[ExI] Racist foxes

[BillK]

2011/4/5 Henry Rivera wrote:
> A number of points in Mirco's argument have face validity, but they
> oversimplify the dynamics at work. As a psychologist, I must interject some
> data he has not factored in to this discussion. I'm not suggesting a
> resolution to the discussion; I just want to demonstrate that it is more
> complicated when we are dealing with humans. Human selection processes in
> recent generations have likely been significantly influenced by non-rational
> cultural factors such as these:
>
> Microaggressions: people often internalize racists beliefs and behave
> accordingly without conscious awareness or intent of being racist. The
> proposition that human "races" exist is a social construct; there are
> variable human phenotypes for hair color and texture as well as skin color.
>
> Implicit biases: these are prevalent and largely outside of conscious
> awareness. Decisions about, for example, who to breed with are influence by
> such biases which we are not even aware of, and I'd suggest these are not
> genetically driven biases. Do some Implicit Association Tests
> athttps://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/demo/ to discover biases you may
> hold that you are not conscious of.
>
> Psychology of oppression and social change: those in positions of power
> create rules that perpetuate their power and facilitate the continued
> oppression of those who might threaten their power. People with traits more
> different from those in positions of power are systematically oppressed more
> aggressively. Consider that law enforcement (police) are instruments of the
> oppressors. Much on this topic has been
> published:http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&q=psychology+oppression+&btnG=Search&as_sdt=0%2C22&as_ylo=&as_vis=0
>
> Lastly,  human societal status and education (intelligence increase), at
> least in recent generations, has had significant influence from factors
> beyond one's genetic predisposition. I submit it is self-evident that access
> to information and literacy, for example is a relatively new advantage
> available to the non-elites.
>
> None of these factors carry weight among the tame and aggressive foxes but
> are very relevant to human interaction (and thus selection).
>
>


Agreed. Human culture and institutions are far more significant in
human behaviour. Genetic changes cannot possibly have such an
immediate and powerful effect.

Show me the capitalist gene that is supposed to have appeared in
Britain in a few generations!  Especially as the trading and business
culture developed across Europe centuries before the British
Industrial Revolution.


BillK