The science of bigotry: how only dead white males did it all

The Australian ^ | February 04, 2004 | EMMA TOM

[presidio9]

AMERICAN academic Charles Murray is a real trooper. It doesn't matter how many people call him a racist, Nazi-esque brain-weigher.

He keeps churning out books that aren't afraid to call a spade a spade and a nigger a nigger.

Oh, I'm sorry. Did I just say nigger? How scientifically incorrect of me. What I meant to say was "biologically inferior".

This was the thesis of The Bell Curve, which was co-written by Murray in 1994. In it he scientifically "proved" that African Americans were dumber than whites or Asians for genetic reasons.

So what if the IQ testing he used to measure intrinsic intelligence included questions on trigonometry? Knowing about computational geometry is something you're either born with or you aren't. It has absolutely nothing to do with your level of education. In fact the word on the street is that Murray's first words as a little white infant were "cosine ratio".

Back in 1984, meanwhile, the academic shock jock caused a similar outcry with Losing Ground, in which he argued that the US government should abolish social security payments to poor adults because it encouraged intellectually inferior single mothers to reproduce.

Welfare schmelfare. Let them eat crack.

Chuck's new book, catchily entitled Human Accomplishment: The Pursuit of Excellence in the Arts and Sciences, 800BC to 1950, unites his low opinion of women and non-whites into a single mighty raspberry.

In it, he proves – once again completely scientifically – that the only people to have ever achieved anything of significant artistic and scientific worth are dead white males.

While it's a bold (and no doubt unit moving) thesis, critics who have accused Murray of repeatedly parading ugly old prejudices in pseudo-scientific drag will have a field day with this one. Human Accomplishment relies on a geriatric 19th century statistical method known as historiometry, which involves counting words in reference books to see who gets the most mentions.

As a result, 97 per cent of Murray's Top 4002 are male Europeans and North Americans.

What he refuses to acknowledge is that history tends to be written by the victors: as long as deadish white males rule the world, their lives will be over-recorded at the expense of their underlings.

An SBS documentary on the clitoris that screened last Friday night offered a fascinating insight into the political exclusion of the clitoris from medical and scientific manuals right up until 1948 when it was excised from Gray's Anatomy, the surgeon's bible.

Anyone for a textual clitorectomy? Given our combined interest in competitive events and extreme prejudice, it's not surprising people are pitting genders and races against each other in order to make a quick buck.

But even the tackiest reality TV programs offer a level-ish playing field. In Bumfights, for instance, desperate hobos are only filmed fighting other desperate hobos.

Murray, however, doesn't care that some sectors of society might have had trouble curing diseases, inventing polyphonic music or writing Macbeth because they weren't allowed out of their kitchens or their leg-irons.

White men are the winners, he trumpets, followed closely by a cackled "na na na na na naa".

It's telling that his survey stops at 1950 – just before feminism and civil rights gave non-dead, white males more room to flex their scientific and creative muscle.

Also intriguing is the notion that coverage automatically equals accomplishment.

While coverage might mean you are genuinely accomplished, it could also mean you have a good spin merchant, own the publishing company or happen to be Kylie Minogue's bum. As Iraq's gigantic stockpile of WMD shows, column inches are not necessarily the best indicator of substance.

Now, if you will excuse me, I'm off to use historiometry to prove that Charles Murray doesn't exist. I'm only going to use resource material written by Pakistani separatist lesbians, but I will make sure they're all familiar with the sine rule.

[mikeb704]

Appears Mr. Murray really hit a nerve. Facts are such stubborn things.

Michael M. Bates: My Side of the Swamp

[Gefreiter]

Er...what?

[BadAndy]

Murry's book merely confirms the obvious, and that just bugs the he|| out the multicultural nitwits.

[Mears]

Wow,Emma is one angry lady isn't she.

[biblewonk]

Is Jesus considered white?

[Mr. Jeeves]

This columnist lacks the intellectual background to critique Charles Murray's work in any valid way, so instead she caricatures it then demonizes the caricature.

The result is an article that is about a subject of her own invention, rather than anything Murray said.

[presidio9]

I have asked you more than once not to ping me into your little theological nursery-school games. A good Christian honors the request of his fellow man.

[Abcdefg]

I don't know, but Tiger Woods is considered Black.

[WinOne4TheGipper]

I'll admit I have never heard of Charles Murray. Does anyone have a link to a website about him?

[steplock]

I LUV IT when these idiots leave us with their email address!


Sent: Friday, February 06, 2004 3:38 PM
To: etom@bigpond.com
Subject: The science of bigotry: how only dead white males did it all


Well...now that we have your "opinion" ... do YOU offer any facts to discredit "The Bell Curve" or Charles Murray ?

I thought not. Leftists radicals need not worry about the truth when lenin, marx and mao offer all you need.




Before a standing army can rule, the people must be disarmed; as they are in almost every kingdom of Europe. The supreme power in America cannot enforce unjust laws by the sword; because the whole body of the people are armed, and constitute a force superior to any band of regular troops that can be, on any pretence, raised in the United States.

-- Noah Webster

[biblewonk]

And you think I remember you?

[Slings and Arrows]

I think Maureen Dowd is moonlighting under a pen name.

[ClearCase_guy]

Maybe Ann Coulter should write a book about how the Left doesn't really argue anything, and doesn't really rely on facts, but just hurls insults instead. Oh ... that's write ... Ann already wrote that book.

[presidio9]

If you don't, you must be on drugs. We have gone back and forth for hundreds of posts (hint: are you sssstill into ssssnake handling?).


Now begone, and go bug someone with more free time than sense.

[biblewonk]

I just don't remember unimportant things.

[BIGZ]

Afirmative Action in action, I rest my case.

[Fredy]

Is Jesus considered white?

Absolutely NOT. More likely that he was ( is ) dark skin and dark hair. On early ikons from Orthodox Church he is almost black.

[End Times Sentinel]

Emma, I understand that The Bell Curve is a rather long, droll book, packed with unpleasant facts and research that is extremely depressing, so I can understand why you obviously didn't read it.

 

But rather than claim that Murray is a racist, maybe you should just shut your ignorant pie hole.

Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”