trillion.

ALEXANDRA COBURN CAPITAL ISLAND MAINE FREE
To investigate present value estimation, I compare existing slavery reparations estimates based on slave prices as expected future income to alternative estimates based on the number of unremunerated work hours multiplied with historical free labor market wages.ResultsI estimate the present value of U.S. To investigate legal precedents, I trace the French spoliation claims, which were paid over a period of 123 years, and Haiti's independence debt, which was paid over 156 years. ObjectiveI investigate two problems regarding multigenerational reparations: legal obstacles caused by the passage of time and economic difficulties in obtaining realistic present value estimates.Methods These games, dynamic ways of working with history, help us dwell in the complexities of causation distrust the precision of hindsight and locate moments in the past, when the sediment has yet to settle, that could lead us towards a decent and equitable present. Participants bring counterfactual scenarios to the sessions, and we collaborate in small groups to play them out. "Counterfactuals" is an essay about an ongoing gaming workshop, run by Tyler Coburn. Nonetheless, counterfactual thinking may provide some perspective on the disinformation campaigns destabilizing governments and populations worldwide.


A counterfactual is not an "alternative fact," Kellyanne Conway's means of distinguishing "fake news" from the Trump administration's view of reality. We commonly encounter them in sweeping historical reimaginings, but they can also help us ask critical questions about the forms of reparation and restitution owed to communities for past wrongs. A counterfactual is a means of speculating about the possible paths events could have taken.
