[ExI] Class Differences Among Black People

[Samantha Atkins]

On May 27, 2007, at 7:02 PM, Olga Bourlin wrote:

> 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.

You are impugning the character of someone of considerable stature  
based on what?  That he disagrees with your own assessments of some  
things or breaks your model of what honest caring black people would  
think and say?   Or is it that he says some things somewhat seemingly  
similar to what you categorically cannot be said by anyone honest?

>
> 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?
>

He has said a great deal about why he believes many of the things  
tried not only did not help but made the problems worse.

>>> 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.)
>

That is quite a gross over-simplifying dismissal.  You might want to  
work on that.

>>> 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.)

No I don't see and you certainly have not shown any such thing.    
Your blanket accusations without even bothering to check the source  
are quite disturbing.

- samantha