[ExI] Class Differences Among Black People

[Olga Bourlin]

From: "Samantha Atkins" <sjatkins at mac.com>
To: "ExI chat list" <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Sent: Sunday, May 27, 2007 11:12 PM

> 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

>> (re Sowell) 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?

Yes I am. Besides, from where does Sowell's "considerable stature" come? 
Mainly from white conservatives.  Think about that.

All my opinion, of course (and I've said worse things about both Bush I and 
II, and even the sainted Thomas Jefferson).  I know things are changing in 
this country for the worse - faster than I am able to detect, sometimes - 
but the last time I looked we could still express our opinions?

Sowell is paid to toe the line just as Condy Rice is now and Colin Powell 
use to ... (in the latter case, I thought it was especially despicable of 
Powell to disappear from the scene after he acted so traitorously - after he 
took advantage of the trust many people had in him; it seemed to me that 
Powell seemed to have more credibility than a lot of other people in the 
Bush administration, and he suckered them in ...):

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20060411_bush_leak_plame_libby_powell/

>> 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.

Essentially, Sowell blames poor people for being poor.  As if poor people 
don't have enough problems.  A real class act, that Sowell.

>>>> 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.

I don't see much in our society that inspires me to think otherwise.  Do 
you?  (If so, please inform me where all this progressive amelioration is 
taking place ... or where white people are becoming more informed or 
concerned about anything having to do with blacks in our country.)

>> 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.

All right, all right.  I tend to exaggerate for the effect sometimes.  But, 
if you haven't observed - don't know - don't believe - that there haven't 
been such "prostitutes" working for those who pimp certain attitudes in our 
country - I would find THAT quite disturbing.

While I have not read the book Lee mentioned, I have read Sowell columns (as 
well as columnist Stanley Crouch, who is more hit-and-miss, but functions in 
much the same role as Sowell).

So, okay - in the spirit of "Keep your friends close, and your enemies 
closer," I may have to read the book by Sowell - about "class," no less 
(well, there's always Dramamine to help ...).  Black Rednecks and White 
Liberals (2005) by laissezfairebooks, no less.  Damn, but I hate the term 
"rednecks" - what a classist thing of the esteemed Sowell to say from the 
get-go.  Yeccccccccch.

But I'll try to read the book, even though the prospect fills me with a kind 
of dread.  Give me a few weeks.

Olga