Also interesting that FB (and the rest of the Techquisition) believes that shutting people out of the Swamp’s internet sandbox somehow means they either disappear (back into the Holodeck computer, perhaps?) or revert to their prior ideological worldview despite just having Walked Away from it.

I suspect quite a few of them are among the identity-renegades voting for Trump.

Since the Civil Rights Era in the US…I’d argue the vast majority of white people tried desperately to live toward the vision of “content of character not color of skin” when dealing with others. It seems that non-whites were, on the other hand, encouraged (mostly by white leftists & black grifting race hustlers) to see race as “the” defining marker of identity. (Sex tribalists act similarly now…where one’s sexual identity is the “uber alles” thing…another similar discussion could be had there)

The very essence of Christian faith involves a transformed identity (John 1:12-13) that transcends the historical accidents of birth (race, nationality, class, sex etc…). If one insists on seeing their identity as something other than “child of God,” one never escapes the perpetual rat’s wheel rut of self-justification & tribal competition.
Thank you again.

Looks like Taiwan may well have decided that “Biden” is, um, less than reliable.
(And justifiably so.)

In that case who’s left?
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/taiwan-informs-australia-its-preparing-war-china-sends-record-52-pla-jets-toward

(Oz? Well…maybe Taipei is really impressed by those lockdowns…)

Related?
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/next-lehman-moment-will-china-try-create-dangerous-diversion

I separate “devotion to family” out as a single piece because fatherlessness is a bellwether for all manner of social & spiritual ills. That it is the norm not the exception for black families in the 21st century and that few black cultural role models are making that a centrepiece of their trend-setting…I depressed myself when I “ran the numbers” on black athletes with the most children from the most “baby-mommas.” But it’s not just the hyper-millionaires with bad hair & goofy tats, it’s endemic and getting worse.

Was it Kotter who also suggested a “purpose larger than one’s own life” was necessary if one is to find fulfilment? That to me is where Christian faith becomes an essential. I’d argue it is the foundational worldview that brought Western civilisation to the fore. It set the stage for the historical advancements we enjoy to this day (although sadly we are losing much to the secularists). This world can’t just be about me & mine…MollyBrown above notes, “This distain of faith is the great failing of the ‘educated class’.”

If “they won’t even go there,” well…then I guess things just get worse until they get really bad. And we’ve agreed on that too before. Pax.

https://notthebee.com/article/western-washington-university-has-created-segregated-housing-for-black-students-and-can-someone-please-explain-to-me-how-this-is-considered-progress

Used to be less than 1% of those who 1) simply finished HS, 2) waited to be married before kids and 3) waited until 18 to have kids.

You label as “weak sauce” Loury’s prescription of “self-determination and taking responsibility for our lives. I’d say education.”

You then stated that, “if a black person wanted to capture my attention and unwavering support, they’d start using the language of “devotion to family, the Christian faith & the future.”

Is not “devotion to family” part of “taking responsibility for our lives” as, can one take responsibility for our lives without accepting familial responsibilities?

Unfortunately, “Christian faith” is a non-starter for the secularly inclined. “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” Thomas Aquinas

BTW, IMO the great barrier to faith in people is an inability to fully trust. Secularists tend to be mistrustful of strangers. The more hostile to faith, the more likely to tell themselves faith is but a childish need for a daddy and mommy.

You may recall Christ’s admonition that, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (New International Version)

It’s all about trust because our virus* infected ‘operating system’ cannot be cleansed without our ego allowing a “higher power” to intervene. God may not be a “respecter of persons” but he will not force conversion upon us.
* otherwise known as “original sin” i.e. the knowledge of good and evil without the ability to perfectly discern between the two

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” KJB Rev. 3:20 [my emphasis]

And I think it likely you’ll agree that the best assurance for a prosperous future for most blacks is Loury’s admonition to obtain a solid education. And ‘education’ includes learning a needed skill. Plumbers do alright.

I know of no more succinct path for black success than Walter Williams’ Roadmap Out of Poverty: “Complete high school; get a job, any kind of a job; get married before having children; and be a law-abiding citizen. Among both black and white Americans so described, the poverty rate is in the single digits.” Walter E. Williams.

By the way, here’s a list of Sowell’s writings.