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London student reported to police: “Enchanted by anarchism and individualism”

the-libertarian.co.uk

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Re: London student reported to police: “Enchanted by anarchism and individualism”

#171

Post by philwelch »

emiliobumachar wrote: post #165
arrrg wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do think schools shouldn't emphasize either collectivism or individualism over each other and I don't think the text you are quoting here advises that, either. Only a pretty narrow-mindes reading of that text would suggest that in any way. At any rate you would have to look at the actual implementation of that policy to really criticise it. As is this text is quite tame. Please also note that schools can hardly be…

It's one thing for an institution to position itself against emphasizing individualism. It's a couple steps further to define emphasizing individualism as a form of racism . Is there somethig that I as a non-american don't get that makes this newspeak palatable? Have american racists historically been more individualistic or something? EDIT: this comment from elnate nails it: "They're conflating racism with enthnocen…

If anything, individualism and racism are incompatible since individualism considers people as individuals and not as members of groups such as races or nationalities.

Re: London student reported to police: “Enchanted by anarchism and individualism”

#172

Post by jotm »

SiVal wrote: post #34

This sort of thing is alive and well in US schools, too. The official policy of the Seattle Public School system is to stamp out racism in all its forms, and notice how many forms there are. (Note in particular the Cultural Racism section that includes, "emphasizing individualism as opposed to a more collective ideology" as a form of racism that, by official policy, is to be stamped out by the government education sy…

"He's interested in what anarchism is, get him!"

That is very stupid.

Re: London student reported to police: “Enchanted by anarchism and individualism”

#173

Post by penrod »

ddinh wrote: post #78
dogweather wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where, specifically, is the quoted text?

It's in the section defining cultural racism: Those aspects of society that overtly and covertly attribute value and normality to white people and Whiteness, and devalue, stereotype, and label people of color as “other”, different, less than, or render them invisible. Examples of these norms include defining white skin tones as nude or flesh colored, having a future time orientation, emphasizing individualism as oppo…

It had never previously occurred to me that people of color lacked a "future time orientation", but thanks to Seattle Public Schools I have an exciting new racial stereotype to add to my quiver of prejudices.

Re: London student reported to police: “Enchanted by anarchism and individualism”

#174

Post by lutusp »

penrod wrote: post #173
ddinh wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's in the section defining cultural racism: Those aspects of society that overtly and covertly attribute value and normality to white people and Whiteness, and devalue, stereotype, and label people of color as “other”, different, less than, or render them invisible. Examples of these norms include defining white skin tones as nude or flesh colored, having a future time orientation, emphasizing individualism as oppo…

It had never previously occurred to me that people of color lacked a "future time orientation", but thanks to Seattle Public Schools I have an exciting new racial stereotype to add to my quiver of prejudices.

> to add to my quiver of prejudices.

Interestingly, in the history of our language, a quiver sometimes holds the ammunition for a crossbow, each of which is called a "quarrel."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quarrel

Quote: "A quarrel or bolt is the term for the ammunition used in a crossbow."

Just thought you would want to know. :)

Re: London student reported to police: “Enchanted by anarchism and individualism”

#175

Post by Sagat »

jlgreco wrote: post #154
Sagat wrote: post #37

I'm disgusted by the head teacher's nosy behavior. I also think the student is an insufferable person according to his blog posts [1]. He's one of those people who try to use loaded words like "anarchism" and "individualism" to justify annoying or selfish behavior. Kind of like Galt-wannabe libertarians who hide being the word "liberty" to give credence to social darwinism. [1] http://hampsteadtrash.blogspot.co.uk/20…

Who gives a shit, honestly? That is about as valuable to the conversation as your assessment of his sense of dress fashion.

There are a lot of commenters here who automatically got on the kid's side as soon as they heard the buzzwords "anarchism" and "individualism". It's probable they didn't even read the article or the blog posts before reaching this decision.

All I'm saying as that we should be more careful when taking sides in any situation, and try to avoid being manipulated by words. Sure, I did post a personal opinion about this kid. You are entitled to hate it and post aggressive comments about it. But I think my post still added to the conversation. A few people voted on it so at least one or more people gave a shit.

Re: London student reported to police: “Enchanted by anarchism and individualism”

#176

Post by ceol »

jlgreco wrote: post #141
ceol wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kind of proves their point, right? The way your culture views something is "obviously a positive trait"?

"It is better for you to do things that will benefit you" is practically a fucking tautology . How could that be controversial, let alone racist? Here is what I think; the statement: "saying 'future time orientation is superior' is racist" is itself racist, just like saying, "saying 'the ability to drink water from your cupped hands without drowning yourself is normal' is racist" is itself racist. In other words, you…

Those two things aren't equal in the slightest. "future time orientation is superior" versus "the ability to drink water from your cupped hands without drowning yourself is normal".

> In other words, you are implying that some appreciation of the value of planning is something that only some cultures possess.

Actually, it is something only some cultures practice. (Not possess, just practice. Everyone can view time with a perspective in the future, but not all cultures default to that view.) It's just like how some cultures do not distinguish between green and blue colors (or how we do not distinguish between different types of snow.)

But no, you go ahead and claim the real racists are the ones examining racism. I'm sure that's not what people backed into a corner do or anything.

Re: London student reported to police: “Enchanted by anarchism and individualism”

#177

Post by arrrg »

emiliobumachar wrote: post #165
arrrg wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do think schools shouldn't emphasize either collectivism or individualism over each other and I don't think the text you are quoting here advises that, either. Only a pretty narrow-mindes reading of that text would suggest that in any way. At any rate you would have to look at the actual implementation of that policy to really criticise it. As is this text is quite tame. Please also note that schools can hardly be…

It's one thing for an institution to position itself against emphasizing individualism. It's a couple steps further to define emphasizing individualism as a form of racism . Is there somethig that I as a non-american don't get that makes this newspeak palatable? Have american racists historically been more individualistic or something? EDIT: this comment from elnate nails it: "They're conflating racism with enthnocen…

That’s not conflating something with something, that’s having a different definition than you have.

Re: London student reported to police: “Enchanted by anarchism and individualism”

#178

Post by hga »

emiliobumachar wrote: post #165
arrrg wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do think schools shouldn't emphasize either collectivism or individualism over each other and I don't think the text you are quoting here advises that, either. Only a pretty narrow-mindes reading of that text would suggest that in any way. At any rate you would have to look at the actual implementation of that policy to really criticise it. As is this text is quite tame. Please also note that schools can hardly be…

It's one thing for an institution to position itself against emphasizing individualism. It's a couple steps further to define emphasizing individualism as a form of racism . Is there somethig that I as a non-american don't get that makes this newspeak palatable? Have american racists historically been more individualistic or something? EDIT: this comment from elnate nails it: "They're conflating racism with enthnocen…

"s there somethig that I as a non-american don't get that makes this newspeak palatable?"

Not a chance; I was born and raised in the US in the consolidation period of the Civil Rights struggle (came of political age in the '70s) and it's just as unpalatable to me.

Re: London student reported to police: “Enchanted by anarchism and individualism”

#179

Post by jlgreco »

ceol wrote: post #176
jlgreco wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"It is better for you to do things that will benefit you" is practically a fucking tautology . How could that be controversial, let alone racist? Here is what I think; the statement: "saying 'future time orientation is superior' is racist" is itself racist, just like saying, "saying 'the ability to drink water from your cupped hands without drowning yourself is normal' is racist" is itself racist. In other words, you…

Those two things aren't equal in the slightest. "future time orientation is superior " versus "the ability to drink water from your cupped hands without drowning yourself is normal ". > In other words, you are implying that some appreciation of the value of planning is something that only some cultures possess. Actually, it is something only some cultures practice . (Not possess, just practice. Everyone can view time…

> Actually, it is something only some cultures practice.

> Consider the possibility that you simply do not understand their goals, and are thus unable to perceive them.

The ability or willingness to inconvenience yourself at the present in order to achieve something in the future is really a very basic thing. Hence my comparison to the absurd "ability to drink water without drowning yourself". You are accusing them of having a ludicrously extreme shortcoming.

This is all nothing more than "mexicans are lazy, germans are great engineers" wrapped up in the trappings of academia.

Re: London student reported to police: “Enchanted by anarchism and individualism”

#180

Post by mikeash »

jlgreco wrote: post #168
mikeash wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not. Republicans are reluctant to criticize their own, and so Bush got criticized almost solely from the left. Obama gets a lot of criticism from both left and right.

While he may get criticism from both sides of the political aisle, the criticism has not yet passed over into popular culture. Just as one crude barometer, comedians are not yet making their livings lampooning Obama (well, you see it on the Comedy Central 'satire news' lineup, but not yet the Comedy Central 'standup special' lineup.) Give it another year or three and we might get there (particularly if this Syria shi…

I think there's a substantial difference between fun-making and serious criticism. I do see less of the former with Obama, but that's just because Bush was so much easier to make fun of. He was prone to gaffes, spoke just enough like a redneck to make the association, and didn't take things too seriously. Obama is too boring to make fun of effectively.

But in terms of actual criticism, Obama has way more. Everybody is upset with him on health care reform, just for different reasons. Everybody is upset with him on the economy, they just have different remedies in mind. Everybody is upset with him on Libya and Syria.

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