Riots in Oakland

[Heracles 417]

Just because you believe that the basketball star is so good due to the color of his skin don't limit me to that mindset.

I recognize that he probably spent more time playing basketball than I did and based on where he lived basketball or football may have been his best bet at improving his financial and social opportunities in adulthood which would have been a big motivation for him to devote a lot of time to developing the required skills.

His skill has no genetic basis but might have a social basis which is not what "Social Darwinism" claimed.

So AA simply work harder at sports do they? Nothing to do with genetic abilities right? Perhaps, even Einstein simply studied harder right?

Sport and singing has everything to do with genetics and also why I don't pay much attention to either.

[Captain Oates 910]

So AA simply work harder at sports do they? Nothing to do with genetic abilities right? Perhaps, even Einstein simply studied harder right?

Sport and singing has everything to do with genetics and also why I don't pay much attention to either.

Only Yorkshiremen have excelled at the sport of having a ferret down their trousers

That's because their commanders command respect

[elmcitymaven 9,711]

Only Yorkshiremen have excelled at the sport of having a ferret down their trousers

This is true. I've seen enough episodes of Last of the Summer Wine to verify that.

[Heracles 417]

You learn something new every day on here. A few days ago I was informed from Slim that America's crime rate is no different to anywhere else. Now I have been told that genetics has nothing to do whatsoever with sport or singing. Surely any white-boy with a bit of training can become the next Carl Lewis.

[Deputy Purple 1,294]

So AA simply work harder at sports do they? Nothing to do with genetic abilities right? Perhaps, even Einstein simply studied harder right?

Sport and singing has everything to do with genetics and also why I don't pay much attention to either.

I'm sorry I mis-stated something:

It has no Racial Basis... I do accept that one can be genetically predisposed to certain things but it is ignorant to try to make those division along racial lines.

Differences attributed to race originate in the environment where that race developed predominately so some physical features may appear to be racially genetic but they were in fact a result of the environment where the "racial identity developed". Differences in skin color/hair texture are a great example of this.

Turning this into "Racial Genetics" is ignorant. Using your example of Einstein would imply that all Germans are more intelligent than other races/ethnicities which could be taken to the ludicrous extreme that Adolf Hitler was probably correct, oh wait he was Austrian, well then that his German Generals were correct in following him and the rest of the world was too stupid to understand this.

[mawilson 2,133]

That rather depends on how you interpret statistics. I was looking at it the other day and not only does the US have 3-4 times murder rate of the UK, but the majority of murders are committed with handguns.

That much is true, but handgun bans in places like DC or Chicago only made things worse.

Which makes sense - when you take away guns from law-abiding citizens, you take away their ability

to defend themselves and help criminals gain confidence that nobody will shoot back at them.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

"Social Darwinism" is B/S!

It was a thinly veiled attempt by racists in the 1800s to use Darwin's theories to support their own claims that some races are naturally more deceitful or less intelligent that "White Folks".

They were known as "Progressives".

[Heracles 417]

We're not all the same and that is reality, furthermore, these differences get larger when factoring in our history, surroundings and culture. It's just really funny to me how some accept that we look different and perform differently at certain sports, yet miraculously all have the same intelligence. Personally, I don't focus on the differences nor dwell on them. However, I am not going to pretend they are neither there no real.

The only differences I will discuss are the massive differences in culture, which has nothing to do with genetics. Your inner-city ghetto culture, for example, is vastly different [worlds apart] to you average Aussie culture or SE Asian culture etc.

Edited July 12, 2010 by Booyah!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

That much is true, but handgun bans in places like DC or Chicago only made things worse.

Which makes sense - when you take away guns from law-abiding citizens, you take away their ability

to defend themselves and help criminals gain confidence that nobody will shoot back at them.

I think that argument only really applies to the situation you have in the US where guns are still readily available outside of those areas.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

A yorkshire saying is :

' Clogs to clogs in three generations'

Poor guy has a kid who makes it - then his kids turn out to be spendthrifts and it's all gone...

It is interesting in a Darwinian and genetics way because if it is genes that make people stupid or spendthrifts, then hundreds of years ago this would have dictated that they were less likely to survive - tripping up, banging into treees, not saving food etc

Evolution would have favoured the intelligent

Now we have the intelligent on the pill and carefully planning their lives while the unintelligent are breeding like mice on acid.

Is it therefore the case that evolution is running backward ?

As all modern humans are cro-magnons from 100,000 years ago (very recent) - or 6,000 years ago if you come from Oklahoma, we can assume all races are the same and they are.

True. That was why Progressives like Margaret Sanger supported birth control for "societies undesirables".

Edited July 12, 2010 by ##########

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

We're not all the same and that is reality, furthermore, these differences get larger when factoring in our history, surroundings and culture. It's just really funny to me how some accept that we look different and perform differently at certain sports, yet miraculously all have the same intelligence. Personally, I don't focus on the differences nor dwell on them. However, I am not goign to pretend they are not there.

The only differences I will discuss is cultural oriented, which has nothing to do with genetics. Your inner-city ghetto culture, for example, is vastly different [world's apart] to you average Aussie culture or SE Asian culture etc.

Must we have this again?

[Captain Oates 910]

Differences attributed to race originate in the environment where that race developed predominately so some physical features may appear to be racially genetic but they were in fact a result of the environment where the "racial identity developed". Differences in skin color/hair texture are a great example of this.

Are you suggesting that coconuts migrate ?

But if you are born in Northern Greenland and you look like a Nubiam coz your parents are, then it's genetic. Yes the genes are developed in another environment but the result is the same - it's the genes that determine things and not where you are born. Given modern living aids, a 500th generation nubian born in greenland will be identical to one born now providing he doesn't get any action with those Greenlander chicks over those 500 generations (unlikely).

It's a very interesting subject but I have seen enough incredibly clever people of all races that I believe mental powers are universal and it's the unimportant body parts that have to adapt to new environments rather than the brain/mind

So yes our bodies are superficially different let's agree on that. Our minds though are virtually if not totally the same as we face the same complexities of survival in all environments..

I have noticed that the very best sports people are mixed race - Mohammed Ali etc (come on he was). Rio Ferdinand etc etc etc Cross breeding makes any animal stronger because it's the opposite of in-breeding

So perhaps we all need to get at it with 'them' whoever they are in our case

[Heracles 417]

Must we have this again?

You are right, Brits are little alike Aussies yet strangely enough you ignore their historical ties and still believe the world is homogeneous. A single state is not homogeneous let alone the entire world mate.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Yep, carry on BY. Feel free to rant at me, that way noone else will have to listen to this guff again.

[Heracles 417]

That much is true, but handgun bans in places like DC or Chicago only made things worse.

Which makes sense - when you take away guns from law-abiding citizens, you take away their ability

to defend themselves and help criminals gain confidence that nobody will shoot back at them.

That's because they buy them elsewhere, not because a ban or restriction has failed. The UK and AUS amongst most other first world nations are undeniable proof that nationwide gun restrictions do work.

If NYC adds a $10 cigarette sales tax to reduce smoking, it will fail because people can simply drive to Jersey or LI to purchase them at regular price. Yet had the entire country had a $10 tax, smoking would drop dramatically. The flaw is clearly with the system here, yet groups like the NRA disingenuously exploit it to promote their point.