I've often told Gatti, you can take the pig-fucker out of the south, but you can't take the south out of the pig fucker.

To which he usually responds, Haw, thass a fine-looking hog over there.

Sidd, those who emigrated to other parts of America and remain poor undoubtedly have exported the relevant aspects of Southern culture. Sure, they may not speak the same, but clearly the retardation of Northern blacks' economic success is because of the inherent dependency of Southern culture. Get it?

Beyond its other flaws, the problem with this argument is that "Southern culture" is completely malleable. If its contours can be defined as the author wishes, I'm surprised that he stopped with handing it the yoke of economic repression for blacks and undereducated whites, and didn't extend it to the regrettable quality of today's prime-time programming.

Gattigap

You didn't really read it, did you?

Nah, I think it's a pretty good theory. The South is fundamentally different, and southern culture permeated black people, completely replacing their native culture and making them, well, dumb and prone to be unsuccessful.


It's The Belle Curve.

Yeah, I did.

Yes, but only the parts he didn't splatter with BBQ sauce.

(I was trying to be charitable.)

Had you not approached me with a request for lessons in technique, this recounting would be more credible.

Quick question: a friend lives in Dunedin New Zealand- beautiful culturally advanced etc.

He wants to spend time in the States and the only way to get extended stay visa is to teach. apparently some areas offer programs- problem is it looks like it mostly Mayberry where they need them. So he's telling me chances are best for him to get a job in South Carolina.

Q1- should I recommend not living in backwoods SC?
Q2- he said Va. and NC are also possible- I was going to suggest that he fight for those if for no other reason than he'll be closer to cities. Agree?
Q3- if he does go do you have any hints on how to maximize the promiscuity while minimizing the violence?

Yeah. And I was trying to avoid a more protracted discussion in which I would have to take the time to point out that

• Yes, I read the part mentioning the study about black Harvard alumni,
• The fragment of the first sentence was a sarcastic leadup to my main point*, which remains that
• The answer to black American economic challenges is multifaceted one, and seizing on "culture" as one's argued primary cause is a poor choice. It's an ephemeral concept, and easily manipulable to justify any number of conclusions.

(Clearly, I failed in this.)

Gattigap.



* And I suspect you know this, yet took the opportunity to suggest several times that I'm either inattentive or stupid. Nice. Tuesday, the new Friday.

Wait, let's stop there. Was your friend an extra on the LOTR movies? If an elf, then SC/NC/Va will work fine. If an orc, then I gotta recommend the Detroit suburbs. Blending into one's environment is critical.

You use big words for a pig-fucker.

I was able to avoid the violence to obtain an acceptable education, but obviously promiscuity was a more significant problem for me.

As long as we're clear on this.


Not if you disregard the content of the culture in your construct, and simply make an analysis of the differing outcomes for different groups. You're so busy running away from the topic, though, that I think you miss that. When you say things like " . . . but clearly the retardation of Northern blacks' economic success is because of the inherent dependency of Southern culture . . ." as a response to what Sowell wrote, it makes it less likely that serious consideration will be given to the rest. No, I'm not calling you dumb - I'm mostly calling myself frustrated, as, like any time someone tries to deal with this subject, it gets met with thinly veiled sarcasm by people who are way invested of other explanations.

Can you blame him? His cousin's hot, man.