Why Intellectuals Like Genocide

In interesting read and as relevant to Australian history as it is to Guatemala, American and many other places.

Often the first reaction is to place blame for past wrongs and demand an apology even though the wrongs are so far in the past that no actual parties to the wrongs are alive today. Let us not let that get in the way though. Another missing element is perspective. Back in the 80s it was popular to push for reparations for American slavery. Though it was indeed wrong, little thought was spared for a) the lives those decedents would have had, had they stayed in Africa, b) the fact that most slaves to the early Americas were sold to the slavers by other Africans, c) no actual slaves were left alive to be compensated and c) that slavery and the sex trade continue to this day in Africa and it is treated as a non-issue. People would rather continue to dredge up ancient American history in regard to slavery than to actually do something about the current slave trade that is going on in Africa and Europe.