Against this background, racial and ethnic leaders around the world who promote a separate cultural "identity" are inflicting a handicap on their own people. Isolation has held back many peoples in many lands, for centuries. But such social and cultural isolation serves the interests of today's ethnic leaders.
Dividing and conquering works very well; most unfortunately, it leaves the new rulers with decidedly unproductive people to rule.
This is called “cultural deprivation,” and it is certainly a known problem. I worked with retarded adults years ago in Pennsylvania, and we had some residents of the group home who probably had no organic problems but came from isolated families who lived out in the woods (in the Appalachians) and were severely culturally deprived to the point that they functioned and tested as retarded. Everybody was either illiterate or nearly so, the people who brought them up had a limited vocabulary (and many lived on a combination of welfare and hunting, so they didn’t even work with other people), and on top of that they usually had a horrible diet which led both to prenatal problems, possible organic brain damage, and later physical problems.
It’s hard to understand why television (blacks watch more TV than any other group) has not had a broadening effect on the culturally deprived, but I guess these isolated “communities” are so closed in on themselves and exert such negative pressure that there’s really nothing strong enough to oppose it.
I am trying to pick up Guns, Germs and Steel again and see if I can muck through it.
It is not a straight forward read like Sowell’s Conquest and Culture. The author of G, G & S is pussy footing his way to a hypothisis. Anyone know if Sowell commented on the more acclaimed Guns, Germs and Steel?
Thank you for the ping, Jaz.
I suspect that the progs of the early 20th century massaged their data as much as they do now.
They’ve been lying and cheating to prove their way is best for 100 years.
I hope that Margaret Sanger has been dealt her just reward.