January 10, 2013

"I haven't been a black conservative since 1995..."

Glenn Loury talks about people he's known for 40 years who won't say hello, who won't look him in the eye because he USED TO BE a black conservative. USED TO BE! John McWhorter talks about those who think "it would be wrong to even print my name. They think of me as Satan. And that's just how it's been."



Much later in the diavlog, Loury and McWhorter weigh in on the affirmative action case that's pending in the Supreme Court. "Would you think it was a good thing if the Supreme Court outlawed racial preferences as we knew them?" McWhorter takes the "not nuanced" position that racial preferences should be proclaimed "obsolete." (Loury disagrees.)

42 comments:

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Mr. McWhorter's take on Satan might not be so nuanced, either.

Amartel said...

Dang, that's rough. People not talking to you because you have, HAD, a different view of the scope and role of government. Modern day heretic, has sinned against the church. Not getting back in until performs act of contrition.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Does that mean he now says he was wrong to be a conservative?... or is "black" conservative something different?

Its a little confusing.

Or maybe he was what he was because it was needed at the time? and now its not de rigueur?

David said...

Fix the high schools and the elementary schools. Then you won't need racial preferences.

Racial preferences allow government to do what it prefers by nature--avoid the hard jobs in favor of pretend solutions.

David said...

In other news, Obama just signed a bill giving himself and all other former Presidents lifetime secret service protection. Now that's an actual solution--men with guns to protect an obvious and defenseless target.

So why is it such a bad idea to do the same for schools?

(Oh, the President's children already have that? What a surprise.")

Nonapod said...

As people like Allen Keys, Clarence Thomas, and Herman Cain can attest liberals view black conservatives as apostates and bare a special hatred toward them.

gadfly said...

"Used to be a black conservative?" Most likely never was and probably cannot even define conservatism.

Conservatives and black culture do not mix. When it gets too hot in the kitchen, turn off the stove.

Amartel said...

Gadfly, that is not true.

David said...

Bullshit, gadfly. Conservatives mix just fine with black culture in most areas. at least the parts of black culture not undermined by drugs, crime or attachment to a corrupt political rewards system.

Black conservatism is an existential threat to the Democratic party. Thus it treats black conservatives as an unhealthy virus to be eradicated. The Democrats greatest fear is that someday the cultural affinity between many blacks and cultural conservatives will become a political force. Now it isn't but the possibility has not been eradicated.

Amartel said...

interesting profile on Loury here:
http://www.brownalumnimagazine.com/content/view/1934/40/

Yah I know, I have to learn to link.

Fernandinande said...

"not nuanced" = "our racism isn't really racism".

Dante said...

Oh what tangled webs we weave. Yes, good idea to identify those who the US can get a positive return on its investment. I would be all for it. That's an investment.

But government can't do anything well. Why is it so many people can come to this country and do so well? Ans. It's the land of opportunity. You don't need any of this garbage, not even for people growing up in the ghettos.

What McWhorter and Loury should do is talk to people who came from other countries from extreme poverty and find out how they became successful.

It's not because of some US government preferential treatment.

Anonymous said...

Way past time to tolerate them. The effects of them are negative to our society.

AllenS said...

If I was black, I'd be just like Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams, except without the education.

Greybeard said...

When golfing, does the president hit off the women's tees?

edutcher said...

Once you go back, you can't go black.

Ann has experienced something similar and she's not even that Conservative.

AllenS said...

Plus, with the internets, I can order books online to further my education. My latest buy is the John Deere Service Manual -- MC, 40C, 420C, 430C, 4401C & 4401CD

This book contains 461 illustrations. Very informative. Let me talk about illustration 345 -- Exploded view of the MC and 40MC hydraulic system control valve. The positioning of the relief valve shims is shown, and refering to illustration 347 I can adjust the check valve with the use of the shims.

Don't get much better than that.

Bayoneteer said...

One of main reasons to write off the black and brown people if your are a conservative. Why bother with 'em when they vote 99-1 against you no matter wot?

test said...

David said...
Fix the high schools and the elementary schools. Then you won't need racial preferences.

Racial preferences allow government to do what it prefers by nature--avoid the hard jobs in favor of pretend solutions.


I think you underestimate the issue. Government doesn't avoid it because it's hard, although it is and government is particularly inept at large hard undertakings.

But the main difficulty is political. The actions best suited to improve k-12 education are against the core interests teachers. The policy of educational race preferences is the consolation prize offered the less important of the two Democratic Party constituencies: low income parents.

n.n said...

Black Americans are, in the majority, social conservatives. Unfortunately, they are also fiscal liberals. Perhaps only because they have been poorly served by Democrat policies and have evolved to become dependent on redistributive change.

"For God's Sake, Please Stop the Aid!"
The Kenyan economics expert James Shikwati, 35, says that aid to Africa does more harm than good. The avid proponent of globalization spoke with SPIEGEL about the disastrous effects of Western development policy in Africa, corrupt rulers, and the tendency to overstate the AIDS problem.

The price of charity without rehabilitation is sabotaged character development and progressive corruption. There is no instant (or immediate) gratification in our world -- except for a select few -- without consequences.

bleh said...

What a pity party.

AllenS said...

I quit farming, Mary, so I could do some traveling. I worked a full time job, and farmed on the side for a long, long time. Plus, my old machinery was wearing out. A man has to know his limitations. Just finished cleaning/sandblasting the stove for the local Dairy Queen. I still do dirty work.

AllenS said...

You've been staying downtown SP for the last couple of days, yes?

Amartel said...

The prevailing culture in general encourages lowest common denominator thinking and living, it's not just "black culture." The prevailing culture has latched onto black culture as highly representative of the lowest common denominator. This is a virulently racist tactic, hiding behind the stereotypes of black superiority to encourage and profit from stereotypes of black inferiority. Deceptive and degrading at the same time, and very appealing to the weak and willing, but in no way without precedent in the larger society.

Lyle said...

I love both these guys. Although, I think McWhorter has been a little bit of a sucker for Obama.

AllenS said...

Bob S is a very good man and a long time friend. I used to read your blog, so when you showed up with the dog, you were easy to recognize. Remember, this is a small town. I don't secretly admire anyone. I hope I didn't startle you. I travel on the road over the river all of the time on my way to NR.

rcocean said...

"Black Americans are, in the majority, social conservatives."

Not really. Members of the Black Congressional caucus are liberal on everything. As for Black in general, look at Black abortion rates, out-of-wedlock rates, crime rates, etc.

As a matter of practical Politics this "black social conservatism" means nothing. Blacks do go to Church a lot but then so does Rev. Wright, Obama, and Rev Al Sharpton.

Astro said...

I thoroughly enjoyed McWhorter's 'Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue', about the development of the English language. Fascinating information there, not usually found in most such books. He does a bit of special pleading, at times, like he's trying to solicit the reader to join his cause about some issues. But overall a good read.

Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue

Michael said...

Whoa! Where did Mary go? Poof. AllenS put the sand blaster to her and that was that?

AllenS: Do you use a portable on a commercial stove?

ken in tx said...

Allen, that's how fluid pressure is controlled in lots of machines. For example, the oil pressure in the old VW Beetle.

n.n said...
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n.n said...
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n.n said...

rcocean:

That's true for people in general, but Democrats specifically. They position material, physical, and egoistic desires in front of moral principles. What is not clear, is if their priorities would remain the same in a society which favored building a middle class. Are they motivated by redistributive, retributive, or positive change. Also, is their current condition an outcome of progressive corruption, original corruption (although it has been several generations), or innate corruption. What is clear, is that Black Americans have not uniquely suffered degradation through civilization. I refer to this process as dissociation of risk causes corruption.

Known Unknown said...

Those screengrabs are hilarious.

McWhorter is on the phone with someone else, and Loury keeps interrupting him.

Econophile said...

I read Loury's book "Anatomy of Racial Inequality" a few years back. Probably the least insightful race book I've looked at, which is saying a lot. It's a step above Critical Race Theory ramblings--but it least those are entertaining.

I can't find any conservative intellectual argument ever made by this guy, so I would argue he has little "black conservative" credibility, whatever that means. Having somehow stumbled into AEI does not make one a conservative.

Panachronic said...

What's the point here? Are we supposed to be shocked that there are racist African Americans?

Insufficiently Sensitive said...

People not talking to you because you have, HAD, a different view of the scope and role of government.

There's no better word for such crude partisans than Stalinists - which we'd realize if they ever took power. Their small symptoms merely include the suppression of opposing opinions (hey, let's get Fox News off the air!) and thuggishly short-circuiting democracy (card-check) and major support for vote fraud to thumb the election scales.

In no way would they endorse Voltaire's posited death in defense of our right to disagree.

Should they ever seize power on a Stalin scale, there's no doubt that the grim reaper would enforce suppression of all suspected heresies.

tonynoboloney said...

Agree with Ken K. It's hard to believe any "conservative black" conversation when 99% voted for Barack Obama. Traveling through a few southern states after Christmas and a few black communities, all I can do is shake my head in wonderment. If that makes me a conservative racist.........so be it.

Unknown said...

David said: "Fix the high schools and the elementary schools. Then you won't need racial preferences."
I say: Fix the source problem: Fix the parenting. I believe most of the failure is there. Most of the failing children either have parents who are too busy (neglectful) or parents who are used to government being the "baby daddy". It matters. It hurts the children immensely. It kills America.

Seerak said...

Should they ever seize power on a Stalin scale, there's no doubt that the grim reaper would enforce suppression of all suspected heresies.

Speaking of which, don't forget to contact your congresscritter about standing up to the victim disarmament movement.

Anonymous said...
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WhatWasLost said...

Leftists HATE black conservatives because they promote the idea of competence. They live the truth that there is no difference between people based upon skin color and that our choices and character determine the course of our lives.

The left has spent decades working to create and maintain a black underclass that is dependent upon the state. This black underclass is then put forth as being the norm, as being "authentic" black culture. White folks look to middle America as the norm, not the trailer park. Black folks are carefully taught to do the opposite. In white America living on the dole is something only scummy people do. In black America living on the dole is promoted as one's just due.

The left is working hard to do the same thing to latinos, as evidenced by the Spanish language commercials created by the federal government promoting the benefits of food stamps.

Black conservatives are a direct and dire threat to the idea that the role of black people in society is to be impoverished wards of the state. Black conservatives are living proof that black people can be anything they want and can achieve anything that anyone else can in life.

Naturally the left hates them intensely.