from what I've come to understand , this is the essence of "postmodernist" thought, which is the heart of critical justice theories. that is, nobody has self-ownership. I'm white, as are you, and we are programmed to see if this way which is racist. neither do the protected classes possess self-ownership. none of us do. we continue to spew hate programmed by the system, and they continue to need this protection. which begs the question - who DOES think in this system? not even the justice warriors can possess their own true minds. if you follow the logic through. I guess nobody is thinking, it's just "a system" and we all follow mindless tracks that are pre-programmed? I suppose the postmodernist theorists and thinkers are sort of "God" in this system. I guess they do possess the real , actual, human, thinking in all this. it's really just "consensus" that does the thinking, groups, communities, institutions. that's what it boils down to , is institutions becoming human and only they possess the thought - but we can't point truly at a single human among them - it's just the postmodern Borg.
I asked Perplexity.ai the following Q :: "As a percentage of each population in the United States, is there more white-on-black crime, or is it the other way around?"
The answer ::
Based on the available data, there is more Black-on-White crime than White-on-Black crime as a percentage of each population in the United States.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics report for 2012-2015 found that the rate of Black-on-White violent crime (3.1 per 1,000) was higher than the rate of White-on-Black violent crime (2.8 per 1,000)2. This difference becomes more significant when considering the population sizes, as Black Americans make up a smaller percentage of the total U.S. population compared to White Americans.
Additionally, FBI data from 2019 shows that homicides with White victims and Black offenders were more than 2.3 times more common than the opposite (566 vs 246)3. This disparity is particularly notable given that Black Americans comprised only 12.2% of the U.S. population in 2019, while making up a larger percentage of arrests for various crimes5.
It's important to note that the majority of violent crimes are intraracial, meaning they occur between individuals of the same race. For both White and Black Americans, the rate of same-race violent crime is significantly higher than interracial crime123.
=========
I then asked the follow up :: "What is the percentage of each population in the United States?"
Answer ::
Based on the most recent data from 2023, the percentage breakdown of the U.S. population by race and ethnicity is as follows:
White (non-Hispanic): 58%1
Hispanic: 20%1
Black: 13-14.4%12
Asian or Pacific Islander: 6-7.4%17
Other/Multiracial: 3-10.21%15
The white non-Hispanic population remains the largest group, but it has decreased from about 75% in 1990 to 58% in 20231. The Hispanic population has grown significantly, becoming the largest non-white group in the U.S., increasing from 9% in 1990 to 20% in 20231.
The Black population has remained relatively stable, comprising between 13% and 14.4% of the total population12. The Asian or Pacific Islander population has seen substantial growth, more than doubling from 2.8% in 1990 to 6-7.4% in 202317.
It's important to note that these percentages can vary slightly depending on the specific data source and how racial and ethnic categories are defined. For instance, some sources may separate multiracial individuals into a distinct category, while others may include them within other racial groups.
==========
I assume anyone can replicate the above by asking Perplexity.ai the same questions, as well as get the references cited by the chatbot. Relative to the crime data, I wish it was more up to date, rather than from 2015 and 2019. Nonetheless, it's intriguing stuff.
If you're interested in reading honest dissections of crime stats and the such, conservative law professor Heather Mac Donald wrote a brilliant, easily digestible book called The War on Cops (in fact all her books are worth a read).
I've pretty much been cutoff by my sister and her family for having the audacity to say that more whites are killed by police than blacks (along with saying schools should not be teaching kids weird sex shit). If you look at the size of the white versus black populations there's absolutely no way for more blacks to be killed than whites and statistics back this up, try explaining this to the Woke and they stare at you like you are the reincarnation of Hitler.
Well, there's the 52/12 thing, so blacks are much more likely to come to the attention of cops, but even so, blacks have become so untouchable that more unarmed Whites are killed by cops than blacks.
The Claim That Racism Is Considered Worse Than Rape or Murder...
No, it is not, the author asserts that our society views racism as the worst possible moral sin worse than rape or murder. This is simply not true, in our legal system, murder and rape are punishable by decades in prison or life sentences. Accusations of racism may result in social media “cancellation,” uncomfortable social ostracization or loss of employment, but not criminal prosecution. This alone disproves the notion that racism is treated as a worse offense. If what the author suggests was true, we would expect to see widespread calls for harsher penalties for acts of racism than for homicide, which simply does not exist.
About Black Communities and Crime...
Anecdotes do not constitute statistical proof. Crime data must be analyzed in the context of socioeconomic factors, policing patterns, and historical disparities. Research consistently shows that crime is more strongly correlated with poverty than with race. While crime rates vary among demographic groups, this is not evidence of inherent criminality. A serious analysis of crime must account for systemic issues such as negative cultural influences, limited economic opportunities, human greed, and the lasting impact of redlining, all of which have contributed to concentrated poverty in minority communities. The issue with crime data has never been about its accuracy but about the conclusions drawn from it.
There is often an implicit and sometimes explicit suggestion that there is just something fundamentally wrong with Black people, that we are all somehow broken. That we need to be either fixed, sent back to the manufacture, or simply discontinued as a member of the human family. The suggestion is that this critical flaw in Black people cannot be remedied or fixed. Not by law, custom or policy. The reality is that Black people like all people, have unresolved items on their cultural docket that need to be addressed. The difference is that these challenges do not stem from any inherent defect but from the echo of historical and structural forces that continue to shape the present.
On The Discussion of Black Humanity
The author suggests that true equality means acknowledging that black people are capable of both good and evil just like anyone else. This is true and I don’t believe this was ever in doubt but then the author contradicts himself by painting black communities as inherently criminal and parasitic. Suggesting that society somehow refuses to hold black people accountable for crimes. Given the disproportionately high incarceration rates of blacks compared to whites for similar offenses this seems like an odd argument to make. The justice system in America has long shown that black people are indeed held accountable and often excessively so. The historic sentencing disparities between black and white defendants for the same crimes are well-documented. If anything, the system does not favor black offenders but rather punishes them much more harshly.
It seems like the vibe shift in the post-woke era is creating a lot of essays like this one, written by people that believe that they have escaped a strange parallel universe of false moral delusions to now see the "truth" about race among other topics, but the arguments presented often rely on selective use of evidence, generalizations, and appeals to emotion rather than rigorous analysis. Such essays often end up upholding old racial hierarchies, presenting them as mere common sense. Crime data is often treated as the ultimate measure of truth about the fundamental nature of entire groups of people. These perspectives often reflect a defensive reaction against societal progress rather than a genuine search for truth.
The painful reality is racism cannot be eradicated in the ways that many seem to believe. Racism is like persistent malware that runs inside the heads of other people. We have no control over that. The most one can really do when it is encountered is outmaneuver it, avoid it at all costs or simply ignore it. Racism is an ocean to be navigated not a dragon to be slain. Acknowledging historical injustices and working toward a more just and equal society does not constitute a "death wish" for any people, it is a move toward a more functional world hopefully for everyone.
The danger is when someone allows a voracious ideological movement to take political power, which then weaponized human empathy against the entire population of a country to such a degree that one becomes incapable of calling out the wrong doing of marginalized individuals for fear of social sanction by the supporters of that ideological movement. Black people as a group can’t be blamed for that one.
No reasonable person disputes that poverty and past explicit racism aren't contributing factors to negative outcomes. The problem is that modern leftist ideology has attempted to reframe anything negative as a priori caused by some prejudice.
It has also cultivated a belief system amongst a significant proportion of the Black community that "everything is others' fault" and basically programmed them to be angry and entitled. This has gone on for some time till the point people aren't having it anymore - hence the vibe shift.
So, a "significant proportion of the Black community" (whatever that means) has been "programmed" (love the robot reference) to believe that "everything is others' fault" (that is code for non-black people) This is both condescending and inaccurate. This characterization ignores the resilience, entrepreneurship, and activism within Black communities that have consistently sought solutions to a myriad of challenges over the decades. Black scholars, leaders, along with everyday citizens have long emphasized the importance of personal responsibility and personal excellence alongside legal and policy changes that have improved the standing of Black people. Suggesting that an entire demographic has been "programmed" into victimhood dismisses legitimate grievances and erases the many nuanced perspectives that exist within the Black community.
There are many of us that do not see ourselves as victims, not at all. On the contrary, we believe that we owe it to our ancestors by moving forward, not to re-live the pain they have already endured in the distant past to make our current lives possible. So, no Mr. Roth, as a people we are not “programmed” for any such thing.
The real question isn't whether racism and poverty have contributed to disparities most reasonable people agree that they have. The issue is whether we are willing to engage in an honest dialogue about how to address those disparities without resorting to dismissive generalizations and mischaracterizations of an entire community's mindset.
Now personally, the way I see it the time for dialogue has passed, it failed, and no one has any desire what-so-ever to talk about the topic of race or the history of what was done to Black people in this country. It will forever remain unaddressed and unresolved because we cannot fix the past. So, we must then ask ourselves what do we do now? After all, we are at the point where people aren't having it anymore, correct? I think it is fair to say, that could be said for those on all sides of this dispute.
So, the only question now is, what comes next? Will we manage to find common ground and move the needle forward for humanity or will we do what we have always done as a species and enter into a long, messy, predictable back-and-forth cycle of history? If human history has shown us anything, it’s that cycles of resistance and pushback only delay the progress that eventually comes. The choice is ours, resist change and repeat history’s mistakes, or forge some new path forward. I guess we will see how the vibe shift all shakes out in the end.
I feel you're talking past some of the points being made, which are actually not incompatible with your views. You talk about personal responsibility; about a duty to find solutions to the challenges faced. I doubt anyone here (certainly not Josh) would disagree with this.
But you are very defensive about a few of the points made, which are not unconnected to the challenges you refer to. People can be and *are* programmed to think a certain way -- through schooling, through pop culture and media, through political discourse, through incentives, and so on. This is not a claim you should feel threatened by. It's not only black people being programmed -- it's everybody in our society. But in this thread we're talking about the effects on black people, therefore the other commenter referred to the victim mentality which this programming leads to within this demographic.
Do you deny that this mentality exists and that it has grown in the past 10 years?
We can only forge a new path forward if we can acknowledge the reality of where we're at.
Kenneth, the crime stats are often worse in black neighbourhoods that are fairly homogeneous. The victims are other black people. You're going to blame these trends solely on racism and policing disparities? Since 2020, in fact, there has been a lot less policing and much to the dismay of ordinary law-abiding people (including the vast majority of black people), crime has skyrocketed in these neighbourhoods. It simply is not currently the case that black perpetrators are consistently, let alone excessively, held to account.
Also, who here is saying there is "an inherent defect" in black people? I see Josh and others suggesting that the solution to the negative trends we're seeing lies primarily with black people themselves, who possess the capacity to uplift their own communities, as was the case in the post-civil-war and civil-rights eras. There was a burgeoning, thriving black middle class in America in the first half of the 20th century and while there still is in many places, there has been widespread regression and degeneration. Even though some of the drivers (like massively expanded welfare) are external, we must recognise that all people and communities have agency and must strive to change their course.
The fact that crime rates are higher in predominantly Black neighborhoods is not controversial. What is misleading, however, is the tendency to attribute this to "Black agency" alone while ignoring broader patterns of poverty and historic neglect that cut across racial lines. Crime is more closely linked to economic deprivation than race. If crime were purely a product of "Black culture" or a lack of "Black responsibility," then we wouldn’t see similar crime patterns in impoverished non-Black communities, in urban areas, or struggling rural towns. The types of crimes may differ, but economic struggle breeds crime across all racial groups.
The Oversimplification of Crime and the Problem with “Black Responsibility” Narratives
Nowhere have I claimed that crime trends are solely the result of racism or policing disparities alone. However, dismissing these factors entirely, especially policing disparities, is just as reductive as blaming everything on culture or personal responsibility. Even if we momentarily set aside historical factors, we are left with a troubling framework:
•Crime and social struggles in Black communities are often framed as intrinsic racial failures the idea that Black people are inherently broken and beyond saving.
•This raises a disturbing implication: If a group is perceived as a lost cause, what "solutions" logically follow?
History shows that when society deems a population irredeemable, the response is often aggressive policing, mass incarceration, or policies that treat people as problems to be contained rather than citizens to be supported or worse the population is done away with. I don’t think we are there just yet, but you never know what the future may hold especially since it has become quite clear that people “aren't having it anymore”. We certainly know how these things were delt with in human history. Let us hope that we have the collective wisdom to somehow find common ground on these issues and not take a predictable path the might lead to a tragic and needless cycle of history.
Meanwhile, when non-Black communities face economic hardship and crime, explanations shift toward external factors such as:
•Economic decline
•Job loss due to globalization and automation
•The opioid crisis as a “public health emergency” rather than a crime wave that requires sufficient crushing.
This double standard is most clearly reflected in media coverage. Lots of non-blacks used crack but that is not the way media sought to “program” the public.
Media Bias in Framing Drug Epidemics: Crack vs. Opioids
The contrast in how the media covered the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s and the opioid epidemic today is a prime example of this racialized framing.
- Crack Cocaine Epidemic Coverage (Primarily Affecting Black Communities) -
•Framed as a criminal justice issue rather than a public health crisis.
•Language used: War on Drugs, law and order, super predators, zero tolerance, tough on crime, mandatory minimums, mass incarceration.
- Response: Harsh sentencing laws, mass incarceration, militarized policing, and the destruction of Black families.
- Root causes ignored: Instead of economic conditions, the media and policymakers blamed "Black criminal culture" “the lack of intact Black families” "moral decay" and lack of family values.
Gun Violence & Mass Shootings
•When Non-black shooters are involved: Often attributed to mental illness, isolation, despair, or lack of mental health services.
•When Black communities experience gun violence: Blamed on gang culture, lack of family values, or "Black-on-Black crime."
Economic Hardship & Welfare Use
•When Non-black communities struggle economically: Framed as a consequence of job loss, outsourcing, deindustrialization, and emotional despair.
•When Black communities rely on welfare: Framed as a cultural failing laziness, dependency on government handouts, and lack of work ethic.
Political Radicalization & Domestic Extremism
•Non-black domestic extremists: Often explained through economic anxiety, small-town despair, and loss of opportunity.
•Black social movements: Often described as radical, dangerous, disruptive, communist, and anti-American.
The Larger Implications of This Double Standard
For decades, we have seen this pattern repeat:
•When Black communities struggle, the narrative focuses on personal responsibility.
•When Non-black communities struggle, the blame shifts to external forces beyond their control.
This isn’t about denying individual agency, every community should strive for progress, but meaningful solutions require acknowledging the full context rather than pushing narratives that simply reinforce racial stereotypes. The U.S. media has played a central role in shaping these misrepresentations thus “programing people.” This distorts not only the challenges Black communities face but also vilifies struggling non-Black groups in similar ways. Until we address how problems are framed and discussed, real solutions will remain out of reach.
At this time in our history, it seems there is no desire to address or resolve these issues. People on all sides are simply exhausted by it all. It is the reason why I believe that none of these issues will be solved until we abolish the very concept of “race” as a classification system for humanity. It is not bound to genetics or biology in any significant way and as we have seen it causes far more problems than it solves.
Sources:
Criminal Justice or Public Health: A Comparison of the Representation of the Crack Cocaine and Opioid Epidemics in the Media:
I’ve given you a lot of room to write post-length objections here, Kenneth. You have accused me of racism (stop-do not say you haven’t. Yes, you have, by using passive aggressive covert criticism) and have gone on at some length with a sob story without engaging any of my substantive critique.
My patience is wearing out. I’ve given you considerably more respect than you have shown me by allowing you to post repeatedly here (despite your bad faith), and my patience has run out.
Do not put another book length comment on this article. No, I’m not going to engage you. I’m not going to respond to your typical party line woe-is-me.
Don’t wear out your welcome. The next time I have to respond to you it will be in plain Anglo Saxon. Find a Kendi-friendly blog to complain on.
Ah, the classic block-and-run. Well, I suppose this is it then. It's always an honor to get blocked by someone for something. So much for finding common ground.
You're not blocked, and you know you're not. You're a dishonest actor, Kenneth. And you have no desire to find common ground--that's a feint you're using. Your comments here have been bad faith and disrespectful, treating me like another "bigot" you get to lecture about Civil Rights. Black untouchability in discourse is over, sir.
Take your middle school passive aggressive girls' lunch table approach somewhere else. That's your last warning. This is my place, not yours.
I think one of the most obvious examples of what you talk about is the rape gangs of England. What's the priority? Protect the victims? Nope. Stop it from happening? Nope. But cover it up to fight "Islamaphobia"? Yep.
And as you say, all these bad words: homophobia, mysogyny, Islamaphobia, etc., are really different sides of the exact same coin that is the "racism" accusation.
It so very much needs to be said and you said it well sir. White guilt, Antiwhiteism and statistics gaslighting are alive and well. Blacks, Arabs, Hispanics, Jews, Asians, Indians, Pacific Islanders and more are all globally encouraged to have and honor their racial identity, collective pride, the right to homelands, group preference and recognition of their own culture (whatever that culture might be.) Let's be real about it. What group is exempt?
What leftists can't see is that viewing black Americans as children--incapable of self control and adult understanding, and adorable for it--is the same profound, enduring racism that fretted, 'But who will pick the cotton,' while getting its hair combed by a black servant.
Tackling race in a realistic way is like knocking out the keystone of the entire fauxgressive infrastructure. It has taken on the status of Western culture's central sin - and it is very much present outside the US despite countries like Australia having very distinct history. Once that goes, other mythologies will follow.
The truth is that the predominant regard toward Black people in societies like USA is a combination of resentment, fear and learned avoidance rather than authentic racism (obligatory acknowledgment that remnants still exist). These feelings are a combination of what JS has outlined (not being allowed to consider one's own welfare) and the messaging minorities have been given that has basically taught them consistently that they have a "special right of grievance".
I found some great voices like McWhorter and of course Sowell however, and with the woke-rollback happening things are actually looking brighter.
This was a great episode. It was heavy but necessary. I didn’t really know anything about the Zizians until you and Dr. Todd Grande discussed them. I’m not being cute or funny when I say I hope you stay safe up there.
As always, you do great work and thank you for speaking so plainly and forthrightly about tough topics.
When I started reading this, I reflected on how non-racist our society is. I remember in the 1960s the TV programs for children included cartoons from the 1930s with stereotypical black characters, but they also gave us Duke Ellington. The old "Our Gang" series had a black boy who was one of the kids. Jack Benny had Rochester. Lucy had Desi Arnaz, Cuban band leader. The "Rat Pack" had Sammy Davis Jr. (IMO one of the greatest male singers of all time.) In the 1960s there was a black character in Hogan's Heroes, Mission Impossible, Star Trek, and no doubt many others. Bill Cosby was popular, and Flip Wilson. Every race and ethnicity was present, and presented in a positive light.
But then I reflected on the obvious propaganda we see all around us, and I wonder if what we were being shown was part of a deliberate program rather than an organic thing. We were taught that blacks were the same as Whites, but no one talked about the crime statistics. Nobel Prize laureates who pointed out the 15+ point IQ gap between blacks and Whites were canceled: William Shockley as early as 1969, James Watson more recently. "The Bell Curve" (around 1994) was condemned. At some point what may have started out as organic acceptance turned into forced acceptance, and what began as an effort to convince people of racial equality began to elevate blacks to a position of social superiority. The real characteristics of the majority of blacks and their attitude towards Whites had been so thoroughly suppressed that by 2008 the public was ready to elect Obama - likely CIA asset and technically unqualified to hold the office due to his citizenship status - as President. That night, I felt I lost my country.
You asked about the basis for our strange attitudes regarding blacks. I think the answer is that we have been subjected to a decades-long propaganda campaign that warped our thinking. It was deliberate, and it was done primarily to control us.
Thank you for your honest evaluation of our society. You are one brave person. And I, for one, appreciate your bravery.
from what I've come to understand , this is the essence of "postmodernist" thought, which is the heart of critical justice theories. that is, nobody has self-ownership. I'm white, as are you, and we are programmed to see if this way which is racist. neither do the protected classes possess self-ownership. none of us do. we continue to spew hate programmed by the system, and they continue to need this protection. which begs the question - who DOES think in this system? not even the justice warriors can possess their own true minds. if you follow the logic through. I guess nobody is thinking, it's just "a system" and we all follow mindless tracks that are pre-programmed? I suppose the postmodernist theorists and thinkers are sort of "God" in this system. I guess they do possess the real , actual, human, thinking in all this. it's really just "consensus" that does the thinking, groups, communities, institutions. that's what it boils down to , is institutions becoming human and only they possess the thought - but we can't point truly at a single human among them - it's just the postmodern Borg.
I asked Perplexity.ai the following Q :: "As a percentage of each population in the United States, is there more white-on-black crime, or is it the other way around?"
The answer ::
Based on the available data, there is more Black-on-White crime than White-on-Black crime as a percentage of each population in the United States.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics report for 2012-2015 found that the rate of Black-on-White violent crime (3.1 per 1,000) was higher than the rate of White-on-Black violent crime (2.8 per 1,000)2. This difference becomes more significant when considering the population sizes, as Black Americans make up a smaller percentage of the total U.S. population compared to White Americans.
Additionally, FBI data from 2019 shows that homicides with White victims and Black offenders were more than 2.3 times more common than the opposite (566 vs 246)3. This disparity is particularly notable given that Black Americans comprised only 12.2% of the U.S. population in 2019, while making up a larger percentage of arrests for various crimes5.
It's important to note that the majority of violent crimes are intraracial, meaning they occur between individuals of the same race. For both White and Black Americans, the rate of same-race violent crime is significantly higher than interracial crime123.
=========
I then asked the follow up :: "What is the percentage of each population in the United States?"
Answer ::
Based on the most recent data from 2023, the percentage breakdown of the U.S. population by race and ethnicity is as follows:
White (non-Hispanic): 58%1
Hispanic: 20%1
Black: 13-14.4%12
Asian or Pacific Islander: 6-7.4%17
Other/Multiracial: 3-10.21%15
The white non-Hispanic population remains the largest group, but it has decreased from about 75% in 1990 to 58% in 20231. The Hispanic population has grown significantly, becoming the largest non-white group in the U.S., increasing from 9% in 1990 to 20% in 20231.
The Black population has remained relatively stable, comprising between 13% and 14.4% of the total population12. The Asian or Pacific Islander population has seen substantial growth, more than doubling from 2.8% in 1990 to 6-7.4% in 202317.
It's important to note that these percentages can vary slightly depending on the specific data source and how racial and ethnic categories are defined. For instance, some sources may separate multiracial individuals into a distinct category, while others may include them within other racial groups.
==========
I assume anyone can replicate the above by asking Perplexity.ai the same questions, as well as get the references cited by the chatbot. Relative to the crime data, I wish it was more up to date, rather than from 2015 and 2019. Nonetheless, it's intriguing stuff.
If you're interested in reading honest dissections of crime stats and the such, conservative law professor Heather Mac Donald wrote a brilliant, easily digestible book called The War on Cops (in fact all her books are worth a read).
Hi Josh, I did comment on this as previously posted but here, have you seen this clip? ( I think you'll like it!) https://youtu.be/TgNQHMURoNo?si=NdgXOf0wwiaM0tVx
I've pretty much been cutoff by my sister and her family for having the audacity to say that more whites are killed by police than blacks (along with saying schools should not be teaching kids weird sex shit). If you look at the size of the white versus black populations there's absolutely no way for more blacks to be killed than whites and statistics back this up, try explaining this to the Woke and they stare at you like you are the reincarnation of Hitler.
Well, there's the 52/12 thing, so blacks are much more likely to come to the attention of cops, but even so, blacks have become so untouchable that more unarmed Whites are killed by cops than blacks.
The Claim That Racism Is Considered Worse Than Rape or Murder...
No, it is not, the author asserts that our society views racism as the worst possible moral sin worse than rape or murder. This is simply not true, in our legal system, murder and rape are punishable by decades in prison or life sentences. Accusations of racism may result in social media “cancellation,” uncomfortable social ostracization or loss of employment, but not criminal prosecution. This alone disproves the notion that racism is treated as a worse offense. If what the author suggests was true, we would expect to see widespread calls for harsher penalties for acts of racism than for homicide, which simply does not exist.
About Black Communities and Crime...
Anecdotes do not constitute statistical proof. Crime data must be analyzed in the context of socioeconomic factors, policing patterns, and historical disparities. Research consistently shows that crime is more strongly correlated with poverty than with race. While crime rates vary among demographic groups, this is not evidence of inherent criminality. A serious analysis of crime must account for systemic issues such as negative cultural influences, limited economic opportunities, human greed, and the lasting impact of redlining, all of which have contributed to concentrated poverty in minority communities. The issue with crime data has never been about its accuracy but about the conclusions drawn from it.
There is often an implicit and sometimes explicit suggestion that there is just something fundamentally wrong with Black people, that we are all somehow broken. That we need to be either fixed, sent back to the manufacture, or simply discontinued as a member of the human family. The suggestion is that this critical flaw in Black people cannot be remedied or fixed. Not by law, custom or policy. The reality is that Black people like all people, have unresolved items on their cultural docket that need to be addressed. The difference is that these challenges do not stem from any inherent defect but from the echo of historical and structural forces that continue to shape the present.
On The Discussion of Black Humanity
The author suggests that true equality means acknowledging that black people are capable of both good and evil just like anyone else. This is true and I don’t believe this was ever in doubt but then the author contradicts himself by painting black communities as inherently criminal and parasitic. Suggesting that society somehow refuses to hold black people accountable for crimes. Given the disproportionately high incarceration rates of blacks compared to whites for similar offenses this seems like an odd argument to make. The justice system in America has long shown that black people are indeed held accountable and often excessively so. The historic sentencing disparities between black and white defendants for the same crimes are well-documented. If anything, the system does not favor black offenders but rather punishes them much more harshly.
It seems like the vibe shift in the post-woke era is creating a lot of essays like this one, written by people that believe that they have escaped a strange parallel universe of false moral delusions to now see the "truth" about race among other topics, but the arguments presented often rely on selective use of evidence, generalizations, and appeals to emotion rather than rigorous analysis. Such essays often end up upholding old racial hierarchies, presenting them as mere common sense. Crime data is often treated as the ultimate measure of truth about the fundamental nature of entire groups of people. These perspectives often reflect a defensive reaction against societal progress rather than a genuine search for truth.
The painful reality is racism cannot be eradicated in the ways that many seem to believe. Racism is like persistent malware that runs inside the heads of other people. We have no control over that. The most one can really do when it is encountered is outmaneuver it, avoid it at all costs or simply ignore it. Racism is an ocean to be navigated not a dragon to be slain. Acknowledging historical injustices and working toward a more just and equal society does not constitute a "death wish" for any people, it is a move toward a more functional world hopefully for everyone.
The danger is when someone allows a voracious ideological movement to take political power, which then weaponized human empathy against the entire population of a country to such a degree that one becomes incapable of calling out the wrong doing of marginalized individuals for fear of social sanction by the supporters of that ideological movement. Black people as a group can’t be blamed for that one.
AI Check: “In the United States, Racism Is Considered Worse Than Rape or Murder, true or false?” https://www.perplexity.ai/search/in-the-united-states-racism-is-_aJT7UPnQz249dPEgTqkbA
No reasonable person disputes that poverty and past explicit racism aren't contributing factors to negative outcomes. The problem is that modern leftist ideology has attempted to reframe anything negative as a priori caused by some prejudice.
It has also cultivated a belief system amongst a significant proportion of the Black community that "everything is others' fault" and basically programmed them to be angry and entitled. This has gone on for some time till the point people aren't having it anymore - hence the vibe shift.
So, a "significant proportion of the Black community" (whatever that means) has been "programmed" (love the robot reference) to believe that "everything is others' fault" (that is code for non-black people) This is both condescending and inaccurate. This characterization ignores the resilience, entrepreneurship, and activism within Black communities that have consistently sought solutions to a myriad of challenges over the decades. Black scholars, leaders, along with everyday citizens have long emphasized the importance of personal responsibility and personal excellence alongside legal and policy changes that have improved the standing of Black people. Suggesting that an entire demographic has been "programmed" into victimhood dismisses legitimate grievances and erases the many nuanced perspectives that exist within the Black community.
There are many of us that do not see ourselves as victims, not at all. On the contrary, we believe that we owe it to our ancestors by moving forward, not to re-live the pain they have already endured in the distant past to make our current lives possible. So, no Mr. Roth, as a people we are not “programmed” for any such thing.
The real question isn't whether racism and poverty have contributed to disparities most reasonable people agree that they have. The issue is whether we are willing to engage in an honest dialogue about how to address those disparities without resorting to dismissive generalizations and mischaracterizations of an entire community's mindset.
Now personally, the way I see it the time for dialogue has passed, it failed, and no one has any desire what-so-ever to talk about the topic of race or the history of what was done to Black people in this country. It will forever remain unaddressed and unresolved because we cannot fix the past. So, we must then ask ourselves what do we do now? After all, we are at the point where people aren't having it anymore, correct? I think it is fair to say, that could be said for those on all sides of this dispute.
So, the only question now is, what comes next? Will we manage to find common ground and move the needle forward for humanity or will we do what we have always done as a species and enter into a long, messy, predictable back-and-forth cycle of history? If human history has shown us anything, it’s that cycles of resistance and pushback only delay the progress that eventually comes. The choice is ours, resist change and repeat history’s mistakes, or forge some new path forward. I guess we will see how the vibe shift all shakes out in the end.
I feel you're talking past some of the points being made, which are actually not incompatible with your views. You talk about personal responsibility; about a duty to find solutions to the challenges faced. I doubt anyone here (certainly not Josh) would disagree with this.
But you are very defensive about a few of the points made, which are not unconnected to the challenges you refer to. People can be and *are* programmed to think a certain way -- through schooling, through pop culture and media, through political discourse, through incentives, and so on. This is not a claim you should feel threatened by. It's not only black people being programmed -- it's everybody in our society. But in this thread we're talking about the effects on black people, therefore the other commenter referred to the victim mentality which this programming leads to within this demographic.
Do you deny that this mentality exists and that it has grown in the past 10 years?
We can only forge a new path forward if we can acknowledge the reality of where we're at.
Kenneth, the crime stats are often worse in black neighbourhoods that are fairly homogeneous. The victims are other black people. You're going to blame these trends solely on racism and policing disparities? Since 2020, in fact, there has been a lot less policing and much to the dismay of ordinary law-abiding people (including the vast majority of black people), crime has skyrocketed in these neighbourhoods. It simply is not currently the case that black perpetrators are consistently, let alone excessively, held to account.
Also, who here is saying there is "an inherent defect" in black people? I see Josh and others suggesting that the solution to the negative trends we're seeing lies primarily with black people themselves, who possess the capacity to uplift their own communities, as was the case in the post-civil-war and civil-rights eras. There was a burgeoning, thriving black middle class in America in the first half of the 20th century and while there still is in many places, there has been widespread regression and degeneration. Even though some of the drivers (like massively expanded welfare) are external, we must recognise that all people and communities have agency and must strive to change their course.
The fact that crime rates are higher in predominantly Black neighborhoods is not controversial. What is misleading, however, is the tendency to attribute this to "Black agency" alone while ignoring broader patterns of poverty and historic neglect that cut across racial lines. Crime is more closely linked to economic deprivation than race. If crime were purely a product of "Black culture" or a lack of "Black responsibility," then we wouldn’t see similar crime patterns in impoverished non-Black communities, in urban areas, or struggling rural towns. The types of crimes may differ, but economic struggle breeds crime across all racial groups.
The Oversimplification of Crime and the Problem with “Black Responsibility” Narratives
Nowhere have I claimed that crime trends are solely the result of racism or policing disparities alone. However, dismissing these factors entirely, especially policing disparities, is just as reductive as blaming everything on culture or personal responsibility. Even if we momentarily set aside historical factors, we are left with a troubling framework:
•Crime and social struggles in Black communities are often framed as intrinsic racial failures the idea that Black people are inherently broken and beyond saving.
•This raises a disturbing implication: If a group is perceived as a lost cause, what "solutions" logically follow?
History shows that when society deems a population irredeemable, the response is often aggressive policing, mass incarceration, or policies that treat people as problems to be contained rather than citizens to be supported or worse the population is done away with. I don’t think we are there just yet, but you never know what the future may hold especially since it has become quite clear that people “aren't having it anymore”. We certainly know how these things were delt with in human history. Let us hope that we have the collective wisdom to somehow find common ground on these issues and not take a predictable path the might lead to a tragic and needless cycle of history.
Meanwhile, when non-Black communities face economic hardship and crime, explanations shift toward external factors such as:
•Economic decline
•Job loss due to globalization and automation
•The opioid crisis as a “public health emergency” rather than a crime wave that requires sufficient crushing.
This double standard is most clearly reflected in media coverage. Lots of non-blacks used crack but that is not the way media sought to “program” the public.
Media Bias in Framing Drug Epidemics: Crack vs. Opioids
The contrast in how the media covered the crack cocaine epidemic of the 1980s and the opioid epidemic today is a prime example of this racialized framing.
Opioid Epidemic Coverage (Primarily Affecting Non-black Communities):
•Framed as a public health crisis.
•Language used: Addiction, treatment, rehabilitation, mental health, overdose prevention, harm reduction.
- Response: Increased funding for treatment centers, empathy-driven narratives, policy shifts towards decriminalization.
- Root causes: Economic hardship, factory closures, rural poverty, globalization.
- Crack Cocaine Epidemic Coverage (Primarily Affecting Black Communities) -
•Framed as a criminal justice issue rather than a public health crisis.
•Language used: War on Drugs, law and order, super predators, zero tolerance, tough on crime, mandatory minimums, mass incarceration.
- Response: Harsh sentencing laws, mass incarceration, militarized policing, and the destruction of Black families.
- Root causes ignored: Instead of economic conditions, the media and policymakers blamed "Black criminal culture" “the lack of intact Black families” "moral decay" and lack of family values.
Gun Violence & Mass Shootings
•When Non-black shooters are involved: Often attributed to mental illness, isolation, despair, or lack of mental health services.
•When Black communities experience gun violence: Blamed on gang culture, lack of family values, or "Black-on-Black crime."
Economic Hardship & Welfare Use
•When Non-black communities struggle economically: Framed as a consequence of job loss, outsourcing, deindustrialization, and emotional despair.
•When Black communities rely on welfare: Framed as a cultural failing laziness, dependency on government handouts, and lack of work ethic.
Political Radicalization & Domestic Extremism
•Non-black domestic extremists: Often explained through economic anxiety, small-town despair, and loss of opportunity.
•Black social movements: Often described as radical, dangerous, disruptive, communist, and anti-American.
The Larger Implications of This Double Standard
For decades, we have seen this pattern repeat:
•When Black communities struggle, the narrative focuses on personal responsibility.
•When Non-black communities struggle, the blame shifts to external forces beyond their control.
This isn’t about denying individual agency, every community should strive for progress, but meaningful solutions require acknowledging the full context rather than pushing narratives that simply reinforce racial stereotypes. The U.S. media has played a central role in shaping these misrepresentations thus “programing people.” This distorts not only the challenges Black communities face but also vilifies struggling non-Black groups in similar ways. Until we address how problems are framed and discussed, real solutions will remain out of reach.
At this time in our history, it seems there is no desire to address or resolve these issues. People on all sides are simply exhausted by it all. It is the reason why I believe that none of these issues will be solved until we abolish the very concept of “race” as a classification system for humanity. It is not bound to genetics or biology in any significant way and as we have seen it causes far more problems than it solves.
Sources:
Criminal Justice or Public Health: A Comparison of the Representation of the Crack Cocaine and Opioid Epidemics in the Media:
https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/151964 and https://doi.org/10.1215/03616878-8004862
News reports on the 80s Crack Epidemic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj6LNatfn6s&list=TLPQMTgwMjIwMjX0Wsd97knPbw&index=1
I’ve given you a lot of room to write post-length objections here, Kenneth. You have accused me of racism (stop-do not say you haven’t. Yes, you have, by using passive aggressive covert criticism) and have gone on at some length with a sob story without engaging any of my substantive critique.
My patience is wearing out. I’ve given you considerably more respect than you have shown me by allowing you to post repeatedly here (despite your bad faith), and my patience has run out.
Do not put another book length comment on this article. No, I’m not going to engage you. I’m not going to respond to your typical party line woe-is-me.
Don’t wear out your welcome. The next time I have to respond to you it will be in plain Anglo Saxon. Find a Kendi-friendly blog to complain on.
Ah, the classic block-and-run. Well, I suppose this is it then. It's always an honor to get blocked by someone for something. So much for finding common ground.
You're not blocked, and you know you're not. You're a dishonest actor, Kenneth. And you have no desire to find common ground--that's a feint you're using. Your comments here have been bad faith and disrespectful, treating me like another "bigot" you get to lecture about Civil Rights. Black untouchability in discourse is over, sir.
Take your middle school passive aggressive girls' lunch table approach somewhere else. That's your last warning. This is my place, not yours.
Funny all the racist obsessed will never admit the black urban population is committing self genocide. That’s a real thought crime
I think one of the most obvious examples of what you talk about is the rape gangs of England. What's the priority? Protect the victims? Nope. Stop it from happening? Nope. But cover it up to fight "Islamaphobia"? Yep.
And as you say, all these bad words: homophobia, mysogyny, Islamaphobia, etc., are really different sides of the exact same coin that is the "racism" accusation.
It so very much needs to be said and you said it well sir. White guilt, Antiwhiteism and statistics gaslighting are alive and well. Blacks, Arabs, Hispanics, Jews, Asians, Indians, Pacific Islanders and more are all globally encouraged to have and honor their racial identity, collective pride, the right to homelands, group preference and recognition of their own culture (whatever that culture might be.) Let's be real about it. What group is exempt?
What leftists can't see is that viewing black Americans as children--incapable of self control and adult understanding, and adorable for it--is the same profound, enduring racism that fretted, 'But who will pick the cotton,' while getting its hair combed by a black servant.
Tackling race in a realistic way is like knocking out the keystone of the entire fauxgressive infrastructure. It has taken on the status of Western culture's central sin - and it is very much present outside the US despite countries like Australia having very distinct history. Once that goes, other mythologies will follow.
The truth is that the predominant regard toward Black people in societies like USA is a combination of resentment, fear and learned avoidance rather than authentic racism (obligatory acknowledgment that remnants still exist). These feelings are a combination of what JS has outlined (not being allowed to consider one's own welfare) and the messaging minorities have been given that has basically taught them consistently that they have a "special right of grievance".
I found some great voices like McWhorter and of course Sowell however, and with the woke-rollback happening things are actually looking brighter.
This was a great episode. It was heavy but necessary. I didn’t really know anything about the Zizians until you and Dr. Todd Grande discussed them. I’m not being cute or funny when I say I hope you stay safe up there.
As always, you do great work and thank you for speaking so plainly and forthrightly about tough topics.
When I started reading this, I reflected on how non-racist our society is. I remember in the 1960s the TV programs for children included cartoons from the 1930s with stereotypical black characters, but they also gave us Duke Ellington. The old "Our Gang" series had a black boy who was one of the kids. Jack Benny had Rochester. Lucy had Desi Arnaz, Cuban band leader. The "Rat Pack" had Sammy Davis Jr. (IMO one of the greatest male singers of all time.) In the 1960s there was a black character in Hogan's Heroes, Mission Impossible, Star Trek, and no doubt many others. Bill Cosby was popular, and Flip Wilson. Every race and ethnicity was present, and presented in a positive light.
But then I reflected on the obvious propaganda we see all around us, and I wonder if what we were being shown was part of a deliberate program rather than an organic thing. We were taught that blacks were the same as Whites, but no one talked about the crime statistics. Nobel Prize laureates who pointed out the 15+ point IQ gap between blacks and Whites were canceled: William Shockley as early as 1969, James Watson more recently. "The Bell Curve" (around 1994) was condemned. At some point what may have started out as organic acceptance turned into forced acceptance, and what began as an effort to convince people of racial equality began to elevate blacks to a position of social superiority. The real characteristics of the majority of blacks and their attitude towards Whites had been so thoroughly suppressed that by 2008 the public was ready to elect Obama - likely CIA asset and technically unqualified to hold the office due to his citizenship status - as President. That night, I felt I lost my country.
You asked about the basis for our strange attitudes regarding blacks. I think the answer is that we have been subjected to a decades-long propaganda campaign that warped our thinking. It was deliberate, and it was done primarily to control us.