Is it all Whitey’s fault ? Vol 53

If you can remember where you were when Elvis died , you must be a Boomer !

Some questions need to be asked, no matter how politically or culturally incorrect they may appear. Why ? Because we live in an age of Minority Rules, because we can afford to do all kinds of stupid stuff. Its stifling sometimes, but its not wrong to express an opinion that may piss some people off, if it helps us get to the truth. You remember the truth ? You can handle it !

Being a Boomer of a certain age, I have always had a slogan – ” don’t fuck with me, I am a large white Anglo-Saxon male, and I run this planet – if you don’t like, I will just nuke your ass ! “. Egotistical, profane, racist, but sometimes fun to say out loud. My offspring always found it obscene, in the “how could you ?” vein of moral outrage that only the young seem to have these days. Today, reading that sentence is thought provoking. Depending on your individual affliction, you either agree , hate the words but accept the inherent truth, wish to change the logic of the construct, or outright disregard the statement in any form.

I accept all of these arguments. The statement is incorrect on many levels. The point of my blog is to push all Boomers to do better, to push through their past limitations, to grow beyond their envelope of experience, and make new paths ! Its a challenge, for sure, but I do not see a alternative. Being put out to pasture, as our parents were, is not an acceptable option for us.

What does being white mean, anyway ? What does being black mean, or Chinese, Latino, or Muslim ? Do they have their own mantra, their own ego enhancing credo, and if not, why not ?

No matter. We need to bring our culturally diverse species together, and the Western melting pot is the best vehicle we have today for that combining of the most successful traits, life’s way of breeding the next best human. Social Darwinism for sure. So, ignore my throw-back credo as silly in today’s social milieu.

Having said that, my point is that we are starting to spend too much time tearing down ourselves, instead of building ourselves up. Recently, it has become popular to blame white men for most of the world’s problems. I am being made to feel guilty, and I do not know why.

I acknowledge that North America was populated by the religiously persecuted, the starving, and the second son’s who had no land, or future, in a feudal system. The continent was not destroyed in a major war, like many civilized countries. There were many natural resources in abundance, from wood, to coal, to oil and gas, allowing industrialization to continue without the impediments that other regions suffered through. These homegrown advantages lead to riches that kept the economic pie always increasing in size, negating the fights over finite resources that other countries had to endure. Lastly, and some would argue, the most important attribute, was the lack of a tribal or family organizing point. It was every person for themselves, no matter your background. Yes, the Europeans who migrated West first received the greatest advantage one can get in life. That the majority were white bespeaks to cultural differences, as all the other races could have also migrated, but did not until later.

These cultural norms, can we even discuss them today without being castigated ? Can we even talk about the Hindu and Muslim tribal tendencies, the Aboriginal fatalism, the Latino passiveness, the Black individualism, or women’s genetic responsibilities ?

Take women’s rights. Why am I being blamed for the perceived glass ceilings in business and pay equity ? On what continent, at any time line in history, would you rather be a woman, if not today in the West ! Yes, its not equal yet. But great progress happens every day. Even the COO of Facebook, Sherly Sandberg, talks about women needing to ‘Lean in”, which I interpret as being more aggressive in today’s world about the things you want. Take action, take control, and stop blaming others for your own situation.

Take the acceptance of Muslims or Hindu’s If you choose to be kept in your place socially and economically because a tribal elder decides everything for you, including sometimes who your spouse will be, why is that my fault ? Take the conflagration in the Muslim world. Why is it my fault if I do not continue to keep your fanatics in place. Why don’t you defeat ISIS ? Frankly, we tried that, our latest intervention in Afghanistan having the same results as the last few crusades. I guess rape culture has its downside, eh ? Nuff said.

The individualism of the Blacks, whether in America or Africa, shows itself every day in an everyman for his-self philosophy. Its always someone else’s fault, when the evidence points to fatherless homes, the lack of a work ethic, looking down at education , and the pursuit of instant gratification. Ask yourself, could the Ebola outbreak have happened in America ?

So, why is everyone lined up against the white man ? Shouldn’t we be trying to find the best attributes and propagating them, instead of finding faults that can be part of a tear down. or is it really an entitlement culture that takes no individual responsibility, seeking to blame someone or something else for your situation. Maybe Romney was right, after all !

I am the first to mention that we can all do better, and we must. We must share the economic pie fairly, tightening the reins on inequality. We can pay people a realistic liveable minimum wage. We must find ways to stop picking on people because they wear hoodies, and putting them in jail unfairly. We must realize that our planet needs to be cared for in a responsible way, perhaps by taxing carbon or garbage, rather than income – penalizing the wrong outcome rather than the proper consumption. We need to realize that everyone likes drugs, and stop singling out one race as the problem.

This is probably a generational battle, but let’s give our kids a fighting chance, by individually doing something to show the right path forward. For me, I will bury my old credo, and replace it with something positive, like ” there but for the grace of god …”

Next on Boomers – wtf !, ! what’s your credo ?