NationStates Jolt Archive

I found this ridiculous essay on a web blog. As asinine as it seems, it is interesting nonetheless; what do you think?

http://www.xanga.com/item.aspx?user=shaungoldstein&tab=weblogs&uid=235987018


Even today in our modern society of tolerance and the "everyone should get ahead" mentality, first world nations still suffer from racism and anti-semitism. Where do these problems root? In the ignorance of White Supremacists and underprivileged minorities--that's where. The obvious answer to crushing racism may seem the simplest, but it is actually impossible.

Has it rolled off your tongue already? The concept most believe to be successful, yet by itself meaningless, is education: education for children on how to accept diversity and to wash away any prejudiced thoughts. Now, don't think I'm against that, no way; you simply just can't rely only on education to remove racial tensions in the progressive here-and-now. You need to mix it with other ingredients-- To me, at least, cheerios taste much better with sugar :).

I think we can all agree that western civilization has, fortunately, adopted the philosophy of Utilitarianism--the greatest good for the greatest number. Any what better way of measuring equality with quantity? My solution draws heavily upon this American ideal; and instead of trudging up a mountain of problems and tension, I believe this quickest and fastest way to truly spread this egalitarian doctrine is to make it so that everybody is a brother in EVERY sense of the word.

I call for racial homogenization on a global scale. One only needs to look at history to see that wars were predominately fought by one race group against another. And how can one be racist against themselves? Furthermore, one race-one color will make the entire concept of racial prejudice nonexistent as there will be no standard of comparison. I hear you asking, "But won't people remember race from history text books?" Well, yes--but remember that text books may need to be slightly altered so that race is a more semantically applicable term: the human race, the only race!

Some events, however, we must make an exception. Stories must be told that must not be forgotten. This categorical imperative applies to victims of White Slavery and the Holocaust. The irrefutable truths of millions enslaved for hundreds of years in White Servitude and millions exterminated by a nationalist madman; these facts must not go unforgotten in the world. I do hate to seem to deviate slightly in my ideology, but I'm not an extremist in any context.

Creating a human race may seem like a daunting task, and we certainly don't want to take away anybody's freedom. But keep in mind that anyone that would refuse to engage in multiculturalism would be a de-facto racist, thus we need to force them to mate with a more tolerant individual for the good of the whole. I do not foresee the citizens of the world on any scale of importance holding this taboo; racism has been in remission and multiculturalism has lit the way for a better tomorrow.

Many have died for the right to have equal rights among their human brothers; now, let's ensure that right for an eternity!

People will always find ways to belittle and hate others, eliminating one way will just make the others worse.

Yeah, if it's not race, it'll be religion, or hair color, or something equally retarded. Humans are violent creatures--it's part of our evolution. That doesn't mean that we can't and shouldn't fight against that inclination, but thinking that getting rid of one of the many asinine triggers we have will solve the whole problem is short-sighted.

We already are racially homogenious. The only possible other race of H. sapiens (the contested classification of Neanderthals as H. sapiens neanderthal) are extinct.

Science (in this case, biologists and anthropologists) have found no basis for a classification of H. sapiens sapien into any set of traditional racial classification. Humans do have clinal variation, but there are no clear and set dividing lines that are detectable by science.

Why is it important to understand that social race is a cultural construction?
It is important to understand that the distinctions made in the textbook between social and biological race are not just to make you have to learn two more definitions. Since human racial classifications have no basis in biology, they must be cultural constructions. By definition, cultural constructions are arbitrary in that they are created and maintained by each culture.

If you want to imposed one of the many culturally constructed (and meaningless) systems of racial classification, which one will you choose?

Are all systems of human racial classification around the world the same?
No, because human racial classification is a cultural construction; there is no universal system of classifying race. Rather, each culture has its own way of determining race. Some systems are very similar, like the racial classification systems used in the U.S. and Japan, while others are different, like the one used in Brazil. For example, concepts of race in the U.S. and Japan are very rigid and fixed from birth. In contrast, race in Brazil is fluid and flexible. Race in Brazil is determined in part by an individual's parents, in part by an individual's phenotype, and in part by an individual's socioeconomic status. As result, a person's race in Brazil can change as they become wealthier or poorer. In the U.S. or Japan, a person's socioeconomic status does not affect their race.

(Both quotes are from this source (http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072500506/student_view0/chapter5/faqs.html).)

Yeah, if it's not race, it'll be religion, or hair color, or something equally retarded. Humans are violent creatures--it's part of our evolution. That doesn't mean that we can't and shouldn't fight against that inclination, but thinking that getting rid of one of the many asinine triggers we have will solve the whole problem is short-sighted.

The problem I have with race is that it is assumed to be a scientifically valid catagory, when it is not.

When the social sciences finally completely abandon it for the concept of ethnicity (as is happening slowly), it should eventually fall away.

The problem I have with race is that it is assumed to be a scientifically valid catagory, when it is not.

When the social sciences finally completely abandon it for the concept of ethnicity (as is happening slowly), it should eventually fall away.
You're correct, of course, as far as the science goes, but the perception is the important part, and people tend to classify themselves by their similarities and differences. I've known groups of people who were ethnically homogenous and who still found ways to segregate themselves, using religion, and in one case, accent as a cause to feel superior. I don't know what it is that causes humans to try to find reasons to link with similar people in common cause against an other, but it's one of those things we'd do well to get rid of in the long run.

I tend to look at the different "races" as i do the differing landscape. Each region of any place has a differing combination of water, earth, or sky. Humans have different skin, hair, etc., but its all scenery just there to add asthetic value. If anyone can show me a "race" of people that dont depend on other people for survival from birth to relative maturity, can exist purely by themselves after reaching maturity, dont develop an emotional outlook toward others of thier "race" and are content to spend thier existence without interacting with anyone else, then I will grant them the status of different "race". Until then yer all just homo sapiens..or close enough.

Emperor Sagir, Rogue Nation of Successoria
____________
Ignorance is bliss, and there are a lot of happy campers.

Racism, or any discrimination for that matter, has always existed and will always exist. Human beings don't like things, even other human beings, different from themselves. This holds true on all sides. Blacks may fear and/or dislike whites just as much as the two switched. There can never be racial homogenization because, citing the fact that it would take FOREVER to fully accomplish, there will always be predominately black people or predominately white people, ect. It's useless to even think about. The stimulus for this idea is that race plays a major role in war, but so does religion....why not homogenize religion? Or maybe politics? Or maybe make everyone's preference of cookies be chocolate chip?
Moreover, utilitarianism is one of the single greatest ideas adopted by civilization. The majority of the people are happy. One might argue that it could be to the severe detrement of the minority. But then again, and think about this, who cares? We spend way too much time worrying about or precious little rights and lives to realize that the oppression of the one group sucks but doesn't end the world. To crib a line from Gladiator (it seems appropriate for my point, so bear with me) "Is Rome worth one good man's life?" Is the continuation of western culture worth even an unwilling sacrifice the minority (whoever that may be)? Half a brain tells you yes....the other half wonders why the first even had to think about it in the first place.

Can those who say race doesn't exist explain this:

http://www.thedoctorslounge.net/cardiolounge/articles/bidil_blacks/

Can those who say race doesn't exist explain this:

http://www.thedoctorslounge.net/cardiolounge/articles/bidil_blacks/

What needs to be explained? The study had to do with an ethnic population (African-Americans), not race. Ethnic populations often have similar health problems, due to a number of biological and cultural factors.

Just as a point of interest one hundred and forty years ago many people in the U.S. considered the Irish to be members of an inferior race.

One thing I've noticed as I've gotten older is that racists now count as members of their own race people their grandparents would have rejected. I guess the racists needed the extra numbers.

While there is still racism, things seem to be continually improving.

How about we pass a law that makes it illegal to have a child with someone of your own racial back ground, within a few generations everybody will have the benefit of all sides of the gene pool, not only will racism go away but we'll all be healthier, live longer etc etc

The ethnic homogenization of the human race would be the biggest mistake in human history. Humanity segregates, it automatically seperates into different groups, different cultures, different peoples. Humanity moves in clades, it is ridiculous to deny this to us. Difference is the most valuable trait we have. Do not take that away from us.

A humanity where everyone was the same would be pretty dull. I don't think it's likely to happen though...as a few people have already mentioned, people don't like others who are different to themselves. And if they can't see obvious differences, they'll manuacture them, in order to segregate themselves into an in-group and an out-group. To argue that it is possible to stop people diong this is to deny human nature.

I think we can all agree that western civilization has, fortunately, adopted the philosophy of Utilitarianism--the greatest good for the greatest number.
Uh...this musta happened while I was out of the room. I suppose I can't speak for Western Civilization, but the American Revolution was fundamentally about freedom for the individual. Granted, in a practical way Democracy can become utilitarian sometimes, but even then the reason the American Government is a republic and not a direct democracy is to protect the minority from tyranny of the majority.
Further, I don't see any possible philisophical justification that respects the right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness and still embraces utilitariansim, and frankly I think utilitarianism is flat out evil. This blog cites slavery and the Holocost as tragic examples of human nature, but in both of those cases couldn't you argue the good of the many was being served at the expense of a small minority? Or how about Japaneese internment during WW2? Or the Tuskagee Syphillis experiments?
Individual rights and freedoms trump 'The Greater Good' in my opinion any day of the week.

Humanity segregates, it automatically seperates into different groups, different cultures, different peoples. Humanity moves in clades, it is ridiculous to deny this to us.

The lack of transport and communications before the industrial revolution might have had something to do with that.

More interesting trivia on "race." In the 1930's in the U.S. the ethnic group that dominated basketball, and which was said to have an inate racial advantage at the game, were Jewish people.