archy

Cultural atavisms
Roy Edroso, over at Alicublog, wandered into one of the bad neighborhoods of Right Blogistan and found himself at a libertarian site where this was posted:

A related subject (DEFINITELY off limits among the PC crowd) is the indication that cultural remnants of communal, tribal African culture persist in American Black culture today. American Blacks managed to survive slavery, Jim Crow and overt racial discrimination by de-emphasizing individual property rights (which were likely to be ephemeral in any case) and by depending on a sort of communal, tribal cooperation that was common to their heritage. Even today, in many black families, less prosperous family members feel entitled to a share of the wealth of those family members who are more successful.

And then there is the "bling" and "signifying" (not to mention the wanton slaughter) at the lower levels of contemporary Black ghetto culture -- hard not to notice how much this resembles the African pattern.

But to speak of such things immediately brands one as a bigot, despite the fact that CULTURE is the focus, not race.

The statement itself is shallow and silly and not worth refuting. The method is completely undefendable: take two things ("American Black culture today" and "communal, tribal African culture" in, presumably, the eighteenth century), assert that each is characterized by a similar list of identifiers ("de-emphasiz[ed] individual property rights", "bling," "signifying," and wanton slaughter"), and conclude historical continuity as the cause of the similarities. However, it does look like great raw material for parody.

A related subject (DEFINITELY off limits among the wingnut crowd) is the indication that cultural remnants of criminal, raiding European culture persist in American Blond culture today. American Blondes managed to survive the rule of law, labor unions, and the Bill of Rights by de-emphasizing other peoples' individual property rights (which were likely to be ephemeral in any case) and by co-opting the legal system to aid them in acquiring and keeping wealth.

Even today, in many Blond families, less prosperous members feel entitled to unearned privileges in the form of legacy admissions and corporate welfare.

And then there is the "sailing" and "boating" (not to mention the use of eminent domain expand their businesses) at the upper levels of contemporary Blond gated-community culture -- hard not to notice how much this resembles the Viking pattern.

But to speak of such things immediately brands one as a liberal, despite the fact that CULTURE is the focus, not class.

Try it. It's fun.