[ExI] Class Differences Among Black People

[Olga Bourlin]

From: "Lee Corbin" <lcorbin at rawbw.com>
To: "ExI chat list" <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 11:41 AM
Subject: Re: [ExI] History of Slavery


> Olga writes
>
>> Black people like Sowell really get me because they do not address
>> systematic inequalities.
>
> I would argue that he does. Now it is true that he does not simply
> stick it to white people as being plain bastards and treating everyone
> else wrong because they're just wicked.  ON the contrary, he
> explains that a certain lower, unfortunate class of blacks has
> behaved---thanks to an inheritance of lower class southern
> redneck culture---in ways that most middle class people of any
> race will abhor.

That's what he's paid to do.

Why do we have that "unfortunate class of blacks?"  Where is the funding for 
good schools for the worst-off poor students (black or white)?  Where has it 
been all these years?  What does Sowell have to say about that?  What are 
the solutions he proposes?

>> They must realize that complete independence inside white society
>> is impossible and counterproductive for any progressive agenda for
>> black people,

 Perhaps you should actually *try* reading "White Liberals and Black 
Rednecks"?  It's very factually based.  He's an extremely competent 
historian, and a superb writer.

Well, you know what Voltaire said about history.  (While I haven't read that 
particular Sowell book, I have read several books similar to that one with 
its similar viewpoint - and those books did not convince me because I could 
see that they were written for a specific reason for a specific segment of 
people - i.e., mainly white people who needed reassurance that they were not 
doing anything wrong and could continue living their lives behind their 
virtual white gated communities, and that they need not concern themselves 
with lazy-ass people who could not "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" 
and all the rest of the cliches.)

I know competent historians and superb writers of a different ilk, I guess.

IMO from what I've read (and observed), we've allowed ourselves to be duped 
by egregious hucksterism and rhetorical demagoguery with the institutions of 
religiosity and unchecked free-market capitalism.
Gore Vidal once remarked (this is a paraphrase ) :

"The next great empire will come from Asia.  Let's just hope that our 
yellow-skinned breathren will be more kind and fair with us, then we were 
towards them.  However, I'm not optimistic."

>> so they maintain the status quo - therefore
>> guaranteeing that no real progress will ever be made.  Perhaps they've 
>> even
>> been convinced (or have convinced themselves) that that is really the way 
>> to
>> do.
>
> Sorry---you've lost me.  My fault, probably, because I've John Clarked
> your phrases and sentences.  So you mean "These black people like Sowell
> try to maintain the status quo - therefore guaranteeing that no progress 
> will
> be made"?

I mean ... no progress will be made to correct the pandemic racism and 
poverty that exists.

> Well, if that's what you are saying, it's quite wrong. Sowell would LOVE
> to see all black people go to the black colleges that he goes on and on
> about, and what highly intelligent and sophisticated people emerge as
> a result. And he would LOVE for the media to stop parading the rudest
> and crudest black people they can find as "typical".

The main thing Sowell would love is to have YOU believe that he would LOVE 
... etc., etc., etc.  (Shhhhhhhh ... you see, Sowell is a kind of 
prostitute.)

Olga