# Racism is good **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 8, 2003, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768 "2003-02-08T21:43:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DaddyMack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dc4da7/32.png) [@DaddyMack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyMack)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768/21 "2003-02-09T02:20:59Z")
**Ha sanyone ever been exposed to this?** Have you been exposed to this [http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/evolphil/social.html](http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/evolphil/social.html) \*\* Here are som more I was able to find rathe quickly… [christianparty.net](http://christianparty.net) \*\* I guess the elephane got us all beat [http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/brainsize.html](http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/brainsize.html) You’re not positing this stuff for serious consideration are you? ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768/22 "2003-02-09T02:33:03Z")
**DM** , Do you think that there is any danger of someone believing it? If “creation-science” can be presented for serious consideration then this can be too. Do think this even more silly than “creation-science”? I think that they are on par. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768/23 "2003-02-09T02:43:54Z")
[http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/evolphil/social.html](http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/evolphil/social.html) doesn’t really seem to be germane to what Rushton is claiming. [http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/brainsize.html](http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/brainsize.html) seems to be more on target. It’s still not sufficient to debunk rushton’s ideas. **js\_af** , don’t be a wuss. put your heart into advocating for the devil if you really want to show **persephone** how it’s done. Otherwise it’ll look like a weak strawman attack. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768/24 "2003-02-09T03:10:53Z")
\<\< The Italians do, indeed, have a dish known as pizza. (They, in fact, have two, as the variety served in the Po valley is quite different than the variety served in the South.) However, the dish that Americans call pizza has only a loose connection to either of those dishes and is, indeed, an American creation. \>\> As one can find by reading [Straight Dope Staff Report: Who invented pizza?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mpizza.html) ---
**Author:** ![DaddyMack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dc4da7/32.png) [@DaddyMack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyMack)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768/25 "2003-02-09T03:22:28Z")
**Do you think that there is any danger of someone believing it?..** Race is a social construct there is not a genetic basic for it. Those who use skin color, size of lips and such are dealing in psudo-science just as the creation-scientist. Intelligence is more determined by the surface area of the cerebral cortex that varies independent of brain size. Should I discuss why psudo-science is dangerous? **If “creation-science” can be presented for serious consideration then this can be too.** Yes you can present it. This I gotta hear. So tell me how does Rushton determine intelligence? ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768/26 "2003-02-09T03:45:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DaddyMack \* > \*\* > Race is a social construct there is not a genetic basic for it. Those who use skin color, size of lips and such are dealing in psudo-science just as the creation-scientist. > \*\* Duh. But calling it names doesn’t constitute a logical refutation of it. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DaddyMack \* > \*\* > Should I discuss why psudo-science is dangerous? > \*\* The danger is already acknowledged. That’s why we’re here. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DaddyMack \* > \*\*So tell me how does Rushton determine intelligence? \*\* Gimme a minute. I’ve got to read this er, um, uh… stuff. An easy cite he gives involves two studies using something called “Raven’s Progressive Matrices”. I’m checking on some of the others like Richard lynn’s The Bell Curve. I’m not sure yet of what the RPM is or entails. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768/27 "2003-02-09T03:46:32Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by SimonX \* > \*\*js\_af_ricanus\*, don’t be a wuss. put your heart into advocating for the devil if you really want to show _persephone_ how it’s done. Otherwise it’ll look like a weak strawman attack. \*\* Wuss? I was showing **persephone** that I was willing to put forth a bonehead idea for the mental exercise of it. I’m still considering the more meaningful responses posted above. Besides, using an argument such as this is simply a non-starter. The regression completely fails to control for any other variables. It is naive in the extreme. It fails to establish even a _statistical_ link, let alone a causal link. In the spirit of the OP, racism being good has nothing to do with the supposed inferiorities of whites or blacks or whomevers. You’ll have to start the inferior race thread on your own. I’m still trying to come up with a good response to **t** , **g** , and **L**. There may be others, but right now I’m just skimming for purposes of writing the previous sentence, no offense if I missed you. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c4cdca/32.png) [@PatriotX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotX)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768/28 "2003-02-09T04:36:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by js\_africanus \* > \*\* > Besides, using an argument such as this is simply a non-starter. The regression completely fails to control for any other variables. … It fails to establish even a _statistical_ link, let alone a causal link. > \*\* Great rebuff. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by js\_africanus \* > \*\* > In the spirit of the OP, racism being good has nothing to do with the supposed inferiorities of whites or blacks or whomevers. You’ll have to start the inferior race thread on your own. > \*\* fair enough. but I’m already halfway bored trying to read through this stuff to trying to find it’s cites. It’s not quite as much fun as I expected. **DM** , url=http://www.jcravenltd.com/jcravenltd.html]Raven’s Progressive Matrices[/url ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768/29 "2003-02-09T04:45:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by js\_africanus \* > \*\*Wuss? I was showing **persephone** that I was willing to put forth a bonehead idea for the mental exercise of it. Uhhh…thanks? I think? But I think I too shall be considering the opposite opinions. No offense. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Liakela](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/58f4c7/32.png) [@Liakela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liakela)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768/30 "2003-02-09T05:19:38Z")
**OT Alert!** \ Call me kooky, but I found it amusing that **js\_africanus** took the ‘devil’s advocate’ position supposedly for the benifit of **Persephone**. The mythical wife of Hades. \ ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768/31 "2003-02-09T17:31:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by C K Dexter Haven \* > \*\*\<\< The Italians do, indeed, have a dish known as pizza. (They, in fact, have two, as the variety served in the Po valley is quite different than the variety served in the South.) However, the dish that Americans call pizza has only a loose connection to either of those dishes and is, indeed, an American creation. \>\> > > As one can find by reading [Straight Dope Staff Report: Who invented pizza?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mpizza.html) \*\* Did it strike anyone else that **only Dex** would find a way to convert a pseudo-Great Debate into something suitable for “Comments on Staff Reports”? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768/32 "2003-02-09T17:40:07Z")
If you can stomach it this sit is full of the most evil half baked theories imaginable [Link to the Stormfront Message Board deleted by David B] It is like the anti-Straight Dope. ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768/33 "2003-02-09T22:17:07Z")
[Moderator Hat: ON] As you will notice, I have deleted Icerigger’s link. We’ve already had one “board war” with the Stormfront message board (more like an invasion). We don’t need another. While people are certainly free to go over there even without that link, just remember not to in any way imply that you are somehow representing the SDMB. * * * David B, SDMB Great Debates Moderator [Moderator Hat: OFF] ---
**Author:** ![MMI](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@MMI](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MMI)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768/34 "2003-02-10T04:12:48Z")
It occurred to me that one could continue even further with js\_africanus’s modest proposal. Having decided to reproductively isolate individuals based on nominal melanin levels,we still haven’t necessarily achieved the diversity that was the goal of the exercise in the first place. Sure there are differences in skin color, distributions of blood types, etc, but how can we increase this diversity. In addition to reproductive isolation, there has to be some sort of selection pressure, environmental pressure to drive evolution of each group in different and unforeseeable directions. Imposing a fairly rigid class/caste distinction between these groups could possibly do this. However, it seems to me that the size of the population of the United States works against us, the sheer numbers of people who would fall into each of these groups would tend to dampen out any evolutionary selection that was happening locally. So any group that we (in the interests of humanity) wish to become more diverse with respect to our current baseline homo sapiens should have its travel and thus genetic pool limited. ---
**Author:** ![23skidoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/f04885/32.png) [@23skidoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/23skidoo)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768/35 "2003-02-10T16:51:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by js\_africanus \* > **Hence the greater the risk from whatever it is that we need diversity to protect us from in the first place.** What does diversity protect us from? ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768/36 "2003-02-10T17:10:58Z")
**SimonX** , I didn’t mean to come off as a dick before. Please allow me to apologize for that. Sorry! ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768/37 "2003-02-10T17:20:53Z")
I was hoping I would be able to pull off a few more posts, for the sake of argument. But I can’t come up with anything that would be worth responding to. Too bad, I was hoping it would be more fun. Sorry about that. ---
**Author:** ![nogginhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5e9695/32.png) [@nogginhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nogginhead)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2003, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768/38 "2003-02-11T18:47:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by 23skidoo \* > \*\*What does diversity protect us from? \*\* Disease, genetic vulnerability to new environmental dangers, more generally. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racism-is-good/153768.md?page=1)