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It looks like easy power. It’s the same reason police work attracts a-holes who like to wield a gun and a badge, academia allows you to hide behind publications and credentials to sometimes spout off weird idiotic ideas, or why being a media elite lets you pretend you’re reporting fairly as a journalist even when you’re just an editorial talking head.
Pay these people no mind. Find your own bedrock principles, then judge issues and outside opinions according to YOUR OWN guide, not what these outside actors tell you to believe. It’s amazing how many people are so plainly without their own political or even moral compasses, and if there’s anything which is perhaps positive about our weird and rather dark political culture and climate these days, it’s that it has made this as plain as day for anybody who’s looking.
Suddenly, conservatives are worried about Covid...because of immigrants. Suddenly, they’re worried about “kids in cages”...because of Biden. Suddenly, lefties care about criminal justice...because of viral videos. Suddenly, the left has started to assume a rather race-based view of the world...because of brief, bright star internet stuff. It’s all pretty transparent, and it’s sad that so many folks just climb into the gutter as instructed by whoever holds the megaphone in their parties. Not just sad, really, it also has kind of a Kafka-esque absurdity to it.
I am reminded of the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird.
In the book, it is made clear that Bob Ewell is the epitome of 'white trash'.
Yet, as Atticus Finch noted to Scout: When Ewell wipes off his dirty skin, it is a pale white, which gives him preference in Society.
It is why Mark Twain's novel, Huckleberry Finn was so scandalous in his time: Huck was a dirty, ignorant child, of an even greater dirty, ignorant father. The father greatly felt his inferiority to other white people, but rejoiced that he was the 'better' of any black person.
Yet, as Huck and Jim float down the Mississippi river, Huck has an epiphany: Jim, the slave, was a good, honest man, and deserved respect.
"All right", Huck proclaimed when he decided to protect Jim from the authorities, against Biblical wishes, "I'll go to Hell!"
It was a huge decision by Huck, and one roundly condemned by polite White Society.
Indeed, Louisa May Alcott, the author of "Little Women", was so outraged that she wrote a letter to the New York Times condemning the novel, and even sought to have it banned by some public libraries.
Twain was delighted, and took out ads in papers proclaiming that his book was 'banned', and so buy it now. It worked. Sales soared.
Every subsequent year, on the anniversary of the day that Ms. Alcott sought to have the book banned, Mr. Clemons sent her a dozen roses. She was not amused.
So, to summarize: it is a tale as old as time. You have people that know that their status in their own society is marginal, but so long as there is a class of people that they can proclaim superiority to, they are content.
One final story from an old man: I used to know a person that was an adherent of 'The Old South", and thought that General Robert E. Lee was the epitome of a Southern Gentleman.
This person's name was "Farmer", which meant, in probability, that his poor white heirs were farmers. Illiterate people often assumed a last name based on their occupation (carpenter, etc).
Yet, as much as I admire General Lee's ability as a strategist, he was acutely aware of his place in society. He may send 'crackers' to their death in battle, but he would not socialize with them.
I so told Mr. Farmer. If the society of the South were to 'rise again', many of his ilk would find themselves at the bottom of the totem pole. The "Old South" was acutely aware of 'social status", and looked down upon poor whites and even merchants.
Note that the "Old South" based itself upon the novels of Sir Walter Scott. Literally. But that is for another thread.
It seems to me rather obvious that many are seduced by the idea that there is widespread racism in the developed world - particularly in the US, and particularly by whites against non-whites. Setting aside whether or not there is any truth to the notion, there's certainly an extraordinary amount of enthusiasm in holding the point of view. So much so that we have people eager to believe the most far fetched fantastical depictions of police wantonly mowing down innocent black men across the nation. We're awash in fake hate crimes. We've got a media that discusses racial issues 24/7, we've got social media platforms of people calling each other and everyone else racist.
What I don't understand is why these people are so attracted to this narrative. Is it because of the psychological reward of thinking that you're better than others? Is it the societal rewards for being part of the mob? Is it simply a result of the media manipulating the minds of the populace to effect elections?
There is a certain zeal with which people adopt these views. They're not the result of a careful consideration of the facts, or even casually glancing at the facts at all. It seems to have an emotional, almost religious character.
Any theories as to why this is the case?
Only one of two scenarios can be accurate:
1. black people fail because they would rather blame white people for their failings than admit their faults and try to improve.
2. black people fail because white people are racist and maintain a culture and society that is wholly opposed to black achievement and independence.
To accept that blacks ****ing-up in just about every category of ****ing-up known to man is caused by a black culture that lionizes idiocy (scenario 1) would also require that we find a place for them in our white society without affirmative action, race set-asides and, most importantly, the countless excuses used for always being dead-ass last.
As a nation, we're not ready for that, so we're sticking with scenario number two, even if it is a painfully obvious lie used to punish innocent whites (and Asians) for simply living in a responsible and productive way.
We aren't a racist country. There are individuals who might be racist towards people who don't look like them, or they might not like certain cultures or ideologies. Maybe they are jerks or criminals or psychopaths.
I can guarantee that NOTHING about the current narrative, no amount of accusations, critical race theories, seminars, programs, "educating yourself", or reparations will improve the lives of anyone except the grifters. Nothing will change. Some people seem to think we can end racism by yelling at each other but get real.
Considering America is the most diverse country on earth, they’re clearly exaggerating their experiences for handouts, sympathy, and lack of accountability.
It seems to me rather obvious that many are seduced by the idea that there is widespread racism in the developed world - particularly in the US, and particularly by whites against non-whites. Setting aside whether or not there is any truth to the notion, there's certainly an extraordinary amount of enthusiasm in holding the point of view. So much so that we have people eager to believe the most far fetched fantastical depictions of police wantonly mowing down innocent black men across the nation. We're awash in fake hate crimes. We've got a media that discusses racial issues 24/7, we've got social media platforms of people calling each other and everyone else racist.
What I don't understand is why these people are so attracted to this narrative. Is it because of the psychological reward of thinking that you're better than others? Is it the societal rewards for being part of the mob? Is it simply a result of the media manipulating the minds of the populace to effect elections?
There is a certain zeal with which people adopt these views. They're not the result of a careful consideration of the facts, or even casually glancing at the facts at all. It seems to have an emotional, almost religious character.
Any theories as to why this is the case?
The rhetorical refuge of calling everything "racist" allows one to vacate reason and critical thinking and replace it with a reflex retort of "racism".
Put a nickel in a liberal and they will spit out "racist"!
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