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I have a dream that my four little
children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the
color of their skin but by the content of their character.
-
Martin
Luther King, August 28, 1963, Washington, D.C.
Walter
Block has written a brilliant piece, echoing this most famous line of what
is perhaps King’s most famous speech. From
Walter:
I recently heard a young black male
student give thanks to the fact that at my school, Loyola University New
Orleans, for the first time in his academic career, he has had teachers who
“look like him.”
Walter offers several thought-provoking counters to this
student’s joy:
I have a brown belt in Shoto-Kan
Karate. Virtually none of my senseis (teachers) look like me. Well, yes, they
all had heads, feet, arms, heads, and, I presume, the usual complements of
kishkes (inner body parts), but that is where it ended.
What mattered to Walter is the content of his senseis’
character.
I identify with the New Orleans
Pelicans. Yet, apart from maleness (and age and athletic ability too!),
virtually none of them “look like me.” Should I be perturbed at that fact? …Not
if I want them to win, which I certainly do.
What matters to Walter is the content of the players’
character.
I have learned more economics from
Thomas Sowell and Walter Williams in the fields of racial and sexual
discrimination than I have from any other two scholars…
What matters to Walter…oh, you get the point by now.
In a line that King would have been proud of – heck, he said the same thing just in a
different way (emphasis added):
To return to that young black male
student who gave thanks to the fact that at Loyola, for the first time in his
academic career, he has teachers who “look like him.” Here is some free advice
for him: No, no, no, skin color is
entirely irrelevant.
Instead, Walter looks to (maybe you are getting tired of my
pointing this out) the content of one’s
character:
Yes, we do indeed need more
diversity at Loyola but not along the usual racial, sexual, ethnic lines.
Rather, there is a great need for this in terms of ideology.
Too many leftists and not enough libertarians and
conservatives.
In other words, the content of one’s character.
I hope that, unlike King, Walter wrote his own piece.
ReplyDeleteBurn! It is truly amazing how severely lacking are the constitutions of the characters of so many of those "hallowed" by the western liberal elite. King was basically a socialist and a sexual-deviant plagiarist. Gandhi is another one that totally befuddles me.
DeleteAMEN!
ReplyDeleteThank you Bionic!
I am reminded also of the parable of the Good Samaritan as told by Jesus in Luke 10:25–37
Tahn
I'll overlook that Martin King didn't believe the things that he said in his speech, but I won't overlook what Walter Block is saying here.
ReplyDeleteWe don't need diversity in ideology. We don't need one commie, one libertarian, one centrist, one liberal, one afro-centrist, and so on. What we need is a preponderance of ideologically sound people in the education, media, and government establishment.
Importantly we have to recognize that "character" or "merit" just isn't going to cut it in certain situations. Should the PM of India be a white man? He may be a fantastic chap, and have a bunch of PhDs, but he just can't be representative of the spirit of the Indian nation, which is a separate matter to character or merit.
All good points.
DeleteMaybe he said that in part because libertarian and conservative thought is in the extreme minority, and minorities tend to preach inclusion of all view points, that is until they get into power.
>We don't need diversity in ideology.
DeleteThis refrain is an attempt to parry the constant demands by the usual suspects for "diversity" by demonstrating that they aren't interested in real diversity (which is simply code for anti-white, anti-sexual morality). However, as Matt points out, why exactly do we want diversity? While learning about other ideological positions or different theories of history etc. is essential to grow as an intellectual, it doesn't follow that you actually need die hard proponents of those views.
For example in an ideal situation students would learn about neoconservatism but what would be gained by their professor actually *being* a neoconservative? What good is a professor incapable of explaining ideologies he does not ascribe to?
The purpose of an education is to arrive at the truth (singular) not to be a buffet of nutritious food along side rat poison.
What about those Straussians who have no character, who worship at the alter of interminal greed and lust for power?
ReplyDelete"We don't need diversity in ideology. We don't need one commie, one libertarian, one centrist, one liberal, one afro-centrist, and so on. What we need is a preponderance of ideologically sound people in the education, media, and government establishment."
ReplyDeleteIs this critique aimed at helping Block achieve his goal or your's?
Jeff
Block has advocated for "libertarian slavery", which I oppose because I do not acknowledge slavery contracts.
DeleteSo no, I am not trying to help Block achieve his goals. That said, I don't believe Block ever intends to have his ideology implemented in the real world because he refuses to test theory against practice.
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will have the right to associate or dissociate with others based upon any criterion whatsoever, especially those who's histories have been marked by controversy, such as race, gender, religion, income, sexual proclivity, political affiliation, country of origin, [add your own here], and most importantly, one's preference for either "Star Trek" or "Star Wars," due to the preponderance of a profound recognition of the inviolability and sanctity of private property and the family."
ReplyDeleteThe libertarian, life affirming, and pro-civilization alternative.
>sanctity of the family
Delete>associate with anyone regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual proclivity
These two things do not go together.
Block wants total freedom of association in the political/legal area. Fine, I get the argument but that is not the attitude you take to maintaining tradition and family. Among the orthodox of Block's tribe you are essentially declared dead if you marry outside the tribe. Would the Amish still be the Amish if they said you can live however you please and remain part of the community?
This is a recurring theme in these discussions. If you apply the libertarian political principles as normative guide on how to live you end up with modernist philosophy totally destructive of tradition, culture, and family.
"If you apply the libertarian political principles as normative guide on how to live you end up with modernist philosophy totally destructive of tradition, culture, and family."
DeleteYou are sounding a lot like Mr. Libertarian himself, Murray Rothbard, when he points out (paraphrased) that liberty is the highest *political* end, but not the highest end in life.
You have taken the point a step further (and, it seems, in a direction Rothbard himself was considering before his life ended much too soon).
King must have written some of his own words. What kind of nincompoop plagiarizes "content of his character"? Talk about tautology.
ReplyDeleteTony,
ReplyDeleteMartin King had a Jewish speech writer that wrote his speeches for him.
Matt,
DeleteWhat kind of nincompoop hires a Jewish nincompoop to write speeches with such nincompoopish turns of phrase? If King thought people should be judged by their character, he should have just said so.
A recruiter does phone interviews in the adjacent cubicle at work. In the course of her screening, she keeps posing the same question: "Are you currently working right now?"
No, I'm currently working six months ago. Ugh!
So does Trump.
DeleteTony,
DeleteI would guess is it more like the Jewish speech writer hired Martin King as his frontman.
vonu,
As for Stephen Miller (Trump's speech writer), he is a good guy. Judge him by his character, not his ethnicity.
You are woke, Matt. I don't disagree.
Delete"woke?"
DeleteYes, woke. Please consult your Urban Dictionary:
DeleteAlthough an incorrect tense of awake, a reference to how people should be aware in current affairs.
"While you are obsessing with the Kardashians, there are millions of homeless in the world. STAY WOKE"
I only know about the Kardashians because of people who worship their stupidity and egotism.
DeleteI'm as interested in urban terminology as in Ebonics. Thank you for giving me another indicator of chronic dumbing down. Too bad you became a journeyman in it.
Matt,
DeleteThe thing I do with Trump or anyone having anything to do with him is ignoring them, since his "Read my lips" moment regarding gun seizure first, due process later. Character is only recognizable in politics by its absence.
"afro-centrist?"
ReplyDelete