tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57045726335669085002024-03-04T23:33:16.563-08:00Chicago Freedom And Reason ForumA Meeting Place For Free Minds And Free MarketsJasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.comBlogger917125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-38931070877893902492013-02-18T00:32:00.001-08:002013-04-03T20:44:44.040-07:00The Great Silence (On Race & Culture) Part X<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZh6InIJSPn5MNRyZpk5P9YxvBySlLIqVQtbVoUM_v5wR3DwQwt337KAusv9okGRU2kAhMZkOb2HINWG2hiXwPqrljkF8_H1qngJ1bqyU_-ILSi2aeZHytYLVC2va3JHsZDLDmPL9R54Sp/s1600/hand-shake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZh6InIJSPn5MNRyZpk5P9YxvBySlLIqVQtbVoUM_v5wR3DwQwt337KAusv9okGRU2kAhMZkOb2HINWG2hiXwPqrljkF8_H1qngJ1bqyU_-ILSi2aeZHytYLVC2va3JHsZDLDmPL9R54Sp/s320/hand-shake.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We close this discussion on race and racism, with the question: <i>given what we know about the <a href="http://chicago-freedom-forum.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-great-silence-on-race-culture-part.html">limits of human nature</a>,what should be done to ensure peace in an increasingly diverse America ? </i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
During a discussion about Dr. Ron Paul's platform, a progressive friend of mine became noticeably agitated and asked me <i>"how can you support him, he <b>is</b> racist?!?"</i> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
To which I responded, <i>"can you name a single instance in which Dr. Paul was less than courteous to someone because of their race or culture? Or, better yet, present me with a single policy that he has proposed that could be deemed as malicious in intent towards any one group?"</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After a nervous silence, he contested <i>"I heard that years ago, some questionable things were written about African-Americans in his newsletter." </i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I retorted that for various <a href="http://www.thomhartmann.com/forum/2012/02/final-point-about-accusation-%E2%80%9Cracism%E2%80%9D-towards-ron-paul-and-libertarians">reasons</a> the validity of these charges are questionable, but in questions of race, what is most important are <b>not</b> our inner thoughts and feelings, but rather our <a href="http://runronpaul.com/mainstream-media/naacp-president-ron-paul-is-not-a-racist/">personal conduct</a> and the <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/ccbaxter/22-facts-that-dont-jibe-with-ron-paul-being-a-rac-41xp">policies</a> that we support, which in the case of Dr. Paul do not demonstrate racism. Dr. Paul has repeatedly <a href="http://davidkretzmann.com/2012/01/ron-paul-racism-is-an-ugly-form-of-collectivism/">stated</a> that <span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.75px;"><i>“Racism is simply an ugly form of collectivism, the mindset that views humans strictly as members of groups rather than individuals."</i> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.75px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.75px;">To which my friend responded <i>"we know deep down inside that Dr. Paul and other conservatives do not like blacks..." </i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.75px;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.75px;"><i>"For the sake of the discussion,"</i> I interjected, <i>"let's assume that's true. Never the less, <b>in contrast</b></i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21.75px;"><b> to most liberal politicians</b>, <i>Dr. Paul opposes the </i></span><i><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8S8N2OG7sU">war on drugs</a>, because, for among other reasons, it is a significant factor in the mass incarceration of African-Americans. And what about Presidents, such as Lyndon Johnson and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon#Civil_rights">Richard Nixon</a> who were <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb-Rgq0peag">privately racist</a>, but <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1964#Johnson_and_passage">passed essential civil rights legislation</a>? </i>I then posed the vexing questions:<i>"what good has the </i><i>lofty feelings and self congratulatory rhetoric of liberals done for African-Americans? Has it lessened the prohibition fueled violence that is wracking Chicago's South and West Sides? Has it improved the city's dismal public schools? Has it lessened unemployment?"</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
My friend's discourse demonstrates that many liberals approach issues of race with a mindset that is reminiscent of more archaic forms of religious thought. Specifically, his rhetoric implies that he places far greater importance in <b>"purity of thought"</b> and <b>"purity of theology"</b>, than in <b>individual conduct </b>and the <b>real impact</b> of policy. Historic examples of this phenomena abound; in the Ottoman Empire, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6%C3%A7ek">Islamic Persia</a> and Afghanistan, the religious authorities overlooked widespread <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pederasty#The_Middle_East_and_Central_Asia">pederasty</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%B6%C3%A7ek">homosexual</a> <b>behavior</b>, even though they were explicitly <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haraam">haraam</a>. Yet, for crimes of <b>thought</b> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostasy_in_Islam">apostasy</a>) and<b> speech</b> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_and_blasphemy">blasphemy</a>), the death penalty was readily applied. During the time of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Inquisition">Spanish Inquisition</a>, the civil and religious authorities mercilessly hunted heretics, yet turned a blind eye to radically unchristian behavior, such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_conquest_of_the_Inca_Empire">plunder</a>, <a href="http://clio.missouristate.edu/chuchiak/template/Chuchiak%20Sins%20of%20Fathers.pdf">rape</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Requirement_of_1513">enslavement</a> of the indigenous peoples of the Americas by the conquistadors. Granted, the <b>hypocrisy</b> of Americans who condemn the heretics who question the official narratives of race and culture, yet behave no differently than so called racists, is not nearly as destructive as the previous examples. But, it does demonstrate how many Americans have elevated proper thoughts, feelings and rhetoric to an almost religious level, while placing little stock in real behavior.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Rather than indoctrinate our children with a collectivist, multicultural ideology, the best remedy for racist behavior is an <b>affirmation of civility</b> and <b>individual dignity</b>. Frankly, I could care less about what someone may <b>think</b> about my people, Jewish-Americans, as long as they do not harm anyone's life and liberty, or impede their pursuit of happiness. They are under no obligation to view me or my culture favorably, but I insist that I am treated fairly as an individual. In practical terms, this implies a support for laws that prohibit clear cases of housing and employment discrimination. And although they should have the complete right to express their anti-Semitic thoughts to me, they should refrain from doing so, not because of any egalitarian ideology, but because it constitutes an <b>act of</b> <b>incivility</b>. If they are compelled to peacefully express their thoughts in a public forum, I welcome them to do so, because it will surely highlight the idiocy of their beliefs. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Do not engage in fruitless debates about the desirability of one group over another. Discussions of diversity should be centered on the issue of compatibility. For example, if you were the Minister of Immigration of Somalia, would you opt for secular, white, western Christians migrants who would never assimilate into the traditional, Islamic, tribal centered society of Somalia? Or would it be wiser to invite migrants with compatible norms, values and traditions, in order to minimize the risk of conflict? Would policies that induced rapid demographic shifts in Somalia contribute to stability and development, or increased tension? The same line of logic should apply to the policies of the United States and Western Europe. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Next we must put to rest the cornerstone of the liberal narrative, namely that disparate results constitute proof of discrimination and institutional racism. In his book, <a href="http://www.tsowell.com/eco_poli.htm">The Economics and Politics of Race: An International Perspective</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Sowell">Dr. Thomas Sowell</a> documents that across the globe, achievement gaps are ubiquitous. In most cases, culture and behavioral patterns, rather than discrimination are the most significant factors. The best evidence being the examples in which discriminated minorities, such as the Chinese of Malaysia, the Armenians of Turkey and the Jews of Hungary, outperformed politically dominant majorities. And in his monumental study, <a href="http://www.tsowell.com/affirmact.htm">Affirmative Action Around The World: An Empirical Study</a>, Dr. Sowell demonstrated that in every case, preferential policies: <b>increased inter-group friction</b>, <b>benefited the more well off members of the target communities</b> and <b>imposed economic costs on the nation</b>.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
While the federal government should intervene in real and compelling cases of discrimination, it must respect the <b>rights of self government</b>, <b>freedom of association</b> and <b>refrain from social engineering</b>. For example, the <a href="http://blog.sfgate.com/ontheblock/2011/03/28/report-marin-is-the-bay-areas-least-diverse-county/">Department of Justice intervened</a> in the very liberal Marin County <b>not </b>because there were documented cases of discrimination, but because it was "too white". They <a href="http://www.ihatethemedia.com/feds-accuse-california-marin-county-of-being-too-white">pressured</a> the County to offer subsidized, low income housing as a remedy for their "lack of diversity". At best this might lead to <b>temporary</b> physical integration, but will discourage real, long term social and economic integration, which only occurs through cultural assimilation, freedom of association and respect for individuality. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our educational, economic and political elites must change course and encourage democratic assimilation, rather than multiculturalism. Families, communities and private schools should be welcome to teach their children about their own traditions, but on their own time, with their own resources. Public schools and other tax payer funded institutions should educate students about their shared American Culture and History, driven by the goal of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_pluribus_unum">E pluribus unum</a>. Immigration policy must compliment, not undermine these goals. For I cannot cite a single example in world history in which exacerbating group differences and grievances, led to a more peaceful, prosperous and democratic nation. And lastly, never, ever stifle free speech and honest debate, for as we see in Syria, <b>forced silence</b> may offer the temporary illusion of calm, but it never leads to long term peace and good will among diverse communities.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-79554763165417157222013-02-01T07:36:00.002-08:002013-03-03T09:22:19.421-08:00The Great Silence (On Race & Culture) Part IX<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZRBkfpVrx9aYS6GI9yqi8n9SrzmjkGj7qIm7zX0GyD1FIDEncRUrKT8qpCyV94-QxDriIr2OprJ4XGaoGQDTNEw26qQA4f7iMTO1sG_16Hf8JYPOxvD8j1ymSGZ91mozSyxykd3Ssgvh/s1600/future.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZRBkfpVrx9aYS6GI9yqi8n9SrzmjkGj7qIm7zX0GyD1FIDEncRUrKT8qpCyV94-QxDriIr2OprJ4XGaoGQDTNEw26qQA4f7iMTO1sG_16Hf8JYPOxvD8j1ymSGZ91mozSyxykd3Ssgvh/s320/future.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Gazing Into The Future of the United States</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
There is nothing I love more than travelling. What makes new countries so interesting are their distinct characteristics. When we visit a new place, we are first captivated by the sites and the scenery, the museums and the monuments. What week long trip to Paris does not lead to photos of smiling tourists posing next to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe">Arc de Triomphe</a> or the Eiffel Tower? But, the longer we stay, the more we realize that the culture, quirks and everyday customs of the people make other nations so different and interesting. The shared myths, history and traditions form a nation's spirit and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeitgeist">zeitgeist</a>. But, the ways in which culture shapes everyday social, economic and political behavior have a real impact on a nation's level of education, economic development, crime and corruption. While laws and institutions are certainly important, the people are what define a nation. As facile as they may sound, who can deny the axiom: Japan is Japan because of the Japanese and Nigeria is Nigeria because of the unique ways of the Nigerians. The failed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War">nation building endeavors</a> of the United States have made it abundantly clear that when the laws and institutional framework of one land are adopted by another, wildly different outcomes will result, because of the different culture and temperament of the respective groups. And when foreign powers <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1022/p09s02-coop.html">create borders</a> that lump populations together that do not possess a shared culture, the chance of conflict and national disintegration is great. Thus, it can be said that <b>demographics, via culture, is destiny</b>. As the United States shifts towards a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Majority_minority">Majority-Minority Status</a>, it would be wise to study the experiences of other diverse nations and especially of other states within the union. As the vanguards of demographic change, California and Texas can offer a glimpse into our probable future.<br />
<br />
<div>
<div>
It is fairly obvious that if over time in Japan, Nigeria or any other nation, the historically dominant population group lost their majority status, without the thorough cultural assimilation of the new residents, the respective nations would be irrevocably transformed. The probable outcome would be shifts in policy that increasingly represented the values of the ascending group. But, even if the laws of the land were not formally changed, the shift in norms and behaviors would mean that their real life application and impact would no longer be the same. According to Harvard Professor <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_D._Putnam#Diversity_and_trust_within_communities">Robert Putnam</a>, the growth in diversity in a homogeneous society like Japan, would be accompanied by a decline in social trust and civic participation. <a href="http://econ.lse.ac.uk/staff/bandiera/bandieralevy120907.pdf">Bandiera and Levy</a> believe that in a more diverse Japan, fewer tax payers would be so willing to fund their generous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_Japan">universal health care system</a>, especially if they believed that many of the beneficiaries were <i>"others"</i> rather than <i>"their own"</i>. And we can be confident that the majority of the Japanese, or any other majority group for that matter, would strenuously object to the elimination of their demographic and cultural hegemony. Well before it took root, the more democratic minded would push for a platform of reduced immigration and increased assimilation and unfortunately others would be drawn to hostile chauvinism. The universal desire of groups to maintain demographic and cultural control over a territory is also seen on a smaller scales and compels the formation of ethnic enclaves, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_flight">white flight</a> and even the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_flight">fear of gentrification</a> that some Latinos display.<br />
<br />
One need not approve of these less than egalitarian sentiments, in order to acknowledge that they arise from basic, evolutionary impulses in <a href="http://chicago-freedom-forum.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-great-silence-on-race-culture-part.html">human nature</a>. In fact, policy that is <a href="http://jpr.sagepub.com/content/36/1/55.short">grounded in an understanding of sociobiology</a> and history can lessen the risk of inter-communal conflict. Contrary to most liberal narratives, the greatest risk of ethnic chauvinism and oppression is <b>not</b> the hegemony of one group or culture, but rather the lack of clear dominance and stability. For example, the Ottoman Empire was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_the_Ottoman_Empire">most tolerant</a> at its zenith, when Turkish-Muslim political and cultural hegemony was clearest. But, as the empire weakened and Turkish dominance waned, racism and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_of_Union_and_Progress">fascism</a> reared its ugly head, with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_genocide">tragic results</a>. Interestingly, most Americans take it for granted that racism is more pronounced in some states and localities than others, without asking <i>why</i>. Paradoxically, the states that have historically been the most homogeneous, such as Vermont, Maine and Wisconsin have also been the most tolerant. And historically diverse states, such as Mississippi and Louisiana, with large African-American populations, have been the least. I believe that in most, but not all cases, when an area is relatively homogeneous with no prospects of bold demographic change, the risk of racism and ethnic conflict are less pronounced. The liberal narrative that presents this as a "white vs brown" issue are puerile and not supported by facts. Much to its credit, the liberal <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Poverty_Law_Center">Southern Poverty Law Center</a> has <a href="http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2005/summer/the-rift">documented</a> the growing tension between Blacks and Latinos, especially in the neighborhoods of Southern California that are undergoing rapid demographic change.<br />
<br />
My critics will respond that the pertinent factor is not demographics, but rather racism is correlated with a state's political orientation. A <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2230222/Presidential-Election-2012-Map-charts-racist-tweets-nation.html#axzz2JtqSOtaN">study</a> analyzing the occurrences of racist tweets during the last presidential election, casts serious doubt on this supposition. Interestingly, strongly conservative and overwhelmingly white <a href="http://elections.nbcnews.com/ns/politics/2012/all/president/#.UQ81iqVEHqU">states</a>, like Idaho, Wyoming and South Dakota, had the lowest per-capita rates of racist tweets in the nation. And liberal, ethnically diverse states, like Maryland and Illinois, actually had much higher rates. Minnesota provides a bit of a puzzle, because it is both more liberal and less diverse than the national average, but it had a higher occurrence of racist tweets. When we look carefully at Minnesota's <a href="http://www.demography.state.mn.us/">demographic figures</a>, we see that between 2000 - 2010, it experienced one of the largest and swiftest increase of minority population of any state, which in most other nations is correlated with the growth of illiberal behavior. Given our growing knowledge of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionary_psychology">evolutionary psychology</a> and the history of group conflict, what is most surprising are not the <a href="http://dailycurrant.com/2012/11/07/buchanan-white-america-dead/">isolated instances of white chauvinism</a>, but rather the lack of serious debate regarding the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/census-whites-will-become-a-minority-in-the-united-states-by-2043-2012-12">unprecedented demographic change</a> that is occurring in the United States. I cannot think of a single instance in all of history in which a majority population acquiesced to their demographic and cultural displacement, yet through a series of government policies, European-Americans are doing just that. I believe this speaks more about philosophical, if not spiritual changes in our <a href="http://chicago-freedom-forum.blogspot.com/search?q=denationalization">national elite</a>, rather than the general populace.Again, I will affirm that <b>I could not care less if the complexion of the nation changed</b>, but it is important to predict the impact of the the cultural and economic changes that <b>may</b> accompany the decline of America's historically dominant population. More than anything, what is most troubling is the lack of honest, intelligent discussion on this topic. So, the least I can do is offer a paragraph of my predictions.<br />
<br />
This may be counter-climactic to my readers, but no, I do not foresee any<b> radical </b>change. Despite the <a href="http://chicago-freedom-forum.blogspot.com/2011/04/multicultural-education-by-thomas.html">best efforts of our educational elite</a>, assimilation persists, as does the power of our national narratives, so our cultural core will remain. But, never the less there will be economic and cultural shifts.The <b>first question</b> is not <b>if</b> African-Americans, Asian-Americans are Hispanic-Americans are assimilating, but rather to what segment of American Society are they assimilating too? As mentioned in our previous <a href="http://chicago-freedom-forum.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-great-silence-on-race-culture-part_27.html">post</a>, each ethnic group is represented at each point in a bell curve, but the distribution is never the same. So, more specifically we must ask: what percentages of each group is joining the ranks of the educated, economically dynamic sector of American Society? The stable middle class? The economically deteriorating working class? The culturally pathological (segment of the) underclass? Taken as a whole, how is this shaping the <a href="http://chicago-freedom-forum.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-great-silence-on-race-culture-part_27.html">socio-economic character</a> of the nation? By gathering key statistical pieces, we begin to form a clear picture of the present state of affairs:<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_the_United_States#By_race.2Fethnicity_and_family_status.2C_based_on_data_from_2007">Poverty</a>: </b>Caucasian 9.9%, Asian: 12.1%, Hispanic: 26.6% and Black: 27.4%<br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.1875px;" />
<b><a href="http://www.census.gov/prod/2011pubs/acsbr10-05.pdf">Children Living In Poverty:</a> </b>Asian: 13%, Caucasian: 17%, Hispanic: 33% & Black: 38.2%<br />
<br />
<a href="http://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/HR%20Statistics/Salary%20by%20Sex%20and%20Race.htm" style="font-weight: bold;">Median Income:</a> Asian: $45,032, Caucasian: $40,300, Black: $31,890 & Hispanic: $28,548<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/10/unemployment-rates-highest-amongst-black-and-latinos_n_1871453.html">Unemployment:</a> </b>Asian: 5.9%, Caucasian: 7.2%, Hispanic: 10.2% & Black: 14.1%<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/tables/table-43/10tbl43a.xls">Proportionality Of Robbery Arrests:</a> </b>Blacks: 443%, Caucasian-Hispanic: 65% & Asian: 22%<br />
<br />
<a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/NEWS/usaedition/2012-04-12-Cohabiting---with-kids---_ST_U.htm" style="font-weight: bold;">Children Born Out Of Wedlock:</a> Asian: 13%, Caucasian: 34%, Hispanic: 53% & Black: 80%<br />
<br />
On most measures, Asians are economically performing above the national average and Latinos and African-Americans are scoring below it. Given that that the first two groups comprise the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/19/asian-immigrants-surpass-hispanics_n_1608437.html">fastest growing segments</a> of American Society, this demographic shift will, in the future, <b>exacerbate already growing economic inequality</b>. My critics may respond: <i>past immigrant groups, such as the Irish and Italians rapidly rose up the ladder, so will Latinos and African-Americans. </i>In order to ascertain future outcomes, we must explore the indicators that are most correlated with future economic outcomes, namely, <b>academic achievement:</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/main2011/2012458.pdf" style="font-weight: bold;">National Math Scores For 4th Graders:</a> Asian: 256, Caucasian: 249, Hispanic: 229 & Black: 224<br />
<br />
<a href="http://voices.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/NAEP-report/Issue-Brief-2-4th-Gr-Reading-Overall.pdf" style="font-weight: bold;">4th Graders Proficient In Reading:</a> Asian: 50%, Caucasian: 42%, Hispanic: 18% & Black: 16%<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/main2011/2012458.pdf">National Math Scores For 8th Graders:</a> </b>Asian: 303, Caucasian: 293, Hispanic: 270 & Black: 262<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/01/22/u_s_high_school_graduation_rates_at_40_year_high.html">High School Graduation Rates</a>: </b>Asian: 93.5%, Caucasian: 83%, Hispanic: 71.4% & Black: 66.1%<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=171">Total SAT (Reading, Math, Writing):</a> </b>Asian: 1640, Caucasian: 1579, Hispanic: 1363 & Black: 1272<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/acsbr10-19.pdf">Bachelor's Degree Or Higher:</a></b> Asian: 50.2%, Caucasian: 29.3%, Black: 17.7% & Hispanic: 13.%<br />
<br />
In a globalized economy that increasingly rewards educated workers and offers diminishing returns for low skilled labor, based on present patterns in academic achievement, we can project that the wage gap will become even more, <b>not</b> less pronounced. Furthermore, when we analyze the <a href="http://cew.georgetown.edu/219725.html">selections of majors</a> among different ethnic groups, we find that Asians are over-represented in high demand, high wage fields such as computer science, mathematics and engineering, while Hispanics and Blacks are underrepresented. I suspect that <b>to a degree</b>, we will come to resemble nations like <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/business/21565152-mexico-open-business-global-mexican">Mexico</a> and <a href="http://www.worldcrunch.com/ranking-latin-america-s-most-global-companies/business-finance/ranking-latin-america-s-most-global-companies/c2s3795/#.URDIEaVEHqU">Chile</a>, which economically speaking are a juxtaposition of: globally competitive firms that generously reward the best and brightest; stagnant sectors of the economy that offers low wages and insecurity and an anemic middle class. One factor that impacts wealth creation and class mobility is <b>credit</b>, which increasingly determines one's access to: higher education, housing and investment capital. <a href="http://www.startribune.com/housing/11362941.html?source=error">Credit scores</a> not only directly effect economic outcomes, but are also indicative of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Consideration_of_future_consequences">general patterns of financial behavior</a>. Unfortunately credit scores reflect the <a href="http://www.startribune.com/housing/11362941.html?source=error">general ethnic order</a> of: Asians, Caucasians, Hispanics and African-American, which is even seen within the same classes. Thus the growing number of individuals with low credit scores will translate into increased operating expenses, greater regulation and diminished demand in various sectors of the economy, most notably housing.<br />
<br />
Further evidence that demographic trends will increase economic inequality is found when we analyze the population compositions of various states:<br />
<br />
-The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_Gini_coefficient">most</a> economically equitable states were also more homogeneous than the national average: Utah, Alaska, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Hawaii, Idaho, North Dakota, Montana & Maine.<br />
<br />
-The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_Gini_coefficient">least</a> equitable states were generally more diverse: DC, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, California, Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi and Georgia.<br />
<br />
Regarding educational outcomes:<br />
<br />
-The <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/on-numbers/scott-thomas/2012/12/wyoming-and-dc-are-leaders-in-new.html?page=all">states</a> with the highest percentages of adults with a high school diploma are more homogeneous than the national average: Wyoming (91.9), Minnesota (91.6%), Alaska (91.4%), Montana (91.4%), New Hampshire (91.2%), Vermont (91.0%), Utah (90.6%), Iowa (90.3%) and Nebraska (90.3%) and Maine (90.2%).<br />
<br />
-<a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/on-numbers/scott-thomas/2012/12/wyoming-and-dc-are-leaders-in-new.html?page=all">Those</a> with the lowest percentage of high schools graduates are a mix of diverse states and mostly white, historically poor Appalachian ones: Mississippi (80.3%), Texas (80.4%), California (80.8%), Louisiana (81.6%), Kentucky (81.7%), Alabama (81.9%), West Virginia (82.6%), Arkansas (82.7%), New Mexico (83.1%) and Tennessee (83.2%).<br />
<br />
-The figures regarding <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/on-numbers/scott-thomas/2012/12/wyoming-and-dc-are-leaders-in-new.html?page=all&appSession=799109753252937&RecordID=&PageID=2&PrevPageID=2&cpipage=1&CPIsortType=desc&CPIorderby=Bachelors_degree_or_higher&cbCurrentPageSize=">college graduation rates</a> were far more ambiguous, appearing to be more related to the presence of major urban hubs and college towns, that on hand boast a large number of college graduates and on the other hand have a large presence of uneducated residents. For example, Washington D.C. has the highest per capita presence of college graduates (50.5%), while also having an abysmal <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-schools-insider/post/dc-graduation-rate-declines-to-fewer-than-60percent-under-new-formula/2012/04/05/gIQAN0lxxS_blog.html">record</a> on the number (58.6%) of high school students graduating within 4 years. Hence, such areas also tend to have the least equitable distribution of incomes.<br />
<br />
Perhaps the state that offers us the most insight into the effects of demographic transformation is California. On one hand California boasts the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_GDP">12th highest per capita income</a> of any American State and is home to a wide array of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_valley">highly innovative firms</a>. On the other hand, California has witnessed a decline in some categories. In <a href="http://cis.org/california-education">1970</a> it was the state with the 7th <b>lowest</b> percentage of adults without a high school diploma, by <a href="http://cis.org/california-education">2008</a> it had the third <b>highest</b> percentage of adult workers <b>without</b> a high diploma. In 1970, it possessed a middle (25th) rank of economic inequality, but by 2008, it was less economically equal (<a href="http://cis.org/california-education">6th</a>) than even Texas and Mississippi. Given its strong progressive vein, we cannot reasonably attribute these changes to policy, but rather to population changes. Hence, I believe that <b>many Americans are uneasy about demographic change, not because of racism, but because of legitimate social and economic concerns</b>, many of which are progressive in nature.<br />
<br />
Contrary to the alarmist rhetoric of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleoconservatism">paleoconservatives</a> like Pat Buchanan, I anticipate very little direct political conflict between whites and other groups. Rather, demographic change will merely increase the already present polarization between liberals and conservatives. The Democratic Party will continue to be a coalition between a mostly white, urban, elite; government workers; and the growing number of diverse, working class communities. Middle and working class whites will continue to form the core of a diminished Republican Party, but no more than a handful of politicians will promote white ethno-political activism. Their ire will <b>neither</b> be focused on diverse populations <b>nor</b> on demographic change, but rather on the political elites who have engendered the transformation, against the democratic will of the majority. The reason being is that broad sections of the political elite have ignored <a href="https://www.numbersusa.com/content/learn/issues/public-opinion/americans-prefer-lower-immigration-numbe.html">polls</a> that demonstrate a clear preference for reduced levels of legal immigration and enforcement of existing laws. Lou Dobbs best <a href="http://www.loudobbs.com/blog?action=viewBlog&blogID=-744737085256637687">sums up</a> the seemingly paradoxical sentiments of being critical of immigration policies, while not harboring animus against immigrants themselves, in the following lines: <span style="background-color: white;"><i style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, Sans; font-size: 13px;">"I've said for some time that the only rational actor in this entire immigration crisis, illegal immigration crisis, is the illegal alien, trying to benefit himself, herself and better their lives. But illegal employer is acting against the national interests, acting against the law in every respect. How can we get to the employer who is so shamelessly exploiting the illegal alien and so shamelessly flaunting U.S. law?" </i>Given the willingness of much of the Democratic and Republican Party to forgo the Rule of Law for ethnic identity politics and to meet the desire of businesses for cheap labor, I would not be surprised if a growing number of mostly white conservatives gravitated towards third parties and grass roots movements, in the coming years.</span><br />
<br />
Most white conservatives will focus on preserving their interpretation of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who_Are_We%3F_The_Challenges_to_America's_National_Identity">traditional, Anglo-American Culture</a>, <b>that is open to people of all races</b>, and use the universal language of fairness to reject affirmative action and amnesty. Others will push for greater decentralization and self government, for state and regional cultures can be just as pronounced as ethnic ones. With the vain hope of attracting diverse voters, Republicans will increasingly turn to charismatic, conservative Latinos, such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Rubio">Marco Rubio</a> and South-Asians, like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Jindal">Bobby Jindal</a>. Perhaps, the strong taboo against any expression of white group interests will lose its hold and it will be expressed in some states and localities. The left will howl in protest, but it will not take the form of rabid fascism, rather it will resemble the activism that every other ethnic group is encouraged to pursue via organizations like: <a href="http://www.votolatino.org/">Voto Latino</a> and the <a href="http://thecongressionalblackcaucus.com/">Black Congressional Caucus</a>. I anticipate that politicians will express less concern for the plight of African-Americans in communities with a minimal white presence, like Los Angeles. The reason being is that few Latinos and Asians share the sense of guilt for slavery and the historic abuse of African-Americans, that most educated whites do, nor feel an imperative to make the neighborhoods and institutions that they dominate, more "diverse" or "representative".<br />
<br />
One casualty of greater diversity will be a diminished concern for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_commons">commons</a>, such as the promotion of environmentalism, public transportation, parks, art and culture. Ironically, but not by chance, the <a href="http://www.hardiehouse.org/arcata/utne/towns.html">most progressive cities</a> in the United States are among the whitest: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burlington,_Vermont#Demographics">Burlington, VT</a> (88.9%), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa_City,_Iowa#2010_census">Iowa City, IA</a> (82.5%), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madison,_Wisconsin#2010_census">Madison, WI</a> (78.9%) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland,_Oregon#Demographics">Portland, OR</a> (76.1%). The reason being is that in diverse localities, more energy is spent on competing in an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoils_system">ethnic spoils system</a>, rather the broad community interests. And unfortunately, people are generally more willing to submit to higher taxation when they feel the beneficiaries are racially and culturally similar to them. While only political demagogues feed the lesser beasts of our nature, like intolerance and chauvinism, it is a great act of folly to ignore them and treat man as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabula_rasa">tabula rasa</a>. Good politics is the art of understanding and accepting man for what he is, while still striving for greater. This can only be accomplished through honest debate and the end of the great silence.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-37910677276740992032013-01-27T16:33:00.002-08:002013-02-25T00:16:42.330-08:00The Great Silence (On Race & Culture) Part VIII<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQuElA3BCt0HeGvzq1na7FjLZZ-H-xAdmq5DPePefFOAF686S1aUdmSytKQz2uop6iVIU_PFJZc9oSWk-Dt7nieiADqyAE3vzwRKri9jYpBPb2slfAJ-2fYEViqQRMtQ9TdWovL_Ud4w2/s1600/iq_bell_curve1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQuElA3BCt0HeGvzq1na7FjLZZ-H-xAdmq5DPePefFOAF686S1aUdmSytKQz2uop6iVIU_PFJZc9oSWk-Dt7nieiADqyAE3vzwRKri9jYpBPb2slfAJ-2fYEViqQRMtQ9TdWovL_Ud4w2/s400/iq_bell_curve1.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
One of the most essential tools in understanding the nature and dynamics of population groups is the normal distribution, which is popularly referred to as a <a href="http://math.about.com/od/glossaryofterms/g/Bell-Curve-Normal-Distribution-Defined.htm">bell curve</a>. When the statistical distribution of virtually any characteristic, such as height, weight, intelligence and income, is graphically represented it invariably forms the general shape of a bell curve. The rate of outcomes and occurrences, from grades on a math test within a classroom, to the rates of incarceration within a nation, can also be plotted in this fashion. Populations can be grouped, analyzed and compared based an almost endless number of criteria, such as: region, religious affiliation, race, gender, profession, political orientation and even by attitudes towards science fiction. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8aOcrGqT7jZ9nNtKtN-D_Nx8Lk2ngNFpx907b0FBClNuPYetAxxCg1ntxmqmKjmg8cGtI1Jg39VJatm9HOlO8zYktIyjclB9jO_jw7y4hjMnR9B2g6wth-mW6hkHrU3SpqOmVFFkWz8T/s1600/iq-bell-curve.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU8aOcrGqT7jZ9nNtKtN-D_Nx8Lk2ngNFpx907b0FBClNuPYetAxxCg1ntxmqmKjmg8cGtI1Jg39VJatm9HOlO8zYktIyjclB9jO_jw7y4hjMnR9B2g6wth-mW6hkHrU3SpqOmVFFkWz8T/s320/iq-bell-curve.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
When we compare the bell curves of different populations, for almost any given factor, such as years of schooling obtained, we find: </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
1) Members of each population group are represented at every point in the graph.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
2) There is a tremendous degree of overlap between each population group.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
3) There is a much greater degree of diversity within each group, rather than between the group.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
4) But, never the less, the shape (distribution of scores) of bell curves are rarely identical, which means that at different points (outcomes) on the graph, some groups are better represented than others.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
5) A good many individuals within a group with a lower mean score will still exceed the scores of a segment of the higher scoring group. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In practical terms, what can this tell us about race and culture?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
When we meet an <b>individual</b>, we have absolutely no way of knowing where they fall within a bell curve for any given socioeconomic factor, which I refer to as the: <b>Iron Law Of Individuality</b>. For many factors, the African-American bell curve is skewed to the left, yet the graph clearly demonstrates that there are many African-American <b>individuals</b> who outperform European-American <b>individuals</b>. Hence, it would be irrational and immoral to object to an African-American (or member of any other group) from moving next door to you, solely based on their ethnicity. And conversely, it is foolish to automatically welcome any individual because of their ethnicity. The only instance in which prejudice is a rational option is if you are in a potentially dangerous situation in which you do not have the luxury to gather information on each stranger. When I walk down the street late at night, I will choose to avoid males over females, young over old and whites over Asian-Americans, because statistically crime rates are lower for the former. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
While a bell curve does <b>not</b> allow us to reasonably predict the nature of an individual, the larger a statistical sample is, the more predictable aggregate outcomes becomes, which I refer to as the<b> Inescapable Law Of Averages</b>. So while we <b>cannot</b> know what a Polish-American, Puerto Rican or Gay <b>neighbor</b> will be like, simply based on their identity, whether we admit it or not, we can make strong predictions on what a Polish, Puerto Rican or Gay <b>neighborhood </b>will be like. From the demographic makeup of a neighborhood, we can make reliable predictions on the <a href="http://www.nij.gov/journals/270/criminal-records-figure2.htm">level of crime</a>, the <a href="http://chicago-freedom-forum.blogspot.com/2011/02/blog-post_20.html">quality of schools</a>, the <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/05/03/mime_plans_language_draws_offense?pg=full">pervasiveness of litter</a> and 101 other socio-economic factors. The exception to this rule is when the higher scoring outliers of a lower performing group congregate in an area, such as Chicago's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/08/science/lessons-in-community-from-chicagos-south-side.html?pagewanted=all">Chatham Neighborhood</a>, allowing for the establishment of stable, middle class milieu. But, with the end of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_jure">de jure</a> segregation, many upwardly mobile African-Americans have opted for more integrated neighborhoods, leaving once prosperous enclaves in <a href="http://articles.chicagobreakingnews.com/keyword/chatham">decline</a>. Given the significant overlap of bell curves, it would appear that the positive and negative outliers of a community have a disproportionate impact on its quality of life. Or, more specifically, in even the worst neighborhoods, the majority of residents are law abiding, yet a relatively small number of criminals can create a violent, unstable environment, in which few businesses are willing to endure the risk of providing needed goods, services and employment opportunities. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Most people of good will implicitly accept these principles; far from being hateful or resentful, they celebrate successful minorities that contribute to cultural, economic and political life, yet their actions indicate that they are not optimistic about the impact of demographic changes on their neighborhoods. This is why there is such a clear divergence between popular rhetoric and private choices, in which even the staunchest progressives will pull their children out of a school when it becomes "too diverse". Most educated people realize that the pathology they are fleeing does have historical roots in the terrible discrimination that minorities experienced. But, they do not want to subject their family to needless risk, especially considering that the fate of other individuals is rarely improved through <a href="http://evanstonnow.com/story/education/bill-smith/2012-10-11/52592/eths-test-scores-big-gaps-remain">osmosis</a>. Due to the dearth of honest, viable narratives that synthesize these seemingly contradictory sentiments, many Americans experience a form of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance">cognitive dissidence</a>. And by default, they opt for well meaning, but flawed liberals narratives on race and racism that do not articulate their hopes and fears. The result is the silence of some, the insincerity of others and a nation that is none the more integrated. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-45028338557580495722013-01-22T01:42:00.000-08:002013-02-25T14:08:16.612-08:00The Great Silence (On Race & Culture) Part VII<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDQe8aBhD3CxLa5BbsdDRpRrZ9gW6unDzi6n2zdRVN1mbqMN2IAu2C__O3hw-scao81XkbwPoSC7E3jK7olJvw8NZvPW1vaBLuHOFxvOhFi1zwL6A7TUnun2UwLolDW_-j5iy4MbomlU5/s1600/bienvenido_mister_marshall%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDQe8aBhD3CxLa5BbsdDRpRrZ9gW6unDzi6n2zdRVN1mbqMN2IAu2C__O3hw-scao81XkbwPoSC7E3jK7olJvw8NZvPW1vaBLuHOFxvOhFi1zwL6A7TUnun2UwLolDW_-j5iy4MbomlU5/s320/bienvenido_mister_marshall%5B1%5D.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
In our <a href="http://chicago-freedom-forum.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-great-silence-on-race-culture-part_21.html">previous post</a>, we explored the paradox of how on an individual level, culture can be positive, while still leading to negative political and economic outcomes on a group level. Culture clashes are the exception for individuals, but the rule for groups. From personal experience, I can affirm that if you sit an Israeli and a Palestinian together, an Indian and a Pakistani, away from their countrymen, with few exceptions they will get along. The examples we presented were ones of stark incompatibility, such as the clash between secular western and conservative Islamic societies. But, there are many instances of low level friction, caused by more subtle, cultural incompatibilities that rarely escalates to outright conflict. We hear this in the social and political narratives of different communities, that at times diverge to the point were it is hard to believe that two people are witnessing the same occurrence. Within the United States, this subtle friction is occurring between Anglo-American and Latin-American cultural spheres. This is most apparent to those who follow the polarized debate on immigration. The point is not to determine which narrative is more factually or logically sound, because in personal and political conflict, perception is reality.<br />
<br />
Before I continue, I must emphasize: The said cultures are compatible in virtually every aspect, except for some political and civic values and traditions. For this reason, a great many Hispanic-Americans and European-Americans have formed friendships, families, businesses and communities together. And even in the political sphere, there is quite a bit of overlap, with a good many Hispanics supporting traditional American political values, while a growing number of European-Americans are drawn to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporatism">corporatist</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populism">populist</a> visions that are reminiscent of Latin-American politics. But, never the less, there is evidence of a real divide. The most obvious is the recent presidential election, in which Obama received <a href="http://www.pewhispanic.org/2012/11/07/latino-voters-in-the-2012-election/">71%</a> of the Hispanic Vote, while only <a href="http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/results/president/exit-polls">41%</a> of the white vote. Many commentators believe that this is because of the current Republican position on immigration, but a closer look at our electoral history casts doubts on this. In 1986 President Reagan and much of the Republican Party supported the <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128303672">Amnesty</a> of 2.9 million undocumented immigrants, yet in the 1988 presidential election, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H._W._Bush">George H.W. Bush</a> received only <a href="http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/elections/how_groups_voted/voted_88.html">30%</a> of Latino votes. And in spite of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_Act_of_1990">immigration friendly legislation</a> that he enacted during his own presidency, in the 1992 election, George H.W. Bush only received <a href="http://www.ropercenter.uconn.edu/elections/how_groups_voted/voted_92.html">25%</a> of the Latino vote.<br />
<br />
While immigration is important, the two most significant factors that draw many Hispanic-Americans to the left is income and political values. With some exceptions, families of limited means are more likely to support politicians that promise an expended welfare state. But, even among solidly middle class Latinos, there is a strong perchance towards the statist vision of the Democratic Party. Further evidence for this is found in a <a href="http://www.people-press.org/values-questions/">Survey of Values</a> published by the Pew Center:<br />
<br />
66% of Hispanics and only 36% of whites believe that: <i>"The government should help more needy people even if it means going deeper in debt." </i><br />
<br />
65% of whites and only 49% of Hispanics believe that <i>"When something is run by the government, it is usually inefficient and wasteful."</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
59% of Hispanics and only 22% of whites believe that <i>"We should make every possible effort to improve the position of blacks and other minorities, even if it means giving them preferential treatment." </i><br />
<br />
Some right wing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/State-Emergency-Invasion-Conquest-America/dp/0312374364">alarmists</a> <b>wrongly</b> conclude that in the context of this divide, the growth of the Latino Vote should be conceived as the imposition of alien political values on the United States. It would be far more accurate to characterize it as an infusion of political blood and electoral vigor into the anemic body of the American Left. While the impact of the Hispanic vote in the last presidential election was <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/12/13/latinos-didnt-cost-mitt-romney-the-election/">overstated</a>, it has allowed the Democratic Party to establish a near political monopoly on the once competitive state of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_presidential_election_results_by_state">California</a> and make <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Politics/democrats-launch-group-turn-texas-blue-report/story?id=18302657">inroads</a> into Republican Strongholds. And several moribund labor unions have <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/25/unions-latino-members-saving-grace_n_2543486.html">stated</a> that Latinos are their only hope for survival, with one commentator even <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/25/unions-latino-members-saving-grace_n_2543486.html">declaring</a> <i>"Latino workers are not imbued with the...individualism which has been used against white workers,"</i> they <i>"are often involved in institutions with a collective mentality..." </i>It is doubtful that the growth of Latino Populism will translate into greater wealth and influence for poor and working class Hispanics, rather it will serve to empower the mostly white, liberal, political elite, <a href="http://www.theroot.com/views/race-cuba-afro-cuban-primer">much as it does in Latin-America</a>.<br />
<br />
Originally I believed the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statism">statist</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clientelism">clientelist</a> streaks in Latin-America to be a more recent phenomena, taking root in the second half of the 20th Century. But, the Nobel Prize winning author <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Vargas_Llosa">Mario Vargas Llosa</a> presents a <a href="http://www.kirkcenter.org/index.php/bookman/article/latin-americas-five-deadly-sins/">compelling argument</a> that almost every form of government that Latin-America has known, from right wing military regimes, to progressive reformists and Cuban Marxism, have all been plagued by the Five Original Sins, bequeathed by Spanish Colonial Rule. They are: Corporatism, State Mercantilism, Privilege, Redistribution of Wealth and Political Law. Absent is a strong tradition of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_law">Rule of Law</a> and limited government; in its place is the right of politicians to arbitrarily bend or circumvent the law to reward their clients and punish their opponents. When favors and exemptions from the law are granted to a select few, such practices are decried as corrupt, but when they are used to seduce millions of voters, they are celebrated by many as the legitimate spoils of electoral victory.<br />
<br />
I believe that one of the reasons why the immigration debate is so contentious is because to a degree, it represents a clash of political cultures. Many Latinos assume that resistance towards amnesty must step from xenophobia, not realizing that many otherwise welcoming Americans view it as an erosion of the rule of law. When individuals hear <a href="http://newamericamedia.org/2012/11/la-opinion-obama-owes-latinos-a-debt.php">declarations</a> that Obama should pursue immigration reform, because he <i>owes</i> Latino Voters, they become ill at ease, because these sentiments are at odds with long established political values and traditions. And even supporters of reform are not comfortable with suggestions that President Obama should simply circumvent the legislative process and declare amnesty through executive fiat.We should embrace the strong sense of work, family and friendship that immigrant communities bring, but the last thing we need is the expansion of Latin-American political traditions, for our own leaders and institutions are already rotten enough.<br />
<br />
<br />Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-79734573197425104222013-01-21T00:04:00.001-08:002013-02-23T09:20:10.834-08:00The Great Silence (On Race & Culture) Part VI<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxL0RUctZMEkesOYY0DUbnRwBem3HyJN8jOox5DOJqsUYWHYpVjMhUDT-qEkVxJKYKMpyR_EdiEi3cnVe5H2Fsd92K0uRqT7ypHHgiyAOOuEDYYmqmtMkfyqqjH3GgmevHAD7TILYRlqq/s1600/John-Wayne-in-True-Grit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkxL0RUctZMEkesOYY0DUbnRwBem3HyJN8jOox5DOJqsUYWHYpVjMhUDT-qEkVxJKYKMpyR_EdiEi3cnVe5H2Fsd92K0uRqT7ypHHgiyAOOuEDYYmqmtMkfyqqjH3GgmevHAD7TILYRlqq/s320/John-Wayne-in-True-Grit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sometimes American Individualism Limits Our View of the World</div>
<br />
America Culture has been noted by its admirers and detractors alike to be one of the most individualistic in the world. Since it's inception, this spirit is seen in world of laws, literature and popular culture. We see this is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson">Thomas Jefferson's</a> idealization of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeoman">Yeoman Farmer</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Waldo_Emerson">Ralph Waldo Emerson's</a> verses on <a href="http://voices.yahoo.com/courageous-individualism-ralph-waldo-emersons-self-377213.html?cat=9">self-reliance</a> and <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/1758578-self-reliance">non-conformity</a> and in the rugged individualism celebrated in <a href="http://www.filmsite.org/westernfilms.html">cowboy movies</a>. Almost unique to the world, Americans believed that men could cast off their old national, religious, cultural linguistic, geographic and economic identities and recreate themselves. So, it is quite natural that most Americans can only analyze culture from the lens of individualism. On one hand, this is very positive, because it helps inculcate a spirit of tolerance. On the other hand, it leads many Americans to overlook the fact that culture is not only manifested in individual behavior, but also in the ways in which groups, communities and nations function. The increasingly strong reservations that most people (thankfully) hold against prejudging individuals, makes it quite difficult for them to make an honest, informed assessment of the beliefs and practices that predominate in other cultures.<br />
<div>
<br />
Because of the dominant narratives on race and culture, few people can wrap their heads around the paradox that one can befriend and admire individuals of certain cultural backgrounds, while still be weary of the <b>group dynamics</b> that are driven by that culture. Having traveled in the middle east and befriended many Arab, Turkish and Persian Muslim, at the risk of overgeneralizing, I can say that on an individual level, they are among the most warm, hospitable and likable people you will ever meet. I admire the industriousness and entrepreneurial spirit of Palestinian Immigrants, the commitment to education and achievement of the the Iranians and the unbreakable sense of family of the Pakistanis. Clearly, on an <b>individual level</b>, religion and culture have <b>not</b> impeded their ethical, intellectual and professional development. But, on a <b>national level</b>, they have made the establishment of democracy, rule of law and economic freedom very challenging. Supporting evidence for this is found in the fact that Islamic Nations tend to score at the bottom of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index">Democracy Index</a>, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/files/2012/12/Screen-shot-2012-12-05-at-12.17.00-PM.png">Corruption Index</a> and <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/09/22/women-winning-map.html">Ranking of Women's Rights</a>. Because, while <b>individuals are unpredictable</b>, <b><a href="http://chicago-freedom-forum.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-great-silence-on-race-culture-part_27.html">groups dynamics</a> are not</b>. Based on the culture that predominates in a region, we can predict a host of socio-economic outcomes. This is readily apparent when we analyze a <a href="http://www.transparency.org/cpi2012/results#myAnchor1">global map of corruption</a>, which clearly shows a strong connection between regional cultures and the general level of corruption. For example, the least corrupt nations are part of the <a href="http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21571136-politicians-both-right-and-left-could-learn-nordic-countries-next-supermodel">Scandinavian</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglosphere">Anglo-Protestant</a> and <a href="http://transhumanity.net/articles/entry/why-is-confucian-culture-so-wildly-successful">Confucian</a> cultural spheres. With the exception of Chile and Uruguay, Latin-America scored poorly. And the bottom of the list was mostly comprised of Islamic and / or Sub-Saharan African Nations.<br />
<br />
What is the practical implication of the <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/culturalist">culturalist</a> narrative? We should welcome diverse, talented <b>individuals</b> into our nation, neighborhoods and in my opinion, circle of friends and family. But we should not encourage the formation of large, unassimilated <b>groups </b>who will recreate the very social, economic and political dynamics that led them to leave their nations of origin. The most obvious example is the rise of <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16014368">"honor attacks"</a>, <a href="http://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/gay-londoners-see-attacks-rise">homophobic harassment </a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Islamist_demonstration_outside_the_Embassy_of_Denmark_in_London">calls to limit freedom of expression</a> in England, but more subtle examples abound, which we will explore in future posts.<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-78491581387728570392013-01-20T20:55:00.000-08:002013-02-22T21:40:13.533-08:00The Great Silence (On Race & Culture) Part V<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLQMXl4pY7ofEF9EbNpEt1l9WqRxlBSplQ093INzhOYUs66VYtPO1PVMtDNV4xVDKaAE8-gJiM_WdmMK1Y0s2lNZOaAIehGx3r3HOq1xxzOXWjU4gYifASrVnpM_tmbsvjznj2NS0AgNZ/s1600/swat_vally_ruin_1242245c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBLQMXl4pY7ofEF9EbNpEt1l9WqRxlBSplQ093INzhOYUs66VYtPO1PVMtDNV4xVDKaAE8-gJiM_WdmMK1Y0s2lNZOaAIehGx3r3HOq1xxzOXWjU4gYifASrVnpM_tmbsvjznj2NS0AgNZ/s320/swat_vally_ruin_1242245c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Picture Above: A Casualty in the Jihad Against Educating Women</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Before we continue our discussion, we must briefly highlight the difference between <b>explicit</b> culture and<b> implicit </b>culture. Explicit culture are the stated beliefs and values that predominate in a nation, the written laws of the state and the official beliefs of civic, religious and business institutions that hold sway. Implicit culture are the values implied by the behavioral patterns of the populace, in public and especially in private. When you analyze the constitutions and laws of most nations you find that the majority contain strong affirmations of equality, yet we see a divergence between nations that come close to realizing these stated ideals and others in which women and minorities languish as third class citizens. In international <a href="http://www.pewglobal.org/2010/07/01/gender-equality/">polls</a>, even in nations with widespread abuse of women, the majority of respondents affirmed their belief that women should have equal rights. The same is true for education; few parents or government officials will respond that education is not a priority, but in many nations, data suggests otherwise. The source of the discrepancy between rhetoric and reality is the daily choices and strategies that individuals, families and communities make.<br />
<br />
When we analyze the extent to which <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_literacy_rate">nations</a>, with similar nominal GDPs and levels of corruption, have addressed illiteracy, we find a tremendous divergence, that speaks of their <b>implicit cultures</b>. For example, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenya">Kenya</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan">Pakistan</a> are both poor ($850 & $1,201) and <a href="http://www.transparency.org/cpi2012/results">corrupt</a>, but Kenya's literacy rate has been raised to 87.4%, whereas in Pakistan it has languished at 54.9%. Hence, the <b>actual behavior</b> of individuals, families and the state <b>imply</b> the education is held in higher regard in Kenya. And when we analyze the literacy rate of women and men, we find that in Pakistan the rate for women (30.3%) is half that of men (68.6%), whereas in Kenya, the (90.6% & 84.2%) the gap is not nearly as pronounced.<br />
<br />
Some will respond that this is simply a product of each nation's respective governments, which do not always reflect the will of people. This is a problematic notion, given that governments do not exist in a vacuum, but reflect the culture of the nations from which they arise. For the sake of the discussion, let us assume that this holds true in the example of Pakistan and Kenya and focus our analysis on the private behavior of families. To do so, I compared the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_sex_ratio">sex ratio</a> of newborns, which is generally indicative of the extent of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex-selective_abortion">sex selective abortion</a>, which is one the most misogynist act conceivable. Predictably, Pakistan has among the most skewed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_sex_ratio">ratios</a> (1.10) in the world, whereas Kenya enjoys one of the most equitable ones (1.02). Those who persist in the belief that this is simply a product of Pakistan's dire poverty should consider a recent <a href="http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2011/05/9903/pressure-bear-sons-leads-some-immigrant-indian-women-sex-selection-abortion-study">study</a> that found that such behavior even persists among well off South Asian immigrants in the United States. Clearly, the <b>actual</b> behavior that predominates in a nation tells us far more about their culture than laws and polls.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #cc6600; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.4em; margin: 0.25em 0px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px;">
</h3>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-32913791127998712242013-01-14T01:18:00.003-08:002013-01-22T23:36:32.999-08:00The Great Silence (On Race & Culture) Part IVWhat is most striking about the narratives that present racism and discrimination as the primary explanations of racial achievement gaps is that they are extremely <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrosociology">macro-social</a> and abstract in nature. While a broad, structural analysis can often bring insight to a discussion, in this case it allows ideology to supplant an honest, inquisitive exploration of data.The said narrative utilizes ill-defined, nebulous concepts, such as <a href="http://seattletimes.com/html/education/2003640838_racesupe29m.html">institutional racism</a> and <a href="http://www.racialequitytools.org/ci-issues-sr.htm">structural racism</a> as articles of faith; the former is <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/institutional_racism">defined</a> as <i>"a form of racial inequality resulting not from conscious discrimination, but from the cumulative effect of subconscious racism and / or the aggregate inertial discriminatory effect of individuals within a non-diverse group favoring like-minded individuals."</i> <i> </i>Their very focus on a phenomena that they define as <a href="http://bcroundtable.wordpress.com/2011/11/11/whiteness-coming-to-terms-with-americas-invisible-race/">invisible</a>, <a href="http://www.psmag.com/culture-society/racism-in-schools-unintentional-3821/">unintentional</a> and even subconscious, precludes a clear, empirical analysis of the <b>actual</b> manner in which individuals and groups advance or lag in different institutions.They fail to use data to construct a clear line of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Causality">causality</a> that demonstrates that privilege or discrimination determine the actual outcome. Rather their arguments rest of anecdotal evidence or the spurious explanation that the very presence of an achievement gap is proof of ongoing privilege and discrimination. The author of this blog believes that the <b>foundation</b> of understanding economic and social performance of individuals and groups must be based on intellectually honest <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Case_study">case studies</a>, grounded in rich, comprehensive details. Only once this has been established can we construct compelling abstractions and ideology. Or put simply, one cannot hope to grasp the dynamics of a forest, until they understand the nature of the flora and fauna that populate it.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Take the question of classroom achievement: logically, those who wanted to understand it should start by exploring the <b>specific</b> behaviors, norms and strategies of the students who academically excelled. For the sake of a sound analysis, naturally they should compare students of a similar economic background, who enjoyed access to equal educational resources, i.e. those from the same school. I am confident that they would find an exceptionally strong correlation between success and interrelated factors such as: discipline, a future orientation, intellectual curiosity and a desire to utilize all available resources. They could set forth a reasonable maxim,<i> in order to academically succeed, a student must do X, Y & Z.</i> We would certainly find that the majority of students with poor academic performance did not undertake these specific measures and strategies. I am strongly inclined to believe that the most relevant factor, <b>regardless of race</b>, is the extent to which students are not willing to utilize available resources and opportunities. And underlying the student's orientation is the values and specific that predominate in their families and communities.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The next reasonable step would be to determine if African-Americans who undertake X, Y & Z experienced positive outcomes, like their classmates, or did institutional racism prevent them from enjoying the fruits of their labors? To demonstrate that racism was a relevant factor we would require <b>empirical data</b> that showed that teachers and administrators engaged in statistically relevant patterns of discriminatory conduct. Did they grade them more harshly? Were they less willing to assist students simply because of their race? Did they discourage equally capable students from pursuing an honor's class, because of their background? Were they discouraged from utilizing<b> free</b> tutors that schools provide? Do any specific policies account for their much higher drop-out rate? I would be shocked if any one of these acts of discrimination were found to occur at a <b>statistically significant</b> rate, given that the mission statement of virtually every teacher training program and school district is to promote social justice, combat racism and celebrate diversity. This is especially unlikely considering that a large portion of African-Americans are taught by African-American educators. If indeed discrimination is not a key factor, the primary cause of the achievement gap is the varying rates that specific values and behaviors occur within different communities. But, for the sake of the discussion, let us say that I am understating the importance of structural factors, such as resource allocation, this still would<b> not</b> exclude the importance of cultural-behavior factors. The effects of institutional racism could be compounded by normative patterns that lead many individuals to under-utilize the unequal resources and opportunities that are available to them.<br />
<br />
To better understand the <a href="http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2011/07/26/wealth-gaps-rise-to-record-highs-between-whites-blacks-hispanics/">wealth gap</a>, we would investigate the extent to which specific financial behaviors occur within different ethnic groups. In order to compare "apples to apples" it would be imperative to control for age, education, the starting income level of the samples that comprise each group. Specifically, we would study the level of wealth creation over the course of 5 or 10 years, of individuals who started at comparable socioeconomic levels. The next step would be to determine the aggregate growth rate of each group over that period. And then using credit reports, bank statements and interviews, we would seek answer to the following questions: <i>To what extent did the subjects amass debt in non-essential, luxury purchases? To what statistical extent did the members of each group lower their consumption level in order to save money? Did they invest the saved capital? If so, in what manners? What percentage of each group had poor credit scores? How often did the poor credit scores reflect uncontrollable circumstances (such as health issues) and how often were they the consequences of poor financial planning? Did poor credit limit their access to capital to invest in education, real estate and commercial enterprises?</i> Analyzing the connection between wealth generation and specific behaviors and the extent to which they are found in each group would help us put together a credible explanation of the dynamics of the wealth gap. Of course we would also test the discrimination-privilege thesis, by discovering the extent to which each group experienced <b>statistically significant</b> rates of <b>discrimination</b>, <b>favoritism </b>and <b>familial assistance</b>. And if they were found to be statistically prevalent did unfavorable or favorable treatment occur in the absence of divergent behavior patterns or did simply serve to augment their effects? What is most puzzling is that so few of the individuals who sound the alarm on income equality bother to ask, yet alone empirically answer these essential questions.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
The few liberals who are willing to concede the profound flaws in their narrative will most likely respond: the pathological behaviors of today, are a historical product of the legacy of past discrimination. The reason why a student is not willing to take advantage of the resources that are now available is because of the long history of the social, political and economic marginalization. And the challenges that students from impoverished communities face makes it harder to commit academically. I will concede that there is a great deal of truth to these positions. But, never the less misdiagnosing the source of the achievement gap as <b>present</b> discrimination that bars students from enjoying the fruits of their labor will ensure that the private sector will continue to pursue ineffective remedies. The experiences of groups, such as Chinese-Americans, who have now surpassed European-Americans academically and economically, demonstrate that once legal equality has been ensured, culture and values becomes the strongest determinant of outcomes. In fact this has led to a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtuous_circle_and_vicious_circle">virtuous cycle</a>, in which the widespread adoption of positive behaviors has lead to favorable social and economic outcomes, which has all but eliminated the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Peril">toxic stereotypes</a> that most Americans once held about East-Asians. This may seem harsh, but in reality it is far more hopeful than the fatalist liberal narratives that hold that we are bound by past and present racism. For we as individuals and communities can transform our behavior and our culture, in the process changing the course that others set for us. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-58851943445506229762013-01-07T02:08:00.001-08:002013-02-18T20:58:40.875-08:00The Great Silence (On Race & Culture) Part III<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8XQjzMQ-3l1sIembXdiylBSyzhp2Fijg-yMuEtTRJvO9r9w6kULdLVqYUpmNSUA_oilY2yWAQfZSjg6IoX9wVgxktl07Gh_R4Ufbl0nTn0hrWNpNC6v3LqjlYY4sgOG3wKC6uHED1Ze1/s1600/chimp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM8XQjzMQ-3l1sIembXdiylBSyzhp2Fijg-yMuEtTRJvO9r9w6kULdLVqYUpmNSUA_oilY2yWAQfZSjg6IoX9wVgxktl07Gh_R4Ufbl0nTn0hrWNpNC6v3LqjlYY4sgOG3wKC6uHED1Ze1/s320/chimp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Chimps and Humans: Hardwired For Xenophobia?</b></div>
<br />
<br />
One key point that we must advance in our <a href="http://chicago-freedom-forum.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-great-silence-on-race-culture-part.html">discussion</a> of racism and culture is the difference between past and present critiques of the phenomenon of diversity and multiculturalism. For much of history, the said critiques were <b>prescriptive </b>in nature. In other words, in most cases, their purveyors were genuine racists and xenophobes, who were opposed to the goals of equality, democratic participation, freedom of association and prosperity for All Americans. And they promoted and <b>prescribed</b> legal and extra-legal measures to oppose these goals. One of the most appalling examples is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan">Ku Klux Klan</a> that actively sought to economically, socially and politically marginalize African-Americans and other groups. They viewed educated, entrepreneurial and upwardly mobile African-American families as a grave threat to white, Christian hegemony and exercised great brutality in their efforts to keep them in a state of debasement.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
While the Klan and like-minded organization do still exist, they have been reduced to a withered pariah, a fringe held in contempt by the vast majority of Americans. This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that on the rare occasions when hate groups march, they are dwarfed by anti-racist counter-protesters by a ratio of at least 10-to-1. In the last few years we have seen the emergence of critiques of diversity and multiculturalism that are <b>descriptive</b> in nature. Unlike their predecessors, they unequivocally recognize that the existence of poor, uneducated, alienated communities are <b>not </b>in the interests of the United States. At least in principle, most support the multitude of <a href="http://www.nationalaffairs.com/publications/detail/our-achievement-gap-mania">public</a> and <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/corporations-make-multi-million-dollar-commitment-to-minority-and-women-owned-law-firms-86350387.html">private sector</a> initiatives to promote prosperity within diverse communities and to bridge the ongoing achievement gap . Most believe that diverse communities <b>should </b>be welcome to maintain their cultural distinctness, while working with other communities to achieve the common good. But, their honest observations and <b>description</b> of how diverse societies actually <b>do </b>function, have led them to question the veracity of the multicultural project. And unlike prescriptive critics of multiculturalism, their reservations do not stem from fear and ignorance. For example, those who take the time to research which countries are the <a href="http://news.cheapflights.com/top-10-happiest-countries-in-the-world/">happiest</a>, <a href="http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/world-top-ten-healthy-countries-map.html">healthiest</a>, <a href="http://247wallst.com/2012/06/15/the-most-and-least-peaceful-countries-in-the-world/2/">least violent</a> and most <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_income_equality">economically equal</a>, will find that they are by and large, homogeneous, which begs the question: <i>why do diverse societies face such challenges? </i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The <b>descriptive critique </b>has been<b> </b>compelled by a growing body of scientific knowledge. Arizona State University recently hosted an absolutely fascinating discussion entitled <a href="http://www.firstpost.com/topic/place/arizona-the-great-debate-xenophobia-why-do-we-fear-others-video-YZLlvc9rviM-129-3.html">The Great Debate - Xenophobia - Why Do We Fear Others?</a>, in which a panel of first rate scholars and researchers, which included a <a href="http://www.psychology.emory.edu/nab/dewaal/">primatologist</a>, a <a href="http://web.mit.edu/~bcs/people/saxe.shtml">cognitive neuroscientist</a>, an <a href="http://psychology.clas.asu.edu/neuberg/bio/research">experimental social psychologist</a>, a <a href="http://www.sns.ias.edu/~dyson/">theoretical physicist and mathematician</a>, an <a href="http://www.earth.columbia.edu/articles/view/1770">economist</a> and a <a href="http://topics.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/charles_m_blow/index.html">journalist</a> presented compelling arguments that human beings and most other species are hardwired through evolution to form in-groups and recognize and be weary of out-groups. The end <a href="https://origins.asu.edu/events/great-debate-xenophobia">goal</a> of this clearly liberal group was to spark debate on how we could address "such an important part of our evolutionary history" that has become <i>"maladaptive as we a face a future increasingly dependent upon cooperation and shared responsibilities towards limited resources." </i> A growing body of research, in <a href="http://www.theglobalist.com/storyid.aspx?StoryId=9864">evolutionary psychology</a> and <a href="http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/10458/20120626/racism-decision-cognition-emotional-ethnicity-human-brain-psychology.htm">neurology</a> has cast serious doubt on liberal narratives that present in-group preferences as simply being the product of socialization. What I found most disheartening and supportive of this thesis was <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2566511/">research</a> that demonstrated that infants as young as 3 months demonstrated a preference for their own race. An important caveat to this discussion is that in-groups and out-groups need not solely be defined by race and language. The most obvious example is Bosnia, in which a racially and linguistically identical population formed in-groups based on religious and cultural identity and slaughtered the religious out-groups. Conversely, many <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/442nd_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)">Japanese-Americans</a> and German-American valiantly fought for the United States, even though their respective nations of origin were members of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_powers">Axis</a>.<br />
<br />
This growing body of research is fairly clear in its conclusion, but the perplexing question remains: what are its practical implications in an increasingly diverse society? On one hand, it does support liberal measures: if we are wired to be reserved about members of out-groups, we must continue to educate the public against racism and xenophobia. On the other hand, policy that does not also recognize the <b>facts on the ground </b>and understand the nature and the shortcomings of human beings, are bound to fail. This was the case in communism and unless we adopt greater intellectual honesty, it may also come to pass with multiculturalism. But we need not abandon all of our idealism; good governance must strike a balance between leading man towards how we wish him to be, while accepting him for what he is. This means that we must do all that we can to ensure peace, goodwill and cooperation among the diverse populations that already reside within the United States, while not seeking to increase diversity for diversity's sake. We must never fall prey to the lure of heavy handed assimilation policies, for they too court conflict; amicable, democratic assimilation, guided by the spirit of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_pluribus_unum">E Pluribus Unum</a> would be a wise course to pursue. No nation has shown a greater capacity to expand the scope of its in-group, which at one time only included white, Anglo-Saxon Protestants. This has been achieved through ever greater tolerance, coupled with a powerful melting pot; while the former remains strong, the flames of the latter have been allowed to grow dim. Given our knowledge about human nature and group conflict, we should seriously reconsider this path. In future posts we shall provide more detailed recommendations based on the historical experiences of the few diverse societies that were able to maintain relative peace, prosperity and democracy and the many that succumbed to inter-communal conflict. </div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-38547587161683444322012-12-31T00:57:00.004-08:002013-02-18T20:50:20.814-08:00The Great Silence (On Race & Culture) Part II<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0emsFE5MF9KxzcBt1_4DTidJIZ6dxfRZcjFabwzDvFJ_8LUgGAmGqQTLm5RIlJ3txUcCZK1IJt-YIe2IPaGX0jpeTiPwD_DxZd0xkxAF4_roNJUykf-rZCcw4bmvvaGmIGp_DmXHmr1ab/s1600/reset_button.jpg.scaled500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0emsFE5MF9KxzcBt1_4DTidJIZ6dxfRZcjFabwzDvFJ_8LUgGAmGqQTLm5RIlJ3txUcCZK1IJt-YIe2IPaGX0jpeTiPwD_DxZd0xkxAF4_roNJUykf-rZCcw4bmvvaGmIGp_DmXHmr1ab/s200/reset_button.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
In our <a href="http://chicago-freedom-forum.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-great-silence-on-race-culture.html">previous post</a>, we discussed the increasingly evident flaws in the official narrative of race and culture in America, which have led a great silence, an unwillingness or inability of most Americans to engage in open, honest discussions. From math, to science, to economics and studies of culture, all systems of knowledge and understanding are structured like a pyramid. Basic empirical and philosophical givens form a foundation, from which one systemically constructs a more advanced understanding of particular phenomena. If two individuals do not acknowledge a basic foundation for any given area of knowledge, it is virtually impossible to have a productive discussion. This is somewhat analogous to language: if we do not agree on the alphabet, we cannot form words and if we cannot form words, meaningful exchanges of ideas, via sentences, would be out of the question. For example, it was virtually impossible for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Pasteur">Louis Pasteur</a> to convince others of the nature and merit of vaccinations who did not first accept the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germ_theory_of_disease">Germ Theory of Disease</a>, rather than previously accepted <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miasma_theory">Miasma Theory</a> and the concept of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spontaneous_generation">Spontaneous Generation</a>. And how can you convinced someone on the hazards of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Price_controls">price controls</a>, if they believe that <a href="http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_are_prices_and_wages_determined_in_a_market_economy">prices and wages</a> are arbitrary, rather than fundamentally determined by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_and_demand">supply and demand</a>?<br />
<br />
Regarding our previous discussion, it is virtually impossible to convince others of the power of values and cultural norms in determining economic and social outcomes for individuals and nations, if they are unfamiliar with the concept of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_capital">Cultural Capital</a>. Without a basic familiarity of how Jewish, Japanese and Armenian disaporas thrived in the face of discrimination, a discussion on the nexus of wealth, commerce and culture will be impoverished (pun intended). Those who do not understand the many ways in which Anglo-American, Latin-American and Arab-Islamic culture have shaped political and economic outcomes across the globe, will not be able to fully grasp the importance of assimilation. To put it boldly, in the absence of these givens, one cannot engage in a meaningful, informed dialogue on immigration, diversity, demographics and a host of other essential and interconnected topics. This means that we will have to hit the reset button and begin anew with a discussion of the basic empirical and conceptual building blocks that are required to construct an honest and accurate narrative that will break the great silence.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-90143972883350113342012-12-30T22:14:00.004-08:002013-02-20T10:03:24.001-08:00The Great Silence (On Race & Culture) Part I<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjT9_k4iiqb2eoj43CjP1bIpIeMaU13dKDXHd8fb9KQfXAQdxf85p3d9T5KRgqAVpXDUUrVv0ZukxmTtMgI0_NBVUyuGxEaMtWNDZEXImwf6DMBfWDvbdyK6AyXmWmUPKr6HvaIQITm_8P/s1600/see_no_evil__hear_no_evil__speak_no_evil_by_xwhite_firex-d4rs0ma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjT9_k4iiqb2eoj43CjP1bIpIeMaU13dKDXHd8fb9KQfXAQdxf85p3d9T5KRgqAVpXDUUrVv0ZukxmTtMgI0_NBVUyuGxEaMtWNDZEXImwf6DMBfWDvbdyK6AyXmWmUPKr6HvaIQITm_8P/s400/see_no_evil__hear_no_evil__speak_no_evil_by_xwhite_firex-d4rs0ma.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
When Eric Holder <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/18/ag-holder-race-makes-us-a_n_167933.html">declared</a> that the United States was <i>"a nation of cowards"</i> on matters of race, because <i>"we, as average Americans, simply do not talk enough with each other about race,"</i> he was largely correct. On one hand, from classrooms to newsrooms, we are bombarded with talk of diversity and discrimination. But, these "discussions" almost never take the form of open, honest exchanges of ideas, but rather of monologues, in which the unwritten rule is that the listener's only options are to affirm the prescribed narrative or to remain silent. To question the speaker or to departs from accepted orthodoxy, will elicit hostile censure. Even those who do not fear the social or professional consequences that accompany open dissent, usually remain silent. The reason being is that increasingly, common <b>narratives</b> do not convey the complex and often contradictory feelings that most Americans hold about issues of race, religion and culture. This is essential, because our primary means of understanding the world and communicating our sentiments, are popular narratives that reduce complex, number driven explanations of economic, social and political life to broad generalities and truisms. Not only do narratives give clarity and reason to our sentiments, but they allow us to work with others to achieve common goals. Without the Founding Father's eloquent, yet eminently understandable narrative on liberty and self government, few Americans would have fought for their independence. Without the disturbing, yet apparently compelling Jihadist Narrative, well educated, wealthy Saudis would not have been compelled to leave the comfort of their homes to fight in Afghanistan, first against the Soviets and later against the Americans.<br />
<br />
Occurrences that contradict well worn narratives will cause <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance">cognitive dissonance</a> for many individuals and will largely be ignored by the public. For example, a <a href="http://www.lahumanrelations.org/hatecrime/data/2008%20Hate%20Crime%20Report%2011-12-09_08-09.pdf">report</a> indicated that in Los Angeles, 69% of hate crimes against African-Americans were committed by Latinos and in 61% of hate crimes against Latinos, the perpetrators were African-Americans. This is most significant, because African-Americans make up only <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles">9.6%</a> of the city's population, i.e. they are over-represented in hate crimes against Latinos by a factor of 6.<br />
Yet, I can think of no civil rights leader who has called upon either group to address the racism present in their communities. Presumably this is because the dominant, liberal narrative presents "communities of color"<br />
as potential victims of, rather than the purveyors of hate and intolerance. When over time, a dominant explanation contradicts our common experience and fails to stand up the the scrutiny of the statistical minded, it looses it hold on the nation. And as ever greater portions of the nation withdraw from a real interchange, defenders of the rusting narrative, such as Mr. Holder, frantically raise their volume and accusations. A symptom of this decline in confidence is the growing divide between public rhetoric and actual behavior. In the last days of the Soviet Union, citizens publicly proclaimed their faith in socialism, while in private, they participated in the black market, in order to enjoy a glimmer of western consumerism and capitalism. In the United States, even the most outspoken proponents of multiculturalism practice segregation in their private affairs, straining their finances to ensure that their children do not have to live in a truly diverse community. And in the remaining areas of social life were integration is not mandated by the state; churches, friendship and marriage, even among self proclaimed liberals, segregation continues unabated. Perhaps, the disingenuous rhetoric and the silence masks sentiments that if publicly aired would add to social tension. But, democracy cannot function if broad swaths of society cannot express their true hopes and fears. For that reason, the growing divide between rhetoric and reality is more characteristic of an authoritarian society.<br />
<br />
When we survey the narratives on race we encounter a divide. At one end we find liberal discourses that present diversity as a universal imperative and an unambiguous good. And it is an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_priori_and_a_posteriori">a priori truth</a> that any differences in social or economic outputs between ethnic groups must stem from discrimination or privilege.<br />
This is naturally appealing, because it appeals to the goodwill and optimism of most Americans. And most Americans rightly find racism morally repugnant. But, over time, this explanation has become increasingly less compelling, most notably to Americans who live in multicultural cities. The notion that white privilege is the primary determinant of economic outcomes fails to explain how the average household income of Indian-Americans ($90,525), Filipino-Americans ($79,336) and Taiwanese ($79,596) significantly exceeded the average American household income ($51,222). And Asian-Americans have more favorable outcomes than European-Americans in questions of: <a href="http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlID=53">health</a>, <a href="http://chicago-freedom-forum.blogspot.com/2011/02/blog-post_20.html">education</a>, <a href="http://www.doc.state.ok.us/offenders/ocjrc/94/940650k.htm">incarceration</a> and <a href="http://www.cis.org/illegitimate_nation.html">out of wedlock births</a>. Those who are aware of these trends cannot help but view culture, values and concrete behavior, not race and racism, as the primary determinants of success. It would be more accurate to say that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_capital">cultural capital</a> determine one's trajectory, rather than current status. Given that this success has not produced widespread envy and rancor, the notion that white supremacy is deeply entrenched in the American Psyche, does not seen credible. In fact, even supposed racists, such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Murray_(author)">Charles Murray</a> have argued that Americans should emulate the beliefs and behaviors that have contributed to East Asian success. But, at least publicly, the <b>culturalist narrative</b> has not been widely adopted, because it departs from the face of the race centered explanations that have dominated public discourse for nearly half a century.<br />
<br />
The question of diversity is more perplexing. Large segments of American Society enjoy the fruits of multiculturalism: Thai Food, French Film, Salsa Dancing and of course the numerous African-American originated musical forms: Blues, Jazz, Soul, Funk, Gospel, Reggae and Rap. They welcome the hard work and contributions of most immigrants, from revolutionary innovators like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergey_Brin">Sergey Brin</a>, to migrant farm workers that put food our tables. And on a personal level, a growing number of Americans work with, live next to, love and marry people of different racial and cultural backgrounds, while at the same time experiencing unease about some aspects of diversity and demographic change. Most of these skeptics abhor racism and share the goals of multiculturalism; they truly want people of different races and cultures to get along, but they are aware of the serious challenges that multicultural societies face. They realize that while <b>individuals</b> of different backgrounds can thrive together, <a href="http://chicago-freedom-forum.blogspot.com/2010/08/rewriting-narrative-of-inter-communal.html">tension and conflict</a> among <b>groups</b> is the norm in diverse societies. They understand that while differences do make life more interesting, heterogeneous societies that do not possess strong shared values and norms are harder to govern and more prone to conflict. <a href="http://chicago-freedom-forum.blogspot.com/2009/08/downside-of-diversity.html">Robert Putnam</a> of Harvard University documented that the more diverse a community is, the less social trust, civic involvement and cooperation we find. Harvard Economist <a href="http://chicago-freedom-forum.blogspot.com/2011/09/ethnic-diversity-and-economic.html">Alberto Alesina</a> found that across the globe, in more diverse societies, individuals were less willing to invest in the common good. The implications of this research is that while we must strive to stamp out racism and discrimination against the diverse communities that already reside in the United States, policies that actively seek demographic transformation, undermine assimilation and promote <a href="http://chicago-freedom-forum.blogspot.com/2010/12/equality-accountability.html">ethno-identity politics</a> are fraught with long term hazards, most notable increased communal conflict. The chance that the majority of the public will openly adopt this vision is slim, because for years the nation has been fed a dualistic narrative that presents our only options as either an unconditional embrace of multiculturalism or succumbing to racism and xenophobia. For this reason, it is much safer for the reasonable majority, who cannot accept either extreme, to remain silent or to parrot the party line.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-69845997235149417402012-12-27T00:52:00.004-08:002012-12-27T00:52:44.899-08:00Lifting The Veil On Turkish HistoryThis year a photographic exhibition highlighting the non-Muslim minorities, such as the Armenian Christians, Syriac Christians and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yezidi">Yezidis</a>, that once thrived in the city of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diyarbak%C4%B1r">Diyarbakr</a>. To those unfamiliar with Turkish history, this does not seem newsworthy. But, this is a sharp depature from the historical narrative that the Turkish State promoted for over 80 years. In Turkish history books, the presence of minorities that predated the<a href="http://byzantineee.blogspot.com/2011/01/decline-of-medieval-hellenism-in-asia.html"> Islamization and Turkification</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatolia">Anatolia</a> by 3,000 years was significantly downplayed. And when groups like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontic_Greeks">Pontic Greeks</a> were mentioned, it was usually in the context of their "treason" and "perfidy". During my visit to the historical museum of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erzerum">Erzerum</a>, I was shocked that I did not find one mention of the Armenians, who until <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armenian_Genocide">1915</a> had thrived in the region. When I brought this to the attention of the manager, she angrily pointed me to a small exhibit that discussed a massacre of Turkish villagers. That is equivalent to a history museum in Montana presenting a one sided narrative of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Custers_Last_Stand">Custer's Last Stand</a>, that villified the Lakota Tribes, as the only mention of Native Americans. So, this exhibit represents greater openess, honesty and self reflection, at least among educated Turks.<br />
<br />
<h1 style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(225, 225, 225); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #353534; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 32px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding-bottom: 8px;">
<span id="ctl00_ctl01_ctl00_lblHeaderText">Exhibition removes veil of history obscuring Anatolian minorities</span></h1>
<div class="DateAgency" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; overflow: hidden;">
<span class="Agency" id="ctl00_ctl01_ctl00_lblAgency" style="clear: left; display: block; font-size: 11px;">ISTANBUL-Hürriyet Daily News</span></div>
<h2 class="NewSpot" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 12px 0px 10px;">
<span id="ctl00_ctl01_ctl00_lblSpot">Some 200 photographs are on display at an exhibit ‘Cultural Diversity in Old Diyarbakır,’ which relates the lives and commercial contributions of Diyarbakır’s long-forgotten peoples</span></h2>
<div class="ShareIt ShareItTop" style="background-color: white; border-style: solid none none; border-top-color: rgb(225, 225, 225); border-top-width: 1px; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px; padding: 10px 0px;">
<a class="buton sagaYasla" href="http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/Default.aspx?pageID=295" id="ctl00_ctl01_ctl00_hypSendToFriend2" style="background-color: #f2f2f2; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; color: #333333; display: inline-block; float: right; margin-left: 10px; outline-style: none; padding: 5px 10px; text-decoration: initial;">Send to friend »</a><div class="fb-like fb_edge_widget_with_comment fb_iframe_widget" data-href="http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/Default.aspx?pageID=238&nID=13754&NewsCatID=385" data-send="true" data-show-faces="false" data-width="450" fb-xfbml-state="rendered" style="display: inline-block; position: relative;">
<span style="display: inline-block; height: 24px; position: relative; text-align: justify; vertical-align: text-bottom; width: 450px;"><iframe class="fb_ltr" id="f344bfc1ac" name="f2ef84b9e" scrolling="no" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?api_key=&locale=en_US&sdk=joey&channel_url=http%3A%2F%2Fstatic.ak.facebook.com%2Fconnect%2Fxd_arbiter.php%3Fversion%3D18%23cb%3Df14dda77d8%26origin%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.hurriyetdailynews.com%252Ff1edc695ec%26domain%3Dwww.hurriyetdailynews.com%26relation%3Dparent.parent&href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hurriyetdailynews.com%2FDefault.aspx%3FpageID%3D238%26nID%3D13754%26NewsCatID%3D385&node_type=link&width=450&layout=standard&colorscheme=light&show_faces=false&send=true&extended_social_context=false" style="border-style: none; height: 24px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; width: 450px;" title="Like this content on Facebook."></iframe></span></div>
<div class="addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style" style="clear: both; margin: 10px 0px 0px;">
<a addthis:title="Exhibition removes veil of history obscuring Anatolian minorities " class="addthis_button_tweet at300b" href="http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/exhibition-removes-veil-of-history-obscuring-anatolian-minorities-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=13754&NewsCatID=385#" style="color: #00569f; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; float: left; outline-style: none; padding: 0px 2px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: middle;" title="Tweet" tw:related="HDNER" tw:via="HDNER"><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" role="presentation" scrollbars="no" scrolling="no" src="http://ct1.addthis.com/static/r07/tweet025.html#href=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hurriyetdailynews.com%2Fexhibition-removes-veil-of-history-obscuring-anatolian-minorities-.aspx%3FpageID%3D238%26nID%3D13754%26NewsCatID%3D385%23.UNwGuqrlzC4.twitter&dr=&conf=product%3Dtbx-250%26title%3DExhibition%2520removes%2520veil%2520of%2520history%2520obscuring%2520Anatolian%2520minorities%26username%3Dra-4ee88f0a6962cc76%26pubid%3Dra-4ee88f0a6962cc76&share=title%3DExhibition%2520removes%2520veil%2520of%2520history%2520obscuring%2520Anatolian%2520minorities%23%40!templates%3Dtwitter%253D%25257B%25257Btitle%25257D%25257D%252520-%252520%25257B%25257Burl%25257D%25257D%252520(via%252520%252540HDNER)%23%40!url_transforms%3Dshorten%253Dtwitter%25253Dbitly%2523%2540!defrag%253D1%2523%2540!remove%253D0%25253Dsms_ss%252523%252540!1%25253Dat_xt%252523%252540!2%25253Dat_pco%252523%252540!3%25253Dfb_ref%252523%252540!4%25253Dfb_source%23%40!imp_url%3D1%23%40!url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.hurriyetdailynews.com%252Fexhibition-removes-veil-of-history-obscuring-anatolian-minorities-.aspx%253FpageID%253D238%2526nID%253D13754%2526NewsCatID%253D385%23%40!passthrough%3Dpinterest_share%253Dmedia%25253Dhttp%2525253A%2525252F%2525252Fwww.hurriyetdailynews.com%2525252Fimages%2525252Fnews%2525252F201202%2525252Fn_13754_4.jpg%252523%252540!url%25253Dhttp%2525253A%2525252F%2525252Fwww.hurriyetdailynews.com%2525252Fexhibition-removes-veil-of-history-obscuring-anatolian-minorities-.aspx%2525253FpageID%2525253D238%25252526nID%2525253D13754%25252526NewsCatID%2525253D385%252523%252540!description%25253DEXHIBITIONS%25252520-%25252520Exhibition%25252520removes%25252520veil%25252520of%25252520history%25252520obscuring%25252520Anatolian%25252520minorities%23%40!smd%3Drsi%253D%2523%2540!rxi%253Dundefined%2523%2540!gen%253D0%2523%2540!rsc%253D%2523%2540!dr%253D%2523%2540!sta%253DAT-ra-4ee88f0a6962cc76%25252F-%25252F-%25252F50dc06bae71a8e53%25252F1&tw=via%3DHDNER%23%40!related%3DHDNER%23%40!url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.hurriyetdailynews.com%252Fexhibition-removes-veil-of-history-obscuring-anatolian-minorities-.aspx%253FpageID%253D238%2526nID%253D13754%2526NewsCatID%253D385%2523.UNwGuqrlzC4.twitter%23%40!counturl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.hurriyetdailynews.com%252Fexhibition-removes-veil-of-history-obscuring-anatolian-minorities-.aspx%253FpageID%2525253D238%2526nID%2525253D13754%2526NewsCatID%2525253D385%23%40!count%3Dhorizontal%23%40!text%3DExhibition%2520removes%2520veil%2520of%2520history%2520obscuring%2520Anatolian%2520minorities%23%40!hashtags%3D%23%40!width%3D110" style="height: 20px; width: 110px;"></iframe></a><a class="addthis_button_google_plusone at300b" href="http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/exhibition-removes-veil-of-history-obscuring-anatolian-minorities-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=13754&NewsCatID=385#" style="color: #00569f; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; float: left; outline-style: none; padding: 0px 2px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: middle;" title="Google_plusone"><div id="___plusone_0" style="background-color: transparent; border-style: none; color: #333333; display: inline-block; float: none; font-size: 1px; height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 70px;">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" hspace="0" id="I0_1356596923044" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="I0_1356596923044" scrolling="no" src="https://plusone.google.com/_/+1/fastbutton?bsv&size=small&hl=en-US&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hurriyetdailynews.com&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hurriyetdailynews.com%2Fexhibition-removes-veil-of-history-obscuring-anatolian-minorities-.aspx%3FpageID%3D238%26nID%3D13754%26NewsCatID%3D385&ic=1&jsh=m%3B%2F_%2Fscs%2Fapps-static%2F_%2Fjs%2Fk%3Doz.gapi.en.CB9g9dHWdrI.O%2Fm%3D__features__%2Fam%3DiQ%2Frt%3Dj%2Fd%3D1%2Frs%3DAItRSTOriioEt7Vxl9q0LNn6yjVHBqDmqw#_methods=onPlusOne%2C_ready%2C_close%2C_open%2C_resizeMe%2C_renderstart%2Concircled&id=I0_1356596923044&parent=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hurriyetdailynews.com" style="border-style: none; height: 15px; left: 0px; margin: 0px; position: static; top: 0px; visibility: visible; width: 70px;" tabindex="0" title="+1" vspace="0" width="100%"></iframe></div>
</a><a class="addthis_button_linkedin at300b" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&winname=addthis&pub=ra-4ee88f0a6962cc76&source=tbx-250&lng=en-US&s=linkedin&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hurriyetdailynews.com%2Fexhibition-removes-veil-of-history-obscuring-anatolian-minorities-.aspx%3FpageID%3D238%26nID%3D13754%26NewsCatID%3D385&title=Exhibition%20removes%20veil%20of%20history%20obscuring%20Anatolian%20minorities&ate=AT-ra-4ee88f0a6962cc76/-/-/50dc06bae71a8e53/2&frommenu=1&uid=50dc06ba8e2030fb&ct=1&tt=0&captcha_provider=nucaptcha" style="color: #00569f; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block; float: left; outline-style: none; padding: 0px 2px; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: middle;" target="_blank" title="Linkedin"><span class="at16nc at300bs at15nc at15t_linkedin at16t_linkedin" style="background-image: url(http://ct1.addthis.com/static/r07/widget010_top.gif); background-position: 0px -464px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; cursor: pointer; display: block; float: left; height: 16px; line-height: 16px; overflow: hidden; width: 16px;"><span class="at_a11y" style="height: 1px !important; left: -10000px !important; overflow: hidden !important; position: absolute !important; top: auto !important; width: 1px !important;">Share on linkedin</span></span></a><div class="atclear" style="clear: both;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="img PanelImg" id="ctl00_ctl01_ctl00_pnlImg" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; float: left; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 12px 10px 0px; max-width: 362px;">
<div class="AltText" style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">
<img alt="The exhibition in Istanbul’s Tophane provides a rare glimpse into the history of Armenians living in Diyarbakır. " class="Golge" id="ctl00_ctl01_ctl00_imgMiddle" src="http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/images/news/201202/n_13754_4.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px none; height: auto; margin-left: -3px; max-width: 362px; padding: 3px;" title="The exhibition in Istanbul’s Tophane provides a rare glimpse into the history of Armenians living in Diyarbakır. " /><div class="Doit" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px; margin: -33px 0px 0px 10px; position: absolute; z-index: 30;">
</div>
<div style="margin-top: 12px;">
The exhibition in Istanbul’s Tophane provides a rare glimpse into the history of Armenians living in Diyarbakır.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="AuthorCat" id="ctl00_ctl01_ctl00_pnlMuhabir" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(225, 225, 225); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #333333; float: right; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 8px; padding: 0px 0px 8px; width: 252px;">
<ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></ul>
<img alt="Vercihan Ziflioğlu" class="Golge sagaYasla" id="ctl00_ctl01_ctl00_imgMImg" src="http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/images/news/VERCIHAN-ZIFLIOGLU-(3)web.jpg" style="border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border: 0px none; float: right; height: auto; margin: 0px 0px 0px 5px; padding: 3px; width: 42px;" /><span class="Name" id="ctl00_ctl01_ctl00_lblMName" style="display: block; float: left; font-size: 11px;">Vercihan Ziflioğlu</span><span class="Detail" id="ctl00_ctl01_ctl00_lblMDescription" style="clear: left; display: block; float: left; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 3px;">vercihan.ziflioglu@hurriyet.com.tr</span><div class="clr" style="clear: both; height: 0px; padding: 0px;">
</div>
</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;">The Birzamanlar (Once Upon a Time) Publishing House has launched a photography exhibition in Istanbul’s Tophane neighborhood, providing a rare glimpse into the history of non-Muslim minorities living in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;">“Official history teaches us that all these cities were created by the Turks, and that all the fair deeds of the past were done by them. Those who are not Turks or Muslims are depicted as unfavorable figures,” Osman Köker, the owner of the Birzamanlar Publishing House, recently told the Hürriyet Daily News. “The cultures, faiths, traditions and genetics of the peoples of old are also part of the reality we call the Turkish nation.” </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;">Cultural Diversity in old <a href="http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/tag/Diyarbak%C4%B1r" style="color: #00569f; outline-style: none; text-decoration: initial;">Diyarbakır</a> </b><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;">Around 200 photographs compiled from 40 different sources are on display at the “Cultural Diversity in Old Diyarbakır” exhibition, which is being jointly organized by the Birzamanlar Publishing House and the Anatolian Culture and Global Dialogue, an </span><a href="http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/tag/Istanbul" style="background-color: white; color: #00569f; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px; outline-style: none; text-decoration: initial;">Istanbul</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;">based nongovernmental organization. The exhibition at Tophane’s Tütün Deposu began Feb. 10 and will continue until March 10. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><div class="PhotoThumb solaYasla" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; float: left; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 162.75px;">
<a href="http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/Default.aspx?pageID=429&GalleryID=396" style="color: #00569f; outline-style: none; text-decoration: initial;" target=""><img src="http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/images/Gallery/g_9434.jpg" style="border: none; float: left; height: 100px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" /><h1 style="border: none; color: #353534; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 2px; padding: 0px;">
<span class="ShowIt" style="background-image: url(http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/images/design/icon-photo.png); background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; display: inline-block; height: 18px; margin-right: 5px; vertical-align: middle; width: 24px;"></span>Exhibition removes veil of history obscuring Anatolian minorities</h1>
<div style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px;">
</div>
</a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;">“Eastern Anatolia was much richer at the turn of the 20th century than it has been in the Republican period, both culturally and materially,” Köker said, adding that the memories of old were still very much alive in Anatolia. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;">The exhibition, which relates the lives and commercial contributions of Diyarbakır’s long forgotten peoples, such as the Armenians, Syriacs, Chaldeans, Anatolian Greeks and the Yezidis, also features explanatory notes in Turkish, English and Kurdish. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;">“Armenian newspapers were published and theaters [staged plays] not merely in Diyarbakır, but also in many other [nearby] places like Elazığ, Erzurum, Van and Erzincan. There were many factories [making various kinds of produce] ranging from the silk industry to metal wares. These [factories] did not [produce] solely for the domestic market but also for exports,” Köker said. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;">Turkish people are now striving to learn about the truth instead of the bragging of official history, he said. “All of us have grown weary of such vein boasting.” </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;">Old shopkeepers and artisans in the region readily confide they had learned their skills from Armenians and Syriacs, he said. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;">Köker said they had already taken the exhibition to many different corners of the world, including Armenia and that Anatolian peoples had always shown great interest in the exhibition at every stop. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;">“Diaspora Armenians know precious little of the things they see in the exhibitions. They see the concrete [images] of things that seem to them like the stuff of legends. Moreover, they are nonplussed that this project has been undertaken by a person of Turkish-Muslim identity from Turkey,” he said. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;">Köker also said they had conducted research in the Orlando Carlo Calumeo Collection, the </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;">Boston-based Project SAVE Armenian Photograph Archive, as well as the Annuaire Oriental, an annual commercial almanac that has been published since the mid-19th century, while they were preparing for the exhibition. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;">“When [we] examine the 1914 edition of the commercial almanac’s section on Diyarbakır, [we see that] many trades people were Armenian, including [the owners of] all of the 12 firms dealing in jewelry, 10 of 11 stone masons, nine copper merchants and 10 firms that produced silk fabric. The city’s sole hotel was also operated by an Armenian,” he added. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;">The Birzamanlar Publishing House has also attracted a lot of attention both in </span><a href="http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/tag/Turkey" style="background-color: white; color: #00569f; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px; outline-style: none; text-decoration: initial;">Turkey</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;">and abroad with other exhibitions, such as the “Armenians in </span><a href="http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/tag/Turkey" style="background-color: white; color: #00569f; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px; outline-style: none; text-decoration: initial;">Turkey</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Tahoma, Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, Arial; font-size: 14px;"> 100 years ago,” and the “Freedom’s Heirloom – Postcards of the Constitutional [Period].”</span><div class="Tarih" style="background-color: white; clear: both !important; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 12px;">
<span class="Tarih" id="ctl00_ctl01_ctl00_lblNewsDate2" style="clear: both !important; margin-top: 12px;">February/15/2012</span></div>
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-67749079882837104222012-12-27T00:19:00.000-08:002012-12-28T13:00:16.800-08:00Chicago, Most Corrupt City In The Nation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhIrppdiG8P3c18PS1kjckzH19C0_7mAE5Mu3Gp0CdJoqQs3O1fWhSwTHLHieMsv6XoPbNz4LqoiWuBOG-76E6GFCEaBYd7GlE9eRC6LUO8jSAYoWFwFx8Xez_we-b0ZTsrKlm2euoM40/s1600/chicago.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhIrppdiG8P3c18PS1kjckzH19C0_7mAE5Mu3Gp0CdJoqQs3O1fWhSwTHLHieMsv6XoPbNz4LqoiWuBOG-76E6GFCEaBYd7GlE9eRC6LUO8jSAYoWFwFx8Xez_we-b0ZTsrKlm2euoM40/s320/chicago.jpg" width="275" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
According to a recent <a href="http://www.uic.edu/depts/pols/ChicagoPolitics/leadingthepack.pdf">study</a> published by the University of Illinois, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/15/chicago-most-corrupt-city_n_1278988.html">Chicago is the most corrupt city</a> in the nation. Between 1976 and 2010, there were 1,531 convictions for public corruption in the federal district dominated by Chicago. Illinois is considered the 3rd most corrupt state, which is a bit surprising considering that 4 of the last 7 governors have been jailed for corruption.<br />
<br />
Addressing this will be very difficult, primarily for cultural reasons. In country-by-country <a href="http://www.transparency.org/cpi2011/results">surveys</a>, we find that culture, rather than the system of governance, is a greater determinant of the level of political venality. For example, in the Arab-Islamic world, over the last 50 years there has existed a remarkable degree of political diversity. From conservative royal, to secular nationalist, Marxist and Islamic regimes, corruption has been endemic. And this is not a question of laws, because in most states, strong anti-corruption policies exist on the books, but in practice they have virtually no impact. Conversely, the index of corruption has been extremely low in Scandinavian Countries, because of its strong civic, ethical culture. While I am not placing Chicago on the same dismal footing as Cairo or Gaza, the <a href="http://www.chicagonow.com/make-no-little-plans/2012/07/corporatism-vs-capitalism-what-the-difference-means-for-chicago/">corporatist ethos</a> of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_machine_(political_machine)">Chicago Machine</a> that makes public graft possible, is deeply entrenched in the city's culture.<br />
<br />
As a conservative, I am always tempted to say that Chicago's corruption is a product of its expansive government, but as previously mentioned, the least corrupt nations are found in Scandinavia, which are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statism">heavily statist</a> in nature. But, we can say that cities that do not enjoy a strong track record for clean government, should seek to minimize the size and scope of the state, so that they can limit the potential for graft and economic mismanagement. And while there are many examples of multiparty systems wracked with corruption, the chance of fostering good government in a single party state is always less. In other words, greater competition both between and within political parties would be in the interest of the city. But, with the recent <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/06/derrick-smith-election-results_n_2079236.html">victory of State Representative Derrick Smith (D-Chicago)</a>, an individual who was <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-08-17/community/chi-illinois-house-expels-rep-derrick-smith-over-bribery-charge-20120817_1_bribery-charge-smith-federal-agents">expelled</a> from the Illinois House of Representatives on charges of having accepted bribes, over an independent candidate with a clean record, the public's appetite for change seems minimal.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-37845430687062379042012-12-23T23:55:00.001-08:002012-12-24T08:26:21.401-08:00The Folly Of Fuel (And Other) Subsidies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8D1hrGGzRberD8oZfOWJYST3fAv585LRH1A1R8Lvf3nvcpsoLGwKH4ZTdf88B6hC83S122BRf79Ps2_QNlFxXG1gwgtlmf5vB3VhHFMcQ6yrQ38mPEM-PBSge8x1uxS4Yyu1wwq15pijQ/s1600/120103051824-nigeria-fuel-protest-yellow-sign-horizontal-gallery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8D1hrGGzRberD8oZfOWJYST3fAv585LRH1A1R8Lvf3nvcpsoLGwKH4ZTdf88B6hC83S122BRf79Ps2_QNlFxXG1gwgtlmf5vB3VhHFMcQ6yrQ38mPEM-PBSge8x1uxS4Yyu1wwq15pijQ/s320/120103051824-nigeria-fuel-protest-yellow-sign-horizontal-gallery.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Huge <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/16/nigeria-restores-fuel-subsidy-protests">protests</a> erupted in Nigeria when President <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodluck_Jonathan">President Goodluck Jonathan</a> removed fuel subsidies. The idea of subsidies are intuitively appealing to most people, after all, who does not want to increase the consumption of vital goods and services to the poor and other segments of society? But, a brief economic analysis shows that the hazards of subsidies, especially for fuel, greatly outweigh their benefits.<br />
<br />
Let's start off with <b>opportunity costs</b>: In the case of Nigeria, fuel subsidies <a href="http://blogs.cgdev.org/globaldevelopment/2012/01/nigerians-demand-cheap-gas-but-fuel-subsidies-are-not-pro-poor.php">cost $8 billion a year</a> and consume 25% of the federal budget. No credible arguments can be made that investing these funds in public health, education and infrastructure would better serve the poor.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2006/wp06247.pdf">Studies</a> show that fuel subsidies are <b>highly regressive</b> in nature, that is, their benefits are disproportionately enjoyed by the wealthy. The per capita use of fuel is higher among wealthy individuals who are more apt to drive their own vehicles, rather than utilize public transportation.<br />
<br />
To make matters worse, subsidy regimens <b>fuel corruption</b> (all puns intended). For example, the Nigerian government was officially <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18238973">subsidizing</a> the purchase of 59 million liters of petrol a day, when the nation only consumes 35 million liters a day. Hence, at least <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/19/nigeria-fuel-scam-idUSL6E8CJ3TH20120119">$4 billion</a> amounted to politically connected individuals massively defrauding the public. Another unintended, but highly predictable consequence of this policy is <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/02/smuggle-fuel-west-africa">smuggling</a>: criminal syndicates have made a fortune purchasing fuel at below market value and selling it in neighboring countries at the market rate.<br />
<br />
Subsidies almost always lead to <b>economic inefficiency</b>, specifically artificially cheap fuel destroys incentives to pursue greater fuel efficiency and environmentally friendly transportation. In the case of Nigeria, this has led to the unintended consequence of <a href="http://www.ecojournalism.org/en/march2012/articles/120/Smoke-from-vehicles-destroys-air-quality-in-Lagos-Nigeria-Vehicle-Pollution.htm">increased air pollution</a>.<br />
<br />
One of the most damaging elements of subsidies is their <b>addictive quality</b>; once they are instituted it is politically impossible to wean the public from them. The short term pain that their elimination would cause blinds much of the indirect damage that they cause to economic and environmental health.<br />
<br />
Granted, not all subsidies are this poorly administered, but this example does highlight fundamental hazards of undue government interference in markets. And we see that from Africa to America, the shortsightedness of politicians is endemic, because the longer the state distorts a market, the more painful its inevitable correction will be.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-9836510636803678822012-12-12T01:49:00.003-08:002012-12-12T21:06:41.890-08:00What's Wrong With (Most Of) The Public? Whenever a sex scandal or the <a href="http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/09/07/christine-odonnell-claims-on-bill-maher-that-she-didnt-approve-the-witch-ad/">personal foibles</a> of a politician come to light, they will saturate the airwaves and dominate the conversation of countless Americans for weeks on end. Yet, when truly significant news emerges, we barely hear a peep. For example, count how many of your acquaintances mentioned the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Weiner_sexting_scandal">Anthony Weiner sex scandal</a> or Christine O'Donnell's brief <a href="http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/09/07/christine-odonnell-claims-on-bill-maher-that-she-didnt-approve-the-witch-ad/">comment</a> on witchcraft and then recollect how many times you heard it mentioned that Illinois is facing the <a href="http://www.wbez.org/auditor-general-report-says-illinois-has-worst-budget-deficit-nation-100322">worst deficit in the nation</a>. One reason why our fiscal state has deteriorated is because so many Americans are addicted to sensationalism and even among the educated class, most discourse centers on generic soundbites. Those with a modicum of civic responsibility should acquaint themselves with the hard numbers that have a huge impact on our economic and social welfare, or refrain from voting.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wbez.org/auditor-general-report-says-illinois-has-worst-budget-deficit-nation-100322" style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Auditor General report says Illinois has worst budget deficit in the nation</b></a><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 13px;">June 21, 2012</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<header class="clearfix" id="content-header" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 0px 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><hgroup style="border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div id="byline" style="border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<h2 style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: 11px; font: inherit; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</h2>
<h2 style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: 11px; font: inherit; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
</h2>
<h2 style="border: 0px; color: black; font-size: 11px; font: inherit; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Quinn Ford</h2>
</div>
</hgroup></header><br />
<div class="content" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" style="border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="field-items" style="border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded" style="border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Illinois Auditor General William Holland released a report Thursday which announced the state's overall budget deficit has more than doubled in the past five years.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The audit report analyzed the Illinois State Comptroller's comprehensive annual financial report which lists all state government assets and liabilities for fiscal year 2011.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
The report said Illinois is now $43.8 billion in the red, making it the worst state budget deficit in the nation.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
Brad Hahn, a spokesperson for Illinois State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka, said legislators took positive steps during the spring session to address the deficit, but he said the state faces a "colossal mess" and has a long way to go.</div>
<div style="border: 0px; font-size: 14px; font: inherit; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
"Comptroller Topinka is once again warning that's it's another cautionary note, that the state needs to reign in spending and address growing costs like Medicaid and pensions that are devouring the state budget," Hahn said.</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-56918285746225712242012-12-10T01:22:00.000-08:002012-12-10T01:48:57.246-08:00Demographics Is Destiny: In Israel & Beyond Disturbing <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/12/28/144364324/israelis-clash-over-strict-religious-codes">story</a> of ultra-orthodox zealots harassing an 8 year old orthodox girl, in the town of Beit Shemesh, for "not dressing modestly enough." While there are many religiously observant Jews that "live and let live", there is a growing number of religious fascists who seek to impose their ways on secular and even on modern-orthodox Israelis. Not only is this a social issue, but it also has real economic repercussions, because of the inadequate <a href="http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2011/12/haredi-schools-threaten-israels-high-tech-future-567.html">secular education</a> and participation in the labor market of many Haredim. What is most disturbing is that Israel's dynamic, democratic, pluralist, prosperous, capitalist qualities will erode as its Haredi population continues to grow, for <b>demographics is destiny</b>. Even if good governance were to remain, no policy, no program can make a nation better, more productive and progressive than its people are. The great irony is that the modern, secular majority is funding its own displacement via a welfare system that allows for the Haredi to have large families that few could possibly maintain on their own.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="storytitle" style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;">
<h1 style="font-family: georgia, sans-serif; font-size: 1.4em; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 0.1em; padding: 0px;">
Israelis Clash Over Strict Religious Codes</h1>
<div class=" linkLocation" id="storybyline">
<div class="bucketwrap byline" id="res144364349">
<div class="byline" style="color: black; font-size: 0.7em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 0.6em; padding: 0px;">
by <a href="http://www.npr.org/people/4462099/lourdes-garcia-navarro" rel="author" style="color: black; text-decoration: initial;"><span style="text-transform: uppercase;">LOURDES GARCIA-NAVARRO</span></a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="storylocation linkLocation" id="storyspan02" style="color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
<div class="bucketwrap primary resaudio " id="res144362990" style="border: 1px solid rgb(215, 215, 215); height: 56px; margin-bottom: 24px; overflow: hidden; padding: 10px;">
<div class="listenicon" style="float: left; margin-top: 5px; width: 50px;">
<a class="listen" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5704572633566908500" style="background-image: url(http://media.npr.org/chrome/news/icon_av_main.gif); background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: black; display: block; height: 42px; text-decoration: initial; width: 42px;"></a></div>
<div class="avcontent listen" id="avcontent144362990" style="background-color: #e5e5e5; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; float: left; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px 5px 0px 0px; padding: 10px 15px; width: 415px;">
<h3 style="font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5704572633566908500" style="color: black; text-decoration: initial;">Listen to the Story</a></h3>
<div class="byline" style="color: #666666; float: left; line-height: 1.45em; padding: 0px; width: 300px;">
<a class="program" href="http://www.npr.org/programs/morning-edition/" style="color: #666666; font-style: italic; text-decoration: initial;">Morning Edition</a></div>
<div class="duration" style="color: #666666; float: right;">
<span class="current" id="durationCurrent144362990"></span><span class="total">[3 min 59 sec]</span></div>
</div>
<ul class="audiotools" style="float: left; margin: 0px; padding: 3px 0px 0px;">
<li style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 2px; padding: 0px;"><a class="add" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5704572633566908500" style="background-image: url(http://media.npr.org/chrome/news/icon_avbox_mini.gif); background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #999999; padding: 1px 0px 1px 22px; text-decoration: initial;">Add to Playlist</a></li>
<li style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 2px; padding: 0px;"><a class="download" href="http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/me/2011/12/20111228_me_14.mp3?dl=1" style="background-image: url(http://media.npr.org/chrome/news/icon_avbox_mini.gif); background-position: 0px -30px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #999999; padding: 1px 0px 1px 22px; text-decoration: initial;">Download</a></li>
<li style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 15px; list-style-type: none; margin: 0px 0px 2px; padding: 0px;"><a class="trans" href="http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=144364324" style="background-image: url(http://media.npr.org/chrome/news/icon_avbox_mini.gif); background-position: 0px -60px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #999999; padding: 1px 0px 1px 22px; text-decoration: initial;">Transcript</a></li>
</ul>
<div class="spacer" style="clear: both; font-size: 1px; line-height: 1px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="storylocation linkLocation" id="storytext" style="clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; height: 1815px; margin-bottom: 18px; overflow: hidden;">
<div class="bucketwrap photo624" id="res144383064" style="border: none; clear: both; color: #666666; float: none; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px 0px 20px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; width: 624px;">
<img alt="An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man (left) and a secular man argue during a protest against the strict religious codes favored by the ultra-Orthodox in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh." class="img624 enlarge" src="http://media.npr.org/assets/img/2011/12/28/israel_protest_women1_wide-e3f6b662a8593529915f8d2b84151f5bca9030e3-s4.jpg" style="border: none; cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 5px; width: 624px;" title="An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man (left) and a secular man argue during a protest against the strict religious codes favored by the ultra-Orthodox in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh." width="624" /><br />
<div class="captionwrap enlarge">
<a alt="Enlarge" class="enlargeicon" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5704572633566908500" style="background-image: url(http://media.npr.org/chrome/news/icon_enlarge.gif); background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; clear: left; color: black; display: block; float: left; font-size: 10px; height: 18px; padding-left: 20px; text-decoration: initial;" title="Enlarge Image">Enlarge</a><span class="creditwrap" style="display: block; float: right; font-size: 10px; margin: 0px; text-align: right;"><span class="credit">Stringer</span>/<span class="rightsnotice">Reuters/Landov</span></span><br />
<div style="clear: both; line-height: 1.45em; padding: 0px;">
An ultra-Orthodox Jewish man (left) and a secular man argue during a protest against the strict religious codes favored by the ultra-Orthodox in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh.</div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="featuredCommentsMain144364324">
</div>
<div class="dateblock" style="margin-bottom: 10px; overflow: hidden;">
<div class="textsize" style="color: #999999; float: right; font-size: 11px; padding-left: 20px;">
text size <a class="normal" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5704572633566908500" style="color: #999999; font-weight: bold; outline: none; padding: 0px 2px; text-decoration: initial;">A</a> <a class="big" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5704572633566908500" style="color: #999999; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; outline: none; padding: 0px 2px; text-decoration: initial;">A</a> <a class="bigger" href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5704572633566908500" style="color: #999999; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; outline: none; padding: 0px 2px; text-decoration: initial;">A</a></div>
<span class="date" style="color: #999999; font-size: 0.85em; font-style: italic;">December 28, 2011</span></div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
According to Israel's President Shimon Peres, a fight is under way, for "the soul of the nation and the essence of the state." But the threat isn't coming from outside Israel. It's over differing interpretations of Judaism.</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
Recently, a bespectacled 8-year-old girl was filmed by a local TV station being harassed by ultra-Orthodox Jews for — in their view — not dressing modestly enough. The episode took place in Beit Shemesh, a city between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem that has become a symbol of this growing battle in Israel.</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
In a protest that swelled into the thousands on Tuesday evening, demonstrators in Beit Shemesh rallied against what they say is the imposition of strict codes of religious behavior in communities across this country.</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
"It's enough, it's enough," says Dov Liptman. "It's reached a point where we have to stop it, and we are going to stop it."</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
Liptman belongs to the modern Orthodox sect of Judaism. While religiously observant, the modern Orthodox are not as strict as the ultra-Orthodox, or Haredim, who practice gender segregation. Also, many Haredi men devote their days to religious study and are not part of the workforce.</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
There are many different strands of Judaism, and the Haredim are one of the fastest-growing populations in Israel. In Beit Shemesh, they make up about half of the residents.</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
Liptman says that as their numbers have grown they have been trying to force their values on the larger community.</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
"It's not an ultra-Orthodox city," he says. "It's a city for Jews, including ultra-Orthodox. We welcome them, but it's for all the populations."</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
<strong>Girls Complain Of Harassment</strong></div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
Most of the girls who study at an all-girls school on the edge of an ultra-Orthodox neighborhood say harassment is a regular occurrence.</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
"My sister and I walked down this street to school," says 15-year-old Yael. "I was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and a three-quarters-length skirt, and they spat at us. They didn't like the way we were dressed. It happens all the time."</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
The Haredim also enforce gender segregation on public transport — women are required to sit in the back of the bus.</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
In Beit Shemesh, the ultra-Orthodox population has even sent out "modesty patrols" to enforce chaste female dress.</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
Yossi Shain, who heads the department of diplomacy at Tel Aviv University, says religious battles like this one will get worse as the Haredi population gets larger and its political clout grows.</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
"This is going to be exacerbated in the next few years because the demography is changing," Shain says. "The ultra-Orthodox have become, very much, I would say, intransigent, in some respects. It seems to be very powerful. It plays a very important role in the government, and its leadership has become, much more, I would say, extreme in its views."</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
The ultra-Orthodox have two political parties that play a pivotal role in Israel's coalition politics. Critics say successive governments have given in to their demands and turned a blind eye to their excesses in the name of political expediency.</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
Israel has always sought to balance its democratic and Jewish identities, and secular Jews say recent developments have upset the balance.</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
"It is a battle for the soul of Israel," says Rabbi Shmuel Jakobowitz, an ultra-Orthodox leader.</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
He says people misunderstand the Haredim. They don't favor a kind of Jewish version of the Iranian theocracy that was ushered in with the Iranian Revolution three decades ago.</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
"People are understandably afraid of Khomeinism," Jakobowitz says, in a reference to Iran's revolutionary leader, Ayatollah Khomeini. "We as Haredi Jews are definitely not Khomeinist in our attitudes to the contemporary world."</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
He says that Haredi Jews should be allowed to live the way they wish.</div>
<div style="font-size: 0.85em; line-height: 1.45em; margin-bottom: 1.25em; padding: 0px;">
"We find a lot of things abhorrent in the liberal way of living which is very permissive, which is very promiscuous, if I may use the word, which is very immodest to our mind. The dignity of women is protected much more with our method, with our system, than it is protected with the other system."</div>
</div>
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-28170780823237713832012-12-10T00:42:00.002-08:002012-12-10T00:42:14.896-08:00Wise Words From Dr. Thomas Sowell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii68f04PNFx4n-X05KCKTwLG0yKwZWjUtUcYG7h4I9OViqGd6T7i546AnCCsswKwL3HiuPl0HpvvIhXekkirDVP1aCfM2Lz9-UVt3RAkvFgBgwvnFo7JUQg-Q_y423Lriykks_Q_zNiPn4/s1600/economics-scarcity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii68f04PNFx4n-X05KCKTwLG0yKwZWjUtUcYG7h4I9OViqGd6T7i546AnCCsswKwL3HiuPl0HpvvIhXekkirDVP1aCfM2Lz9-UVt3RAkvFgBgwvnFo7JUQg-Q_y423Lriykks_Q_zNiPn4/s320/economics-scarcity.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-41485810042988926572012-12-10T00:39:00.001-08:002012-12-10T00:39:30.019-08:00Wise Words From Hayek<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYAhIrWa3fGEUMIR1nlO2cXlX07HU53fNM4V-cYNs1zGOYegYXXScVnjvTSb5pxnNQCPzAcGUSnS2R5t4dcY9ayjWo04At00hQYgtcH15-Y0moSGagxNuP_uQNroYHAPUjyE0PHRwFR4k/s1600/F.A.-Hayek-39293-1-402-copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYAhIrWa3fGEUMIR1nlO2cXlX07HU53fNM4V-cYNs1zGOYegYXXScVnjvTSb5pxnNQCPzAcGUSnS2R5t4dcY9ayjWo04At00hQYgtcH15-Y0moSGagxNuP_uQNroYHAPUjyE0PHRwFR4k/s320/F.A.-Hayek-39293-1-402-copy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-65033793979274427312012-12-10T00:38:00.001-08:002012-12-10T00:38:20.573-08:00Wise Words From Frederic Bastiat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxnMm9Vxs1nTSFyhLFKFyIS2AzVD4YVq9yd_4dPHz4luNA_XxnJroQ-iRW7Q7gaFuKTqDc34FFXas79TrRNcK20Z7zq1wVTXJ_FrmEREe1j0EfmqMs-2nrSDM0fEpqKJiaD0bmpvIPWbL/s1600/Government_Is_Fiction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzxnMm9Vxs1nTSFyhLFKFyIS2AzVD4YVq9yd_4dPHz4luNA_XxnJroQ-iRW7Q7gaFuKTqDc34FFXas79TrRNcK20Z7zq1wVTXJ_FrmEREe1j0EfmqMs-2nrSDM0fEpqKJiaD0bmpvIPWbL/s320/Government_Is_Fiction.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-62512701184648885342012-12-09T23:42:00.001-08:002012-12-10T08:51:53.659-08:00How To Fix Government Pensions (And Prevent a Financial Meltdown)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0r0RAcpMLXaKtF3u_x5TvOzY1l83D0ZfBwM3e7tYSOU1Cj57PE0BrwaVZUc7nIlrIah2esHM06NCX7LYqQe7JJc288LpqlRJZVv0O0HFlW-tnTqaElRyU_bmfIIBqTpWjgwxKwf_p4ZKb/s1600/dollar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0r0RAcpMLXaKtF3u_x5TvOzY1l83D0ZfBwM3e7tYSOU1Cj57PE0BrwaVZUc7nIlrIah2esHM06NCX7LYqQe7JJc288LpqlRJZVv0O0HFlW-tnTqaElRyU_bmfIIBqTpWjgwxKwf_p4ZKb/s320/dollar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Unfunded pension liabilities in Illinois have reached <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-04-08/news/ct-edit-health-20120408_1_retiree-health-pension-reforms-pension-underfunding">$83 billion</a>, with an appalling <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-11-26/news/sns-rt-us-usa-publicpensions-morningstarbre8ap0sv-20121126_1_pension-funds-public-pension-pension-system">funding ratio</a> of 43.4%. Unless this is seriously addressed, our state's credit rating will be downgraded and taxes on businesses and families will soar to fund this growing gap. Over the long run, federal entitlements face even larger per capita <a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/washington/2011-06-06-us-debt-chart-medicare-social-security_n.htm">unfunded liabilities</a>. The questions are: how did it get this bad and what can be done? To understand this issue, we need to briefly explore the two most common forms of pensions. A <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defined_Contribution_Pension_Plan">Defined Contribution Plan</a> is one in which:<br />
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">"...</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">in which the amount of the employer's annual contribution is specified.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> Individual accounts are set up for participants and benefits are based on the amounts credited to these accounts (through employer contributions and, if applicable, employee contributions) plus any investment earnings on the money in the account. Only employer contributions to the account are guaranteed, not the future benefits. In defined contribution plans, future benefits fluctuate on the basis of investment earnings."</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
In Defined Contribution Plans, such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/401(k)">401(k) accounts</a>, a participant's future earnings are not guaranteed, rather they reflect the contributions (both by the employee and employer) + the appreciation of the investment. If funds decline because of poor management or market downturn, tax payers will not be held liable. If the participant in these plans do not properly plan for their retirement, they do run a greater risk of facing financial difficulties. Understandably, the vast majority of private sector retirement funds operate under this system.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In a <a href="http://defined%20benefits%20plans/">Defined Benefits Plan</a>: "<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">an employer promises a specified monthly benefit on retirement that is predetermined by a </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: initial;" title="Formula">formula</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> based on the employee's </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earnings" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: initial;" title="Earnings">earnings</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> history, tenure of service and </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ageing" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: initial;" title="Ageing">age</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;">, rather than depending on </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Investment" style="background-color: white; background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px; text-decoration: initial;" title="Investment">investment</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"> returns." </span>The problem with this type of plan, is that the employer will be liable for any shortfall between the participant's contributions and their defined benefits. Since the vast majority of defined benefit plans are enjoyed by public sector employees, this means that you and I, the tax payer, will bear the burden of the unfunded liability. This is made worse by the fact that politicians, public unions and public workers often collude to raise defined payments to unsustainable levels, because they know that a third party (tax payers) can be forced to foot the bill. Up until now this has been true, but there is a limit; once unfunded liabilities reach a tipping point, tax payers will call upon public workers to fund their own retirements. And there's no rational reason why their pension plans should not transition to defined contribution plans. Not only is this an ethical imperative, but it is the only way to prevent the financial meltdown of Illinois. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.200000762939453px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-50733203242245004932012-12-09T22:44:00.000-08:002012-12-10T01:36:29.058-08:00The Illiberal Consequences of Liberal Immigration Policies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_JbYbsEEqfwmM3qrLNqLA9lrHyIkmi8Ro1EuFFEtn00PObQmULquf5gD23uqRPrxUJkdD-hGoc0Mjudf9jFyKCt82NirFwE1s6oL_8G31RpAfl6fvHMSBeygGVz6BUd1xvM_JxsnHM68/s1600/Henny-Kreeft-NMP_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_JbYbsEEqfwmM3qrLNqLA9lrHyIkmi8Ro1EuFFEtn00PObQmULquf5gD23uqRPrxUJkdD-hGoc0Mjudf9jFyKCt82NirFwE1s6oL_8G31RpAfl6fvHMSBeygGVz6BUd1xvM_JxsnHM68/s320/Henny-Kreeft-NMP_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The Netherlands is considered to be one of the most tolerant, open nations. The Netherlands were almost always ahead of the curve on issues of religious and cultural tolerance. In 1593 Crypto-Jews from Spain and Portugal were allowed to settle in Amsterdam. Not surprisingly, the Netherlands adopted a liberal immigration policy, which in the last decade resulted in a large increase in their Muslim Population. While a good number of Muslim Immigrants, particularly educated individuals from Iran, have assimilated into economic and social life, a good numbers, particular those from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maghreb">Maghreb</a>, have not. This is seen in the <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/abigailesman/2012/01/16/muslim-party-seeks-power-in-dutch-parliament/">formation of the Dutch Muslim Part</a><a href="http://www.nederlandsemoslimpartij.nl/">y</a>, which seeks to reverse the Netherlands' liberal policies towards <a href="http://www.blogger.com/">gay marriage</a>, cannabis and free speech. And to make matters worse, it has also contributed to a growth in <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/netherlands/7846704/Dutch-police-use-decoy-Jews-to-stop-anti-Semitic-attacks.html">anti-Semitic harassment</a> and <a href="http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/ezra_levant/2010/10/08/15630946.html">gay bashing</a>, whose perpetrators are overwhelmingly Muslim Immigrants. So paradoxically, their liberal immigration policies are having a most illiberal effect. Take heed, it is the nature of most human beings to recreate the social environments of their nations of origin.<br />
<br />Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-23793921948244272242012-12-09T20:53:00.004-08:002012-12-10T01:50:02.681-08:00Testimonial On Medical Marijuana Compelling <a href="http://thewaytonothing.blogspot.com/2011/10/adult-medicine.html">testimonial</a> on the value of medical marijuana from<br />
a good blogger and a great friend:<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, 'Palatino Linotype', Palatino, serif; font-size: 30px; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; position: relative;">
Adult Medicine</h3>
<div class="post-header" style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #997755; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">
<div class="post-header-line-1">
</div>
</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-8362588374491064967" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5; position: relative; width: 568px;">
A number of years back I was in an accident.<br />
The lowest <span style="line-height: 1.5;">disc in </span><span style="line-height: 1.5;">my spine </span><span style="line-height: 1.5;">shattered and the</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">shards floated into </span><span style="line-height: 1.5;">the spinal canal </span><span style="line-height: 1.5;">and began</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">to carve </span><span style="line-height: 1.5;">up the spinal root sac.</span><br />
<br />
I had a number of surgeries and treatments<br />
and years <span style="line-height: 1.5;">of rehab.</span><br />
<br />
I also had loads of pills. I had morphine, Vicodin,<br />
Felxerall, Valium, <span style="line-height: 1.5;">Oxycontin and Lyrica just to</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">name the main drugs I was taking.</span><br />
<br />
And they didn't work. Or rather, they did work for<br />
pain in the sense <span style="line-height: 1.5;">that </span><span style="line-height: 1.5;">if I took enough, eventually</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">I would pass out and not feel the pain. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5;">But there</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">was no in-between; either I took enough to get</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">unconscious </span><span style="line-height: 1.5;">or I was devastatingly</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">high but still in pain.</span><br />
<br />
I have been prescribed medical cannabis.<br />
<br />
And it works. I am functional, I can work,<br />
I can interact and it more <span style="line-height: 1.5;">effectively deals</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">with the pain and nerve involvement than any pill</span><br />
I've taken.<br />
<br />
These doctors have given me back a life.<br />
<br />
What I don't understand is who is against this<br />
treatment? Why is it <span style="line-height: 1.5;">even an issue? How can</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">anyone imagine that Medical Marijuana</span><br />
is worse than the pills they gave me?<br />
<br />
It's nice to be treated like an adult and get the<br />
most effective <span style="line-height: 1.5;">treatments with the fewest</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">side-effects. Why can't everyone have this?</span><br />
Why do you need to be in the right location,<br />
the right State or Country? <span style="line-height: 1.5;">Why do you need</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">to go through years of disgusting and</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">noneffective </span><span style="line-height: 1.5;">treatments before they finally</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">give you something cheap and </span><span style="line-height: 1.5;">simple that works?</span><br />
<br />
And every single person I see at the dispensary<br />
says the same exact thing. <span style="line-height: 1.5;">Every time a doctor,</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">nurse or staffer walks by they are greeted by a</span><br />
row or people all of whom stop them and thank<br />
them and are grateful <span style="line-height: 1.5;">for getting their lives back.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.5;">Cancers, MS, Accidents and </span><span style="line-height: 1.5;">more...across the board.</span><br />
<br />
It's a flower, a plant. Please stop being stupid.<br />
It's time we stopped putting religion and politics<br />
above the <span style="line-height: 1.5;">well being of real people.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswAQ-5LFCYW9CLAi5Q7X8LZqAoPQvjLMDG3WsVxBcQoYUFbuOO8dNSroHAV1yIlMCiQP6ZA7JdgAdvjSFaVbz5LHSMYVvnhnS_gRARo1pPQayfW9fb9tcAyaCSMz5Vv-IaqtglsL8dkM/s1600/photo+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #993322; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: initial;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhswAQ-5LFCYW9CLAi5Q7X8LZqAoPQvjLMDG3WsVxBcQoYUFbuOO8dNSroHAV1yIlMCiQP6ZA7JdgAdvjSFaVbz5LHSMYVvnhnS_gRARo1pPQayfW9fb9tcAyaCSMz5Vv-IaqtglsL8dkM/s320/photo+%25281%2529.JPG" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.498039) 1px 1px 5px; background-color: white; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.498039) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" width="239" /></a></div>
</div>
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-39166993276443641352012-12-09T20:35:00.001-08:002012-12-11T11:10:18.303-08:00Don't Listen To Grover (Norquist)! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOZDD6Wup-uvuUtHZD4hPOyrtnz9Wy8DheyhWu8HJ6xoeI4H-qquun6Z3Y9CXAltHnDHRLKpPjlBK8rHpSz6xxkD-aJ3SSuMsklBM7an3sNXJxX-nct50H74TSpQ7oVwOnXNkrDg5DzJ1/s1600/grover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcOZDD6Wup-uvuUtHZD4hPOyrtnz9Wy8DheyhWu8HJ6xoeI4H-qquun6Z3Y9CXAltHnDHRLKpPjlBK8rHpSz6xxkD-aJ3SSuMsklBM7an3sNXJxX-nct50H74TSpQ7oVwOnXNkrDg5DzJ1/s1600/grover.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Maximizing the extent to which the American People can enjoy the fruits of their labor is an admirable goal, yet at this time, I have to question the wisdom of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grover_Norquist#Taxpayer_Protection_Pledge">Grover Norquist's</a> pledge to<i> "oppose any and all efforts to increase the marginal tax rate for individuals and business; and to oppose any net reduction of elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates."</i><br />
<br />
The problem boils down to this - Mr. Norquist approaches fiscal matters as if they existed in a vacuum. Even if the national debt crisis could be addressed strictly through spending cuts, political reality would never permit this course of action, it would too readily lend itself towards the liberal narrative that conservatives are "obstructionist" who "only care about the wealthy." For example, Mit Romney's rejection of a hypothetical offer to <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/233085-romney-stands-by-rejection-of-fiscal-bargain-with-tax-increases">cut $10 in spending for $1 in tax hikes</a> was one factor, among several, that contributed to his generally poor public image, which ultimately led to his defeat.<br />
<br />
Underlying Mr. Norquist's vision is the belief that tax cuts will <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starve_the_beast">Starve The Beast</a>, i.e. the lack of revenue will force the federal government to shrink. Nothing could be further from the truth. Deprived of tax revenue, the beast continued to grow, but on borrowed money. The only way to cure the public's unhealthy appetite for an expansion of the welfare and the warfare state is to make them bear its true costs. We can be certain that if the majority of the American People had to pay the full cost of the programs that they considered indispensable, many more would begin to see the merits of limited government. Take the example of the Iraq War: if each citizen was handed a bill for their share of the cost, perhaps even John McCain would have joined the anti-war movement! Only when the debt had been paid down, would it be fiscally responsible and politically feasible to push for tax cuts.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-10184403423730313452012-12-09T16:33:00.002-08:002012-12-10T23:13:51.492-08:00Obama To Fiscal Conservatives: Go To Hell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHT8GkOfRzwOvKtazqABm14PgYj0QRL1Iu3ZiT3-5qCJlXVXtf_8qNrpf5gayqXvGkmQC7nCQIoNX8pbmS-_SB2zrE88Cacuq2e9wO4wAsazsJnOzZ1CT-f4Cn72T1xR0thaRsMLVBJkwb/s1600/finger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHT8GkOfRzwOvKtazqABm14PgYj0QRL1Iu3ZiT3-5qCJlXVXtf_8qNrpf5gayqXvGkmQC7nCQIoNX8pbmS-_SB2zrE88Cacuq2e9wO4wAsazsJnOzZ1CT-f4Cn72T1xR0thaRsMLVBJkwb/s1600/finger.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Even though I often disagree with the President's policies, I assumed that his calls for a "balanced approach to deficit reduction" were issued in a spirit of honesty and good will. As much as it pains some conservatives to admit, for fiscal and political reasons, all reasonable approaches to deficit reduction must include increases in revenue. Although the President's plan to increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans would barely make an impact on our rising debt, the unwillingness of Republicans to accept it, made me question their willingness to put the welfare of the country above petty partisanship. But, when I learned that the white house's plan to avert the fiscal cliff included <a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/12/04/obama-plan-has-200-billion-in-economic-boosters/comment-page-1/">$200 Billion In Stimulus Spending</a>, my belief in the President's goodwill was substantially diminished. Let's look at the math: when we subtract the benefits ($56 billion) of the tax increases from the cost ($200 billion) of the stimulus measures, we are left with a net loss of $144 billion. Hence, the underlying message of this dubious additional to the President's "balanced" plan is: <i>I won the election; </i>f<i>iscal Conservatives, go the hell</i>.Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-51677602430743986682012-12-09T16:05:00.002-08:002012-12-09T16:05:25.639-08:00The Federal Government: Stuck In Cruise Control<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqnMSfx1reno3j_KqOdktX7OZWuDJabddAPfRJl9Mw1dczEbtF7v61sx1Eu4TI1t11ubsB4FS60_qB8m92nrcojPTYnj-MT6l2oNs653XUt_56G4mebWGY9yXvKjJHLKBNKQYbZ2316IU/s1600/story-21-drowsydriving-161850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqnMSfx1reno3j_KqOdktX7OZWuDJabddAPfRJl9Mw1dczEbtF7v61sx1Eu4TI1t11ubsB4FS60_qB8m92nrcojPTYnj-MT6l2oNs653XUt_56G4mebWGY9yXvKjJHLKBNKQYbZ2316IU/s320/story-21-drowsydriving-161850.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
An adequate driver is one who is pays close attention so that they can adjust to any unexpected hazards and changes that emerge. They slam on the breaks to avoid rear-ending the car in front of them or swerve to avoid an errant jaywalker. Whereas a good driver scans ahead and anticipates hazards before they even emerge. Combining a sharp eye and good common sense, they anticipate the wall of traffic or drunk Cubs Fans crossing Clark Street and change their course, thus avoiding the problems before they even emerge. But, the very worst drivers are stuck on cruise control; they are either unaware of indifferent to the hazards and the opportunities that lie ahead. No matter what the traffic conditions are like, they are cruising in ahead, in a straight line, at 45 miles per hour, jabbering away on their cell phones, while flipping through the radio station and somehow downing their morning latte. And when questioned by the police officer about how they could run over the cyclists, they always answer with a lie: <i>he came out of nowhere. </i><div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The reckless, third category, the driver stuck in cruise control characterizes the majority of our elected officials, especially those at the federal level. We are headed straight for fiscal ruin, yet for all practical terms, the president and most of the congress are desperately clinging to the status quo. The <a href="http://www.cbo.gov/publication/43539">Congressional Budget Office</a> projects a federal deficit of $1.0 trillion in 2013, yet the crux of President Obama's deficit reduction strategy is to raise taxes on the top 2%, which <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/07/11/156577573/the-value-of-taxing-the-wealthy-56-billion">according to NPR</a> would only reduce the deficit by $56 billion, or 5.6%. If Democrats and Republicans were serious about raising revenue, they would call for the elimination of the Bush Tax cuts for <b>all</b> Americans, which would <a href="http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2010/12/05/Repealing-Tax-Cuts-Would-Meet-4-Trillion-Savings-Goal.aspx#page1">lower the deficit by only 37%</a>. And if they truly wanted to increase revenue generated from the wealthy, while not harming investment, they would eliminate costly loopholes. But just when you think that Republicans are willing to boldly venture beyond the status quo, they shrink back when asked for the specific loopholes that they would eliminate.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Clearly, the only possible way to eliminate the deficit would be to significantly lower spending. <a href="http://useconomy.about.com/od/fiscalpolicy/p/Mandatory.htm">Nearly sixty percent</a> of federal expenditures goes towards entitlements, which means there is absolutely no way that the budget can be balanced without significantly reforming social security, medicare and medicaid. And evidence indicates that the numbers will get worse, for example, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/social-security-disability-fund-going-broke-next-four-153100844.html">Social Security Disability Fund</a> is scheduled to go broke in 2016. Yet, the vast majority of politicians, especially Democrats, rigidly adhere to the status quo. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Governing by cruise control effects more facets of policy that just fiscal issues. Even as the United States faced record levels of unemployment, we maintained a legal immigration level of <a href="http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/columnists/mayo/blog/2012/06/how_many_legal_immigrants_shou.html">1,000,000 per year</a>. A "dynamic driver" of immigration policy would accelerate, decelerate and change course according to the conditions of the road. Specifically they would lower the number of visas granted during times of high unemployment and raise them when acute labor shortages emerged. An especially careful driver would pay close attention to the segments of the labor force that faced surpluses (high unemployment) and those that fa ced shortages and adjust the distributions of visas accordingly. They would find that any policy that increased the supply of low skilled workers would aggravate unemployment, while a judicious addition of skilled workers would help foster increased economic growth. And the truly future oriented driver would even consider the 3rd generation descendants in constructing a wise and beneficial immigration road map. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I suspect that beneath this sclerotic rigidity and shortsightedness is the strong aversion to momentary discomfort or even postponement of gratification, that has taken hold in large segments of American Society over the last few decades. Many parents avoid discipline, even though it may spare future problems. Many educators have inflated grades, out of the fear that they will harm the self esteem of those who do not succeed, even though this approach will limit their future development. This zeitgeist is also seen in much of the corporate world, where a focus on short term profit, over long term development and even medium term risk management, has undermined key sectors of the American Economy, especially banking and finance. All of this begs the question - what are the chances that a long term oriented politician that tells uncomfortable truths would get elected? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704572633566908500.post-83022296860921177232012-11-08T00:54:00.002-08:002012-11-20T11:28:46.666-08:00Universal vs Tribal Morality, In The United States <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2y4zB39_kTz4tZMSEGyuMesoSJzirxFCTuraZuWySQhAiL0_S6CKSfeIxtymO8oSVvxD0XBepTUSIUTTA9eMBU4mCss24mzOJqYNSefxkkgMpgoALZ5PS9EIuzkYOkjNKF3vRkzbZGZ4p/s1600/timthumb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2y4zB39_kTz4tZMSEGyuMesoSJzirxFCTuraZuWySQhAiL0_S6CKSfeIxtymO8oSVvxD0XBepTUSIUTTA9eMBU4mCss24mzOJqYNSefxkkgMpgoALZ5PS9EIuzkYOkjNKF3vRkzbZGZ4p/s320/timthumb.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
In our <a href="http://chicago-freedom-forum.blogspot.com/2012/09/a-heros-welcome-for-ramil-universal-vs.html">previous post</a> we delineated the differences between cultures centered on tribal based value systems and those oriented towards universal values. The value system that predominates within a nation has a tremendous role in shaping government and politics. Paradoxically, cultures oriented towards universal values promote political systems and civic involvement that at once affirm the "common good", while strongly valuing the rights and richness of the individual. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexis_de_Tocqueville">Alexis de Tocqueville</a> noted that Americans cherished individualism, while still possessing the uncanny ability to freely form civic organizations in the pursuit of the common interests. Connected only by the bonds of free association and shared values, individuals work together to form churches, charities, communities organizations and relief efforts. We find this on a local, political level, when individuals work together on mundane, but essential tasks like improving local schools and also on larger, more ideological movements, of the left and right that promote: human rights, rule of law, economic freedom, economic equality, environmentalism, etc. Needless to say, far too many individuals and organizations participate in politics in order to further their narrow self interests and that of their group. But, never the less, the core value system is universal in nature and politicians who too openly depart from this paradigm will face public reprimand. And to garnish even a modicum of public support, even the most narrow, self serving special interests use the language of common interest in order to justify their pursuit of self serving subsidies. A close look at political developments in the United States will demonstrate that we are experiencing a slow retreat from universal values and individual liberty, in favor of narrow, ethnic interests and group rights. While reading this essay, keep in mind that we are in no way downplaying the tremendous contributions that individuals of all ethnic backgrounds have made to the social, political and economic life of the United States; rather, we are exploring the nature and consequences of ethnocentric, clientelist politics.<br />
<br />
Movements based on universal principles usually encourage individuals to be fair, objective and self critical of their behavior, as well as that of their group. For example, white participants in the civil rights movements encouraged their fellow citizens to address their unjust treatment of African-Americans. Males are asked to reflect on their unfair treatment of women. And those driven by universal values will even promote policies that are directly against their own immediate interests: wealthy liberals generally support a system of progressive taxation, in which they will pay more, white liberals promote affirmative action, even though it may limit their educational and employment opportunities. Conversely, the great African-American economist, Dr. Thomas Sowell opposes affirmative action, because he holds greater loyalty to the principles of individual liberty, economic reason and fairness than to his "tribal interests". And many moderate income libertarians and conservatives seek to limit government programs that would directly benefit them.<br />
<br />
<div>
In the United States, we take this universal spirit for granted, but nowhere outside of the western world is this widely encountered. In North Africa and the Middle East, the idea of Muslims marching to promote the equality of Non-Muslims was beyond the pale of reason. One's duty was never to "justice for all", but rather to the support of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ummah">ummah</a>. Legal equality to Christians and Jews were forced on Muslim territories by British and French colonial regimes, the only notable exception being <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reza_Shah">Reza Shah's</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Jews#Pahlavi_dynasty_.281925.E2.80.931979.29">lifting of legal restrictions</a> against Iranian Jews. And in countries like Malaysia, affirmative action was used by the Malay majority to expand their economic power, by limiting that of the better educated and more entrepreneurial Chinese Minority. To put it simply, in societies were universal values are <b>not</b> well entrenched, politics is centered on the aggressive promotion of one's tribe or ethnic group, rather than fairness and the perceived greater good. And even in cases in which middle eastern governments project an imagine of broad, modern nationalism, the dominion of narrow tribal interests is the rule, rather than the exception. For example, in <a href="http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/iraq/family.html">Ba'athist Iraq</a>, the majority of important government functionaries were members of Saddam Hussein's extended family. Underlying all tribal cultures is a negation of individuality and meritocracy. <br />
<br />
In Latin-America, universal rhetoric permeates political discourse, but never the less, political cultural is tribal in nature. Owing to blurred racial and cultural boundaries, affiliation is based not so much on ethnicity, but by what <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Moral_Basis_of_a_Backward_Society">Edward C. Banfield</a> described such as a spirit of "amoral familism," in which the public good is sacrificed for the sake of nepotism and immediate family and friends. Harvard Sociologist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_D._Putnam">Robert Putnan</a> stated that in such a society, <i>"political participation is triggered by personal dependency or private greed, not by collective purpose."</i> The end result is a system of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clientelism">clientelism</a>, a "form of politics in which the patron grants favors in return for political support, materials goods, and / or other services."' But, what of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populism">populist</a>, social-democratic wave that is sweeping much of Latin America? Does the universal rhetoric and expanded social programs for the poor, seen in the regimes of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_chavez">Hugo Chavez</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Correa">Rafael Correa</a> not indicate the growth of liberal democracy?<br />
<br />
A closer look at these regimes demonstrates that they simply represent a dramatic expansion of the clientelist paradigm, made possible by rising petroleum revenues. In this system, leaders offer promises of welfare and subsidies, the masses support a charismatic "national patron", overlooking their corrupt, undemocratic practices. What is most troubling is that increased dependency on the patron is accompanied by a diminished concern for the common good. For example, in exchange for <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/10/09/hugo-s-faustian-bargain-to-win-venezuela.html">free homes and appliances</a> and environmentally damaging <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2012/06/pictures/120618-large-fossil-fuel-subsidies/">fuel subsidies</a>, Chavez's followers overlook his <a href="http://articles.cnn.com/2009-08-01/world/venezuela.radio.stations_1_radio-stations-president-hugo-chavez-diosdado-cabello?_s=PM:WORLD">attacks on freedom of the press</a> and <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/10/09/hugo-s-faustian-bargain-to-win-venezuela.html">economic mismanagement</a>. Argentine writer, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcos_Aguinis">Marcos Aguinis</a> best summed up the nature of Latin American Populist leaders; they <i>"only care about the short term; take advantage of poverty to ensure votes; try to appropriate the most public funds possible; have an extraordinary ability to transfer their responsibility in poor performance to other and do not accept dissent or plurality of opinions." </i><br />
<br />
Within African-American politics, we find a well defined clientelist streak. This vision is clearly demonstrated when <a href="http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/11/10/jackson-black-voters-deserve-a-return-on-election-investment/">Jesse Jackson Sr</a> stated that since African-American voters helped Barack Obama gain and retain political power, <i>"we want, we want, we want, we deserve, we deserve...a return on our (electoral) investments." </i>He went on to specify the "return" as increased federal spending in housing, healthcare, education, employment and public transportation. Absent from his discourse was the idea that all Americans should equally enjoy the benefits of increased government largess, but rather it should be directed primarily towards African-Americans, because of the political support that they offered the president. Furthermore, his demands for ever greater federal spending are not tempered by a concern for the rising federal debt and unfunded liabilities that the nation faces. As long as his tribe enjoys a greater share of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoils_system">Spoils System</a>; fiscal consequences be damned. Another parallel between African-American and Latin-American politics is the apparent willingness of large swaths of the electorate to overlook the corruption of their political patrons. For example, <a href="http://chicagoist.com/2012/11/07/indicted_expelled_state_rep_derrick.php">State Representative Derrick Smith</a> was re-elected with 63% of the vote, even though he had been expelled from the General Assembly of Illinois on corruption charges. And <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/08/jesse-jackson-jr-plea-dea_n_2092619.html?utm_hp_ref=chicago&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec3_lnk2%26pLid%3D231937">Jesse Jackson Jr</a> won by the same margin, even though he has been indited for using campaign funds to purchase a $40,000 watch for a female friend. It appears that the personal loyalty of many African-Americans to political representatives and the Democratic Party trump concerns of basic ethics and good governance. It goes without saying that there are thoroughly rotten European-American politicians, the only difference is that when the extent of their corruption comes to light, they are quickly excoriated by the public.<br />
<i><br /></i>
Over the past few years, a wide variety of commentators have discussed the growing political influence of Latinos and other minorities in the United States. Time Magazine went as far as saying that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/22/time-magazine-cover-asserts-latinos-will-decide-next-president_n_1294615.html">Latinos Will Decide The Next Election</a>. But, interestingly, few if any of these commentators explored exactly how this growing influence is shaping political life, yet alone dared to ask what possible risks and rewards. Against we must affirm that the question is <b>not</b> one of race and ethnic origin, but rather of political culture. America's unparalleled freedom and prosperity do not stem from race or color of the founders, but rather the synergistic values, visions, norms, culture and comportment of the founding fathers. And the deeply ingrained political vices found in Latin-America do not find their origin in DNA, but in culture. Even as successive waves of immigrants altered the demography of the nation, their successful assimilation to to the <b>values</b> and <b>political traditions</b>, has allowed the nation to maintain its cultural core and Republican System. Hence, some of the most distinguished proponents of the American Way and critics of ethnocentric politics are Hispanic-Americans, such as <a href="http://www.liberalismo.org/articulo/13/18/guerra/cultural/estados/unidos/">Adolfo Rivero Caro</a> and African-Americans, such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_E._Williams">Walter Williams</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Sowell">Dr. Thomas Sowell</a>. So, we should welcome <b>all</b> Americans to actively participate in the civic and political life of the nation, as <b>individuals</b>, bound by <b>beliefs</b> and <b>not by birth </b>or <b>blood</b>. But, we should be concerned about the growth of ethno-identity politics that, at its core, represents a retreat from the universal value that underlie <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republicanism_in_the_United_States">American Republicanism</a>. This has been made possible by the promotion of a multicultural ideology, that eschews assimilation and promotes political ethnocentrism.<br />
<br />
We see an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporatism">ethno-corporate</a> vision in well organizations like the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Black_Caucus">Congressional Black Caucus</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Hispanic_Caucus">Congressional Hispanic Caucus</a>, <a href="http://www.nclr.org/">La Raza</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MEChA">Mecha</a> groups, which openly seek to promote the power and interests of their respective tribes. What is most interesting is that the greatest impetus for the growth of ethno-identity politics has <b>not</b> come from minorities, but from well established (and largely white) political, educational and economic elites. For example, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Council_of_La_Raza">La Raza</a> was launched by a grant from the Ford Foundation and enjoyed major contributions from the <a href="http://www.gatesfoundation.org/speeches-commentary/Pages/melinda-french-gates-2009-la-raza.aspx">Gates Foundation</a>. And President Obama's campaign website has a separate sections for <a href="http://www.barackobama.com/jewish-americans">Jewish-Americans</a>, <a href="http://www.barackobama.com/latinos">Hispanic-Americans</a>, <a href="http://www.barackobama.com/african-americans">African-Americans</a> and <a href="http://www.barackobama.com/asian-americans-pacific-islanders">Asian-Americans</a>. As the Chairman of the California Democratic Party (from 1995 - 2009), <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Torres">Art Torres</a> is supposed to<br />
have equally represented the interest of all his constituents, yet he gleefully spoke about the political decline of "White America".<br />
<br />
The tribal orientation of these movements are made clear by the general nature of its discourse, which is largely bereft of principles, beyond the proclamation that their growing ranks entitles them to greater political power and even preferential treatment. And the quest for self interest is rarely tempered by the concern for fairness and the common good that other political movements must at least provide lip service to, if they are to gain legitimacy. Although there is no perfect, absolute means to determine the universality of a principle or proposal, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immanuel_Kant">Kant's</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categorical_imperative">Categorical imperative</a> is perhaps the most compelling I have encountered.. The first formulation is: <i>"Act only according to that maxim whereby you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law without contradiction." </i>The third formulation is <i>"Therefore, every rational being must so act as if he were through his maximum always a legislating member of the universal kingdom of ends." </i>In other words, would the world be better if a particular behavior became universally adopted or was put into law? Take Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), a major figure in ethnocentric politics; by what universal principles can he justify the selective non-enforcement of immigration laws? Could one put forth a reasonable argument that the desires of non-citizens to cross a border, trumps the rights of citizens to determine who enters their sovereign territory? Under what system of ethics and good governance could one justify extending preferential treatment (amnesty) to those who violated immigration laws, over the many individuals who waited in lines for many years to lawfully enter the country? Ethnocentric activists often imply that the economic desperation of Latin-Americans justifies their documented and undocumented entry into the nation, but if universal-humanitarian concerns were truly their motivation, would they not lobby to grant greater preference to the (let's say) Sub-Saharan Africans that faced far more dire circumstances? With each example, it becomes clearer that the focus of most ethnocentric political activists is not the common good. Rather it is to expand their own power by increasing the number of their clientel present in the United States.<br />
<br />
One could easily counter my analysis with the following position: <i>ethnocentric Hispanic organizations oppose most immigration enforcement measures as part of their question for the common good; just because a policy mostly benefits a single ethnic constituency, does not mean that it is contrary to the common good. </i>In principle, this is a valid point, but in practice, the evidence does not support this proposition. The fact that La Raza has opposed, virtually every enforcement measure, leads me to the believe that they unconditionally support the perceived interests of their group, even when it is contrary to the common good. For example, the <b>voluntary</b> use of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-Verify">e-verify</a> by employers, was previously banned in Illinois. And even after <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/10/eleven-inmates-released-o_n_1267830.html">Cook County's systematic refusal</a> to hand over repeat criminal offenders to ICE led to the death of innocent individuals, <a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-04-10/news/ct-met-toni-preckwinkle-0411-20120411_1_preckwinkle-detainers-immigration-status">Toni Preckwinkle</a> and other members of the Democratic Machine, continued to support this policy. In the worst spirit of Latin American Clientelism, they have placed the unconditional support of the <i>perceived</i> interests of their constituents above the rule of law and the general welfare of Cook County. It appears that the Democratic Machine is driven less by humanitarian principles and more by a desire to foster dependency in their clients, not through effective governance, but through fear: "<i>only we can protect your family from the anti-immigrants..."</i> Further evidence that lobbying for open border policies is driven more by raw self interest, rather than by universal principles can be deduced from the fact that the nations that have called for the United States to liberalize its immigration policies, most zealously guard their own borders and national sovereignty. This is especially true of the <a href="http://sweetness-light.com/archive/mexicos-tough-anti-immigration-laws">Mexican Government</a>.<br />
<br />
The ethnocentric, tribal world view is even more pronounced in the Spanish Speaking media. This could be seen in a recent <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpXsdiIr1kE">discussion</a> on Univision between News Anchorman <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jorge_Ramos_(news_anchor)">Jorge Ramos</a> and Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) of Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan as his running mate. What is most significant is that that Mr. Ramos did <b>not</b> ask if Mr. Ryan would be a good vice president for the nation, but he reduced the discussion, ad verbatim, to the single question of: <b>"is he good or bad for Hispanics."</b> Nor did he discuss Ryan's positions on debt, entitlements, employment, public health and national security; the only concern he expressed was how a Ryan vice-presidency would effect undocumented immigrants. While immigration is certainly an important national issue, Mr. Ramos has never seriously framed the debate in terms of the common good; his only expressed concern has been <i>"what impact would it have on </i><b style="font-style: italic;">my tribe?</b><span style="font-style: italic;">" </span>And on the rare occasion when he interviews a guest with more nuanced views, <a href="http://www.latinorebels.com/2012/06/19/marco-rubio-gets-grilled-in-spanish-by-jorge-ramos-and-it-gets-testy/">such as Marco Rubio</a>, he responds with open ire that they are not "supporting their own". If a "white journalist" were to express such blatant ethnocentrism, they would justifiably be pilloried for their lack of objectivity, yet Mr. Ramos has won 8 Emmy Awards!<br />
<br />
This brings us to one of the more troubling aspects of this issue: the demeaning double standards that many white liberals hold regarding expressions of political ethnocentrism. With few exceptions, they openly encourage African-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, etc. to pursue their perceived ethno-political interests, while responding with absolute horror when European-Americans do the same. For example, protests erupted over the formation of a white student union at <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/10/white-student-union-group-towson_n_1954262.html">Townsen University</a>, even though student organizations based on race, religion, ethnicity, gender and sexual identity abound on the campus. The underlying notion is that whites, <b>as individuals</b> are expected to objectively pursue the common good, while non-whites are welcome to pursue their subjective <b>group</b> interests. This should be considered racist and demeaning, because it clearly <b>holds Non-Europeans to a lower ethical and intellectual standard. </b>Some liberals<b> </b>will respond that white political ethnocentrism is alive and well, but is simply hidden in the universal rhetoric of conservative movements. That may be true for <b>some</b> individuals, but never the less, the very fact that they must indirectly promote their group interests, by extolling the virtues of fairness and free markets, shows that they are held to higher standards than other purveyors of ethnic self interest.<br />
<br />
These double standards have become so wide spread that very few people think twice when they are faced by them. For example, nowhere in <a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/04/27/151524921/how-koreatown-rose-from-the-ashes-of-l-a-riots">NPR's discussion</a> of the <a href="http://www.city-journal.org/2012/cjc0427cj.html">devastation</a> that Korean-American owned businesses experienced during the LA Riots, does the commentator touch up the obvious presence of racism and xenophobia within the African-American community. We can be certain that if a mob of European-Americans looted and burned the stores of another ethnic group, NPR and much of the political elite would call upon whites to address these issues within their community. And during an NPR <a href="http://www.wbez.org/series/race-out-loud/racial-change-pilsen-mi-casa-tu-casa-102030">expose</a> on gentrification in Chicago's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lower_West_Side,_Chicago">Pilsen Neighborhood</a>, the author and some of the readers were sympathetic to the residents concerns about the influx of "<a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=guero">güeros</a>," which in Mexican slang means "whites". Yet, we can be certain that NPR would <b>justifiably</b> rebuke a European-American if they expressed similar concerns about the influx of Latinos into <i>"their neighborhood."</i> In piece after piece NPR praises integration and the growth of diversity in historically white neighborhoods, yet clearly expresses unease that Pilsen in now <i>only </i>80% Hispanic, i.e. it is more diverse. The underlying notion is that non-whites have the right to desire a homogeneous neighborhood and exclude newcomers, while whites do not. And on a deeper level, one community has the right to pursue their perceived group interests, while the other can only exercise individual rights. The hegemonic shell was cracked by a few readers. In response to a resident who declared that the opposition to whites residents was <i>"not racist"</i>, but was simply <i>"about Mexicans not wanting to lose the Mexican culture," </i>one reader astutely stated <i>"hmmm...where have I heard that before? Oh, yeah: The GOP when speaking of not wanting to lose "American Culture" due to immigration. When they say it, it's called Xenophobia. Ironic." </i>No matter how well meaning their intentions are, when liberals present double standards, they convey an underlying belief that minorities are too emotionally fragile and intellectually inept to engage in honest dialogues and meaningful self criticism.<br />
<br />
This cultural and philosophical shift should be viewed with alarm, because they are a retreat from the universal values that made the American Experiment in Republicanism possible. The philosophical notions that underlie state sponsored multiculturalism and ethnocentric politics are deeply contrary to the respect for the individual that is central to free republics and free markets. In order to believe that an individual automatically enriches a classroom or workplace because they "add to its racial and ethnic diversity, we must automatically assume that they possess distinct beliefs, behaviors and abilities, simply because of their origin. And we must assume that these differences are entirely beneficial, while refraining from seriously discussing them. In other words, multiculturalism and other <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporatism">corporatist</a> ideologies discourages us from viewing our fellow citizens as unique individuals, but rather as members of groups. This political outlook fails to see that the greatest diversity does not exist <b>between</b> groups, but rather <b>within</b> them. Thus, the very notion that there are clear "Hispanic Interests" or "Jewish Interests" that the state must further, negates the intellectual diversity and individuality that exists <b>within</b> all ethnic groups. This makes the honest, uncomfortable debates that are essential to democracies, all but impossible. In its place <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/18/ag-holder-race-makes-us-a_n_167933.html">"Holderian Monologues"</a> have become the norm, one way conversations, in which <b>self appointed</b> representatives of diverse groups, air their grievances, while European-Americans are expected to demonstrate contrition or remain silent. Offering rebuttals or presenting their own grievances is strictly <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verboten">verboten</a>. The result is that the majority of the population has withdraws from real dialogue, leaving a fringe of toxic racists to respond. No wonder Harvard Sociologist <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2007/08/05/the_downside_of_diversity/?page=full">Robert Putnam</a> found that <i>"people living in ethnically diverse settings appear to 'hunker down' -- that is, to pull in like a turtle." </i><br />
<br />
Now, more than ever, as our nation becomes increasingly diverse, we must affirm our common values and shared responsibilities. A nation divided between universal and tribal values cannot remain peaceful for long; inevitably more individuals and groups will succumb to banal ethnocentrism. And when a growing number of our fellow citizens are held to lower standards, simply because of their origin, democracy cannot remain sound for long. True equality means that all individuals must not only enjoy full <b>civil rights</b>, but also must be held to equal standards of <b>civil responsibilities</b>. Hence our only real options are to<b> </b>either accept that European-Americans will openly pursue their narrow tribal interests, as all other groups are encouraged to do, or to affirm that <b>All Americans</b> must adhere to equally high, universal standards of ethical, political and civil conduct, in their pursuit of the common good. I for one wish for the latter.<br />
<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Jasonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11152746014493443822noreply@blogger.com0