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Talking About Race

Entry 2135, on 2021-06-23 at 20:26:53 (Rating 4, Politics)

On occasions recently I have been accused of being a white supremacist. Some people might find that quite upsetting but to me it doesn't really matter, because I have also been accused of being a racist, misogynist, crazy Greenie, Islamophobe, right-wing nutter, left-wing extremist, global warming denier, global warming alarmist, and many other mutually exclusive things.

The way I see it, if I get criticised by the fringes of both the left and the right then I probably have things about right. Also, I don't really take any notice of insults like that. If anyone really wants me to reconsider my opinions then they should show me where what I am saying is wrong, rather than just regurgitating meaningless slogans and insults.

The usual reason I am accused of being a white supremacist is because of my support for Western culture. Note that this isn't necessarily anything to do with race, gender, religion, or anything else; it is the philosophy, art, science, and politics of the Western world which I support. Also note that I freely admit that my culture has its faults, but I still think it is easily the best, on balance.

So if preferring Western culture to the alternatives (what are they, exactly?) while admitting there are some aspects of other cultures which are good, and that there are deficiencies in my preferred culture, makes me a white supremacist to some people, then fine, whatever.

The reason this subject often comes up is the large scale attacks against my culture happening around the world, primarily in the US. In fact, these attacks go beyond culture and become at least as racist as anything else I have ever seen. I like to point out the absurdity of this attitude, and when people can't answer my points with facts they generally resort to name calling instead. They seem to think that if you can label someone negatively then you don't need to pay attention to what they are saying. Clearly this is a false response to any reasonable debate, but it is surprisingly common.

The National Museum of African American History and Culture, which is a Smithsonian institution, and funded by the government, recently came up with a graphic (titled "Talking About Race") which they think should be used to identify "whiteness". Once identified, they imply people should avoid being white as much as possible.

So I thought I should look at these criteria, and see how much sense they make and whether they should be taken seriously. So here are the signs of whiteness, according to this esteemed (at least in the past) institution...

Rugged individualism: the individual is the primary unit, self-reliance, independence and autonomy highly valued and rewarded, individuals assumed to be in control of their environment (you get what you deserve).

Family structure: The nuclear family, father, mother, 2.3 children is the ideal social unit, husband is breadwinner and head of household, wife is homemaker and subordinate to the husband, children should have own rooms, be independent.

Emphasis on the scientific method: objective, rational linear thinking, cause and effect relationships, quantitative emphasis.

History: based on Northern European immigrants' experience in the United States, heavy focus on the British Empire, the primacy of Western (Greek, Roman) and Judeo-Christian tradition.

Protestant Work Ethic: hard work is the key to success, work before play, if you didn't meet your goals you didn't work hard enough.

Religion: Christianity is the norm, anything other than Judeo-Christian tradition is foreign, no tolerance for deviation from the single god concept.

Status Power and Authority: wealth equals worth, your job is who you are, respect authority, heavy value on ownership of goods, space, property.

Future Orientation: plan for the future, delayed gratification, progress is always best, tomorrow will be better.

Time: follow rigid time schedules, time viewed as a commodity.

Aesthetics: based on European culture, steak and potatoes (bland is best), woman's beauty based on blonde, thin - Barbie, man's attractiveness based on economic status, power, intellect.

Holidays: based on Christian traditions, based on white history and male leaders.

Justice: based on English common law, protect property and entitlements, intent counts.

Competition: be number 1, win at all costs, winner/loser dichotomy, action orientation. master and control nature, must always do something about a situation, awareness and extroversion, decision-making, majority rules (when Whites have power).

Communication: The King's English rules, written tradition, avoid conflict and intimacy, don't show emotion, don't discuss personal life, be polite.

Did anyone notice that this is primarily a list of what most reasonable people would consider to be positive attributes every society should have? Their overall messaging is anti-white, but looking at this it seems more like a criticism of other cultures for not attaining the same high standards! So if these clowns really think these are aspects of white culture, and that other cultures don't share them, then it seems to me they are denigrating those other cultures. Does this seem like an "own goal" or "shooting themselves in the foot"?

I mean, not everything on this list is unambiguously positive, but in general I think it is a fair approximation to what Western culture stands for and that's why I am proud to be part of that culture.

For example, is emphasising the scientific method a bad thing? The scientific method (along with some other "white" attributes, like capitalism) has dragged the majority of the world, including countries which aren't based on western culture but benefit from it anyway, out of violence, poverty, and superstition and created massive benefits, yet this is seen as a negative?

And what about "future orientation", which involves planning for the future, delayed gratification, the idea that progress is always best, and that tomorrow will be better. I mean, it's silly that they think that these are white attributes when other cultures also feature these to varying extents, but in what universe could these be seen as a problem?

Of course, all of the above is very much open to interpretation and is at least partly opinion. As I said, many of those attributes are shared with other cultures - which should make those other cultures happy - and others are somewhat doubtful, including many which are just outdated. For example, it has been a while since it was assumed that families would be structured so that the "husband is breadwinner and head of household, wife is homemaker and subordinate to the husband".

So if these are aspects of white culture, by implication the opposites might be aspects of other cultures, so non-white cultures: don't plan for future, don't protect property and entitlements, don't always do something about a situation, aren't polite, don't have a written tradition, aren't objective, etc. No wonder Western culture has become dominant if the others are that bad (their words, not mine).

Few people would deny that there are parts of Western culture which could be improved, but overall it has made the world a far better place for almost everyone. It has given us democracy, environmentalism, equality, and technology including medicine which has doubled the average life span. If the world is determined to turn away from this then we really are heading for a repetition of the Dark Ages.

We need to turn around this modern trend to denigrate the best in society and celebrate the worst (we tear down a statue of Abraham Lincoln and put up one to a violent thug like George Floyd). I think I already see signs that people are realising how stupid this is and that modern woke culture is being rejected, but I'm white, so (according to this document) I think "tomorrow will be better"; on the other hand I am also "rational" and "objective".

Comment 1 (6773) by Anonymous on 2021-07-03 at 20:22:07:

You think all of those good things only apply to Western/white culture? That seems racist to me.

Comment 2 (6774) by OJB on 2021-07-03 at 20:42:06:

Well, maybe they do and maybe they don't. I'm not the one making the claim, am I? It is this racist site at the Smithsonian making the claim. I'm just ridiculing it, so I guess we agree!

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