Saturday, August 30, 2008
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Universities Gone Wild!!!
Approximately one hundred presidents of America's best-known universities signed a petition to have the drinking age lowered!!! Read all about it by clicking the post title. The West has lost its mind. And the saddest part of our cultural mental meltdown is that it is happening at universities.
The university presidents think this will actually help stem the college binge drinking epidemic. A movement leader said, "college students will drink no matter what, but do so more dangerously when it's illegal." Not being culturists, perhaps they have not recognized cultural diversity. In many cultures college students are not heavy drinkers. If they had any education they would realize binge drinking in universities is recent, American and not something we must accept as inevitable.
Education is supposed to change people. University, once upon a time, had the mission of making people more civilized and refined. If we accept the fact that elite universities cannot even stop youth from binge drinking, then what exactly is its function? If education is so ineffective, why waste money on it?
Well, we do not (I can hear some say) go to university to get refined, its for a job. The degree and maybe some acquired skills will translate into money. Unfortunately, we live in a culture. Having no moral standards whatsoever is NOT conducive to a thriving economy. Note that the paper diplomas no longer guarentee you a job as industry has fled. And, part of the reason industry has fled is that the universities have stopped inculcating values and a sense of loyalty to the Western tradition.
At some level, the universities are right. Education does not translate immediately into behavior. We absorb the cultural assumptions of our surroundings via adoption of what is expected and given status. If universities want to regain any sense of esteem, lectures about drinking will not do it. Rather, universities must use culturist methods to regain their value, values and traditional role in society.
The presidents of America's top 100 universities should sign a pledge that any student caught too drunk to drive during the school year will be automatically expelled from the university. That will stop the problem dead in its tracks. Students will quickly learn that universities are places that value sobriety. That done, universities can once again symbolically teach America that we value the life of the mind and self-control.
The university presidents think this will actually help stem the college binge drinking epidemic. A movement leader said, "college students will drink no matter what, but do so more dangerously when it's illegal." Not being culturists, perhaps they have not recognized cultural diversity. In many cultures college students are not heavy drinkers. If they had any education they would realize binge drinking in universities is recent, American and not something we must accept as inevitable.
Education is supposed to change people. University, once upon a time, had the mission of making people more civilized and refined. If we accept the fact that elite universities cannot even stop youth from binge drinking, then what exactly is its function? If education is so ineffective, why waste money on it?
Well, we do not (I can hear some say) go to university to get refined, its for a job. The degree and maybe some acquired skills will translate into money. Unfortunately, we live in a culture. Having no moral standards whatsoever is NOT conducive to a thriving economy. Note that the paper diplomas no longer guarentee you a job as industry has fled. And, part of the reason industry has fled is that the universities have stopped inculcating values and a sense of loyalty to the Western tradition.
At some level, the universities are right. Education does not translate immediately into behavior. We absorb the cultural assumptions of our surroundings via adoption of what is expected and given status. If universities want to regain any sense of esteem, lectures about drinking will not do it. Rather, universities must use culturist methods to regain their value, values and traditional role in society.
The presidents of America's top 100 universities should sign a pledge that any student caught too drunk to drive during the school year will be automatically expelled from the university. That will stop the problem dead in its tracks. Students will quickly learn that universities are places that value sobriety. That done, universities can once again symbolically teach America that we value the life of the mind and self-control.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Culturist Lessons from Georgia
During this week of international Olympic harmony-through-competition, Russia has attacked Georgia! Oh the irony!! As war is hell, it is a terrible thing. But perhaps this timing can help to wake us from our multicultural slumber.
Russia may have felt threatened because it is being surrounded by NATO countries. Rumor was that Georgia might have joined. Whatever the reason, the attack is illustrative of the fact that raw power exists and some folks aren't PC. Russia just said, "Screw you, we're taking your country cause we can and we want to" and did it.
Our administration condemned this act. That's fine. And then they, and Obama, started blathering about taking this to the United Nations so that the "world community" can pass judgment. More than half of the world community members are serious gansta nations. And they only do, as culturists would expect, what is in their own interest. Any condemnation from the world community will be smothered in hypocrisy.
Americans seem to have forgotten the culturist fact that diversity exists. Not all people are progressive rights and democracy loving Westerners. Some people mean to do us harm. And not all nations are filled with humanists. Putin is KGB!! I'm sure that he has enjoyed torturing people many times. I doubt that not living up to our moral standards will cost him much sleep. Furthermore, he is being cheered at home. Diversity exists.
What should we do about it? An argument can be made that this naked aggression is like that of Hitler's and it should be checked. As a culturist I could almost be persuaded to agree with this course of action because the aggression is nominally on Western soil. But just as all of those rogue U.N. nations, we have to put ourselves first. As a culturist I recognize that rights are a Western ideal. If America falls due to debt incurred protecting Georgia, the rogue nations will take over and rights will disappear.
For Western nations want to sustain rights, they have to realize they are a Western concept. Our culture has traditionally been isolationist. We have traditionally been isolationist because we have realized that we are a sane nation in a world of insanity and evil. The minute our army goes off our soil we've already corroded our traditions. Rather than invading Russia because they are not upholding our values, we should remember that diversity exists, we're special and protecting America is the surest way to protect rights.
Russia may have felt threatened because it is being surrounded by NATO countries. Rumor was that Georgia might have joined. Whatever the reason, the attack is illustrative of the fact that raw power exists and some folks aren't PC. Russia just said, "Screw you, we're taking your country cause we can and we want to" and did it.
Our administration condemned this act. That's fine. And then they, and Obama, started blathering about taking this to the United Nations so that the "world community" can pass judgment. More than half of the world community members are serious gansta nations. And they only do, as culturists would expect, what is in their own interest. Any condemnation from the world community will be smothered in hypocrisy.
Americans seem to have forgotten the culturist fact that diversity exists. Not all people are progressive rights and democracy loving Westerners. Some people mean to do us harm. And not all nations are filled with humanists. Putin is KGB!! I'm sure that he has enjoyed torturing people many times. I doubt that not living up to our moral standards will cost him much sleep. Furthermore, he is being cheered at home. Diversity exists.
What should we do about it? An argument can be made that this naked aggression is like that of Hitler's and it should be checked. As a culturist I could almost be persuaded to agree with this course of action because the aggression is nominally on Western soil. But just as all of those rogue U.N. nations, we have to put ourselves first. As a culturist I recognize that rights are a Western ideal. If America falls due to debt incurred protecting Georgia, the rogue nations will take over and rights will disappear.
For Western nations want to sustain rights, they have to realize they are a Western concept. Our culture has traditionally been isolationist. We have traditionally been isolationist because we have realized that we are a sane nation in a world of insanity and evil. The minute our army goes off our soil we've already corroded our traditions. Rather than invading Russia because they are not upholding our values, we should remember that diversity exists, we're special and protecting America is the surest way to protect rights.
Friday, August 8, 2008
The Culturist Perspective on China's 2008 Olympics
Many Americans have trouble celebrating China's Olympics. They worry about China's influence, military, economy and human rights record. We should be concerned about our not effectively competing with China in the Olympics as well as economically. We should be as pro-Western and competitive in our dealings with them as they are pro-Chinese and competitive in their dealings with us. But we should not insist that China will turn into a liberal democracy. We need to recognize that so-called "human rights" are really a Western concept.
As the Olympics start those who believe in universal human rights will start protesting of China. They will basically be saying that the entire world must adopt Western standards of right and wrong. It seems to us that our ways are undeniably right for the whole world, but remember that China's GDP quadrupled between 1978 and 1992. It has since been growing faster. Think about that when we, with our huge trade deficits, tell China how to live. They may have reason to suspect that heavy rights for criminals, high school student empowerment and freedom of the media lead to victory.
We are a young nation. Asian - American students comprise 50 percent or more of the student body at numerous universities. Perhaps we have something to learn. If we continue to confuse liberty and licence, the right to be responsible in numerous ways with the right to party without consequence, we may not be around as long as China. Rather than telling other cultures that they must be like us, we can best secure liberty by telling our current population that they must be more like our forefathers. They always understood that liberty is not sustainable without responsibility. Before we tell other nations how to live, we should make sure of our own standing.
The Olympics should teach us something: it is a competitive world. Teams that do not accept discipline from their coaches are at a disadvantage. Teams that will allow you to play regardless of how many practices you miss will fail. Teams on which the members do not really care if they win or not will not prosper. Human rights activists are globalists and multiculturalists tell us that we have no core culture - both undermine our sense of team. We do not gain by decrying China for knowing it is a sovereign nation with a different culture. Culturists say we should enjoy the Olympics and learn from China. We should rally for our team, instead of decrying theirs.
As the Olympics start those who believe in universal human rights will start protesting of China. They will basically be saying that the entire world must adopt Western standards of right and wrong. It seems to us that our ways are undeniably right for the whole world, but remember that China's GDP quadrupled between 1978 and 1992. It has since been growing faster. Think about that when we, with our huge trade deficits, tell China how to live. They may have reason to suspect that heavy rights for criminals, high school student empowerment and freedom of the media lead to victory.
We are a young nation. Asian - American students comprise 50 percent or more of the student body at numerous universities. Perhaps we have something to learn. If we continue to confuse liberty and licence, the right to be responsible in numerous ways with the right to party without consequence, we may not be around as long as China. Rather than telling other cultures that they must be like us, we can best secure liberty by telling our current population that they must be more like our forefathers. They always understood that liberty is not sustainable without responsibility. Before we tell other nations how to live, we should make sure of our own standing.
The Olympics should teach us something: it is a competitive world. Teams that do not accept discipline from their coaches are at a disadvantage. Teams that will allow you to play regardless of how many practices you miss will fail. Teams on which the members do not really care if they win or not will not prosper. Human rights activists are globalists and multiculturalists tell us that we have no core culture - both undermine our sense of team. We do not gain by decrying China for knowing it is a sovereign nation with a different culture. Culturists say we should enjoy the Olympics and learn from China. We should rally for our team, instead of decrying theirs.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Culturist Basketball Lessons
Today my local park had a Chinese basketball tournament. To play on the front courts you had to be Chinese. Well, except for the black referees. It was a race or culture-based exclusionary event. When you're Chinese those things overlap a great deal.
I got a pick up game going on the back courts. One of the guys, interestingly enough, had a Negro League shirt all-star basketball shirt. And so, for the purposes of this blog, I asked him what he thought about this situation.
"You know we fought as a nation for integration. Now do you think it's right to have a game where no blacks or whites are allowed?"
He seemed genuinely intrigued, but unsure. His tentative response was, "Well, I guess its their neighborhood, I mean there are a lot of them around here, and that's what they want to do." His point was interesting. They were happy and content locals and they did have two American flags on some seats.
"But you wouldn't be happy if we had a whites only game, right? I mean your shirt was an all black league." "But that was forced!" He quickly replied. "Yeah, but if they had a choice, they'd have wanted to play with everyone, right?" "That's true."
We broke it off there as we were there for basketball. I noticed that he had Chinese writing on his arm. He, apparently, hadn't given much thought to the clash of civilizations! And this is a such delicate culturist subject it would even be a source of debate amongst self-identified culturists.
Loyalty is largely local. In World War Two, people fought for their families and neighborhood's safety as much as they did for America. What they loved about America was the life it had provided. Having happy citizens, like the Chinese ballers, deserves consideration.
And, as uncomfortable as it is for me to be asked to go to the back of the park, culturism is not just about me. It asks that we always focus on what is good for Western culture.
If we countenance Chinese leagues, then we have to agree to Islamic events where no Christians are allowed. These would likely be anti-American in tone and bad for Western civilization. The thought of whites-only events curdles my blood and would create hostile relations. You could make a historical argument why there could be Chinese leagues and no white leagues.
The culturist bottom line is that we need to foster assimilation and attachment to America and Western ideals. A neighborhood basketball association that demographically happened to be mostly Chinese would obviously meet this culturist goal better. Racism is wrong. A battle on these grounds would teach important culturist lessons, but it would also create resentment and possibly clash with our commitment to freedom.
In the end, the point is not my park. Separatism and the divisiveness that comes from the issues discussed herein result from multiculturalism. Our schools need to teach unity. We have to win such arguments in the marketplace of ideas and not the courts. Until we do, I guess we'll have to take comfort in the fact that they had those two American flags on the sidelines.
I got a pick up game going on the back courts. One of the guys, interestingly enough, had a Negro League shirt all-star basketball shirt. And so, for the purposes of this blog, I asked him what he thought about this situation.
"You know we fought as a nation for integration. Now do you think it's right to have a game where no blacks or whites are allowed?"
He seemed genuinely intrigued, but unsure. His tentative response was, "Well, I guess its their neighborhood, I mean there are a lot of them around here, and that's what they want to do." His point was interesting. They were happy and content locals and they did have two American flags on some seats.
"But you wouldn't be happy if we had a whites only game, right? I mean your shirt was an all black league." "But that was forced!" He quickly replied. "Yeah, but if they had a choice, they'd have wanted to play with everyone, right?" "That's true."
We broke it off there as we were there for basketball. I noticed that he had Chinese writing on his arm. He, apparently, hadn't given much thought to the clash of civilizations! And this is a such delicate culturist subject it would even be a source of debate amongst self-identified culturists.
Loyalty is largely local. In World War Two, people fought for their families and neighborhood's safety as much as they did for America. What they loved about America was the life it had provided. Having happy citizens, like the Chinese ballers, deserves consideration.
And, as uncomfortable as it is for me to be asked to go to the back of the park, culturism is not just about me. It asks that we always focus on what is good for Western culture.
If we countenance Chinese leagues, then we have to agree to Islamic events where no Christians are allowed. These would likely be anti-American in tone and bad for Western civilization. The thought of whites-only events curdles my blood and would create hostile relations. You could make a historical argument why there could be Chinese leagues and no white leagues.
The culturist bottom line is that we need to foster assimilation and attachment to America and Western ideals. A neighborhood basketball association that demographically happened to be mostly Chinese would obviously meet this culturist goal better. Racism is wrong. A battle on these grounds would teach important culturist lessons, but it would also create resentment and possibly clash with our commitment to freedom.
In the end, the point is not my park. Separatism and the divisiveness that comes from the issues discussed herein result from multiculturalism. Our schools need to teach unity. We have to win such arguments in the marketplace of ideas and not the courts. Until we do, I guess we'll have to take comfort in the fact that they had those two American flags on the sidelines.
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