Anti-Racist or Anti-Reality?

Do anti-racists (con artists formerly known as race-baiters) find “racism”, or invent it? They invent it, of course.

That’s why there’s always a disconnect between their definition of racism (which they rarely, if ever, offer) and an observable instance of it in the real world (which often enough turns out to be a lie).

Why do you think their interpretation of “racism”, and everything else, is so aggressively, so laughably, and so idiotically shallow and one-sided?

The important point is this:

If your notion of race can not explain how the races are related, then not only is there something wrong with your notion of race, but there is no reason anyone should ever listen to you, and every reason why they shouldn’t. Especially since we've been listening long enough already, and not a few of us have come to the conclusion that no one as unintelligent, unintelligble, uneducable, and inhumane as your average race-prater, has anything of value to add to anything, let alone a conversation* about race.

*"Conversation." Who has ever believed that they have ever wanted a conversation about race? All we have ever gotten are lectures, long and boring lectures, from a mob of know-nothings.

But more importantly, for all of our many failings, the human race has simply come to far to ever allow fanatics anywhere near positions of power.

And they definitely should be nowhere near children.

That such people are in power today has to do with two things that are intimately related, historical accidents and human imperfection.

But, to question my own assumption (as we should always do), is there a way of showing how races are related? Of course. Any number of ways.

How about, for starters, our shared humanity?

But for now, let’s focus on just one answer. Not surprisingly, it’s obvious, or should be. And that answer is that all races exist in a social context, that is, in a society. or, more specifically, in social institutions. And today, often enough, and throughout the world, they are found in the same society and the same institutions. In that case their conflicts are subsumed by the society or institution they belong to, making those conflicts social conflicts.

And where might we find evidence of such social conflict?

EVERYWHERE IN THE FUCKING WORLD and

THROUGHOUT ALL OF HUMAN HISTORY!

Making their conflicts just one conflict more and all with a social context!

I mean, aren’t these ideologues the ones constantly lecturing the rest of us that race is a social construct? Well, if it is, then it has a social context!

So then why, by your own logic, make it about race?

Don’t get me wrong. We should be able to talk about race more openly, honestly, and intelligently, than we can at this moment. But we can’t. Meanwhile, the social conflicts remain, and are as real as they are many.

Unfortunately, those now in power are as childish in their grasp of those conflicts as they are in their “solutions.” That's why they can't shut up about race, and not just race. Or, to be more precise, that's why they can't shut up about their interpretation of race, that of course they call "The Truth."

You might be able to acquire power in that way, but that's not how you can sustain that power. The explanation for this is that power depends upon the reasonably healthy and full functioning of our social institutions, which are best seen as adaptational mechanisms. But thanks to those now in power our social institutions are in free fall - all of them - and because of that we might not make it. Put bluntly, we might not be a successful species. We're certainly in no position to laugh at the dinosaurs for getting themselves extinct. After all, they lasted a lot longer than we have so far.

But fortnately, or not (sometimes it's hard to tell) we’re still here.

And we wouldn’t have made it this far if we weren’t capable of resolving conflicts long enough to keep ourselves going and not infrequently improving the quality of life along the way. So the question becomes:

What’s healthier and more promising:

Allowing ourselves to continue being bullied by a mob of ideological fanatics, who in spite of their irritattingly arrogant claims, do not know what they’re talking about, don’t know what they’re doing, and don’t care because - White Man Bad, or whatever…

or,

Working toward a common cause with a proven track record, ie; that human beings are capable of working together long enough to resolve conflicts and change the way they relate to each other, and not infrequently for the better?

Concluding Remarks

Looking back at the above question before posting this article I had to ask myself, What’s the question? Since the answer is so obvious. At least to me.

Which is appropriate enough, since this is, after all, my website. And all I do here is offer my response to whatever moves me at the moment.

And at this moment, it’s worth reminding myself, and anyone else who might be reading this, that that is all this article is - a response. A response that may or may not work in the real world. If it doesn’t, no problem, it gives me a chance to work both on myself and on a better response.

The great thinker and writer G.H. Mead once said in so many words that a scientist is happiest when their theory turns out to be wrong. Of course! Because then they get to be a scientist. That’s a good way to look one’s own ideas, especially when we test them in the real world. If they turn out to be wrong we might be disappointed, frustrated, sad, and even a little embarrassed. After all, we’re human. But since it’s also an opportunity to learn, being wrong can also be turned into a happy ocassion. The words of Nietzsche, Joy is deeper than sorrow, come irresistably to mind.

Of course, I hope my response is as reality-based and fact-filled as I can possibly make it. But the last thing I’m offering is “The Truth”, because “The Truth” is the last thing I’m interested in, prefering instead to leave all talk about “The Truth” to the fanatics. The point is, since life is short and you only get one, I have no interest in, or intention of, wasting that life on fanaticism, or wasting my time with fanatics who like to prate about “The Truth”, in spite of the fact that they have never found it - and never will.

As with anything in life, we might be right, or we might be wrong. Time will tell, as it always does. Until then, why insist on “The Truth”?

Especially since it has nothing to do with solving problems, resolving conflicts, and learning from ourselves and each other. All of which can contribute to a genuine and lasting happiness. "The Truth" and a genuine, lasting happiness. Two things no one will ever get from an anti-racist.