4. Change the Subject

Malzberg then asked me a fair question that I didn't have an answer to: specifically, did I believe in financial reparations, and if so, how big should they be? When I said I wasn't sure, but also that our racial problems were still acute, he asked, "So you think slavery is responsible for blacks' problems today?" I responded to this charmingly dumb question by saying that years of slavery followed by years of other sorts of repression might, oh, I don't know, breed societal problems.

5. Other Countries Are Bad Too

Malzberg then made what I thought was his most absurd comment, when he said it was important to mention that "slavery was not invented by the United States," and, furthermore, that African countries practiced slavery hundreds of years ago, and still do to this day. This was what might be called a non sequitur. I said as much, but Malzberg responded that Americans were somehow being victimized because Coates was focusing on us. I pointed out that Coates was an American writing a piece about Americans.

6. Blame Affirmative Action

Malzberg was then set off when I said that slavery was at least in part responsible (even if indirectly) for various problems today. Malzberg disagreed, and said that America had tried to right those wrongs, including via affirmative action. Since I can guess that Malzberg doesn't believe affirmative action actually helps anyone, I don't see the force of his point.

7. Cluelessness About How Government Works

Things got even weirder when Malzberg said he didn't see anything that could be done to "remedy" what was done in the past. I mentioned steps to stop discrimination, whether in housing or policing or criminal justice more broadly. I also mentioned the quality of schools that many African Americans attend, and the quality of healthcare that many African Americans have access to. He then exclaimed, "anyone can get health insurance," which was odd because he is an Obamacare opponent, and he seemed to be stating this with pride in his country.