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2007-10-17 Home Front: Culture Wars

Africans are less intelligent than Westerners

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Posted by GolfBravoUSMC 2007-10-17 12:18|| || Front Page|| [11134 views ] Top

#1 It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong : Voltaire

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2007-10-17 14:57|| 2007-10-17 14:57|| Front Page Top

#2 James Watson, a Nobel Prize winner for his part in the unravelling of DNA who now runs one of America's leading scientific research institutions, drew widespread condemnation for comments he made ahead of his arrival in Britain today for a speaking tour at venues including the Science Museum in London.

But, geez, media boys and girls, he's a Nobel Prize winner isn't he? Aren't they above reproach? You know, like Al Gore and Jimmy Carter and Nellie Mandela and...

Posted by tu3031 2007-10-17 15:01|| 2007-10-17 15:01|| Front Page Top

#3 One of the world's most eminent scientists was embroiled in an extraordinary row last night after he claimed that black people were less intelligent than white people and the idea that "equal powers of reason" were shared across racial groups was a delusion.

Without entering into any debate concerning genetic intelligence, please allow me to note one simple thing.

As the indisputable birthplace and cradle of mankind, how is it thateven with a head start of several extra millenniaAfrica has been entirely unable to rise above anything but genocidal tribal anarchy? Anyone idiotic enough to try and blame European colonization needs to consider how that happened only within the last several centuries. The simple fact remains that sub-Saharan Africa always has been and remains to this very day a complete and total societal shitpot.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2007-10-17 15:48|| 2007-10-17 15:48|| Front Page Top

#4 Zim-bob-way, Ghana, Nigeria it's very sad. But it has to be because of imperialism.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2007-10-17 16:00|| 2007-10-17 16:00|| Front Page Top

#5 What is old is new again.

Let's not forget another common denominator - socialist based primary education systems.

Posted by Procopius2k 2007-10-17 16:07|| 2007-10-17 16:07|| Front Page Top

#6 Z: As the indisputable birthplace and cradle of mankind, how is it thateven with a head start of several extra millenniaAfrica has been entirely unable to rise above anything but genocidal tribal anarchy?

The ones who could adapt to other climates left. Perhaps to avoid the fighting over resources, perhaps to avoid the tropical diseases. Africa itself is lush and fertile, so I can't figure out why the inhabitants can't make a go of it.

Part of the problem is also European colonialism - not the mythical exploitation, but the cobbling of many nationalities into single states after they left. That was a recipe for civil war and the systematic exploitation of minority nationalities by the majority. At the same time, Africans are to blame for believing the promises of their ethnic kin that they were likely to be superior and less corrupt at governing than their European counterparts. More than the European imperialists, native Africans brought this upon themselves by agitating for independence.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2007-10-17 16:15|| http://timurileng.blogspot.com]">[http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2007-10-17 16:15|| Front Page Top

#7 Africa itself is lush and fertile, so I can't figure out why the inhabitants can't make a go of it.

You didn't have to work very hard to eat because it was so lush, and the penalties for being dumb were not fatal as often.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2007-10-17 16:20|| 2007-10-17 16:20|| Front Page Top

#8 More than the European imperialists, native Africans brought this upon themselves by agitating for independence.

More exactly communists and Americans strived to dismantle the colonial empires well before Africa were readyy for self-rule. And be it communists or Americans it wasn't for the good of Africans.

Posted by JFM">JFM 2007-10-17 16:48|| 2007-10-17 16:48|| Front Page Top

#9 Looking around here (NYT, BBC, Columbia U, Duke U, Hollywood, etc.) and it is not obvious to me that Westerners are very intelligent these days. Perhaps the same logic as NS mentioned applies - soft times develop stupid people - and if they breed, the whole culture devolves. For the most part our elite stupid don't breed.

Posted by Glenmore">Glenmore 2007-10-17 17:06|| 2007-10-17 17:06|| Front Page Top

#10
At least now schoolchildren will have heard of Watson.

Posted by Master of Obvious 2007-10-17 17:06|| 2007-10-17 17:06|| Front Page Top

#11 Personally I think his claims are nonsense. There are many reasons why Africa is far behind the West. Many of the reasons are the same reasons the third world is far behind the West. A love of dictators and wishful economics.

These two factors lead directly to a pathetic education system taht even the brightest brain would have trouble not atrophying.

Posted by rjschwarz 2007-10-17 17:19|| 2007-10-17 17:19|| Front Page Top

#12 I wonder how this all relates to one in four black males bing in prison here in the US?

Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2007-10-17 17:21|| 2007-10-17 17:21|| Front Page Top

#13 I don't think it does. And I agree with rjschwarz, with the added observation that poor nutrition -- think of the image of the little kid in the last stages of malnutrition, with the vulture waiting not ten feet from him -- will lower a person' mental horsepower for life. Probably IQs objectively measured in Africa are lower than equivalent IQs in Europe or North America, because levels of nutrition aren't at the same levels. A more valid comparison would likely be between a stable African country, such as Botswana, and a moderately successful Western country, like maybe Panama.

The same applied, in a different manner, with the Japanese after WWII, by the way. There wasn't an observable IQ difference but it showed up in their height -- they had good nutrition, but it was light on protein. American Nisei averaged six inches taller than native Japanese in 1946, and they didn't have the tendency toward bow-leggedness.

Irish and southern and eastern European immigrants were regarded -- and measured -- at the time as inferior to the Knickerbocker Americans. The idea that the best lawyers are named Cohen came later.

The black-white difference in the USA is cultural, as far as I can tell. One part of it is their African heritage, but keep in mind that there aren't very many immigrant blacks in American jails. By the second generation the boys are being acculturated, girls a little less so. My guess would be that second generation African immigrants get in trouble at close to the rate of their native peers.

When American blacks moved north in waves after the Second World War they took some of the worst traits of the South's culture with them. In their native element there wasn't an awful lot of difference among good ol' boys, regardless of color. Blacks haven't changed at the same rate and in the same directions as the white guys have.

Posted by Fred 2007-10-17 17:50|| 2007-10-17 17:50|| Front Page Top

#14 When American blacks moved north in waves after the Second World War they took some of the worst traits of the South's culture with them.

When I was a student in Baltimore there was a real division between the blacks in East Baltimore, who had been there for a long time, and West Baltimore, who came up in WWII. It was pretty easy to tell which side of town a black came from. Is that still true?

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2007-10-17 18:19|| 2007-10-17 18:19|| Front Page Top

#15 notice that the lands populated by tribal societies, that never got beyond that, are the least technologically improved, the most impoverished, and all-around suckiest societies? Inbreeding has it's consequences. See: Africa, Arabs, et al

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2007-10-17 18:31|| 2007-10-17 18:31|| Front Page Top

#16 No crap. Blacks have a lower IQ and Asians are better at math. Welcome to non-PC DNA reality. Anyone who has worked with different breeds of animals won't find this surprising.

Change the PC term "race" with the correct word "breed" and well you get the idea.

What I don't understand is why is this a big deal? There are larger differences. Take for instance body shape. Short stocky people handle the cold better. Where is the public rage and debate over that?

Old news to anyone who has taught in public schools.

Posted by Icerigger">Icerigger 2007-10-17 18:36|| 2007-10-17 18:36|| Front Page Top

#17 Minds expand as the use of tools support the expansion. Since necessity is the mother of invention, the need for aid in survival would naturally yield inventions and expanded IQs. I can see that sandstorms brought about the burka, but why did scorching desert heat not bring about running water and air conditioning ?

Posted by wxjames 2007-10-17 18:45|| 2007-10-17 18:45|| Front Page Top

#18 Short people handle the cold better? I can only wish that were true, Icerigger. Mr. Wife is almost a foot taller, and going on 100 lb. heavier. The blankets tend to be piled up on my side of the bed.

If I recall correctly, almost all the really big mammals died out at the end of the last ice age... and polar bears are bigger than the other kinds.

Posted by trailing wife 2007-10-17 18:56|| 2007-10-17 18:56|| Front Page Top

#19 Anti-racism campaigners called for Dr Watson's remarks to be looked at in the context of racial hatred laws.

Appears Salman Rushdie and Dr. Watson may have a thing or two in common.

Posted by Besoeker 2007-10-17 19:03|| 2007-10-17 19:03|| Front Page Top

#20 You guys are all missing the best part of the article:

"People say it would be terrible if we made all girls pretty. I think it would great."

Posted by Iblis 2007-10-17 19:10|| 2007-10-17 19:10|| Front Page Top

#21 http://alfin2100.blogspot.com/2007/10/executive-brain-function-99-genetic.html

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2007-10-17 20:59|| 2007-10-17 20:59|| Front Page Top

#22 (pokes head in)

I wonder just how much of Watson's (and frankly all the people who believe the same thing but don't say it) beliefs in this matter are because we've made it taboo to discuss cultural or social differences as if they matter themselves.

Posted by Abdominal Snowman 2007-10-17 21:23|| 2007-10-17 21:23|| Front Page Top

#23 American blacks tend to be great athletes in comparison to whites. Is that genetics or societal factors? Or both? Did Jimmy the Greek have a valid non PC point or is that myth? I know folks who have fallen on both sides of the debate. I played football at a small college and we even discussed it in the locker room about why so few whites play d-back, running back or receiver in the NFL.

Posted by Broadhead6 2007-10-17 21:24|| 2007-10-17 21:24|| Front Page Top

#24 It's culture, not color.

Posted by Redneck Jim 2007-10-17 21:27|| 2007-10-17 21:27|| Front Page Top

#25 What about Condi and Colin and Justice Thomas and all of the many other blacks who are smarter and more successful than the rest of us?? I know plenty of stupid white people. What about your your perpetual grad students? Many score high on IQ tests but are dumber than a box of rocks. He's free to talk about whatever he wants, but we should all fear genetic research that will place us in neat little boxes about what we can and can't do based on our genetic makeup. Oh, don't hire her, she's blonde. Blondes aren't as smart. Pshaw.

Posted by Unutle McGurque8861 2007-10-17 22:15|| 2007-10-17 22:15|| Front Page Top

#26 1/ Intelligence IS partly explained by genetic difference.
2/ The average (peak of the bell curve) for black people can be lower than the average for the whole population, but you'll still find above average people who are black.

HOWEVER
Why should social policy differ depending on intelligence? Do we have IQ tests for govt programs?

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2007-10-17 23:06|| 2007-10-17 23:06|| Front Page Top

#27 I think this is dangerous territory. Pretty soon these types of bell curves will affect everyone. Oh, you have a such and such gene... no life insurance for you. Oh you have red hair - you are too tempermental for this job.

This stuff is Hitler's dream. Pretty soon people with a particular eyebrow pattern won't be allowed into MCDonalds because they are more prone to heart attacks. you can't have that surgery... you can't have that loan, you have a higher propensity to be an alcoholic, no job for you.

Scary stuff.

Posted by Unutle McGurque8861 2007-10-17 23:18|| 2007-10-17 23:18|| Front Page Top

23:32 Zenster
23:28 Zenster
23:20 Zenster
23:18 Unutle McGurque8861
23:06 Bright Pebbles
22:46 Unutle McGurque8861
22:46 JosephMendiola
22:40 JosephMendiola
22:37 JosephMendiola
22:30 Alaska Paul
22:24 Alaska Paul
22:22 trailing wife
22:17 Alaska Paul
22:15 Unutle McGurque8861
22:14 trailing wife
21:57 Redneck Jim
21:39 trailing wife
21:35 lotp
21:32 lotp
21:31 Unutle McGurque8861
21:30 whitecollar redneck
21:28 Broadhead6
21:27 Redneck Jim
21:24 Broadhead6