[T.C.]

You may well be correct that the differences are purely cultural. There is a more critical question, namely: do these differences exist? I’m not sure they do. Two other points: First, isn’t it fascinating how so-called oppressed groups have differing interpretations of genetic factors that predispose potential (not actual) behavior? Generally speaking, homosexuals want everyone to believe their ‘lifestyle’ is genetically conditioned. (Maybe it is. It doesn’t matter to me one way or another.) Yet it is strictly forbidden to ask whether there are physical differences between and among ethnic groups. For some odd reason, it’s OK to speak in polite company about sickle cell anemia in those of sub-Saharan African descent, or even the strong tendency to alcoholism among aboriginal North Americans. But God forbid there’s a genetic predisposition to, oh, say, the operation of pleasure-paid neurotransmission. Interesting, wouldn’t you say? Second, your response places my question (observation?) into an interesting historic context. I didn’t know all of the citations you made, but I take them at face value. You make good points, although I hadn’t meant to connect pleasure-seeking with inferiority. Far from it. I’m just curious, that’s all. However, now that you mention it, delayed gratification may well have survival value. Did you know that the most common form of HIV contraction in Africa is heterosexual transmission by means of blood exchange through open genital sores from relatively minor STD infections? Hmmm. Interesting again, particularly in the context of the pleasure-pain question. People literally dying for a quick squirt.

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Name : T.C., City : Philadelphia, State : PA, Country : United States, 

[T.C.]

Everyone seeks to control his or her environment and optimize their own circumstances, regardless of race. If you feel as though you are powerless, your perception that others seek to ‘control all aspects of life and not to accept the contributions of others’ takes on additional meaning and force. Whites I know don’t think about the world this way. They try to do the best they can with conrolling whatever they can, and let the rest go. Whites spend one percent of the time spent by blacks thinking about race and ‘control.’ Blacks should stop wasting their time so focused on white ‘control’ issues and face the issues of black ‘control.’

An example might help. Young black males typically think of education as a ‘white’ thing. Yet education allows anybody to place things in context, help get a handle on probable causality, and therefore ‘control’ their environment better. Yet because doing well in school is viewed as acting white, and therefore selling out to the ‘power structure,’ young black guys are often willfully ignorant.

As to the contributions of others, I cannot say what you mean. If you are talking about the Afrocentric interpretation of history, for example, then much of that argument is sheer nonsense from a factual perspective. It is self-defeating posturing without substance, put forth in the vain attempt to make a people feel better about themselves. The wellspring of the dominant culture worldwide (i.e. democratically-oriented, market-based economic systems firmly grounded in empirically demonstrated causality beliefs) is fundamentally Eurocentric. Not completely so, but fundamentally so. This is not to say that other systems don’t have a measure of validity. Neither is it to say that other ways of going about things may not serve the individual or society better. It is simply that, at this point in human history, other systems lack the global success and worldwide appeal of a fundamentally Eurocentric model. At one point in history, for example, Arab-based Islamic culture held the preeminent position as the most appealing system. No so any longer. People everywhere want to eat, be sheltered, entertained and so forth. The Eurocentric model works better to satisfy these needs, and is therefore more appealing. Demonstrably more appealing.

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Name : T.C., City : Philadelphia, State : PA, Country : United States, 

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