Black Rednecks and White Liberals

Dr. Sowell’s work is magnificently written in a logical and fact-based format. His review of cultures of Germans, Jews, Chinese, and other minority groups across global history is enlightening. The past history of colonialism and warfare carried many attitudes by the colonists and those conquered which historical evidence of attitudes and feelings don’t remain any longer. The contemporary ideas put forth in the liberal pop culture of “racism = holding black people back” is invalid. Sowell goes on to explain why on his theory of education being looked down upon by black culture and “acting white” being mocked by those who dare to challenge the status quo as the culprit of low achievement. Rather than to blame the black communities educational and career setbacks on the truth (low emphasis on education) and white liberals supporting this, he dismantles the hypocrisy of modern academia and liberal establishments who perpetuate the one size fits all destructive beliefs keeping Blacks down today. For example, the Native Indians were amongst one another savages and conquerers. Thus, it’s illogical to fully understand or grasp how the Arowaks (the tribe that met Columbus) felt in attitude, nor the attitudes of Columbus. Dr. Sowell’s brilliant warning of ignoring history’s lessons explains why this action of ignorance can lead to civil war repeatedly. Was it not the Mongols? Was it not the Ottoman Turks? Was it not the eastern civilizations that too slaughtered, enslaved, and conquered? Why is it the Western Civilization, the first leader in modern relative history to produce due process, to have freedom of religion, and choice, bashed by contemporary scholars because of American slavery? Slavery according to history existed in chattel, indentured servitude, and brutal forms across the globe. It is illogical to point to the state of American souther blacks today as solely the result of it. For example, Sowell in the first half of the book gives many concrete, fact based, historical examples of WHY Southern American negroes experienced a lack of education: THAT BEING the imported savage culture from Europe’s Celtic Fringe. In layman’s terms, the north Britons and southern Scots were uncivilized, barbarous, and illiterate peoples whose culture was brought to southern USA. This adaption of loose moral standards, sexual promiscuity, violent pride, and unabashed slang was a white cultural trait of southern antebellum America, which transferred to the emancipated slaves. The evidence is apparent in the education and literacy of free blacks in the north during antebellum America and post-emancipation. Several letters by Thomas Jefferson and Lincoln also prove in their own concern of the moral dilemma of emancipation of slaves in sudden form leading to the inability of these slaves to have resources or capacity to survive for themselves; something schools and media ignore. It was thus not as simple as history books taught! The dilemma in freeing slaves immediately was that the servants of owners would essentially have no direct support system, literacy, and or jobs to survive in the south. The southern redneck culture in itself brought a lack of industry, educational achievement, or care for it. Sowell in detailed scope gives evidence to why after emanicpation the Puritan, Quaker, and New England funded schools for blacks in the south led to the establishment of high achievement for the early black scholars, lawyers and inventors simply due to the importance of education by white northern teachers who setup thousands of small schools across the post antebellum south. The idea of education in New England style led to the success of Dunbar High School, which produced thought leaders like Vernon Brown, General Benjamin Davis, Sr., Nannie Helen Burroughs, and Charles Hamilton Houston, and Ivy League African American scholarship. Sowell also elaborated in this book the problems of applying visionary ideas which aren’t rooted in reality. The politics and money routes liberal establishments use to give symbolism that they want to help black communities often ends up hurting them more. The rooted reality of urban black culture being descendant of white redneck culture is the truth. Where morals, a value on education and literacy aren’t favored, death and violence ensue. Whites won’t in contemporary mass media admit due to not wanting to appear racist. Whereas, blacks to some extent seem to accept current conditions as an effect of slavery but not of culture. Enjoyed the read. Dr. Sowell is a gem. May his scholarship be persevered. I don’t agree with all his viewpoints. However, this book was introspective and helped me remove some of the mental blocks I had holding me back from being responsible and not being victim due to my conditions I was handed.

This is among the most interesting and enlightening books ever written. It is vintage Thomas Sowell- a thoroughly researched, broad sweep of history, economics and sociology and their impact on humanity. The writing style is accessible, interesting and engaging rather than bogged-down and dry like other books on similar subjects. The greatness lies in debunking vast numbers of popular myths and misconceptions about differences and similarities between races, cultures, nationalities and their conduct. Most readers will be shocked to learn of the popular acceptance and practice of slavery worldwide and that Western culture lead the fight- literally- to end slavery. Europeans, Asians, Africans, South Americans, North Americans all engaged in slavery to an extent never discussed- at least not in America. Our sociologists, historians, politicians and others of low motivation would have us believe the institution was originated by and limited to the U.S. southland. Nothing could be further from the truth. Slavery continued in the Ottoman Empire for decades after the US Civil war and for generations in Africa, Asia, the Islamic culture and elsewhere despite vast military expenditures by European countries to stamp it out. Dr. Sowell details dozens of additional examples of shocking, tragic relationships based on economic success, culture, work ethic differences and the effect of identity politics. Success of the Chinese, Lebanese, Albanians, Jewish and Tamil cultures among other populations resulted in discrimination, slaughter and exile of the successful by the less so, incited principally by political forces. A section describes anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany resulting from the same tactics of differentiating a culture among the larger population and inciting it to tragic discrimination. Indifference to Nazism by German communities outside Germany testifies to the potential of politics and politicians to corrupt populations. This book dispels powerful myths and debunks the rhetoric of those who seek to divide the world with false history and science and an uninformed worldview. If you want information and enlightenment, you will love this book. Dr. Sowell's twenty-five years' of research coupled with the observations and research of others across centuries

J'écris mon commentaire en Français pour aider à la décision. Un ouvrage fantastique. Sowell challenge toutes les idees reçues dont les medias nous abreuvent sans réfléchir. Et il démontre leur folie avec des chiffres. On en ressort avec un immense respect pour cet homme. Pourquoi ce livre n'est il pas traduit ? Le titre est véritablement effrayant pour les éditeurs français qui sont toujours prêts à ramper devant la doxa progressiste...

First Thomas Sewell book I read, but not the last. He is like Douglas Murray (obviously Sowell came first, he’s much older) in that he uses logic, facts and statistics to debunk a lot of woke or other disinformation. For example, by following the deprivation of blacks in the US over time, Sowell can show during which periods (e.g. 1960s) the black population fell behind and thus question whether this really was a legacy of slavery. Sowell is black himself and thus it is possible for him to apply his extremely critical, logical, mind to a number of progressive shibboleths. Accessible and compelling.

This is the second of Thomas Sowell’s books that I have read. This one is also highly interesting and extremely well researched. There are six essays on different topics with some overlap. I bought this one to read “The Real History of Slavery” essay primarily, though I found all essays extremely informative. Dr Sowell’s work is always based on extensive research and empirical evidence that anyone would find very hard to refute. Extremely brilliant, and I can’t wait to read another one.

Para quem conhece o trabalho de Thomas Sowell, o livro não é uma surpresa. Para quem não conhece o escritor ou suas obras, o livro é uma grande oportunidade para a desconstrução de mitos e ideias raciais vigentes. Vale o preço.

This guy is a GENIUS On Par with others like Paul Robeson Great way of illuminating for everyone what problems face us all and the real root of the problem in todays cultural warfare. You can listen on youtube to some of his chapters to get an idea of what I'm talking about So glad I discovered him while he's still alive.