What's rarely noted (but also proves your point) is how much corruption is going on in the mostly blue cities that have been run by non-whites for decades. How is that explained if whites haven't even been in charge?
Agree. Corruption seems to be rampant in large cities, regardless of whether the people running them are white or non-white. But that's another blog post! ;-)
I agree with everything here which you express so well - apart from just one point you make at the end, to the effect that exploitative behaviour is hard-wired into our DNA. I don't think that's true - there are lots of indigenous societies which don't behave in this way. People are conditioned by their societies, and trauma skews the psychology of whole nations. The native American tribes had a word, 'wetiko' for the selfishness and acquistiveness that the European colonisers brought with them.
As for native Americans, ask the many slaves they acquired -whites, europeans and competing tribes- what they thought about being acquired. What more technicolour definition of exploitation is there than being made a slave?
Well there were lots of different cultures and tribes existing in America before Europeans came on the scene. And they also were put through traumas by the settlers, so I guess ths behaviour was also informed by that. It doesn't mean that all human societies inevitably behave so.
Well, no. Slavery existed in those cultures across north and south america well before europeans arrived. So did cannibalism if you wish to dig deeper learn about anisazi /fremont history. Please dont be offended by this blunt statement, but do not share opinions until you learn the subject matter. (Edited for typo).
I still say that peaceful, compassionate societies exist and have always existed: pointing to societies that are not does not contradict my statement. For example, the Hopi indians in the SW. The Inuit societies and many others, all over the world. Their existence is threatened by mining conglomerates and Big Ag but they have survived for thousands of years. Of course I am not saying that all indigenous societies are peaceful and compassionate and you can point to any number thank you so much for educating me on this.
I agree, but my point isn’t that peaceful societies of indigenous peoples/people of color *don’t* exist (by the same token, there have also been peaceful white societies — the Scots, for example, are not known for being oppressive colonizers, but rather gentle folk who minded their own business).
My point is that white societies aren’t the *only* ones that are capable of oppression. The danger, IMO, arises when we assign stereotypes to a group of people — in this case, the assumption that “whiteness is evil.” No race or society has a monopoly on evil.
Going to have to disagree with you on this one. Our cultures do bring out exploitative behavior in different ways, but it's in every human to a greater or lesser degree.
I believe that everything from the most angelic to the most devilish is in every single one of us. So I suppose that supports the statement I am arguing against. But then, what does it mean that something is 'hard-wired'? I suppose it really comes down to what societies tolerate, and what gives one an advantage within a particular society, as well as individual and collective trauma.
I appreciate that you take a wide lens and do not go for the easy blame. I am trying to remember where I saw a very brief clip of you - was it at Freedom Fest? I would like to watch the interview if you have a link. A couple of things - the Fall of Minneapolis is worth watching.Those slaves that went to Arabia - Douglas Murray pointed out that there is no remaining populations there as they were castrated. Just heard that Mohammed Ali after going to Africa had this to say, I sure am glad my grand daddy got on that boat. He had a point. In one way or another many of us benefited from our ancestors’ suffering. The more history I read the more I feel for the immigrants and their children working so hard at miserable work for the entire day. Race did not grant privilege to most of those who came here expecting a chance and finding factories, mills, and misery.
Excellent post with excellent points. You have pointed out so much that most people are not aware of for instance, that "the word "slave" derives from “slav,” the white people of Eastern Europe taken by Arab traders in the 9th century." ALL people are capable of oppressing others and one's skin color is not a determining factor in their potential for cruelty or kindness. Great post Monica! sabrinalabow.substack.com
It isn't a black thing either (in case one might think with the addition of R. Kelly and supposedly Oprah that it leans that way ). You are correct. Power corrupts, period. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely. Entertainment and really big, wealthy stars get used to 'yes' no matter their race. And, then they do, things nobody would consider normal are done without remorse.
" But CRT also serves as the foundation for the more radical proposition that institutional power makes white people uniquely “bad” and that there is something inherently exploitative in their very nature. This has led a growing contingent of social justice advocates to declare that “whiteness is evil” and white people are “more dangerous than animals.” "
The 'Woke' philosophy sometimes parallels a perfectly good set of ideas. If anyone could ever really get at that alternative world of ideas, it would se superficially somewhat similar to what some of the gender ideology or fake-left persons are saying. The ideas would be the same but in the hands of responsible people instead of these weird nutcases.
I have OFTEN wondered w.t.f. is wrong with white people, actually!!!!# (full discl. I am called 'white' but who knows what that means, my ancestors are "Semitic," or Jewish people. I call us the tribe.) please refer to my Jew name.
Love this article. It's too that bad what you see isn't obvious to everyone.
Spot on!
What's rarely noted (but also proves your point) is how much corruption is going on in the mostly blue cities that have been run by non-whites for decades. How is that explained if whites haven't even been in charge?
Agree. Corruption seems to be rampant in large cities, regardless of whether the people running them are white or non-white. But that's another blog post! ;-)
I agree with everything here which you express so well - apart from just one point you make at the end, to the effect that exploitative behaviour is hard-wired into our DNA. I don't think that's true - there are lots of indigenous societies which don't behave in this way. People are conditioned by their societies, and trauma skews the psychology of whole nations. The native American tribes had a word, 'wetiko' for the selfishness and acquistiveness that the European colonisers brought with them.
As for native Americans, ask the many slaves they acquired -whites, europeans and competing tribes- what they thought about being acquired. What more technicolour definition of exploitation is there than being made a slave?
Well there were lots of different cultures and tribes existing in America before Europeans came on the scene. And they also were put through traumas by the settlers, so I guess ths behaviour was also informed by that. It doesn't mean that all human societies inevitably behave so.
Well, no. Slavery existed in those cultures across north and south america well before europeans arrived. So did cannibalism if you wish to dig deeper learn about anisazi /fremont history. Please dont be offended by this blunt statement, but do not share opinions until you learn the subject matter. (Edited for typo).
I still say that peaceful, compassionate societies exist and have always existed: pointing to societies that are not does not contradict my statement. For example, the Hopi indians in the SW. The Inuit societies and many others, all over the world. Their existence is threatened by mining conglomerates and Big Ag but they have survived for thousands of years. Of course I am not saying that all indigenous societies are peaceful and compassionate and you can point to any number thank you so much for educating me on this.
I agree, but my point isn’t that peaceful societies of indigenous peoples/people of color *don’t* exist (by the same token, there have also been peaceful white societies — the Scots, for example, are not known for being oppressive colonizers, but rather gentle folk who minded their own business).
My point is that white societies aren’t the *only* ones that are capable of oppression. The danger, IMO, arises when we assign stereotypes to a group of people — in this case, the assumption that “whiteness is evil.” No race or society has a monopoly on evil.
Absolutely; personally I find it strange that anyone in this day and age would think this needed saying! But that's critical social justice for you.
Going to have to disagree with you on this one. Our cultures do bring out exploitative behavior in different ways, but it's in every human to a greater or lesser degree.
I believe that everything from the most angelic to the most devilish is in every single one of us. So I suppose that supports the statement I am arguing against. But then, what does it mean that something is 'hard-wired'? I suppose it really comes down to what societies tolerate, and what gives one an advantage within a particular society, as well as individual and collective trauma.
I appreciate that you take a wide lens and do not go for the easy blame. I am trying to remember where I saw a very brief clip of you - was it at Freedom Fest? I would like to watch the interview if you have a link. A couple of things - the Fall of Minneapolis is worth watching.Those slaves that went to Arabia - Douglas Murray pointed out that there is no remaining populations there as they were castrated. Just heard that Mohammed Ali after going to Africa had this to say, I sure am glad my grand daddy got on that boat. He had a point. In one way or another many of us benefited from our ancestors’ suffering. The more history I read the more I feel for the immigrants and their children working so hard at miserable work for the entire day. Race did not grant privilege to most of those who came here expecting a chance and finding factories, mills, and misery.
Excellent post with excellent points. You have pointed out so much that most people are not aware of for instance, that "the word "slave" derives from “slav,” the white people of Eastern Europe taken by Arab traders in the 9th century." ALL people are capable of oppressing others and one's skin color is not a determining factor in their potential for cruelty or kindness. Great post Monica! sabrinalabow.substack.com
But we knew this, thanks for saying it.
I'm not religious, but I noticed so many people in power, who do not believe in god, end up being abusive.
- Any race, creed, sex, color, there is no one above to Judge them, so they feel free to act out.
It isn't a black thing either (in case one might think with the addition of R. Kelly and supposedly Oprah that it leans that way ). You are correct. Power corrupts, period. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely. Entertainment and really big, wealthy stars get used to 'yes' no matter their race. And, then they do, things nobody would consider normal are done without remorse.
" But CRT also serves as the foundation for the more radical proposition that institutional power makes white people uniquely “bad” and that there is something inherently exploitative in their very nature. This has led a growing contingent of social justice advocates to declare that “whiteness is evil” and white people are “more dangerous than animals.” "
The 'Woke' philosophy sometimes parallels a perfectly good set of ideas. If anyone could ever really get at that alternative world of ideas, it would se superficially somewhat similar to what some of the gender ideology or fake-left persons are saying. The ideas would be the same but in the hands of responsible people instead of these weird nutcases.
I have OFTEN wondered w.t.f. is wrong with white people, actually!!!!# (full discl. I am called 'white' but who knows what that means, my ancestors are "Semitic," or Jewish people. I call us the tribe.) please refer to my Jew name.