Who should pay reparations for slavery?

The Editor

New York Times

Dear Sir

Much discussion has taken place about who should compensate whom for slavery two hundred years ago.

Who freed the slaves?  In the US the Republican government spent hundreds of thousands of lives freeing slaves in the US.  Those slaves freed owe them a great debt of gratitude that they cannot ever repay.  If their descendants feel responsible, they should pay reparations to members of the Republican Party.  Similarly, the Democrats owe reparations to those whose liberty they destroyed.

In the Caribbean, the British government spent 20% of its annual budget freeing the slaves, so an honest former slave owes reparations to the British taxpayer.  He needs to recognise that the Royal Navy freed slaves everywhere except in Islamic countries (Saudi Arabia still had slaves as recently as 1962). 

All descendants of slaves must have a right of return to their former countries.  If they choose not to accept this option, they are telling us that they are better off in the country that enslaved their ancestry and thus have no need of reparations.

Rather than pursue reparations for suffering they never experienced, from people who committed no offence, it would seem that the energies of activists would be better expended if they recognised that it was their own African ancestors who enslaved and sold them: why are they not campaigning to release the African slaves who are working for African masters right now?  Indeed, should they not be demanding reparations from present governments in North, West and East Africa?