Why would you want to consider the alternatives when fanning the flames of division is such a money spinner?

Consider the following, from The Coddling of the American Mind by Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff.

Ideas may be accepted not because they are true but because the politically dominant group wants them to be true in order to promote its preferred narrative and preferred set of remedies.

Sound familiar? We're daily being fed the nonsense that the UK is institutionally racist. Every problem in society is now reduced to a lecture on racism. White people being told they are “privileged”, black people being told all their problems are the result of oppression. There is no attempt to consider the influence of family support structures, educational outcomes, cultural differences, levels of unemployment, crime rates, etc.

To quote Haidt and Lukianoff again, when

using theories that are based on a flawed or incomplete understanding of the causal forces at work, [their] reform efforts are unlikely to do any good and might even make things worse.

I suspect many of the activists are fully aware of the these points, but why would you want to consider the alternatives when fanning the flames of division is such a money spinner? By mid-June 2020, the BLM UK GoFundMe page had reached more than £1million in donations. Rather than looking for solutions some people have a vested interest in widening the divisions.

13th July 2020

#racism

Why do the media, celebrities and the useful idiots of the white middle class insist on this programme of self flagellation?

According to the BBC programme Countryfile “many in Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups see the countryside as being a white environment.”

Justin Welby the Archbishop of Canterbury was asked for his response to those who have suggested that because statues of Jesus Christ tend to depict him as a white European, those statues should be toppled. According to the Telegraph, Welby agreed that the depiction of Christ in Western countries should change and criticised the “sense that God is white.”

On the subject of cultural appropriation, BBC Good Food is apparently reviewing its huge archive of recipes, and changing any unacceptable words or phrases that might be considered “offensive”.

When will this stupidity end? Nobody is stopped from visiting any other part of the country simply because of the colour of their skin. The nations statues and monuments are a reflection of the society that built them, and its hardly surprising that in Britain, which was and remains predominantly white, Jesus Christ is depicted as a white man. As for cultural appropriation, surely the exchange and sharing of the best parts of each others cultures, and which brings people together in mutual appreciation, is to be welcomed?

In a recent survey, people were asked if they would be content for our children to marry someone of a different race. About 70% strongly agreed, compared with 41% a decade ago.

According to the Government report, Entry Rates into Higher Education, in 2006 21.6% of black children aged 18 went on to University. By 2018 that figure was up to 41.2%. By contrast in 2006 21.8% of white children aged 18 went on to University, the figure rising only a little to 29.5% in 2018.

According to the report the biggest increase in entry rates between 2006 and 2018 was among black pupils

Society has its problems, but they are not be as bad as the headlines would have you believe. Dig a little deeper, and the evidence points to the fact that Britain is one of the most tolerant and least racist countries in the world.

Why then do the media, celebrities and the useful idiots of the white middle class insist on this programme of self flagellation? Why must the white majority reject its heritage? Why must it apologise for the wrongs of generations long dead? Why can we not look to the future as one nation, as one race, whilst at the same time respecting and appreciating all cultures?

If we are to avoid a complete fracturing of society, we would do well to remember Nelson Mandela's words of warning;

When we dehumanise and demonise our opponents, we abandon the possibility of peacefully resolving our differences.

29th June 2020

#racism

Widening the divisions helps no one.

White Lives Matter Burnley proclaimed the banner being dragged through the air over the Etihad Stadium yesterday. The perpetrators face police investigation into what has been described as a racist stunt. Officials at Burnley Footbal Club have said they will issue lifetime bans to the supporters responsible for arranging the flight.

Unsavoury though the episode was, are you really that surprised? By its very nature, identity politics sows the seeds of division, pits one group against the other. All the while the white community is told it is privileged, that it should be ashamed of its history, that it should bend the knee, there will be a disdainful reaction.

Societies wrongs will not be resolved until such time as we can treat every person and each others cultures with respect. Widening the divisions helps no one.

23rd June 2020

#racism

When “experiences” mean more than facts and empirical evidence, you begin to realise we are coming to the end of the era of Enlightenment

Boris Johnson has appointed appointment of Munira Mirza to lead a new commission into racial inequalities. She has previously been somewhat dubious about the concept of institutional racism and one occasion said it is “a perception more than a reality”.

Naturally, her appointment was met with howls of protest from the left. One vocal critic is Priyamvada Gopal. She tweeted that “Asians should not be put in charge of black lives and experiences”.

I despair. When “experiences” mean more than facts and empirical evidence, you begin to realise we are coming to the end of the era of Enlightenment. As a society we are going backwards.

17th June 2020

#racism

Racism may be a problem, but we should not be so blinkered as to exclude any other possible causes for the inequities in society.

According to figures produced by the BBC, 163 people have died in police custody in the last ten years. Of that numbers 8% were black, more than twice the proportion of black people in the UK.

It is on the basis of such figures that some have deemed the UK to be institutionally racist. Is that a fair conclusion to reach or is the situation altogether more complex?

According to the 2011 Census, the total population of England and Wales was 56.1 million. The proportions in each ethnic group were;

• White – 86.0%
• Asian -7.5%
• Black – 3.3%
• Mixed/Multiple ethnic – 2.2%
• Other ethnic groups – 1.0%.

Consider the report completed by the Ministry of Justice, Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System 2016(1) It was found in the period 2012/13 to 2016/17 the black community accounted for almost 9% of arrests on a charge of violence against the person, 20% of those charged with robbery and 18% on charges of possession of weapons. For all types of crime,those arrested were 80% white and approximately 8% were black.

When considering only the population in custody, the argument that black people are twice as likely to die while in custody proves to be a fallacy. Indeed, it is white men who are more likely to die in such circumstances.

The question that no one seems to ask is, if the black community comprises 3.3% of the population, why is it that that community accounts for 8% of those arrested on criminal charges?

According to the Office for National Statistics(2), the rate of unemployment in 2018 was 4%. Amongst the black community it was 9%. How does one explain the disparity?

Is the rate of unemployment and criminal offending the same for black Caribbeans as it is for Black African groups? How do those rates compare with mixed race, Asian or white communities?

How do rates of crime compare amongst people of similar socio-economic backgrounds? Referring again to the Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System 2016[^1] the report considered the educational achievements of those processed by the justice system;

Analysis shows that the educational attainment of those sentenced to youth justice disposals was generally much lower than the overall pupil population across all three KS4 headline attainment measures.

Furthermore the report noted that of those children sentenced to more than 12 months in custody 50% of the black children, 40% of mixed race and 40% of the white children were entitled to free school meals. A fairly even distribution across each ethnic groups.

Poverty and fatherless families may be an issue, but is the bigger problem inequality of opportunity? As noted in my earlier post Whose Lives Matter, a report completed by Nick Clegg in 2011 found that 25% of the poorest children from all ethnic groups failed to reach expected educational attainment levels by the time they left primary school, a fact that would put them at a disadvantage for the rest of their lives.

Racism may be a problem, but we should not be so blinkered as to exclude any other possible causes for the inequities in society. I remain of the view that education is the key; give the children from those disadvantaged communities the education and support they need so that they too have the opportunity to make a success of their lives, whatever their ethnic heritage.

To conclude I leave you with a quote from Nelson Mandela. His words remain as relevant today as they did when he spoke them.

Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world

15th June 2020

#racism

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Sources

(1) https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/race-and-the-criminal-justice-system-2016 (2) https://www.ethnicity-facts-figures.service.gov.uk/work-pay-and-benefits/unemployment-and-economic-inactivity/unemployment/latest

Caught between the thugs

Caught between thugs, be they the Marxist mob or the Fascist hooligans, the majority quietly enduring lockdown wearily shake their heads and wonder when this madness will ever end.

13th June 2020

#racism

We need to work for the common good, one that improves the lives of all

The outcry following the killing of George Floyd was entirely justified. It was a brutal act, and the police officers involved deserve to face years in prison. I also agree that the idea behind #blacklivesmatter was a noble one. Unfortunately Black Lives Matter UK has hijacked that sentiment; it is a Marxist organisation, with the stated aim of overthrowing capitalism and disbanding the police. I am not prepared to support that.

I am also heartily sick of hearing that as a white man I should be ashamed of my heritage. As with most people in this country, my forebears were working class. They were paid a pittance, lived in poverty, and hoped their children might survive their early years. It was those earlier generations that fought for workers rights, a fair wage, the right to vote, the right to an education and a national health service. No, I'm not ashamed of my heritage, I am proud of it.

I accept that there remain inequalities in society, a point which becomes most apparent when you see the people who hold positions of power and authority in this country. The under-representation of the ethnic minorities is there for all to see, but have you stopped to consider the socio-economic background of the people in power?

According to the report completed by the then Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in 2011, Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers: A Strategy for Social Mobility, it was reported that 20% of children received free school meals (FSM), yet this group represented just 1% of Oxbridge students.

Another report completed for the Department of Education in 2015, Ethnicity, deprivation and educational achievement at age 16 in England, noted that among those entitled to free school meals (FSM) all ethnic minority groups achieved better exam results than White British pupils. Even for the lowest achieving minority group, Mixed White & Black Caribbean students, the odds of achieving good exam results was 1.26 times (26%) higher than for White British students.

Fifteen percent of the white children were entitled to FSM's.

Referring you back to Nick Clegg's report, just 1% of the children receiving free school meals, whether they were black, white or Asian, would make it to Oxbridge or into managerial jobs.

White privilege clearly did not help the white children in that cohort.

I am not saying that racism does not exist, it does, but I would argue the greater problem is inequality of opportunity. It is shocking that 25% of the poorest children from all ethnic groups fail to reach expected educational attainment levels by the time they leave primary school, a fact that will put them at a disadvantage for the rest of their lives. Education is the key; give the children the tools they need and they too could aspire to follow in the footsteps of Sajid Javid, Ivan Menezes, Magnus Djaba, Sam Gyimah, Rishi Sunak, Lewis Hamilton, Marvin Rees, Sadiq Khan, Valerie Amos, Sharon White, et al.

BLM UK seem intent on widening the divisions. The activities of their supporters are designed to whip up animosity, there is no nuanced discourse, simply bullying and mob rule in an attempt to force people to accept their world view.

Societies problems are so much more complicated than racism alone. I take the view that a good education and the subsequent opportunity to succeed in life would do much to heal the inequalities of society. To quote from Nick Clegg's report;

A fair society is an open society, one in which every individual is free to succeed. No one should be prevented from fulfilling their potential by the circumstances of their birth. What ought to count is how hard you work and the skills and talents you possess.

Just as our predecessors did, we need to work for the common good, one that improves the lives of all disadvantaged people, and gives them the opportunity to succeed on their chosen path, whatever their ethnic backgrounds. To that end, all lives matter.

---

Source Material

Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers According to the report completed by the then Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in 2011, Opening Doors, Breaking Barriers: A Strategy for Social Mobility, it was reported that

• 25% of children from poor backgrounds fail to meet the expected attainment, compared with just 3% from affluent backgrounds.
• Almost 20% of children receive free school meals, yet this group represent just 1% of Oxbridge students.
• Only a quarter of boys from working class backgrounds get middle class (professional or managerial) jobs.

Ethnicity, deprivation and educational achievement at age 16 in England This report completed for the Department of Education in 2015, Ethnicity, deprivation and educational achievement at age 16 in England, contains the following;

Among those entitled to free school meals (FSM) all ethnic minority groups achieve greater success than White British pupils. In 2013 relative to White British students the odds for Chinese pupils achieving 5 good GCSE's including maths and English (5EM) were 6.9 times greater, for Indian students 3.4 times greater, for Bangladeshi 3.0 times, for White other 1.6 times, for Black Caribbean 1.5 times and even for the lowest achieving minority group, Mixed White & Black Caribbean students, the odds of achieving 5EM were 1.26 times (26%) higher than for White British students.

Putting that into context, the ethnic group with the highest proportion of children entitled to FSM's was black African children at 40%, the lowest being Chinese children at 10%. Amongst Black Caribbean children the figure was just over 30%. Amongst white British children the proportion was 15%.

11th June 2020

#education #racism

Don't presume to tell me I am privileged

To say that all white people are privileged is as ridiculous as saying all black people are oppressed.

If you are black, were you're forebears enslaved, or did they benefit from the west African slave trade? Maybe they were completely untouched by it?

If you are white, did your forebears benefit from the slave trade? Or is it more likely, as was the case with my predecessors, that they were working class mill workers or farm labourers. Paid a pittance, living in squalid conditions, hoping their children would survive their early years. It was those generations who had to fight for labour rights, the right to vote, the right to a basic education. They most certainly did not benefit from the slave trade.

I don't dispute that inequality is still an issue today but the reasons are nuanced and so much more complicated than the slogans on the placards would have you believe. I have and always will be an advocate for equality of opportunity for all, and if the present campaign was designed to help all disadvantaged people, you would have my support.

We are not a homogeneous whole. We are individuals with our own stories and whatever your skin colour it is for you to choose the path you take. I and my parents before me had to study and work hard to achieve what we have. Beyond that, you don't know my history any more than I know yours. You do not know simply by looking at the colour of a person's skin what hardships they have had to endure, so please don't presume to tell me I am privileged. Don't tell me I should be ashamed of my history. Much like you, I am proud of my heritage and won't be taking the knee any time soon.

10th June 20202

#racism

Dismissing the heritage of the majority will not win any converts to your cause

I have always thought that the way to bring people of all backgrounds together and to fight inequality is to emphasise those aspects that unite us.

In 1945 Dr. Pauli Murray, a black rights activist wrote;

I intend to destroy segregation by positive and embracing methods. When my brothers try to draw a circle to exclude me, I shall draw a larger circle to include them. Where they speak out for the privileges of a puny group, I shall shout for the rights of all mankind

If we are to heal the divisions it needs to be recognised that we are all citizens of one nation and to that extent we share a common heritage, a heritage that could be the rallying point that brings all parts of society together.

The Cenotaph and the statue of Winston Churchill are revered in the UK. They are symbols of this country's fight against the Nazi's, and defacing those monuments does nothing but deepen the divide between protesters and the wider population. Dismissing the heritage of the majority will not win any converts to your cause.

There is unfairness in society, affecting all ethnic groups, driven in good part by socio-economic factors and poor educational outcomes, and a resultant inequality of opportunity. It is that inequality that needs to be addressed; make that your cause, and I will stand at your shoulder and support you all the way.

To close, and another quote from Dr. Murray;

The lesson of history that all human rights are indivisible and that the failure to adhere to this principle jeopardizes the rights of all is particularly applicable here. A built-in hazard of an aggressive ethnocentric movement which disregards the interests of other disadvantaged groups is that it will become parochial and ultimately self-defeating in the face of hostile reactions, dwindling allies, and mounting frustrations...Only a broad movement for human rights can prevent the Black Revolution from becoming isolated and can insure ultimate success.

8th June 2020

#racism

How can emphasising the differences help us forget the differences?

Apparently next week is Cultural Diversity Week, and it seems that my employer is wholeheartedly supporting this initiative. There will be videos and seminars, and no doubt every senior member of the management team will be issuing emails extolling the virtues of multiculturalism. I have no doubt it will also be one of the topics at the next training meeting

The company is not alone, all big businesses are trying to portray themselves as woke, to ensure there is no backslash from the illiberal left, to ensure they can continue to sell products to those who self define as Communist anti-captilists. The irony of the situation.

The vehemence directed at persons or organisations that do not accept the diversity and multicultural agenda is fierce and one can understand why most feel it is easier simply to accept the dogma rather than question it. But does diversity training really encourage inclusion?

How can emphasising the differences help us forget the differences? How can diversity training reduce the notion of us and them that underpins racist attitudes? Surely the way to bring people of all backgrounds together is to emphasise those aspects that unite us. So in the case of our employment, the fact we work for the same business, we work as a team, we all have broadly similar goals and aspirations, and we all want to succeed.

It seems a simple enough notion to me, but I suspect mine will be a lone voice at next week's meeting.

17th September 2018

#politics #racism #society