-
Looking Back — And Forward
May 15, 2013 | 19 comments
-
Lies About Libya
May 14, 2013 | 80 comments
-
Bouncing Ball Politics
May 8, 2013 | 16 comments
-
Words That Replace Thought
May 7, 2013 | 57 comments
-
Is Thinking Obsolete?
May 1, 2013 | 36 comments
The Public Policy
Who Is ‘Racist’? Part II
More on reading Harry Stein.
Around this time of year, I sometimes hear from parents who have been appalled to learn that the child they sent away to college to become educated has instead been indoctrinated with the creed of the left. They often ask if I can suggest something to have their offspring read over the summer, in order to counteract this indoctrination.
This year the answer is a no-brainer. It is a book with the unwieldy title, No Matter What …They’ll Call This Book Racist by Harry Stein, a writer for what is arguably America’s best magazine, City Journal. In a little over 200 very readable pages, the author deftly devastates with facts the nonsense about race that dominates much of what is said in the media and in academia.
There is no subject on which lies and half-truths have become so much the norm on ivy-covered campuses than is the subject of race. Moreover, anyone who even questions these lies and half-truths is almost certain to be called a “racist,” especially in academic institutions which loudly proclaim a “diversity” that is confined to demographics, and all but forbidden when it comes to a diversity of ideas.
The ultimate irony is that many of those who publicly promote or accept the prevailing party line on race do not themselves accept it privately. A few years ago, when a faculty vote on affirmative action was proposed at the University of California at Berkeley, there was a fierce disagreement as to whether that vote should be taken by secret ballot or at an open faculty meeting.
Both sides understood that many professors would vote one way in secret and the opposite way in public. In short, hypocrisy is the norm in discussions of race — and not just at Berkeley. Moreover, it is the norm among blacks as well as whites.
Black civil rights attorneys and activists who denounce whites for objecting to the busing of kids from the ghetto into their neighborhood schools have not hesitated to send their own children to private schools, instead of subjecting them to this kind of “diversity” in the public schools.
As for whites, author Harry Stein says that many white liberals “give blacks a pass on behaviors and attitudes they would regard as unacceptable and even abhorrent in their own kind.” This, of course, is no favor to those particular blacks — especially those among young ghetto blacks whose counterproductive behavior puts them on a path that leads nowhere but to welfare, at best, and behind bars or death in gangland street warfare at worst.
In the introduction to his book, Stein says that his purpose is “to talk honestly about race.” He accomplishes that purpose in a fact-filled book that should be a revelation, especially to young people of any race, who have been fed a party line in schools and colleges across America.
He looks behind the highly sanitized picture of Al Sharpton, as a civil rights statesman with his own MSNBC program and his designation as a White House adviser, to the factual reality of a man with a trail of slime that has included inciting mobs, in some cases costing innocent lives.
Positive news also receives its due. Some readers of this book may be surprised to learn that the ban on racial preferences in the University of California system did not lead to a disappearance of blacks from the system, as the supporters of affirmative action claimed would happen.
On the contrary, more blacks graduated from the system after the ban — for the very common sense reason that they were now admitted to University of California campuses where they qualified, rather than to places like UCLA and Berkeley, where they had often been admitted to fill a quota, and often failed.
Stein’s book is also one of the few places where many young people will see the actual words of people like Bill Cosby, Shelby Steele, Pat Moynihan and others who have opposed the fashionable platitudes that confuse racial issues.
Whether those words convince all readers is not the point. The point, especially for young readers in our schools and colleges, is that this may be one of the few times they will ever encounter a fundamentally different set of views on race — views that they have only heard referred to as coming from “Uncle Toms” or “racists.”
COPYRIGHT 2012 CREATORS.COM
About the Author
Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305. His website is www.tsowell.com. To find out more about Thomas Sowell and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.
LiveFreeOrDie| 4.27.12 @ 3:23PM
Excellent! Just placed the order for Mr. Stein's book.
Alan Brooks| 4.27.12 @ 10:44PM
Sowell is substituting Rightist platitudes for Leftist. Al Sharpton's trail of slimeis no worse than many of the Framers. You think Ben Franklin was a saint? Guess again.
Main educational difficulty isn't college, it is primary education, which belies the claim America is the greatest nation in the world; there are Eastern European nations having better schools than America. And it isn't lib'ralism, it is because America can do business but nothing more. You can sell conservative books for decades and do very well theoretically, but you cannot improve education in reality because Americans are not capable of doing so.
Mr. Grady| 4.28.12 @ 2:50AM
This guy compares Benjamin Franklin to AL Sharpton and then proceeds to tell us how stupid Americans are.
Funny stuff!
Von Mises Jr| 4.28.12 @ 7:19AM
Grady, Brooksie just summarized the philosophy of the left without even knowing it. He knows his friends are stupid, so he assumes people "ARE NOT CAPABLE."
He is speaking for Barry who says capitalism doesn't provide a helping hand to get us poor bastards through the day. Moochelle needs to choose your kids lunch, because honey, you are just too stupid to fix a balanced meal.
How patronizing and condescending. Both of them are "affirmative action" politicians and they want to tell us we are not smart enough to compete. Look in the mirror, Dear Leaders. We helped you, but we don't need your help, thank you very much.
Alan Brooks| 4.29.12 @ 2:35AM
"so he assumes people "ARE NOT CAPABLE."
America cannot have good schools; America can do business- not education-- dissolving all the teachers unions will negligibly change the situation.
Important thing is to sell Rightist books: the business of conservatism is business..
Von Mises Jr| 4.29.12 @ 7:23AM
If you were smart enough to talk with conservatives, Brookie; you would know htat all people are not stupid. It is just that you limit your world and are projecting.
Alan Brooks| 4.30.12 @ 12:33AM
And you will be saying the same thing for the rest of your life.
American skools will not improve.
Moe Blotz| 4.28.12 @ 9:06AM
If Ben Franklin were present today to defend himself, and being a good Quaker, he might respond to Comrade Brooks by saying, "F**k thee".
Truth to Power| 4.28.12 @ 5:39PM
Ben was no Quaker and didn't think much of them.
Moe Blotz| 4.29.12 @ 11:13AM
Then why is Ben Franklin's likeness featured on boxes of Quaker Oats?
Mike Hawk| 4.28.12 @ 4:00PM
You have to remember Brooks is a cynical SOB who hates this country, himself and most everything else except for, it seems, the Rev Al. Sucks to be him.
Alan Brooks| 4.29.12 @ 12:00AM
"You have to remember Brooks ...hates this country"
No, I only hate the GOP and hope it is destroyed someday.
oldfart| 4.29.12 @ 5:18AM
Mr. Brooks - In the past when people don't like a place they generally move. Perhaps China, Burma or Cuba or more to your liking?
Big Ern| 4.29.12 @ 7:36AM
oldfart - No, sometimes they gain power and make second class citizens of those they don't like and imprison or execute them. Sort of what BO is attempting to do now by vilifying private citizens who contribute to opposition campaigns. The third reich didn't go straight to executing jews; they spent time vilifying them first.
Denise| 5.1.12 @ 4:49PM
AND are still busy vilifying them today.
Alan Brooks| 4.30.12 @ 12:35AM
"Mr. Brooks - In the past when people don't like a place they generally move. Perhaps China, Burma or Cuba or more to your liking?"
No, will wait until the GOP is destroyed.
Ret. Marine| 4.30.12 @ 7:34AM
Yeah good luck with that one, brooks, no, wait until the GOP is destroyed? Then what brooks, evil is thy name, is that what you wish for your fellow human beings, not this MAN, you on the other hand would not know how to destroy, because of the many post I have read of your's for far too long, I tend to believe the destroying part is that of your very soul, and how sad indeed. You are intitled to your own opinion, but, you are not entitled to your facts, they are not actual, just a dream for which one hopefully, you may awaken from, and see the real danger is not to the truth, but that of your ignorances of the human experiences. It must be real hard to walk this earth with a false sense of entitlement and bravedo, I have to wonder what the future holds for you and those who have so little faith in truthtulness. Does the word HELL have any meaning to you at all? Why do you go thru all this mental anguish, when as correctly stated by "oldfart" just move, I am quite sure no one on this site will miss you, in the least.
Dick Nome| 4.28.12 @ 4:13PM
AB, your hero Al (no-so) Sharpton doesn't go to the barbershop, he goes to Jiffylube for lubrication and an oil change. He is a slimey repugnant race hustler.
Alan Brooks| 4.29.12 @ 12:01AM
Oh so David Duke merelty exercises his First Amendment rights, but Sharpton is a monster?
Alan Brooks| 4.29.12 @ 12:02AM
David Duke merely exercises his First Amendment rights, but Sharpton is a monster?
haddit| 4.29.12 @ 10:28AM
No one has heard from David Duke in Lord knows when. Al and Jessie are the epitome of racists.
Jive Bomber| 4.30.12 @ 12:25AM
Dear Mr. Brooks, Inre David Duke and Al Sharpton:
You are welcome to pen an article about Duke. Until that day arrives might I make a suggestion and stay on topic? Afterall, this article by Mr. Sowell makes only mention of Sharpton.
Seems to me you are trying to avoid the subject, but I could be wrong - you did compare Sharpton with Duke; two of a kind for sure.
PS. Hey folks, remember when "Revrund" Al Sharpton had a pompadour and wore those shiny racetrack suits?
Denise| 5.1.12 @ 4:53PM
YEP. And black patent leather shoes with the racetrack suits.
Ann Banisher| 4.29.12 @ 12:26PM
It's funny how you say the US can do business but cannot improve education. Republicans dominate business (especially small business) and democrats dominate education.
Funny how the party of choice (of life or death) is the party of apartheid when it comes to education. The rich have choice and can send their kid's to private school and the poor have no choice and must accept inferior, government run, dumbed-down reeducation camps. Give all parents vouchers to educate their children and you will see a vast improvement once people can realize they can have a say.
Republicans say, it worked for me, it can work for you.
Democrats say, it works for thee, but not for me.
Alan Brooks| 4.30.12 @ 12:40AM
No, our skools wont improve.
Angela| 4.30.12 @ 11:34PM
A conclusion stated as fact.....weak.
haddit| 4.29.12 @ 10:26AM
America as a symbol of the schooling? I would have to agree. Public schools are told what they can teach.
Alan Brooks| 4.30.12 @ 12:41AM
Even if the publik skools were run by Sowell himself it would make little difference. 1/10 of 1%
Ann Banisher| 4.30.12 @ 11:04AM
So you're saying teachers don't make a difference. Therefore no point in pouring more money down the same rat hole where we are getting no results.
Angela| 4.30.12 @ 11:37PM
Shutting them would be a good plan. Private schools would be much more effective....The free market works every time. .....oh and poor kids would be educated
John Navratil| 4.27.12 @ 4:06PM
Doctor Sowell should have one of his own books recommended, as well. "Basic Economics" was required reading for my children before they went away to school. In addition to being a good introductory text to the topic on its own, it also discusses the human behaviour which makes his analysis so relevant.
My son, who graduates from fairly conservative school tomorrow, credits the book with his "ace-ing" his Econ. midterm. My daughter, at a more liberal university, probably had a greater need for the message.
DG in GA| 4.28.12 @ 12:58PM
John, I was about to write the same thing. As a graduation gift, I have given ALL of my nieces and nephews copies of Dr. Sowell's "Basic Economics" and "Applied Economics." (I don't have kids or they'd get them too.) When I meet a hyper-indoctrinated liberal young adult, I also gift them with these books. Don't know if they actually read them, although I make it a point to let them know Dr. Sowell is associated with Stanford so they'll assume he has a brain.
Al Adab| 4.27.12 @ 4:25PM
Our local radio station is playing a PSA put out by the Diversity Council and The Fair Housing Alliance (with taxpayer dollars no doubt as its a PSA) in which a young daughter thanks her mother for taking her along to work where she saw many people of differnet colors Mother explains that they all have different ideas and different values which we need to know about. Daughter then asks why everybody where we live looks the same.
How racist can you get to assume that peoples thoughts and values are race based instead of religious or political or philosophically based. Is it not racist to assume all ..... (fill in the blank) think alike? Whites certainly don't all think alike so why assume other races do? It is one of the most dispicable ads I have ever heard.
olainfree| 4.28.12 @ 2:31PM
This ad makes me grind my teeth, too. It is so self-congratulatory in its self-righteousness. The simplisticness of its premise is truly shallow.
haddit| 4.29.12 @ 10:33AM
I don't think it's an assumption to think Blacks have to have a leader. If not for Al and Jessie, they wouldn't know what to do with themselves. Think about it. It's someone and the word ONE along with SOME that get's em going on certain issues. Then they burn and loot to high heaven. Whites don't do that stuff whether someone is trying to beef something up or not. It's not being racist, it's simply witnessing what they do.
mikhail silo| 4.27.12 @ 4:33PM
A child that has been properly indoctrinated into any set of values will not be and cannot be estranged from them except by the most coercive of techniques .
However, if parents have sent their children into the world as a vessel empty of permanent values, the someone else will certainly try fill it.
Some parents fret too much. If your properly raised child returns home with some strange mannerisms, do not worry. Most likely these mannerisms are but temporary abberations. And when the child returns to good form you may congratulate yourself on a job well done.
As for the parents who have lost the battle for their child's soul, they will have a lifetime to regret their failure as parents. There are such things as extenuating circumstances. These may mitigate a parent's guilt but they cannot change the facts.
If you are not willing or able to properly raise a child because of circumstances, however caused, then perhaps you have no business having children.
Finally, thinking that getting a child to read a book over the summer in order to counteract an indoctrination into an alien value system is a stunning act of naivete.
John Navratil| 4.27.12 @ 4:56PM
mikhail silo,
I'll evaluate my naivete, thank you. I've raised my own children. I was merely recommending a book and suggesting when it was time to read it.
John Navratil| 4.27.12 @ 4:56PM
mikhail silo,
I'll evaluate my naivete, thank you. I've raised my own children. I was merely recommending a book and suggesting when it was time to read it.
haddit| 4.29.12 @ 10:36AM
I think to some degree you are right. Children being raised in a project for example should be taken from that parent. Most can agree there is no way of raising a child with any real values in an enevirnment like that.
Brian Mc| 4.27.12 @ 4:33PM
Thomas Sowell...a gift that keeps on giving.
bobmontgomery| 4.27.12 @ 4:39PM
The prisons in the US are full of the results of liberal lies and you know what they want to do now? They want to open the prison doors and let them all out because they are disproportionately black. They are evil; not just because of their policies, but because when the policies fail, they blame someone else.
haddit| 4.29.12 @ 10:37AM
Exactly Bob.
Pat| 4.27.12 @ 6:27PM
During the 60’s, America’s favorite hobbies included discovering drugs were “cool” and becoming obsessed with universal brotherhood and “All we need is love!”. Today, these aging Boomers, former love children of the 60’s, have other obsessions: The men want drugs which relieve the need for getting up three times a night to use the can. And the women wonder if yet another facelift will help and would it be safe to even try. But demanding a society of tolerance and universal brotherhood was merely a rather naïve and passing fad, no society in history was ever that way and, most likely, no society will be anytime soon – at least until the Apes take over this planet.
For example, today Delmon Young of the Detroit Tigers was arrested in New York City and charged with a hate crime for smacking around a Jew, which is an activity definitely frowned upon in New York by its many Jewish residents. Poor Delmon didn’t realize that wasn’t something easily tolerated in New York, you can’t just casually slap around a panhandler wearing a yarmulke, not like you can back in the “D”.
The Motor City’s local media isn’t sure how to play this story given their reader demographics – so it’s strictly textbook journalism time for a novel change, only the bare facts were given, and nothing but the bare facts. You see, Delmon happens to be black and a Detroit Tiger - and sports celebrities are minor deities in Detroit since the auto companies all had to go on welfare and their CEO’s were downgraded from financial geniuses to greedy clowns and chumps.
The reported facts, outside of Detroit, read like the Trayvon story in reverse, only with less justification on the part of the accused – Delmon wasn’t merely defending himself from a skinny Jew who approached him on the street, he pushed him to the ground and followed other men who objected into a hotel lobby for some more two-fisted, heart to heart discussion. Trayvon was definitely a victim of racism in Florida according to the outraged Detroit Free Press but the Motor City’s jury is still out on demi-god Delmon and the skinny, panhandling Jew – the Free Press is carefully reporting only the basic, minimal and corroborated facts here - no rush to judgment like in Trayvon’s case, no indignant editorials, no columnists beating their breasts and demanding immediate justice.
But a rabbi, Jason Miller, writing for the Huffington Post sees it from an entirely different angle of course – intoxicated Delmon acted like a black Mel Gibson and somehow that particular viewpoint espoused by Rabbi Miller comes as no great surprise to the Huff readers. So, witness the state of universal brotherhood and race relations in America today. And yet still another book analyzing race relations probably won’t help to disguise the ugly and unchanging truth.
Appleby| 4.27.12 @ 6:43PM
I grew up in a mob neighbourhood and didn't know it was unusual until age 10 when all our little two-room schools were decanted into one big "central school." But I did know the one thing everybody who lives in a mob neighbourhood knows: I knew how to mind my own business.
Apparently this is a habit not taught by anybody's parents these days, but in fact, it is the true meaning of "tolerance".
haddit| 4.29.12 @ 10:39AM
You probably learned to follow and not lead too, am I right?
Petronius| 4.27.12 @ 8:49PM
Only the black left is allowed to define Racism and who is Racist: anybody who does not accept them on their terms without question. And this is why nothing will happen to the feral savages who beat, rob, and kill white people for any or no reason. The Liberals controlling the legal establishment hold their primitive rage above the 10 Commandments and Our civilization which they hold in contempt. We must depose the traitors among our own who use the powers of state to subjugate us to sate their own thirst for "social justice" at the expense of the white middle class who never offended anybody.
J.J. Sefton| 4.27.12 @ 9:23PM
I hapd the opportunity to read the book and it is a slam dunk. The real conversation about race - as opposed to the phony one Eric Holder bloated about - begins with this book. Take away the race card and you significantly diminish the greatest weapon the left has in silencing criticism, More importantly, we as a society can truly begin to move in the long-delayed journey towards content of character over color of skin. An absolute must-read.
Bravo Mr. Stein.
LIBERALPARASITES| 4.27.12 @ 9:23PM
This is why we must raise our voices anytime we are in the presence of -Liberals-. Tell them that we need a Military dictatorship to run this country, and see them squirm...
Petronius| 4.28.12 @ 7:53PM
The Military is under liberal control and are being trained to subjugate Us.
haddit| 4.29.12 @ 10:41AM
The military is under some screwed up control alright. If they fire back, they stand a chance of going to jail. If they pee on a enemy who was trying moments before to kill them, they stand a chance at going to jail. Not to mention getting killed their own self. Jail or die are the options with Hillary poo and the odd couple in the white house.
Luis| 4.29.12 @ 11:40AM
You should also not forget that marine who criticized Obama on a website, and was given an "other than honorable disharge", and stripped of his benefits.
POST American| 4.27.12 @ 9:53PM
--'90's Show' Tavistock chain pulling even
as RUSSIAN troops are in joint exercises
with American troops in Colorado to
'deal with the threat of American terrorists'.
Of course, if 33rd degree FREE--MAY--SINs
Sharpton and Jack's Son, were indeed
interested in getting to the source of cultural
poison, they'd be demandindg the removal of
KKK founder/ and POPE of 'MAY--SIN-Re'
Albert Pike's staue from beside the DC Justice
Dept.
Likewise with their fellow 33rd degree
'MAY--SINs' disguised as christians,
Pat Robertson, Billy Graham, Robert Schuller
---and ALLLL the other Arminian con-jobs.
And remember, ALL this on top of 8 decades
of methodical infiltration and subversion by
the ever sinister, EUGENICS mongering,
Rockefeller 'World Counts-ILL of Churches'.
This is the 11th hour kiddies.
This IS the FINAL phase of the
CFR--RED China handover and takedown op.
NO MORE TIME for equivocation and
'AM--BIG--you--'IT'--hes'.
We are fighting for our very life.
Indy| 4.28.12 @ 10:25AM
Dr. Sowell,
Thank you for the suggestion, I'll be placing a book order this weekend and will add this one to the list.
White Guilt by Shelby Steele is also a good read.
PattyMor| 4.28.12 @ 3:50PM
If we get away from racial quotas and the race industry, where would the Justice Brothers be? No hate to stir up and no money to be made, no fine suits and no fine living (oh and no microphone).
Mike Hawk| 4.28.12 @ 3:55PM
..and no bullhorns.
haddit| 4.29.12 @ 10:44AM
They sould be their hind ends in jail for trying to incite a riot. Why? Can anyone tell me that law isn't enforced with these two idiots?
OregonBuzz| 4.29.12 @ 9:34AM
Another telling article from Dr. Sowell. As I am white, I will let another black man speak for me.
"There is a class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs -- partly because they want sympathy, and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs. ... There is a certain class of race-problem solvers who don't want the patient to get well, because as long as the disease holds out they have not only an easy means of making a living, but also an easy medium through which to make themselves prominent before the public." -- Booker T. Washington in his 1911 book, My Larger Education
Kind of sums it all up, doesn't it?
John Thompson | 5.1.12 @ 10:03AM
Dr Sowell's words always carry levity and genius. Could you only imagine the outrage on any university campus if a professor made this book mandatory reading for a class? I do not believe that professor would have a job for long.