At the beginning of last year, in a piece for The Atlantic, Nellie Bowles described the mood at a four-day antiracist cult…excuse me, Zoom seminar she attended in May of 2021.
Exactly! These people present themselves as caring so much about the suffering of others and yet they are just wallowing in their own misery and projecting it onto the people around them. Unfortch it's very difficult to get them to see this, with narcissism, that problem usually prevents someone seeking help for it. It's always everyone else's fault.
To even raise issues related to race is to be immediately accused of racism. What the fuck, here goes anyway.
It’s far past time for society to quit pandering to the black community and to demand that it take the lead in correcting the problems it faces. Here are a few suggestions.
There is a systematic lack of respect for education within the community. Tolerance of disruptive students by black school administrators and lack of effective discipline hinders learning in many black majority schools, stifling students’ potential achievement. The simple answer is to expel repeat offenders so that those who desire to learn can learn.
There is a casual acceptance of criminal behavior within the black community that results in a failure to cooperate with police in solving crimes. Until this is reversed there will be zero economic development within areas where they live.
Finally, someone must find a way to make black fathers love and care for their children and especially their boy children. Young black men (15-34) are just 2% of the population and commit about half of the nation’s homicides. A rate fifty times higher than the average American. The lack of a father’s involvement in raising their sons is at the heart of this problem yet no one acknowledges it and seeks answers to it. Where the hell are the black men (and especially black politicians) who even publicly acknowledge this problem? What are they waiting for?
SUZ: I certainly agree that skin color has nothing to do with it, but it is a class issue that upper and middle class blacks should be more forthright in discussing. Their refusal to criticize the disfunction in lower class black communities is not helpful.
Thank you. I never fell for it and felt like the world around me was losing its collective mind. Unfortunately, with all of the obvious snake oil, this shit is still being pushed in education and 'progressive' Democrat strongholds.
Wow, Steve. What a wonderfully written breakdown of how the anti-racist movement has not lived up to its promise. Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and many others taught us that positivity is the only way bring people together and solve difficult social problems. Putting people into mutually exclusive and competing groups goes against every social-psychological theory I know of. I'm not surprised it didn't work.
Well, it can’t come soon enough here in Detroit, but, alas, the end is not yet in sight. There are still some millions in COVID funds, non profit grants, City Council earmarks to “study reparations” and the like….it is slowly winding down but there are still mortgagees to be paid, boats to buy, shopping sprees to be had, and sun bathing to do in the islands. When, and only when the spigot is turned off will the snake oil salesmen turn to the next grift.
A therapist once told me that self-loathing and self-harm are both forms of a kind of narcissism. That really changed how i understood the world.
Exactly! These people present themselves as caring so much about the suffering of others and yet they are just wallowing in their own misery and projecting it onto the people around them. Unfortch it's very difficult to get them to see this, with narcissism, that problem usually prevents someone seeking help for it. It's always everyone else's fault.
So it turns out that wallowing like a drunk in a pool of self loathing has a statute of limitations.
Yes, this is a valuable and intelligent analysis of the issue.
Winston Churchill once said “there are two types of fascists, fascists and anti-fascists”. He was right and the same applies to rascists.
actually, I think that was Mino Maccari who said that. "In Italy, fascists divide themselves into two categories: fascists and antifascists"
Thanks Shaun, I appreciate the info.
To even raise issues related to race is to be immediately accused of racism. What the fuck, here goes anyway.
It’s far past time for society to quit pandering to the black community and to demand that it take the lead in correcting the problems it faces. Here are a few suggestions.
There is a systematic lack of respect for education within the community. Tolerance of disruptive students by black school administrators and lack of effective discipline hinders learning in many black majority schools, stifling students’ potential achievement. The simple answer is to expel repeat offenders so that those who desire to learn can learn.
There is a casual acceptance of criminal behavior within the black community that results in a failure to cooperate with police in solving crimes. Until this is reversed there will be zero economic development within areas where they live.
Finally, someone must find a way to make black fathers love and care for their children and especially their boy children. Young black men (15-34) are just 2% of the population and commit about half of the nation’s homicides. A rate fifty times higher than the average American. The lack of a father’s involvement in raising their sons is at the heart of this problem yet no one acknowledges it and seeks answers to it. Where the hell are the black men (and especially black politicians) who even publicly acknowledge this problem? What are they waiting for?
The things you describe are not endemic for black people. It is certain low socio economic poorly educated people. Skin color is not the issue
SUZ: I certainly agree that skin color has nothing to do with it, but it is a class issue that upper and middle class blacks should be more forthright in discussing. Their refusal to criticize the disfunction in lower class black communities is not helpful.
It not about feeling good. It was about power and money. The most effective way was exploiting the neurosis of educated white women
Thank you. I never fell for it and felt like the world around me was losing its collective mind. Unfortunately, with all of the obvious snake oil, this shit is still being pushed in education and 'progressive' Democrat strongholds.
I come here to say “ditto, “Palestinians”.
Good to see you here, Steve. You were always one of the best writers on Medium.
Wow, Steve. What a wonderfully written breakdown of how the anti-racist movement has not lived up to its promise. Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and many others taught us that positivity is the only way bring people together and solve difficult social problems. Putting people into mutually exclusive and competing groups goes against every social-psychological theory I know of. I'm not surprised it didn't work.
Well, it can’t come soon enough here in Detroit, but, alas, the end is not yet in sight. There are still some millions in COVID funds, non profit grants, City Council earmarks to “study reparations” and the like….it is slowly winding down but there are still mortgagees to be paid, boats to buy, shopping sprees to be had, and sun bathing to do in the islands. When, and only when the spigot is turned off will the snake oil salesmen turn to the next grift.
I for one think racism is mis-labeled; it’s more like anti-jungle tribalism. Not about skin color which is a defensive juvenile argument.
Perfectly said 🙏
Hating on one people will not encourage love for others. This concept should have provided guard rails for safer antiracist rhetoric.
Thank you ❤️
Fuck anti
I AM CHEERING. Great piece.