tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27946614.post5951449811696249554..comments2024-03-07T14:43:21.888-08:00Comments on Whatever I want to write about: "Light will be thrown on the origin of man and his history"Sriram Khéhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06907731254833435446noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27946614.post-62850565621664333442017-02-13T21:36:21.246-08:002017-02-13T21:36:21.246-08:00I suppose I have become way Americanized ... when ...I suppose I have become way Americanized ... when I blog on such issues, I am not even thinking of other cultures/contexts ... so, yes, this might be a peculiarly Christian/American thing. But then the slavery as was practiced here was also a peculiarly Christian/American thing, right?<br /><br />Ninja is confusing cause and effects. <br />-Americans winning the spelling championships is not because of anything special in their genes--it is from the enormous effort they put into it. There are even "minor league" training grounds that Indian-American groups organize for their kids to practice.<br />Simlarly with football. Even when I landed in the US, there was quite a strong opinion that blacks couldn't be quarterbacks. But, it turned out that they had never been given a chance. And when they were, like with Doug Williams at the Washington/Denver game, well, there went another stereotype through the window. Now, we have plenty of black QBs and nobody thinks twice.<br />East Africans win long distance running because they have not been provided a whole range of opprtunities to develop and nurture their multiple talents.<br />Until Kapil Dev came along, the prevailing wisdom was that India could not produce anything more than a medium pace bowler, and that it can only produce spinners.<br /><br />I can forever provide examples and arguments.<br /><br />We do a great disservice to everybody when we believe that a certain group is fit only for a certain kind of activities. It is not fact-based. It is wrong. It is racist. <br />Sriram Khéhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06724218458246880137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27946614.post-30254721309060260582017-02-13T09:43:10.623-08:002017-02-13T09:43:10.623-08:00“…ideas that any one human "race" is sup...“…ideas that any one human "race" is superior to another?” This is a loaded question because of the word “superior”. <br /><br />But consider this:<br /><br />The top 8 fastest men in the world (finalists in the 100 m dash in the Olympics) are all blacks (descended from) West Africa.<br /><br />Does this imply that (some) blacks are superior to others in sprinting?<br /><br />The top 5 fastest runners of the marathon race are all blacks from East Africa (Kenya or Ethiopia).<br /><br />Does this imply that (some) blacks are superior to others in long-distance running?<br /><br />The top spellers of the English language in the US, based on winning the Scripps Spelling Bee, are all of Indian origin.<br /><br />Does this imply that Indians are superior to others in spelling?<br /><br />Suppose you were trying to predict the winner in the following events: Olympic 100 m, Olympic marathon, and the Scipps Spelling Bee in the year 2020. Or 2040. Would you expect the winner to be along the above lines, or would the pattern be altered?Ninjahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06849411088239698701noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27946614.post-89688100453519102092017-02-13T08:50:23.458-08:002017-02-13T08:50:23.458-08:00Not sure if I understand the relationship in belie...Not sure if I understand the relationship in belief of evolution and supremacy of races. Maybe its a particular Christian and American peculiarity.<br /><br />In India for example, many people would accept evolution, and yet are intensely racist. The Chinese, who of course have become utterly irreligious are equally prone to racism.<br /><br />Racism , or tribalism, is probably a remnant of our evolutionary instincts. You are affiliated to some group and instinctively believe that it is superior to every other group. I would therefore tend to think that those who believe in evolution might be supremacist rather than those who believe in divine intervention.Rameshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11782192840421019943noreply@blogger.com