Capco

For sure, and that's essentially what I mean. Ironically enough what you said is more akin to where I stand, but I was trying to convey it in more "classical" terms to get my point across haha. But I should give you more credit; you said it perfectly. My honest answer is that our culture places the burden of stressing such things to our children upon the family unit itself. But there's an obvious, inherent problem with that. If the burden is placed on the family unit to stress the continued idea of the family unit, but the family unit isn't intact in the first place, then that can become a generational issue for certain lineages. Which then begs the question: do we want such a theory being stressed to our children via alternative means so that intact family units in one generation can become complete family units in the next generation? Personally, I think we do want that as a whole society. And I think the best avenue for that is to encourage such behavior to our children in public schools.

I'm sorry but comparing the people of that era to a herd of sheep is going to be taken as an insult most of the time.

Seriously?! And that's not even a good insult when you think about it. You do know why animals herd, right? It's a form of protection. By congregating in a herd, predators only have access to the animals on outskirts of the herd. It's a classic example of individual sacrifice for the benefit of the whole herd.

Like the Pfizer and Moderna RNA vaccines?

All vaccines have that risk. But people took that very, very minor risk willingly because they knew what it meant for the whole country. The benefits to the whole far outweighed the risk to the individual, and they didn't have second thoughts about doing something like that. It was automatic. Something changed in the last 40 years. People somehow became more selfish and less trusting, more tribal and less accepting.

I genuinely don't understand sentiments like this. When you were a child, did your parents make a fuss about getting your vaccinations? Was it such a big matter of "choice" then? Do you have children of your own? If so, have you gotten them vaccinated? The only people being entitled and self-important are those who chose not to get vaccinated, since getting vaccinated isn't just for themselves but also for the sake of the community. Can you imagine the Greatest Generation putting up a big stink about getting the polio vaccine for their kids in the 50s? I just can't wrap my mind around it.

CRT challenges fundamental assumptions in modern American society, and I suppose you can argue there's something to be said for being contrarian, pushing the boundaries of what we accept as "okay," and challenging the status quo. So in that sense, at best it's food for thought. According to Kimberlé Crenshaw, the various proponents of CRT loosely share two common interests: The first is to understand how a regime of white supremacy and its subordination of people of color have been created and maintained in America, and, in particular, to examine the relationship between the social structure and professed ideals such as 'the rule of law' and 'equal protection'. The second is a desire not merely to understand the vexed bond between law and racial power but to change it. - Critical Race Theory: The Key Writings that Formed the Movement Now, on its face that doesn't sound too bad. "Find structural racism in the law, and get it out of the law." As I said earlier, it's a noble objective. But the more I read about some of the specific views that are espoused in search of this goal, the more I just cannot get behind CRT as anything more than something to get you thinking.

Precisely. To take it a step further, I think it's important to have both male and female role models for those children as well (even only children). And any couple of any mix (or even single parents) can provide those role models through means such as extended family, coaches, etc.

Well said as always, comrade Kay!

Ugh......... And this is just reflective of a bigger problem at large in this country. People have lost trust in institutions that are the bedrock of our society.

With all due respect, you sound like this guy when you refer to the all-encompassing, omnipresent boogeyman otherwise known as "they":

I was thinking that too and I tend to agree. There is almost a cultural aversion to the family unit. Study after study after study shows how much an intact family unit has on the success of offspring. I'm not saying that connecting reparations to CRT at some level is right or wrong. All I'm saying is that you're the one making these connections and jumping to these conclusions without any direct basis in fact. That makes it difficult to have a concrete discussion. I'm not trying to be a jerk or abrasive. There just isn't much to respond to.

I think you nailed it. The reason why those groups perform at a higher level is because of culture! Jewish and East Asian culture both place a tremendous amount of focus on academic achievement. Jews have been discriminated against for centuries for being more successful on average because of this and other cultural reasons. But we also have to be careful about the flip side of that coin. Some people might chalk up the academic disparity along demographic lines only to culture and forego any genuine structural issues that are holding certain groups back. I believe fixing the problem will require a comprehensive approach, and one that does not involve deconstructing one subculture for the benefit of another. It doesn't have to be a zero-sum game. Ditto.

Incredible oversimplification, tbh. There's a history to it that has absolutely nothing to do with seeking reparations. Like, I can see why you might predict such an eventuality (i.e., reparations) and how CRT could impact that. But to say it's intrinsic to CRT is conjecture and conspiracy.

Well, I think that that part is obvious. There is no irony in the anti-white sentiments. The idea of my mentioning Asians and Jews is how it doesn't comport with the idea that whites are at the top of the hierarchy in all fields. I think it's ironic that, in search of equality for people of color, CRT opens the door to discrimination against people of color.

Good morning Bill. I think this is a great point. Going by group, Asians and Jews perform above the academic norm for whites on average afaik. If the system is inherently rigged for the supremacy of whites of European ancestry, then CRT advocates might be forced to come up with reasons as to why Asians and Jews would be performing better than whites. Reasons like cheating. In other words, rather ironically CRT can open the door to anti-Semitism and anti-Asian sentiment. I happen to have serious doubts about CRT because they toss to the side many things that I hold in high regard in search of an otherwise noble objective.

So we shouldn't be teaching evolution and general relativity because they are theories?

"I can still kick any of your asses with both hands behind my back. Try me."

Trubisky goes in depth on being depth.

Sorry you were having problems. No worries.

It's one or the other, unless you think they are equivalent. I'm not sure why you are so afraid of answering a pretty direct question.

Okay. So you’re saying the Chinese have more economic freedom than Americans?

I meant like... the degree to which individuals can make economic choices within a society or country, under their laws, etc. The parameters that define economic freedom are pointless if there are no players making choices within those parameters, like people and businesses. It's kind of built into the definition (as I thought I understood it, anyway). Here's a definition written by The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank: Economic freedom is the fundamental right of every human to control his or her own labor and property. In an economically free society, individuals are free to work, produce, consume, and invest in any way they please. In economically free societies, governments allow labor, capital, and goods to move freely, and refrain from coercion or constraint of liberty beyond the extent necessary to protect and maintain liberty itself. Obviously, neither country is perfectly economically free according to the above definition, and both have restrictions and regulations governing economic choices. And I know you're saying that China is winning, but I'm still trying to find out which country's government allows, for example, labor, capital, and goods to move more freely in your opinion. Do the Chinese have more control over their own labor and property than Americans do? Are the Chinese more free to work, produce, consume, and invest than Americans are?

Just a reminder, but you literally used the term "economic freedom" in a sentence in the post you are quoting: That's your own, original thought with your own word choice. In order to make such a statement, one must have a working definition of economic freedom. So either you have a definition of economic freedom and you are just being difficult, or you don't have a definition and are making uninformed claims.

One of my favorite discussions to have about football is the evolution of the game at the NFL level over the last 2 decades. There are enough variables in play that it's difficult to narrow it down to one reason above all others.