As Charles Krauthammer pointed out in his defense of the reparations idea a decade ago, this country spends a lot on racial regulations and loses a lot of time worrying about ephemeral abstractions about race. There is a real cost, both economic and cultural, to the erosion of individualism which the current system engenders. Moreover, with affirmative action out of the picture, the remainder of the coalition of the oppressed would have a lot harder time arguing that they deserve such programs. And speaking of morality, critics should be sure that their opposition isn't really just about the money. For some people it must be.
Federal bureaucrats lose more loose change than that under the couch cushions every day.
And let's concede the obvious. Slavery was a moral horror. The U.S. government protected the hateful institution in its founding documents and laws for almost a century. There is no disputing the real and lasting damage that the institution caused generations of blacks. Recognizing that fact is not a sign of weakness or ideological compromise.