tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332356.post785890655252091928..comments2024-02-23T09:57:39.102+01:00Comments on Leftbanker: Europe: The Enemy of American Conservativesleftbankerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13990365189051313153noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332356.post-78047749520264051392014-07-12T07:45:28.005+02:002014-07-12T07:45:28.005+02:00You obviously see only what you want to see, anyth...You obviously see only what you want to see, anything to support your narrative, whatever that may be.leftbankerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13990365189051313153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332356.post-62937298427369888002014-06-19T04:46:54.229+02:002014-06-19T04:46:54.229+02:00Wow. These comments responding to the original com...Wow. These comments responding to the original comment are appalling to say the least....<br /><br />SMH, white male privilege and superiority complex was at play pretty hardcore in this comment section.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332356.post-41453498421394342672012-08-29T21:17:00.120+02:002012-08-29T21:17:00.120+02:00"Growing up in a small town in Peirce county ..."Growing up in a small town in Peirce county in western WA..."<br /><br />"I went to school in a "safe" predominately white community that is strictly far left."<br /><br />"One last thing, "ghetto culture" doesn't scare me..."<br /><br />Well, yeah, obviously because you haven't lived in it much. What exactly do you know about it from experience? Being black doesn't necessarily qualify you as a ghetto expert.<br /><br />Maybe if you lived in North Philly or South Chicago or West Baltimore, you might have a deeper understanding, and fear, of the violence and mayhem that cripples these mostly black neighborhoods. I guess in your posh white village in the middle of nowhere you didn't experience the daily horror of gun violence and murder that is daily life in urban ghettos. In Philly a black male is murdered nearly every day of the year. 300 a year. <br /><br />Ghetto culture scares me. And angers me. And calls me to action. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332356.post-85596634952884928712012-08-29T20:47:02.272+02:002012-08-29T20:47:02.272+02:00Here's how conservatives express their racism:...Here's how conservatives express their racism:<br /><br />http://news.yahoo.com/race-incident-sees-republican-convention-expulsions-155400054.html<br /><br />Nice people. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332356.post-57554106197062488002012-08-29T18:50:56.672+02:002012-08-29T18:50:56.672+02:00I am sure if Spain, France, Germany, the UK, the N...I am sure if Spain, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, or Sweden has such appallingly high murder rates, regardless of race, they would take drastic action to decrease these murders.<br /><br />Racism is a problem in America, but to say white conservatives and white liberals offer the same magnitude of racism is a ridiculous notion. Maybe elitist, white, educated, meritocratic liberals are not "of" the ghetto, but I would bet a majority of them vote for, and support, policies that help support, protect, and uplift disadvantaged people of all races, creeds, etc. <br /><br />I cannot say this about conservatives. Ever since Reagan was elected in 1980 the right wing in America has moved further right and has done everything in its power to dismantle the social-democratic New Deal and Big Society programs that leveled the playing field.<br /><br />But, you know, I rely on facts, those pesky things that are often antithetical to "feelings" and "intuition." Or prejudice. Or stupidity. Understanding facts first requires that one places great value on logic, reason, scientific method, and the fundamental truths such intellectual tools and methodology reveal. If not, then the argument is lost before it begins.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332356.post-40640275404827773622012-08-29T18:34:09.444+02:002012-08-29T18:34:09.444+02:00"Just because black people live in a neighbor..."Just because black people live in a neighbor, doesn't make the neighborhood dangerous than a white one."<br /><br />My, my, my, I don't mean to point out the stupidity of this argument,but the facts speak otherwise.<br /><br />This brilliant data analysis of murders in Philadelphia the last 23 years will maybe enlighten you to the genocide just in the city of Philadelphia, where the murder rate in predominantly black neighborhoods is of such a higher magnitude than the white ones that the facts, as presented in the maps and data in this piece, cannot, and do not, lie. In Philly the white:black ratio is, more or less, about 50:50 in terms of overall population. This varies a bit high and low on each side, but for the purpose of this data analysis below it's about correct enough.<br /><br />Have a look if you dare to see real data.<br /><br />http://www.philly.com/philly/news/special_packages/inquirer/136746563.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332356.post-20825579569277927242012-08-29T18:21:37.706+02:002012-08-29T18:21:37.706+02:00The topic is how conservatives have demonized the ...The topic is how conservatives have demonized the liberal European societies and why I believe Europe has done a much better job building great cities and taking care of the needs of the people. This has nothing to do with race so stick to the topic or get deleted.leftbankerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13990365189051313153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332356.post-82738087672604057132012-08-29T18:13:50.540+02:002012-08-29T18:13:50.540+02:00"Very few self proclaimed liberals of Europea..."Very few self proclaimed liberals of European decent seem to be genuine and open minded."<br /><br />And you know this because you've met all 100 million of them in America, right? Gotcha.<br /><br /><br />"The fact that you generalized black men into violent, crime ridden people shows your true feelings about them. "<br /><br />I am merely stating the facts: nearly 5,000-6,000 black males murder each other each year across America. How do I "feel" about this genocide? I despise it and try to do everything in my power to help alleviate it. I vote for elected officials who can make a difference. I donate money to causes that tackle problems like guns, violence, poverty, etc. I participate in urban culture by living in the fifth largest city in the USA, by paying its rather high 4.5% wage tax, by voting, by participating in democracy, by serving in the military for 8 years, and by my daily living. <br /><br />"I'm sure your only concern is if they still have khakis at banana republic as opposed to being a real progressive and finding a way to help and stop injustice that happens entire racial groups of people."<br /><br />In logic we call the above piffle a "straw man" argument. You are merely projecting your own prejudicial and ignorant thoughts on me, because clearly I do not think like what you try to project upon me in the above comment. I'm sorry you are incapable of constructing substantive arguments and must resort to such childish means of projecting your own ill-conceived thoughts on my own. Perhaps you should take a class or two on logic and rhetoric.<br /><br />"One last thing, "ghetto culture" doesn't scare me nearly as bad as the neo nazi culture that a lot of young white kids associate with."<br /><br />I see, so the 5,000-6,000 black makes murdered every year by other black males DOESN'T concern you? Let's be honest: 5,000-6,000 black males in the USA are not being murdered every year by skinheads, neo-nazis, or other racist hate groups. Sorry to bust your bubble, but your logic here is childishly flawed. The biggest threat to black males in the USA is other black males.<br /><br />"Why don't we hear more about these kids and only the "bad" black ones?"<br /><br />Well, maybe YOU don't hear about them, but I do. Having said that, the sheer magnitude of black crime in America is overwhelmingly more prevalent than a few fringe wacko white kids. In Philly, nearly 300 black males are murdered by other black males EVERY YEAR, year in, year out. It's a genocide that never ends. While I do abhor white supremacists, neo-nazis, et al., these groups do not commit a vast majority of violent crimes against black people in America. May I suggest you check the crime stats published by the FBI as a place to start?<br /><br />"Nothing will change your views as a "I'm a privileged, white, meritocratic liberal" that ironically shares the same beliefs as the repubs in terms of race relations."<br /><br />Once again, you fail to argue anything I actually said and insert another irrational straw man argument to project what you THINK I think, but you are largely clueless because you don't know me well enough to make such outlandish and silly statements.<br /><br />I feel sorry for you on many levels, but at the base level your problem is you are intellectually immature and have trouble constructing substantive arguments based on fact and reason. Your logical skills are puerile and ill-formed. <br /><br />It's difficult to converse with someone so childish and irrational. Really. I encourage you to read more, to study more, and perhaps learn at the least the rudiments of logic, reason, and informed debate, and when you are ready to uplift your currently poor abilities to a level that might make you interesting, I will be the first to engage you in informed debate. But for now, no thanks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332356.post-68435293292055298462012-08-29T17:54:31.054+02:002012-08-29T17:54:31.054+02:00"...but you failed to differentiate yourself ..."...but you failed to differentiate yourself from the conservatives which you mock..."<br /><br />Your reading skills are apparently very poor, because Leftbanker spends the entire essay differentiating between his views about European social-democratic societies and how well they function and how American conservatives like to claim Europe is "failing," especially during the current financial crisis.<br /><br />Leftbanker does nothing BUT differentiate himself from conservative views in this essay: it's about as apparent as the sun that shines in the sky on a clear day. So your comment is quite silly or you simply cannot absorb what you read with any kind of intellectual efficacy.<br /><br />I just spent two weeks in Spain, in Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona. Unemployment is high and the economy is stagnant, but I didn't see any suffering, certainly not the kind of suffering and abject poverty I see in my own home city, Philadelphia. The streets in Spain are clean, and people still enjoy life with a great degree of comfort, safety, and well being; they still have access to good health care and education, and if they lose their job, they have benefits that keep them from living in abject poverty or starving to death. <br /><br />Things are tough in Spain, but the social safety net has cushioned the fall much better than in the USA, where tens of millions go without health coverage, where only 40% the jobless receive unemployment benefits (the other 60% suffer), and where the crumbling education systems in most of the urban centers is failing to help our most disadvantaged children uplift themselves.<br /><br />Conservatives largely ignore all our social ills in the USA and furthermore ignore how European social democracies work better for all citizens, even during a nearly crippling failure of the capitalist aspects of their economies.In Spain, it was capitalism that failed, not socialism. Socialism saved Spain's people from an even more damaging fall than they currently face.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332356.post-18675441113741038442012-08-29T17:52:41.696+02:002012-08-29T17:52:41.696+02:00@anonymous comment after mine just proved my point...@anonymous comment after mine just proved my point and leftbanker silently agreed by throwing in this "gangsta culture" stereotype. SMH, I thought you would come up with a better response than that leftbanker, but apparently not. Apparently the black people in Spain are having a hard time even being seen as Spanish without them being perceived as poor immigrants, (even if they are 3rd or 2nd generation living in Spain, have a good career and highly educated).<br /><br />To the anonymous after my comment. You are exactly what I mean by the ignorant white neoliberal demographic. Very few self proclaimed liberals of European decent seem to be genuine and open minded. You are more similar to the conservative right than you think, and with the proof of it in your post says enough. Your false "concern" on the gun crime doesn't phase me. The fact that you generalized black men into violent, crime ridden people shows your true feelings about them. It isn't much different than what the rethugs think. I'm sure your only concern is if they still have khakis at banana republic as opposed to being a real progressive and finding a way to help and stop injustice that happens entire racial groups of people. Oh, and if you want to know, white on white crime is MUCH higher than black on black crime. About I'm sure you know this already. With every school shooting in a "safe" all white community, in shopping malls and movie theaters located in the white parts of towns are just as bad as any "ghetto". Just because black people live in a neighbor, doesn't make the neighborhood dangerous than a white one. There seems to be a double standard going on.<br /><br />One last thing, "ghetto culture" doesn't scare me nearly as bad as the neo nazi culture that a lot of young white kids associate with. Growing up in a small town in Peirce county in western WA made me realize that even in the most liberal states in the country still were plagued by bigotry and hatred. I went to school in a "safe" predominately white community that is strictly far left. The only people committing crimes were the "bad" white kids that formed neo nazi groups, would read "The anarchist cookbook" and idolized Hitler. Why don't we hear more about these kids and only the "bad" black ones? You know what, never mind. Nothing will change your views as a "I'm a privileged, white, meritocratic liberal" that ironically shares the same beliefs as the repubs in terms of race relations.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332356.post-68335667859018595172012-08-29T14:58:05.586+02:002012-08-29T14:58:05.586+02:00I’m a fit-as-hell adult male. I’m not afraid of bl...I’m a fit-as-hell adult male. I’m not afraid of blacks; I’m afraid of guns. <br /><br />“I'm tired of these white, westernized pseudo-liberals that dictates how a proper lifestyle is, as if everyone is "white" of European descent.”<br /><br />If you have a better model for human society then write about it. What I see in Spain are the best, most livable cities I have seen. <br /><br />None of this has anything to do with race. Spain is no more racist than any other country in the world and less so than many—I’d say the same about myself. I’ve never witnessed an overt act of racism and black people here want nothing more than to move into the Spanish middle class. They don’t suffer from the poisonous gangsta culture common in the US. leftbankerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13990365189051313153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332356.post-4602893929396303222012-08-29T14:04:06.738+02:002012-08-29T14:04:06.738+02:00Well, anonymous "young black woman," the...Well, anonymous "young black woman," there are/were, annually, nearly 3 times more gun murders in the city of Philadelphia (population: 1.5 million) than in the entire country of Spain (population: 47 million). A WHOPPING 70%-80% of these gun murders in Philly are/were black-on-black crimes. While racism does rear its ugly head everywhere, I would hardly think that this is more of a problem than the fact that, all over the USA, black men kill each other at an almost genocidal rate. Check out Chicago, LA, Baltimore, DC, et al.; the murder rates and gun violence in these cities amongst the black male population is enough to state, rather clearly that, yes, American ghettos have a serious violent crime problem, and that it is seriously unsafe for black males especially, who comprise a vast majority of the victims of such horrible violence.<br /><br />So, yes, I'm a privileged, white, meritocratic liberal, but I also see things honestly. You want to cry about how we uppity whites view black society? Fine. Just don't deny the fundamental truth that we "privileged" whites are not committing the violence in black ghettos, nor do we encourage the "no snitch" insanity that prevents justice for so many of the victims. We're not contributing to the "gangsta" cultural identity that fuels so much of the violence. We're hardly handing out the guns that are used to kill so many black males at the hands of other black males. <br /><br />Racism is not killing 5,000-6,000 black males across America every year. Other black males are. Racism is bad, sure, but it's not shooting all these young black males. <br /><br />A brilliant column in the Philadelphia Daily News by Marc Lamont Hill identifies what would be a definitely good way to start the healing:<br /><br />http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/20120829_Marc_Lamont_Hill__Black_America_needs_to_take_responsibility.html<br /><br />And about me: I could give two shits how you think I "see" black America through my rosy-colored, privileged, liberal glasses. I deal in facts and the truth. Am I a racist? As a progressive, enlightened, educated, and liberal thinker, I should think I'm not. What I CAN see clearly is bullshit. <br /><br />But for you to boo-hoo-hoo that liberal white people aren't "seeing" black America properly; well, honestly, and believe me, we do, and we're fucking saddened by what we see because the violence, murder, and mayhem is hard NOT to see. And it's not all our fault. In fact, for many white liberals like me, who live in urban centers crippled by black-on-black violence, it is our greatest concern to end the violence, through political action and personal deeds. I take responsibility for it as a citizen. Do you, "young black woman," take any responsibility for it? <br /><br />I live in Center City Philadelphia, I vote for progressive politicians (many of whom are black) to fight the crime, poverty, and income disparity. I contribute generously to these politicians I support. I donate time and money to progressive causes. I pay 4.5% of my income in city taxes to live in Philadelphia and refuse to flee to the suburbs. I'm not sure what else I'm supposed to do that I'm not doing already.<br /><br />So, please, spare me the lame sanctimony and condescension. It's tedious to hear such babbling, honestly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3332356.post-44995880371568071242012-08-29T01:14:38.332+02:002012-08-29T01:14:38.332+02:00Although I agree with your general premise of west...Although I agree with your general premise of western European social democracy, lifestyle, and outlook, but you failed to differentiate yourself from the conservatives which you mock...<br /><br />You claim that there isn't any "ghettos" in Spain like there is in the US, and that you feel "safe" walking around in your new home city of Valencia. Why would that be? Is it because of your views of the black American population that makes the US "unsafe" for you to walk around when you lived here? I'm tired of these white, westernized pseudo-liberals that dictates how a proper lifestyle is, as if everyone is "white" of European descent. As a young black women, I guess I would see the US and Europe differently than the privileged "mainstream" white populace. All the while you are claiming how great Spain is, from what I read, see and hear, Spain is a pretty racist place for non white people. Everything from racist chants during football games to anti immigration extremists that plagues Spain's "progressive" image. The same can be said for many other European countries in every region (Western, Central, Northern, Eastern, etc).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com