Racism makes no sense

[cylon]

Originally Posted by Gene

For sure if I intentionally kill someone it is not because I like or love him.

That makes way too much sense.

[DaveM]

Originally Posted by Barcs

I couldn't agree more. Race is a huge focus of the media, and the whole hate crime thing made it worse. Anytime a crime happens, the first thing everyone mentions is the race of the assailant and the victim. Then people are punished more if they are different. You've got the media, who is obsessed with race, and then you have the civil rights activists like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton who turn everything into a racial issue. This needs to stop. Racism has been prolonged for an unnecessarily long time. Being a cylon, I'm sure this hits close to home for you.

I do agree that those 2 make their livings off of racism, real or otherwise. It is important to add and keep in mind that some white people do the same thing.

A couple main reason people are racists is to blame others for problems, rally people or to vent your frustrations and anger. Hitler blamed Jews, blacks, gypsis, communists, etc for all their problems and got the people to rally behind him.

During the black death, Jews were burned as people thought it would appease God and make him stop the plague. It also let them vent their anger, fear and frustration of their situation.

This isn't just used for race, whenever something bad happens people look to blame others, especially politicians. Politicans blamed Wall Street for the recession, they are partially to blame but politicians are just as much or more. Everyone knew that Wall Street is reckless and history showed if you give them no supervision and restraint they'd cause their own destruction.

What did Politicians do? Strong deregulation, if they had proper regulation it wouldn't have happened. Do they admit that, apologize, nope, they just blame others.

Fuld, CEO of Lehman blamed short-sellers for his bank failing.

[daddynuke]

Originally Posted by hawkal

What I meant was not why does the west help Africa. I think it's good that other more prosperous nations help the poor nations and that it should be done more. What I meant was why do they need the aid in the first place?

Why (does it seem) that they cannot help themselves?

Africa is an interesting case of "race" preconceptions confusing the political and economic issues affecting the majority of a region. Diamond's Guns Germs and Steel effectively describes the logical reason for the variation in self-sufficiency across developed and developing societies. Issues such as geographic trade obstacles and available animals for domestication had a far greater impact on development than anything related to genetics or "gumption". The problems are not the same across Africa but some generalizations fit for the worst cases. Relatively recent factors such as (a) the "Developed World's" ongoing rape of resource-rich African regions without trickle down to the bottom of the economic strata, and (b) government manipulation during the cold war, have created much of the infighting that seems to short-circuit African progress. China's refusal to acknowledge injustices in nations like the Sudan while benefiting from their investments there ensure these delays will continue. The percentage of Western indebtedness to China means little can be done in the name of empowering "Black Africa". All in all...the genetic makeup of the regions inhabitants has little to do with progress. bear in mind that the Hutus and Tutsis are genetically AND phenotypically identical...

[soul sista]

Originally Posted by hawkal

But surely that doesn't mean to say that the people of Africa's poorest nations have no initiative (or maybe it does). There was always a first for something, like the first person to catch a fish. What's stopping them from "taking the bull by the horns" and really taking control of the situation even if it means learning old skills?

Have they no gumption?

Most african countries are learning & they are developing themselves, In most if not all cases we are still trying to clean up & pick up the mess that european/ american countries left.

well talking for my country in particular (South Africa), we only gained uor freedom from the western countries in 1994 & that is +- 15 years & we are doing good for our selves, our ecenomy is fine & all other things are good. we are competitive.

I recorn if it wern't for the westerns invading our space, we would be doing good as an AFRICAN continent. we have a fertile land in minearls & other valueble resources.

slowly but surely will piick up entirely.........LOL watch the space!!!!!

[Milena]

Actually if you examine a lot of the wars that occur in the world, they are between people who appear "racially", culturally, linguistically similar. There are created differences like religion which are then used to create enemies. I think that discrimination in general is based on a perceived history which may or may not benefit the discriminator. So no, it's not "stupid". There is reason for everything.

[Mike75]

Just have a look:

Religion heads create religious divides so that they get more fanatic devotees who give them loads of donations.

Race divides are created by people who would like to get benefit from a particular group of people.

National divides are created by governments so that people get distracted from the shortcomings of their own governments.

Its all manipulation!!!