Website owner: James Miller
On systemic discrimination against blacks
It has become an assumption among the liberal Left today that the only possible explanation for the fact that blacks do so poorly in so many areas compared to whites (or other races) is “systemic discrimination”. This assertion is absurd but it seems now to be accepted by all of our Leftist intelligentsia. The foolish assertion keeps being repeated so much that the masses of liberal bent come to believe it.
I ask the question: What kinds of things may cause one individual to do very well in life and another individual to do poorly? Let us list some.
1. Emphasis on education. How well one does in school. Hard study and mental effort in school studies has the effect of transforming, strengthening and enlightening the mind. Studying subjects such as mathematics, physics, or engineering gives one an advantage in life. I and my brother are the only ones of our many cousins who went on to college (my brother went to the same college as I and got a degree in electrical engineering). I went because I wanted to go, it was my goal, and I worked hard for that goal. (My brother didn’t want to go but my parents pushed him to go.) Furthermore, there were very few of the students in the high school that my brother and I attended that went on to college.
2. Good habits (such as industriousness, perseverance, etc.). People with good habits tend to do better in life than those with bad habits. Serious, diligent people do better than light-hearted, lazy people.
3. Chance. A great many people who do well can really thank only chance for their success. They were in the right place at the right time; they knew the right person who helped them; they had the right connections. It seems like some people are just very lucky and that others are just very unlucky. It may not seem fair but it is true.
4. The social class you are born into. The child of college educated parents is far more likely to go on to college than the child of a single welfare mother. A child of a medical doctor is likely to have high expectations of himself. Why? The child of college educated parents expect their child to go on to college and prepare him for it from a young age. They appreciate the importance of education and pass that appreciation on to their child. The child of the welfare mother has no such expectation for her child or appreciation of education.
We have talked about the kind of things that can cause differences in outcomes for individuals. Now let us talk about how differences in outcomes for different ethnic groups of people can come about. It all has to do with the attitudes, outlooks, and mentality of different groups. The way they think, their mentality, their attitudes on schooling. The people of western European countries (England, France, Germany, etc.) for a long time had much higher IQ scores than people from the countries of eastern Europe. Why? People from countries like Germany traditionally put a lot of value on reading, writing, and education and people of the countries of Eastern Europe didn’t. People from the hillbilly parts of our country tend to score much lower on IQ tests than people in our northeastern states. It is the same reason. Schooling requires a lot of work spread out over a number of years. Some cultures think it is worth all of the work and effort and others don’t.
Thomas Sowell has a lot to say on this subject. See On intellectualism, liberalism and the Left. Thomas Sowell.
5 Oct 2023
Jesus Christ and His Teachings
Way of enlightenment, wisdom, and understanding
America, a corrupt, depraved, shameless country
On integrity and the lack of it
The test of a person's Christianity is what he is
Ninety five percent of the problems that most people have come from personal foolishness
Liberalism, socialism and the modern welfare state
The desire to harm, a motivation for conduct
On Self-sufficient Country Living, Homesteading
Topically Arranged Proverbs, Precepts, Quotations. Common Sayings. Poor Richard's Almanac.
Theory on the Formation of Character
People are like radio tuners --- they pick out and listen to one wavelength and ignore the rest
Cause of Character Traits --- According to Aristotle
We are what we eat --- living under the discipline of a diet
Avoiding problems and trouble in life
Role of habit in formation of character
Personal attributes of the true Christian
What determines a person's character?
Love of God and love of virtue are closely united
Intellectual disparities among people and the power in good habits
Tools of Satan. Tactics and Tricks used by the Devil.
The Natural Way -- The Unnatural Way
Wisdom, Reason and Virtue are closely related
Knowledge is one thing, wisdom is another
My views on Christianity in America
The most important thing in life is understanding
We are all examples --- for good or for bad
Television --- spiritual poison
The Prime Mover that decides "What We Are"
Where do our outlooks, attitudes and values come from?
Sin is serious business. The punishment for it is real. Hell is real.
Self-imposed discipline and regimentation
Achieving happiness in life --- a matter of the right strategies
Self-control, self-restraint, self-discipline basic to so much in life