Good question.
Here's the short answer. It's a massive crockpot full of shit on high temp that's stinking up the whole house and a misnomer.
"Wait? What?" I can here you say or in some cases shout at the top of your lungs.
Verily, calm down. Sit a bit and ruminate, whilst I illuminate. Yes as a matter of fact I've happily jacked that line from a Disney cartoon. What of it? It's a good line. Movie was full of 'em. However I digress, back to the subject at hand.
Race, is a massive crock of shit. A false bill of goods. Snake oil sold to the unwitting and in some cases the willfully ignorant, by a nest of snakes. A great many of them in political office. Lets not get me started on what I'd like to do to most politicians. It's graphic and ugly.
What most people refer to as "race" is in point of fact, my fellow germs and virii..Tribe. Ergo 'racism' is 'tribalism'. In other words, differences of opinion and fighting between the various tribes of man. There are as many different tribes and kinds of tribes as...well I won't say as there's stars in the sky, or fish in the sea because that would be an exaggeration. However there's a just a whole lot of different tribes and kinds of tribes out there in the world of man.
Tribalism has existed among man since we first separated from our ape ancestors and came down out of the trees. Sociologically it all breaks down to tribe in one form or another.
In the micro scale you see it as loyalty and relationship of family. Blood relations. Your mother, your father, your sisters and brothers. Next scale up is extended family, Aunts, uncles, cousins etc.
In times past to make or preserve peace or for varying other reasons...one family would marry into another by bonding their sons and daughters. Thereby making, keeping the peace, cementing ties of friendship and power...the reasons for marriage are varied throughout history and that's a whole different discussion on it's own.
Here's another example of tribe. The social tribes. Folks who get together for love or enjoyment of one form of art, or what they consider art or another. Love of machines like cars. Enjoyment in collecting something like guns, knives, books, musical instruments etc etc ad nauseum. Sports fans are another tribe, choosing to belong to a tribe that share's their love and enjoyment of a game. Cosplayers, Gamers, Geeks, all different tribes with one thing in common. Their love of and enjoyment in sharing what they love with others who feel as they do. They are tribes of choice. They choose to belong to that tribe.
What else are the military branches but tribes. Navy, Marines, Army, Air Force etc. Tribes that give up something, time, some freedoms and time for themselves for their the smaller tribe, their family to join a larger tribe, the military as a whole, in order to serve the greater good for an even GREATER tribe. In other words their nation. They sacrifice some of the smaller tribal needs for the needs of the greater tribe, the nation.
Nation or nationality is tribalism in Macro or large scale...simplest way I can put it.
Tribes all have varying desires, wants, needs and are GOING to clash. It's just nature. all nature wars on itself. Plants will strive to grow faster, grow off to the side or even strangle their competitors for sunlight to grow. Small fish are hunted and eaten by other fish, who in turn are hunted by something else right on up the chain. Insects war among each other for territory and sustenance and supplies for the larder, for the good of that insect tribe.
There isn't but one race, the human race, all else is tribalism. Once you accept that...[or happen to have a low tolerance for bullshit from the get go] it's a little easier to deal with the "race baiters", and those who cry "racism, racist, hater...etc etc.". They are in it not to better their tribe but for the betterment of themselves at the EXPENSE of their tribe and everyone else. It's also a lot of fun to make their heads explode when you explain this stuff to them. the apoplexy, oh my god the faces turned purple with rage...is down right amusing. I keep waiting for their heads to explode in the most literal sense of the word, from blood pressure alone, but I keep getting disappointed. Oh well. I can live with that I suppose.
Remember TANSTAAFL and..
I now return you to your regularly scheduled inanity and insanity.
Well written sir. What you put forth has been my belief for a long time.
ReplyDeleteJJ Swiontek
Denver, CO
Thanks. I'd written a little of this as part of a larger generalized political rant one day but, I think this is the first time I've laid it out like this completely on it's own.
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