This article reminded me of my journey in the 70’s as a woman in the workplace. I was told I’d never make as much money as a man and would be seen as a sex object. I never complained, I just worked harder. I did lose some jobs and faced sexual advances, but I shut them down and plugged on. And I succeeded in making as much money as any man. Becca use at the end of the day, it’s hard work that counts. Was life always fair? No! But that didn’t deter me. Being a victim keeps a person down forever. Thank you for such a well written piece!
Bringing back memories! Openly getting paid less than male co-workers, putting up with the grab-butt, etc. I remember those men and women who helped me along the way, and memory hole the 2-legged obstacles. I also "succeeded" on my terms, doing my best at every job, marrying and raising a family, and attaining financial security. Kim (1960)
“I was raised by a Black mother who exemplified how you must earn what you want in life, and the idea of waiting for my supposed oppressor to save me goes against everything my mother taught me.
Being Black is not a handicap. But listening to Leftist elitists sure is.”
This all started with LBJ and his welfare state. The Democrats have been using it ever since and will continue to do so as long as they continue to treat Blacks like people who can’t survive without Big Government. MLK would be aghast, IMO.
They see Americans of African descent as pets that need to be taken care of. It is the modern version of the white mans burden. The slave owners of the past thought the same and used it to justify and rationalize their evil.
Well written as always. Because of AA, CRT and DEI when a black person gets a promotion or recognition for a job well done, in the back of their mind, they have to wonder, am I getting this because I'm qualified or is someone trying to prop me up as their "project", ultimately setting me up for failure. Anytime you make a mistake (that any other person might make) people look at you side eyed saying, "See, I knew they weren't qualified. That was obviously an AA, CRT or DEI hire"
Get rid of this racist nonsense (AA, CRT and DEI) and select people for positions based on need and qualifications.
I agree we need to get rid of the things you listed, but it won't stop the resentful from saying someone wasn't "qualified." The reason one would think that based on a mistake others commonly make is because that person is resentful and looking to bring that person down. There's also for females the "she slept her way to the top" bs. If a female is getting favors at work from a manager, the manager isn't qualified to be a manager and should be fired. The above chuckleheads will always be with us in one form or another. I just learned how to avoid them, go around them, confront them or change jobs. Much has changed in my 63 years, thankfully!
Makes sense. From my experience it seems because of these "efforts" to "help" minorities, which would include women, they are looked at differently when they make a mistake. There are resentful petty people but these "programs" do nothing but fuel their fire and give them more reason to point that finger. No one should ever stay at a place where they don't want you.
Adam - another absolute gem. This Ali guy has it all wrong and it states with his underlying premise, which is that "merit" is used to undermine black Americans from achieving. There is utterly no evidentiary support for his premise. He believes he can peer into the minds of people and see their innermost thoughts. He is, of course, arrogant to think he can read minds and condescending towards black Americans. How about this...merit is used to create excellence. Merit is used to push people to achieve beyond what they thought they could do. In the Army we referred to that as setting and enforcing standards. When standards were high or raised people pushed themselves to achieve them. Yes, some fell short...but those who did not were the people you wanted on your team. Its really so simple unless one is a negative nelly as Mr. Ali apparently is, and looks at everything from such a destructive perspective...without any evidence to support his faulty conclusion.
I'm really happy that you were allowed to write such a column for a well known publication like Newsweek that is not a traditional venue for common sense conservative thought. I'm also happy for you that someone as well known and respected like Ben Shapiro noticed your tweet...or whatever tweets are called these days. Well done!
I will die on the hill of calling it Twitter and them being "Tweets" LOL
Thank you so much. Newsweek has been giving a lot of room for right-leaning perspectives and non-woke perspectives. It's been a while since I wrote for them (it's hard pitching stuff to Newsweek consistently). Nevertheless, it's usually good when I'm able to reach their audience.
Ok, I just re-read your column again and something jumped out at me that I think is particularly brilliant..." The working class and poor Black American is supposed to remain stagnant until our white saviors, who are simultaneously our oppressors, save us from ourselves." Adam, "who are simultaneously our oppressors" hits the nail on the head. If you'll permit me to say, it harkens back to the comment Lyndon Johnson supposedly made after signing the Civil Rights Act of 1965 and to what Democrats in government were doing in 1861 and are still doing...oppressing black Americans. I won't repeat it because it is revolting, but I think its easily accessible to anyone who wants to look it up. The modern derivation is different and slicker than the brute force version of 1861, but it is oppression nonetheless as you correctly point out. And the absurdity of waiting for one's oppressor to save you just jumps off the page. A brilliant point and one worth repeating. The empowering message to black Americans is: Achieve whatever you want because you can.
And I did neglect to briefly comment on your Mom's wisdom...we share a similar background in that I was raised by a mother who was wise, strong, tough, uncompromising and truthful as yours apparently was. The truth I got from my mother was this, "People like us (blue collar, working class) get ahead through education, and you will be educated." After that she accepted nothing less than what she thought was my best and she had very high expectations. As a result I have a lot of letters after my name and have had a wonderful life. I know how fortunate one is when you are raised by a woman of character and wisdom...in that regard we are apparently both very fortunate. She did a great job.
Some of us minorities would like to be appreciated for the things we do, because we do a lot on our own & we do it damn well. Thank you for calling this out.
I read the autobiography by Frederick Douglas. It was astonishing considering what he had endured as a slave learning to read on the sly. Knowledge is power. These wealthy men that you reference figured out how to use the game to climb the ladder and then turn around and grab the ladder from others because if more climb the ladder the gig is up. But all this is also a complete slap in the face to all the dirty poor Europeans who were exploited when they came to the US. My brother and I were discussing the pipefitters in the early 20th century made up of the Irish like my grandfather. The death and injury rate was so high no other group was willing to do it except for the dirty lazy Irish.
I appreciate that I have been able to write and publish on your platform about Eugenics and its ties to getting rid of white people. Doing so has given me clarity in explaining why I despise CRT - a creation by affluent white European men, most notably Herbert Marcuse. Speaking with young people, I assume high schools no longer teach the exploitation of labor during the Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s. When someone plugs in their EV that is powered by a coal plant, that coal plant may have the imprints of very young boys being sent to work in horrific conditions. Exploitation by elites is history and only with the rise of strong individual protection can it be held back and it unifies all of us against them. Right now, we are divided against each other by them. As Frederick Douglas says the three Bs to freedom are: the bible, the ballot box, and bullets.
White progressives want feel like the Saviors of blacks (or at least project that image to others), and any display of black competence undermines their ability to do so. If the consequence is hobbling black upward mobility, then they are more than happy to make that sacrifice.
This ideology is insidious and destructive. What is the worst thing you can do to a human being? No it’s not torture or taking their freedom, it is taking away their hope. How do you think a young black American in the government school system being told day in and day out thru the Marxist doctrine of CRT that no matter how smart they are, no matter how talented they are, no matter how driven they are they have no chance unless a white American lets them achieve their dreams? That there is no hope. Can you imagine what that does to them? Why even try to achieve success when it doesn’t matter how hard you work? So you just give up.
This article reminded me of my journey in the 70’s as a woman in the workplace. I was told I’d never make as much money as a man and would be seen as a sex object. I never complained, I just worked harder. I did lose some jobs and faced sexual advances, but I shut them down and plugged on. And I succeeded in making as much money as any man. Becca use at the end of the day, it’s hard work that counts. Was life always fair? No! But that didn’t deter me. Being a victim keeps a person down forever. Thank you for such a well written piece!
Thank you for sharing your story.
I appreciate the kind words.
Bringing back memories! Openly getting paid less than male co-workers, putting up with the grab-butt, etc. I remember those men and women who helped me along the way, and memory hole the 2-legged obstacles. I also "succeeded" on my terms, doing my best at every job, marrying and raising a family, and attaining financial security. Kim (1960)
“I was raised by a Black mother who exemplified how you must earn what you want in life, and the idea of waiting for my supposed oppressor to save me goes against everything my mother taught me.
Being Black is not a handicap. But listening to Leftist elitists sure is.”
Nailed it.
This all started with LBJ and his welfare state. The Democrats have been using it ever since and will continue to do so as long as they continue to treat Blacks like people who can’t survive without Big Government. MLK would be aghast, IMO.
Another amazing and honest masterpiece created from your heart. It is evident that your mother is a wise and strong woman and example. Thank you.
Thank you so much for the kind words about my mother.
They see Americans of African descent as pets that need to be taken care of. It is the modern version of the white mans burden. The slave owners of the past thought the same and used it to justify and rationalize their evil.
Well written as always. Because of AA, CRT and DEI when a black person gets a promotion or recognition for a job well done, in the back of their mind, they have to wonder, am I getting this because I'm qualified or is someone trying to prop me up as their "project", ultimately setting me up for failure. Anytime you make a mistake (that any other person might make) people look at you side eyed saying, "See, I knew they weren't qualified. That was obviously an AA, CRT or DEI hire"
Get rid of this racist nonsense (AA, CRT and DEI) and select people for positions based on need and qualifications.
I agree we need to get rid of the things you listed, but it won't stop the resentful from saying someone wasn't "qualified." The reason one would think that based on a mistake others commonly make is because that person is resentful and looking to bring that person down. There's also for females the "she slept her way to the top" bs. If a female is getting favors at work from a manager, the manager isn't qualified to be a manager and should be fired. The above chuckleheads will always be with us in one form or another. I just learned how to avoid them, go around them, confront them or change jobs. Much has changed in my 63 years, thankfully!
Makes sense. From my experience it seems because of these "efforts" to "help" minorities, which would include women, they are looked at differently when they make a mistake. There are resentful petty people but these "programs" do nothing but fuel their fire and give them more reason to point that finger. No one should ever stay at a place where they don't want you.
Adam - another absolute gem. This Ali guy has it all wrong and it states with his underlying premise, which is that "merit" is used to undermine black Americans from achieving. There is utterly no evidentiary support for his premise. He believes he can peer into the minds of people and see their innermost thoughts. He is, of course, arrogant to think he can read minds and condescending towards black Americans. How about this...merit is used to create excellence. Merit is used to push people to achieve beyond what they thought they could do. In the Army we referred to that as setting and enforcing standards. When standards were high or raised people pushed themselves to achieve them. Yes, some fell short...but those who did not were the people you wanted on your team. Its really so simple unless one is a negative nelly as Mr. Ali apparently is, and looks at everything from such a destructive perspective...without any evidence to support his faulty conclusion.
I'm really happy that you were allowed to write such a column for a well known publication like Newsweek that is not a traditional venue for common sense conservative thought. I'm also happy for you that someone as well known and respected like Ben Shapiro noticed your tweet...or whatever tweets are called these days. Well done!
I will die on the hill of calling it Twitter and them being "Tweets" LOL
Thank you so much. Newsweek has been giving a lot of room for right-leaning perspectives and non-woke perspectives. It's been a while since I wrote for them (it's hard pitching stuff to Newsweek consistently). Nevertheless, it's usually good when I'm able to reach their audience.
I appreciate your support.
Ok, I just re-read your column again and something jumped out at me that I think is particularly brilliant..." The working class and poor Black American is supposed to remain stagnant until our white saviors, who are simultaneously our oppressors, save us from ourselves." Adam, "who are simultaneously our oppressors" hits the nail on the head. If you'll permit me to say, it harkens back to the comment Lyndon Johnson supposedly made after signing the Civil Rights Act of 1965 and to what Democrats in government were doing in 1861 and are still doing...oppressing black Americans. I won't repeat it because it is revolting, but I think its easily accessible to anyone who wants to look it up. The modern derivation is different and slicker than the brute force version of 1861, but it is oppression nonetheless as you correctly point out. And the absurdity of waiting for one's oppressor to save you just jumps off the page. A brilliant point and one worth repeating. The empowering message to black Americans is: Achieve whatever you want because you can.
And I did neglect to briefly comment on your Mom's wisdom...we share a similar background in that I was raised by a mother who was wise, strong, tough, uncompromising and truthful as yours apparently was. The truth I got from my mother was this, "People like us (blue collar, working class) get ahead through education, and you will be educated." After that she accepted nothing less than what she thought was my best and she had very high expectations. As a result I have a lot of letters after my name and have had a wonderful life. I know how fortunate one is when you are raised by a woman of character and wisdom...in that regard we are apparently both very fortunate. She did a great job.
Some of us minorities would like to be appreciated for the things we do, because we do a lot on our own & we do it damn well. Thank you for calling this out.
My pleasure
I read the autobiography by Frederick Douglas. It was astonishing considering what he had endured as a slave learning to read on the sly. Knowledge is power. These wealthy men that you reference figured out how to use the game to climb the ladder and then turn around and grab the ladder from others because if more climb the ladder the gig is up. But all this is also a complete slap in the face to all the dirty poor Europeans who were exploited when they came to the US. My brother and I were discussing the pipefitters in the early 20th century made up of the Irish like my grandfather. The death and injury rate was so high no other group was willing to do it except for the dirty lazy Irish.
I appreciate that I have been able to write and publish on your platform about Eugenics and its ties to getting rid of white people. Doing so has given me clarity in explaining why I despise CRT - a creation by affluent white European men, most notably Herbert Marcuse. Speaking with young people, I assume high schools no longer teach the exploitation of labor during the Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s. When someone plugs in their EV that is powered by a coal plant, that coal plant may have the imprints of very young boys being sent to work in horrific conditions. Exploitation by elites is history and only with the rise of strong individual protection can it be held back and it unifies all of us against them. Right now, we are divided against each other by them. As Frederick Douglas says the three Bs to freedom are: the bible, the ballot box, and bullets.
Great article; you are wise beyond your years.
Thank you so much
Excellent article on Newsweek!
Thank you!
You almost got it right.
White progressives want feel like the Saviors of blacks (or at least project that image to others), and any display of black competence undermines their ability to do so. If the consequence is hobbling black upward mobility, then they are more than happy to make that sacrifice.
For more on this:
https://frompovertytoprogress.substack.com/p/understanding-the-left
Bullseye! Thank you. And good for Newsweek.
My pleasure. Thank you for taking the time to read it.
Good job Adam.
Thank you!
This ideology is insidious and destructive. What is the worst thing you can do to a human being? No it’s not torture or taking their freedom, it is taking away their hope. How do you think a young black American in the government school system being told day in and day out thru the Marxist doctrine of CRT that no matter how smart they are, no matter how talented they are, no matter how driven they are they have no chance unless a white American lets them achieve their dreams? That there is no hope. Can you imagine what that does to them? Why even try to achieve success when it doesn’t matter how hard you work? So you just give up.