Tribes...A Bill Whittle Essay

Eject,Eject.Eject, website ^ | Sept 5, 2005 | Bill Whittle

[alfa6]

I’m generally an optimist, and it’s been my pleasure to be able to write mostly about the good and the noble things in our lives. But the events in the Gulf – of Mexico – have brought to a head a summer and a year that has been getting progressively uglier and more painful to watch.

Who can not see the way the country has changed, not since 9/11, but before that – since the 2000 election? Who cannot feel the split, the division, that rips like a shredding sail on a broken mast, canvas tearing like the sound of musketry, as the rigging falls to the deck?

This breaks my heart. It just breaks my heart into little pieces. I have said less and less as I see more and more, because deep in my core I still don’t want to believe that some Americans could willfully and consistently do such destructive things out of such petty and base motivations, things which in time will make the horrors of New Orleans look like a flea circus in a small tent, with the much larger carnival raging unseen in the background.

I’ve taken sides in these essays, obviously – that’s what I do. But I have never, until now, felt the need to take the gloves off and really let fly. I always feared I would regret it, later. I still do. Only now, I fear I will regret it worse if I do not.

So now we must look at Tribes.

[alfa6]

Bill Whittles latest is up

[alfa6]

Hey folks, over here Whittle has finally posted his latest essay. Hit the ping lists at your pleasure :-)

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[D.P.Roberts]

What is this guy, 12 or something? Has ideas like a kid.

[hscott]

Hey guys wake up. This article is really outstanding and, given the current toxic climate, deserves to be circulated as widely as possible.

[Darnright]

This is a long, but very worthwhile essay. In it, Whittle dismantles the liberal idea of race and class, and replaces it with one of culture, of tribe. People tend to associate with those who share similar values, and who behave in a similar manner. Members of the group can be of very different physical makeup, and even of different religion, and different countries of origin.

[luv2ski]

It's a long read but well worth it!

[luv2ski]

What is this guy, 12 or something? Has ideas like a kid.

There is no way you could have read the entire piece and make that comment.

[Choose Ye This Day]

Very long. Very good.

[Tolik]

Nailed It!
Moral Clarity BUMP !

This ping list is not author-specific for articles I'd like to share. Some for the perfect moral clarity, some for provocative thoughts; or simply interesting articles I'd hate to miss myself. (I don't have to agree with the author all 100% to feel the need to share an article.) I will try not to abuse the ping list and not to annoy you too much, but on some days there is more of the good stuff that is worthy of attention. You can see the list of articles I pinged to lately  on  my page.
You are welcome in or out, just freepmail me (and note which PING list you are talking about). Besides this one, I keep 2 separate PING lists for my favorite authors Victor Davis Hanson and Orson Scott Card.  

[MEG33]

You did not read it all?

[Darnright]

Bill Whittle bump. Once again, very long, but very worth your time

[Alia]

THIS IS SUPERB.

[Born Conservative]

Thanks for the ping; as usual, he hits the nail on the head.

[afnamvet]

Excellent essay from Whittle...Sheepdogs of the nation unite!

[HairOfTheDog]

Thank you! Excellent read.

[HairOfTheDog]

Give it a read, a patient one. He doesn't use big words, and he isn't brief, he sometimes goes the long way around, a risky venture in a short-attention-span world, but his understanding and insight are HUGE.

I'll be the first to admit that this essay, while good, is not his best. He's written so much great stuff he faces a very high water mark to surpass his previous best. But if you truly take the time to read his last essay: Eject! Eject! Eject!: SANCTUARY (part 1) I promise you you will not be sorry.

[BartMan1]

A man who is to the truth born....

[MassExodus]

LOVED IT !!

Another Whittle fan is born..

[January24th]

Read it yesterday as a special Labor Day treat. An amazing evolution of an idea.

Go Grey...all the way!

[Darnright]

Woof! Ok, I'm probably more of a Shetland sheepdog than a Belgian Malinois, or German Shepherd, but my heart's in the right place.

[Personal Responsibility]

This is a great article. He hits it right on the head. Excellent!

[dimquest]

I took the liberty of editing part of Whittles summary:

" --- Here is the Grey philosophy I try to live by:


Sometimes, Bad Things Happen.

Some things are beyond my control, beyond the control of the smartest and best people we have, even beyond the awesome, subtle and unlimited control of the simpering, sub-human village idiot from Texas.

Hurricanes come. They have come for all of human history, and more are coming. Barbarians also come to steal or destroy what they cannot make themselves, and they, like human tempests, have swept a path of destruction through civilization since before history was written on clay tablets on the banks of the Euphrates.

I am not a wolf. I have never harmed a person in my life. But I am not a sheep, either. I know these forces are out there, and wishing it were not so will not only not make them go away – it will rob me of my chance to kick their ass when they show up.

I am a sheepdog - an amateur, stand-by sheepdog. Police officers and elected officials get paid to be sheepdogs.

Sheepdogs don't cry, and they don't complain about wet feet, and they don't wail about conspiracies while waiting for the help that they themselves are sworn to provide.


Also, unlike so many in the 'reality-based' community, I do not believe in a deity. For instance, I don't believe that a single god-king can summon storms, hypnotize entire populations and be the focus for evil in the world.




And when they come, storms man-made and natural, what will the sheepdog/sheep ratio be? Enough?

Now, when Pink Tribesmen say that these people can be reasoned with, they are doing what sheep do: living in denial.

Because to say we are responsible for the terrorists in the world is a way to say we can control this wolf. If we believe we made him, then that means we control him. We can unmake him.

Such a worldview appeals to the left, because it gives them Godlike Mental Powers. All we have to do is act differently and he will go away. It's complete moral cowardice, of course – but it's understandable cowardice. It's denial, because if all the sins are ours then all we must do is repent and the wolf will go away.

But that's not what the wolf says. The wolf is not interested in what we do. He does not spare little lambs because they rub up against his leg and make cooing sounds. The wolf wants to swallow us whole. He wants the fight.
He wants the war and the conflict.

And he will keep on huffing and puffing until one of three things happen: We show him our throat, for him to rip out; or we convert to Islam and become part of his Caliphate; or we head out into the forest with a shotgun and blow his fucking head off.
I made my decision by about 9:30 eastern on September 11th, 2001. I have never regretted it.
It takes courage to fight oncoming storms. Courage.

Courage isn't free. It is taught, taught by certain tribes who have been around enough and seen enough incoming storms to know what one looks like.

And I think the people of this nation, and those of New Orleans, specifically, desire and deserve some fundamental lessons in courage.

Because we are going to need it. --- "

---

Excellent essay, but the man really needs to learn how to edit himself.

[voletti]

Awesome essay.

As always. Whittle keeps building these expectations up with every essay and keeps meeting them with his next essay. Wonder how long the run will last. I pray it lasts a loooong time.:-)

[Purdue Pete]

Ping...Lucy, go to the "eject" website and read the whole thing. Warning - lotsa bad words :-)

[iceskater]

Thanks! Definitely worth the time to read.

[IncPen]

Man, this is really, really good...

[TruthFactor]

Big Bill Whittle BUMP! I like what he says.

[Lando Lincoln]

Thanks for the ping alfa6!! Good stuff from Bill as always. Here is my ping list as I have it. If it is a duplicate to some, I apologize. Hope you are well, a6.

Lando

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[third try]

Wow - Where has Bill Whittle been all my life? I loved it - intend to go to his site and catch up on everything he's ever written.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

Great ping!

[SierraWasp]

Thank you for the ping, good FRiend!!!

[Landru]

Simply stunning.
Thank you a million times over for the ping, Lando.

Sending out the clarion call to a few acquaintances in hopes they'll spread this magnificent example of courage & clarity to those in their corner of the cyber world.

Somewhat long read my friends, but do take the time & read it *all*.

...the time couldn't be better spent.

[Happygal]

THANKS so much for the ping to this. P.S. Can I be in your tribe? :-)

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Thank you so much for the ping Landru- it was a long, but worthy read. I am so joyful to know that there are others who feel the same as I do. I often say that I am the most "color blind" person you will meet. And I am glad to know I can continue to be so blind and yet note the differences in people and their behavior.

I have been trying to make similar points about tribes, of course not as colorfully as was done in this essay. I just want to say thank God I am in a tribe with people like Bill Whittle and the men and women of our armed forces. I am very proud of that.

I will pass this one around, as I am certain I know others who will be relieved to know there is a stirring among silent majority yet again-there is something to learn from Katrina....

It is NOT about skin color or pigmentation it is about culture.

(as I preview this post I have everything in a large font- and I don't know why- so please overlook the size of font on this post if it is irregular)

[Landru]

"THANKS so much for the ping to this."

You're welcome.
All thanks to Mr.Wittle, though.
A more timely, righteous rage than Wittle's would be impossible to find in this day of "Pinks".
And I might add, lonnnnng overdue.

"P.S. Can I be in your tribe?"

Oh bouy.
Ummmm you're already in it, Angel.

Beneath your beautiful emerald green?

...is such a *lovely* shade of grey. ;^)

[Landru]

"I will pass this one around, as I am certain I know others who will be relieved to know there is a stirring among silent majority yet again-there is something to learn from Katrina..."

*Excellent*

...couldn't ask for any more, kid. ;^)

[bwteim]

BTTT Whew! What a post. It is lengthy, it is thought provoking. I am forwarding to non-FRiends now.

It is hard to say which parts of Bill Whittle's essay are 'best'.... but here is a highlight:

"In New Orleans we have a mayor who left some 400-500 buses sitting fueled and underwater in the Ray Nagin Memorial Motor Pool saying that evil white conservative America was selling out his people within 24 hours of the catastrophe, from a safe and dry and adequately toileted location, while four years ago we had a Mayor who ran to the site of the disaster so quickly it is a full-blown miracle he was not killed when a building collapsed literally on top of his magnificent, combed-over head."

"Now, much has been made of the fact that Ray Nagin is an incompetent, race-baiting black man, and Rudy Giuliani, who was neither, is white. Also, feminists are upset that people dare attack Governor Blanco because she is incompetent, weak, indecisive, and also a woman. And no doubt there are salivating long-haired, short-cortexed idiots just waiting for this to be over so they can sail into the comments section and tell me what a racist and misogynist I am."

"Well, here’s the news flash: Nagin isn’t incompetent because he’s black. He’s incompetent because he’s incompetent. Condoleeza Rice is black. Colin Powell is black. Ted Kennedy, a man well-acquainted with rising water crises is as white as they come. Kennedy is incompetent; Rice and Powell are two of the most competent people on the planet."

"This is about tribes, all right: not black and white tribes, but rather a battle between the capable and the culpable."

[Diva Betsy Ross]

A ping to some cool kids I know, this is a very good thread....

[cyborg]

"Ted Kennedy, a man well-acquainted with rising water crises is as white as they come."

[bwteim]

Ping!

[Leapofaith]

This man just said everything that I have been thinking for a very long time. Hats off to him!

[TheBigB]

Thank you! I always thought my coolness level peaked around 7th grade. :o)

[The SISU kid]

Thanks for the ping DBR! Already forwarded to many out-of-the-loop friends...

[SE Mom]

You beat me to it- was going to post this later today:)

For anyone who's not read Bill Whittle- he's addictive. And yes- ought to be read by EVERYONE:)

Problem: Fast Food society that won't take the time to read and ponder...

[Diva Betsy Ross]

nah... ;]

[TheBigB]

Sometimes I doubt myself. Then I remember how many STAR TREK conventions I've been to, and I'm reminded, "Oh yeah, I'm 10 pounds of coolness in a 5-pound bag, baby!"

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Yer so bad...*snicker*

Did you read the entire essay?

[TheBigB]

Not yet. BTTT for later. :)