Comedian and Screenwriter John Cleese reminds us that ‘race doesn’t matter, but culture does’: “And we should not be frightened to say so,” he added.

American Thinker ^ | 05/03/2024 | Olivia Murray

[SeekAndFind]

One need only look at the most prominent elements of traditional Western Civilization (architecture, music, education, representative governance, civic life, the relationship between the sexes, family structure, Judeo-Christian morality, etc.) to know that it’s far superior to any other that has ever existed—but state such a politically-incorrect truth and you’ll find yourself a target of the progressive left, because they’re intolerant and ignorant, and they’re willing to use violence to make a point.

But John Cleese, an English national treasure has never been one for political correctness, and in a recent interview, Cleese reminded us that the West’s culture and way of life are the most superior, and absolutely worth persevering; here’s what he said, via a Daily Mail item out yesterday:

Speaking to The Oldie magazine, Cleese said: ‘Race doesn’t matter, but culture does.

‘I think that some cultures are superior to others, and we should not be frightened to say so.

‘A society that goes in for female genital mutilation is abhorrent and I happen to think that if people come to live in Britain, they should accept and adhere to our values.’

‘I understand that some 20 per cent [sic] of Muslims in the UK would like to see Sharia law and I believe that's wrong.’

He’s exactly right, because all cultures are not equal. Who would argue that the culture of a NAMBLA convention is not “inferior” to the culture of a pro-life conference, it’s just different? (Well, now that I think about it, a sizable portion of Democrats probably would argue that.) Would anyone argue that Third Reich culture trumps the culture of 1930s Paris?

[SeekAndFind]

Is the self-sacrifice seen so often in Western warfare (the strong protect the weak and oppressed paradigm) on equal footing with combatants who use their own children as human shields?

Here’s another way of putting the point made by Cleese:

If we send every Norwegian to Nigeria and spend every Nigerian to Norway, in 5 years Norway will become a third world and Nigeria will become a civilized nation.

There is no magic soil. People make countries; countries are a reflection of those who inhabit them.


pic.twitter.com/D3W6ZmGmyR — Klaus Arminius (@Klaus_Arminius) March 15, 2024

[SpaceBar]

No, race does matter, and anyone who says it doesn’t is just virtue signalling.

[Billthedrill]

Cleese is a lefty who has watched the Overton Window careen so far to his own left that (1) Monty Python doesn’t seem so crazy at all anymore, and (2) could get him arrested in the UK if it were broadcast today (and it wouldn’t be).

[RoosterRedux]

And everyone who says it does (race does matter) is doing what exactly?

[PGR88]

THIS is how Marxists try to hide their destruction

Their constant focus on “race” is a diversion from obvious differences of culture, systems of belief, and behavior.

Its why they throw around cheap slogans like “diversity” and “all cultures are equal”

[Leaning Right]

Cleese is a liberal. But he’s an old-fashioned, nonwoke liberal. His fame might save him from being cancelled for his comments.

Then again, he just might be charged with some sort of UK hate speech crime. That’s the way Britain rolls these days.

[circlecity]

Cleese is a liberal until the policies start to effect him.

[SpaceBar]

Looking at the available evidence and making the obvious conclusion.

[x]

Enoch Powell was worried about Blacks, but it’s Muslims who have been giving Britain the most trouble. To a large extent the Africans and West Indians who came to Britain have fit into British society. Colonization and empire gave many of those West Indians and Africans who came to Britain a good share of British values

They aren’t a large part of the population, though. Britain hasn’t gone in for mass immigration as much as we have and didn’t already have a large Black underclass. Culture matters more than race, but numbers matter more than either. The larger minority groups are, the less they want to assimilate.

[Altura Ct.]

Race and culture are not mutually exclusive.

[Leaning Right]

> Cleese is a liberal until the policies start to affect him. <

Yes, indeed. He is (or was) actually part of the problem. I should have mentioned that in my earlier post.

I will, however, give him credit for speaking up now. Better late than never. And he might just change a few minds in the process.

[RoosterRedux]

I grew up in the Deep South and frankly have known plenty of racists of all colors (some of whom would kill another person on that basis alone). They're skunks through and through.

If you are a racist, you are doing humanity a great disservice.

[Paal Gulli]

Dunno if Cleese stole it from Denzel Washington or Washington stole it from him but one of Denzel’s oft-repeated lines is, “It’s culture, not color.”

[SeekAndFind]

RE: From Cleese: “If we send every Norwegian to Nigeria and spend every Nigerian to Norway, in 5 years Norway will become a third world and Nigeria will become a civilized nation.”

Hmmm.... Norway has a little over 5 million people and Nigeria has over 218 Million people. Both Nigeria and Norway have something the world needs — Oil and Natural Gas.

I wonder how 218 million people ( every Nigerian ) can handle living in a frigid climate and How 5 million people ( every Norwegian ) handle a tropical, semi-arid climate...

[Captainpaintball]

Oh, John… you are getting warmer. And a little bit more courageous as you near the end of your days. But you are not quite there yet.

[No name given]

Well said.

[escapefromboston]

Culture is more important but it’s hard to say race doesn’t matter at all.

[Diversity Is Our Weakness]

BS. Race matters too. Matters a lot.

[Obadiah]

Spot on.

[csn vinnie]

Man developed first in Africa. He has not continued to do so there. — P.J. O’Rourke

All the self-congratulatory multi-culturalism is an attempt to avoid or deny the differences in achievements between Western Civilization and other “civilizations.” We don’t need to push multiculturalism. At least in the West, if we find something useful in another culture we will “appropriate” it and probably improve on it. That should be universal, but if you look at world history, maybe it is not.