A Racial Revolution? (Thomas Sowell)

Creators Syndicate ^ | May 18, 2012 | Thomas Sowell

[jazusamo]

Now that census data show — for the first time in American history — the number of white babies born exceeded by the number of babies born to non-white minorities the question is: What does this mean for the future of American society? Politically, it means that minorities who traditionally vote overwhelmingly for Democrats can ensure that the country veers ever further to the left over the years, making America more like the welfare states of Europe, whose unsustainable spending led ultimately to finical crises and widespread riots. But this is not strictly a matter of whites versus non-whites. Jews vote consistently, and almost as overwhelmingly, for Democrats as blacks do. Moreover, Asian Americans are by no means as likely as other non-whites to vote for the class warfare, tax and spend agenda of the Democrats. Yet when all is said and done, the future political direction of the country seems painfully clear for these demographic trends, unless something happens to change the current correlation between race and political party affiliation. Moreover, even that may not be enough. Even if Republicans can siphon off enough votes from groups that normally vote for Democrats to keep the two-party system alive, the preservation of the Republican Party is a trivial issue compared to the preservation of American society. If Republican politicians save themselves by becoming Democrats under a different label — and appeal to minorities as minorities, rather than as Americans — the same policies and attitudes will have the same destructive effect on the American economy and society. Refusing to cut back on entitlement spending, for example, means that the current generation can continue to enjoy government-subsidized amenities, at the expense of future generations who can be left to struggle to get necessities, after the money runs out and government's promises can no longer be kept. The growth of ever bigger and even more intrusive government means that the freedom, for which generations of Americans have fought and died on battlefields, around the world can be slowly but steadily lost within our own country. Painful as such outcomes can be the dangers do not end there. A continuation of the current political tendency to take away the money required for national defense, and spend it instead on handouts that will win votes, means that our enemies around the world will have golden opportunities at our expense. Again, the dangers may not be immediate. But they can be catastrophic when they catch up with us — and catch us unprepared. We recovered from Pearl Harbor at enormous cost, including the needless deaths of American soldiers, fighting for their lives with obsolete military equipment against enemies with state of the art weapons. But even such sacrifices which brought us time to catch up during the Second World War, may not even be enough in a nuclear age. What can be done now, to head off the many dangers in our current political policies and attitudes? There is not much we can do about demographic trends. But the changing composition of the American population is not, in itself, the fundamental danger. After all, vast millions of immigrants crossed the Atlantic for generations on end, and began the process of becoming Americans. Millions of black people likewise began that process after being set free. Demography is not destiny. But the history of Balkanized and polarized societies in the 20th century is a history of horrors that we dare not ignore. We are not at that terrible point yet. But that is the direction in which we are headed, under the spell of magic words like "multiculturalism" and "diversity," which have become substitutes for thoughts, even among those who pride themselves on being "thinking people." Our whole educational system, from the elementary schools to the universities, is permeated with ideologies of group grievances and resentments, painting each group into the corner of its own separate subculture, instead of drawing them into the mainstream of the American culture that made this the greatest nation on earth. Unless the fashionable Balkanization is stopped, demography can become destiny — and a tragedy for all.

[BRL]

I like Sowell, but this article is wishy washy.

[PapaBear3625]

Are people who arrived at later times less capable?

Two hundred years ago, most people had to work hard to just survive. There was very little left over to help anybody else -- attempting to relieve the hunger of strangers just meant that your own family went hungry.

Today, many people are starving, or dying for lack of medicine in the Third World. I could probably save a good number of those people if I was willing to have my kids not go to college as a result. I am not so willing.

I am fully aware that my attitude means that a number of people there will die. I am not willing to save them at the cost of impoverishing my own. I think a majority feel the same way, although they may choose not to think about it.

We are now standing at a point where we have to choose whether to impoverish our own families, or let the underclass die. When it comes down to that naked choice, I think most people will choose not to impoverish their own.

[muawiyah]

Entirely too gloom and doom. I think the third-worlders can handle their own affairs though. And even here, today’s people are as capable as folks ever were, and certainly don’t need government’s control to know which way to pee!

[BradyLS]

If Republican politicians save themselves by becoming Democrats under a different label — and appeal to minorities as minorities, rather than as Americans — the same policies and attitudes will have the same destructive effect on the American economy and society.

I agree. RINO is no longer the correct acronym. But DIABN (Democrat In All But Name) just doesn't trip off the tongue the same way.

[oldbrowser]

Demography is not destiny.

What this tells me is that we had better get busy and start educating minorities on conservatism and the constitution.
A renaissance can happen in one generation. First step get control of the government. Step two is to reform the education system.

We are in a cultural war and we are losing because the marxists are intent on destroying us and we are intent on ignoring them.

[BradyLS]

He pays child support???

I'm sure the tax-payers are contributing more than their fair share for "child support."

[Nowhere Man]

Nothing Sowell suggests will stop the Balkanization. He speaks economics, but Balkanization is about ethnicity. The only way to stop Balkanization is to dramatically reduce immigration, end the racial spoils system (affirmative action, ethnic studies, diversity commissars), and replace the suicide cult of muliticulturalism with Americanization. This day has been warned since 1991. There is no more time to dilly dally.

My father, mother and grandfather saw this coming as far back as the 1970's.

[Nowhere Man]

Thomas is right on. This is why I feel America may never recover. This communists King Obama and his empire has ripped a huge hole in our Constitution and has brought America to its knees. He might get another term since his machine and ignorant Americans just might keep him. Another four will destroy so much that it will never come back without a civil war.

I dearly pray and hope it does not come down to that. I hate to spend the rest of middle age humping an M1 Garand in the woods. B-P Still, I feel like I'm a bystander, watching a car go down a hill with no brakes, yet, I'm unable to stop it. B-(

[WashingtonSource]

Population trends also do not continue forever. For example, birth rates in Latin America are plummeting and thus, less pressue for Mexicans and others to emigrate to the United States. Also, Mexicans and other Latin Americans are going back home because there are no jobs here. The biggest challenge is uncontrolled immigration, which can be brought under control.

If Hispanic immigraiton drops dramatically it will lead to more assimiluation by Hispanics who may come to value more highly American values. There’s also the great success story for people from Indian who are becoming patriotic Americans. So, it is not entirely at negative story.

Also, these are desperate times and that means that white married couples are delaying haing children, while other white young people are delaying getting married. Presumably there will be a catch up later as postponed children are born.

Also, we should end or immigraiton policies that discriminate against Europe and end immigraiton from most third-world hel holes — especially Muslim ones.

[mc5cents]

Wishy washy

NOT wishy washy

[jazusamo]

Good post, especially on immigration.

It's clear that the Muslim communities here and CAIR have little interest in living here under our Constitution and laws, let them move elsewhere where they can live their way.

[Monorprise]

“Absolutely correct. Japan gives a family about $3,000 for having a baby. However, not so long ago a government official was pilloried for proposing cash rewards to Japanese women for having babies.

Overpopulation is as big a myth as global warming. Have babies. My wife and I have six, and it’s been the greatest joy in my life.”

As Japan and Russia who does something similar demonstrate economic incentives are not really doing the trick. Why is it that so many of our “race” are not having “large” families?

I do you have any further insite into this issue? I’ve been working on it for the last 10-15 years. What ive found is a list of reasons:

1: Modern Culture: Many people over the last few decades look down upon people with “large families”, just as they shockingly look up to “unproductive” people with small or no families.

My question: What are we a culture of the dammed?

2: Abortion & contraceptive tech: Like it or not a lot of people choose not to go thou the “difficulties” of having large families fearing for the resources and sacfises they personally will have to make. Abortion & contraceptive tech has given them anther option.

My Suggestion: We might do well to adopt the catholic position on all theses issues: no abortion or contraception in the name of preserving our race? The fact that both of theses items constitute ending a human life to varying degrees is anther issue to consister.

3: Family structure: While not strictly speaking essentially to reproduction it is helpful to sucesfull child rearing, and large “litters”. Like it or not sense the for the last 50+ years all legal and cultural forces to hold together families into units have been torn down.

My Suggestion: They must be rebuilt probably by means of inventing a new(really original) definition/institution of marriage. One with the specifically enumerated aim of raising children. One that is financially and physically binding with no divorce.

To implement either of theses solutions may require a new state.
To change the culture requires ridicule to induce popular self-examination. People such as yourself need to be put forward as the ideal of American life. And to be frank we need to go beyond that because for everyone we get to there will be many whom we wont.

Simply telling everyone to have 3 kids is not going to work, they need to have 4,5 or more kids to make up for those who don’t. Take care and be proud of your family DSC.

[zeestephen]

Re: “There is not much we can do about demographic trends.”

Wrong!

We are a sovereign nation.

Our political leaders - Democrat AND Republican - willfully created this demographic trend.

By changing immigration policy, our political leaders can REVERSE this trend within ten years.

[wastoute]

I don't see another way for things to go and haven't since the mid 90’s. CWII. Personally, IMHO, the “fulcrum” of “the problem” is the idiot politicians can't afford to tell folks what is actually going on or the will lose the next election. So, like lemmings we cannot change the momentum that is hurtling us toward a cliff. There is no real effort on the part of ANYBODY to put the brakes on. I keep hoping for pulpits to start at least trying but it seems they may be inhabited by folks with the same problem the politicians have.
Look at the Greeks. The electorate refuses to acknowledge that they cannot just continue to wring money out of the gummint by voting for it. It is bizarre. We have the same situation here. Gummint spending at %105 of GDP cannot go on indefinitely.

[MrB]

I heard a stat that is heartening -

homeschoolers tend to be 14 times more likely to be politically active as the general population.

That means when 7% of the kids are homeschooled, they’ll dominate the political arena.

[Nowhere Man]

2: Abortion & contraceptive tech: Like it or not a lot of people choose not to go thou the “difficulties” of having large families fearing for the resources and sacfises they personally will have to make. Abortion & contraceptive tech has given them anther option.

I always had a story going on in my mind where a time traveller travels from the 1990s/2010s (or onward, it has been brewing in my mind for a while) where his mission is to assassinate the people who developed the birth control pill to stop it. The trouble is that someone else could come up with the idea, he'd need a couple of Mossad and Seal Team Sixes to take with him. B-P

I find your points very admirable, we need to be more marriage and family friendly. Divorce, I think there needs to be some sort of mechanism there, there are legitimate reasons for divorce but I think we do need to get rid of no fault divorce, basically that is just walking away on a whim. As to the rest, I like them, the only thing is that it might take the iron hand of government to enforce it and I don't know that under our system of a Constitutionally based government, we can do that. However, if we are to survive we do need to practice some, if not all, you posted.

If I was king, I'd implement all of them.

Also, I think we need to bring back matchmaking too. Not government of course, but in many communities like the Jewish community, they had matchmakers to match single men to single ladies, usually an older woman or a group of them. My great uncle was a Russian Jew who came over here. He was a concert level violinist. He was married once but was accused of bigamy and although he was deemed innocent, his wife divorced him. A few years later, a matchmaker matched him with an eligible 17/18 year old young lady, he was 45/50 at the time and despite the differences in ages, they did love each other and raised a family. This was like back in the 1930's.

I think matchmaking would help a few lonely guys as well, give them that extra push so to speak. I tend to suck at dating myself, maybe because I'm almost sure I have Asperger's. (I was slow to develop socially as a kid although highly intelligent, I had a battery of tests done, going over my test records, that sure would explain a lot. I'm a typical computer/ham radio nerd).

Another issue, economics, we need to foster an economy supportive to people supporting families much better. I know I cannot support a wife and kids on what I make, heck, with Mom and I, it is nip and tuck now. We need to make opportunities better with revising our tax policies to bring jobs here and back.

Also, we need to make sure our young people know about and assume responsibility at a younger age. In order to make this work, we need to do that. Most 17/18 year olds, heck, even 25+ year olds are not ready to do this, with the time of adolescence creeping up, you're taking valuable time to build a career and raise a family away. Sure is it OK to have fun, even though I'm in my mid 40's, I enjoy much the same things as a kid like adventure gaming and role playing games, but there is a time to hit the save button and take care of life.

[Scotswife]

I’m saddened by the redefinition of marriage - not just with the “male female” forumula...but from the standpoint of what marriage is...and isn’t...between man and wife.

I’m watching the 20 somethings closely and their view is completely different from what I was taught.

I was raised catholic, but my protestant friends had the same lesson....marriage is self sacrifice. Just as Jesus sacrificed Himself for the sake of His Bride...so we are called upon to sacrifice ourselves for our spouse and children.
So when difficulties arise - or arguments occur - that is something we were always able to focus on.

Today?
Marriage is about “happiness” and “self-fulfillment”
Self sacrifice sounds like slavery to them.
If it isn’t all fun and giggles every day, these kids think they aren’t “happy” and they head for the door.

So it isn’t surprising that you won’t see large families come out of this bunch...unless you are talking about many half siblings from many relationships.

[rmlew]

Low birthrates are a problem, not the only problem. I'd settle for Americans actually having 2.2 children per woman.
Japan has far worse fertility rates than us, but they are not replacing their population with foreigners. A Japan with 1/3 less population will still be Japan.

[Nowhere Man]

Yeah, marriage can be about the happy stuff but it is also a way to show commitment when things go bad too, that latter is the real key.

I even admit in a legal sense, Obama is correct, such laws are left up to the States since the Constitution is silent on marriage. I even have no trouble with civil unions or even if a few States vote for same sex marriage although I'm sure the vast majority would retain traditional marriage. I'm just speaking in a legal sense here.

I just don't like equating same sex marriage with traditional marriage, it just goes against common sense. I guess if a State has a libertarian approach to it and stays out of marriage altogether, if a same sex couple want to see themselves as marriage, well, so be it but don't force me or others to see it the same way. I just see the whole mess as a way to get more benefits from the government and private sector. I think that is why it is being forced on us. The thing that chaffs my hide is that if you're for traditional marriage, you're a bigot. I have gay friends, even a couple who consider themselves married, and we just agree to disagree. We don't demonize one another. Actually, this issue is also being used as a diversion to take away from the problems we face with the economy to Iran with atomic capability.

I know to some people, my position may be a little too moderate in a few places (although if we as a people vote on it here in Pennsylvania, I'd vote to keep marriage traditional), but even then, I'm considered a heretic to the left. I don't care.

If two guys want to be gay together, fine, but keep it private. Gays have the same rights to access the American Dream via their own merits and skills just like anyone else. Same with housing and so on, in fact, there are quite a few places, like Detroit, where the gays can improve the neighborhood, they keep their places up well and clean. Still if they want to change the marriage laws, work within the legislative system and so on. We have the same rights and tools to oppose it. I'm willing to compromise on civil unions, but marriage, no.

I'm basically "live and let live," and we all need to work together and fix this country even with some of our differences. Just don't use the power of the judges and out of control executive branch to force it on society. If they want to see true bigots, go to the old USSR, if you were gay over there and get caught, you face 8 years braking rocks in the gulags. Worse, if you go to Iran or Saudi Arabia, you get hanged or stoned. Hey, I'm not for same sex marriage, but I'm still willing to be friends.

I think overall, we do need to strengthen traditional marriage too and foster a system where one can raise a family.

Lastly, I hate it when they say, "it is a civil right." Everything to the left is a civil right. Do I have a civil right to a house, car, color TV, playstation, utilities, gas, sex, high end stereo system and so on? Now the stupid NAACP fell into the same sex marriage is a civil right.

[rmlew]

I have to disagree. We’ve had many ethnic groups for most of our history - English, Irish, German, Italian Spanish, Chinese, Japanese... you name it they’ve come here. Balkanization was never a significant problem until recently, until leftist ideas such as multicult replaced the “melting pot”.
For previous waves of immigration the founding populations was a majority, soon added to be assimilated others who intermarried. This majority was self-assured, demanded that immigrants assimilate, and restricted immigration every generation or two to ensure this. None of these factors are true today.