Rant: Sick of NPR's race and gender obsession

[sub_thug]

So how does this NPR work, it's funded by the federal government?? In Canada we have CBC as a state broadcaster. Trudeau promised during the election campaign that he would increase their funding, and they basically turned into a propaganda arm of the Liberal party after that. We call it Trudeauvision.

It is funded by federal money and through contributions from listeners.

 

[Der Eisbär]

The Russians are a special case. That's one of the few countries where you have elected officials, Generals, law enforcement, business leaders, and organized crime leaders all in the same place, shaking hands, making deals, and it's not a 3rd world shithole. Kind of not a shithole anyways...

The Australians, the Europeans (western ones), and South Americans seem to carry that mentality too. I just find it so strange, given the opportunities there. Ireland has a growing tech hub, South America is ripe for corporations that can organize effectively, and the Australians have virtually nothing holding them back. Anyone can become wealthy if they work hard enough there, but that is looked down upon for some reason. Here, we aspire to greatness. Thinking like the rest of the world just doesn't make sense to me here.

I would have to think that's mostly tied to their history. Europe has been subjected to 1000's of years of power hungry mad men raping and pillaging and taxing and conquering. We don't have as much of that in our recent history so we're not as wary of it. Just a theory.

 

[sub_thug]

I would have to think that's mostly tied to their history. Europe has been subjected to 1000's of years of power hungry mad men raping and pillaging and taxing and conquering. We don't have as much of that in our recent history so we're not as wary of it. Just a theory.

I tend to agree. I think that many of our brethren in the world still cling to old world mentalities about change, innovation, and class. People like to criticize, but our innovation is what makes the US the best place in the world to live if you want to become a success one day. After all, we are the Land of Opportunity. I personally love that about us, and I hope we do whatever we can to foster that in the future.

 

[Deleted member 196663]

RIGHT???????????

Let's talk about for 17 of 18 hours of programming.

The other 6 is for whatever terrible music they play at night.

I was just kidding.

 

[SafeSpace]

All the left has left to continue their divide and conquer strategy are bs identity politics or paying brownshirts.

 

[Jack V Savage]

Yeah, again, you're doing exactly what I accused you of and then you turn around and deny it while you continue to do it LOL.

Huh? I don't think you remember what you accused me of.

Blm is historically tied to black hate groups. Shillary lost, get over it.

You're just repeating Breitbart-level smears. This is the kind of thing the movement has produced: https://www.joincampaignzero.org/. Find the "hate" in there? And yeesh. Crazy that you're still obsessing over the election at this point.

 

[Der Eisbär]

Huh? I don't think you remember what you accused me of.



You're just repeating Breitbart-level smears. This is the kind of thing the movement has produced: https://www.joincampaignzero.org/. Find the "hate" in there? And yeesh. Crazy that you're still obsessing over the election at this point.

What I accused you of, is that everytime someone disagrees with you, you tell them they're repeating right wing talking points. Its literally the only retort you EVER have.

Hillary lost, get over it.

 

[Fugazy]

I was just kidding.

Me too.

 

[Jack V Savage]

What I accused you of, is that everytime someone disagrees with you, you tell them they're repeating right wing talking points. Its literally the only retort you EVER have.

Hillary lost, get over it.

In the post you quoted, I was noting your pattern of making the same error and then getting mad when people noticed it. I encouraged you to break the pattern on your end and be more thoughtful. Good advice that you will surely ignore.

Your hackery is noted. Enjoy your four years of Trump.

 

[Der Eisbär]

In the post you quoted, I was noting your pattern of making the same error and then getting mad when people noticed it. I encouraged you to break the pattern on your end and be more thoughtful. Good advice that you will surely ignore.

Your hackery is noted. Enjoy your four years of Trump.

#lockherup

 

[VivaRevolution]

I've been an avid listener of NPR since my senior year of highschool, so almost 8 years now.

I used to wake up to it in the morning, and fall asleep listening to it at night (actually it's the BBC that comes on at night).

I like mixing up my news sources and take in a basket of left and right sources.

But for the past 1-2 years, holy FUCK. EVERY TIME I turn on NPR it's some fucking story about race or gender with varying degrees of pointlessness. Sometimes the stories are legit, and sometimes they're totally off the wall ridiculous. Regardless: I AM SICK AND FUCKING TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT RACE AND GENDER NON STOP.

I get it that that's what MSNBC and CNN are doing, along with Buzzfeed, Gawker, and every other far left media outlet. But even though NPR has always been left of center, they were always one of my main 'centrist' sources. I liked the stories about the rising craft whiskey scene, or some new dance movement in a far away country, or whatever it was. But it's fucking NON STOP with the race/gender stories. I can't listen to this shit anymore. So now I'm forced to either listen to race/gender obsession or some local/national conservative wing nut with a potato IQ that doesn't understand basic science, if I want to listen to talk radio.

WTF MAN.

Growing up, race and gender were not things I focused on or was concerned about. Even growing up in Idaho, I was taught that all people are equal. I didn't give that a second thought and I still don't. Now the fucking leftists and SJW's have got more people playing identity politics and obsessing over race and gender than EVER before. Now even I focus on race and gender more than ever before when I used to fundamentally not care about those issues at all on personal/day to day life level.

Check your privilege bro......

Seriously, welcome to the club of leftists that are embarassed by the "new" left.

The old guard of the DNC, the clintons, obamas, pelosi, shumer, must all go. The old guard held power in the DNC over the real progressives (aka economic progressives). Until that changes, welcome to the new normal.

 

[Lead]

1. Easy to say that when there aren't hundreds of people a few miles from you ganging up on people because they are a different race than you are.

You're near Pittsburgh? Go walk down the streets in the ghettos of Philadelphia as a white minority, there are places in America where it's entirely unsafe to even exist as a white person. White people must awaken to the fact that this must be avoided at all costs or their distant progeny (three generations) will find themselves unwelcome in their own land that their forefathers conquered merely based on their race. Unfortunately white people seem to hold on to their ideological leanings until they experience this shit firsthand and seem to be unable to extrapolate the current trends 100-200 years down the line.

Politics is a tribal construct, the ideologies are merely tools for advancing goals of certain tribes. I used to believe in that American individualism bullshit too. I was after-all a libertarian for the majority of my adult life.

2. Institutions for who? For foreign exchange students, for international capitalists etc. or for the common folk? The institutions have failed the people, but the institutions are quite remarkable at serving the institutions. On that much I will agree, it all depends on your perspective.

1 My point is those people who would gang up on people based on race are the problem, whether that's black white or whatever. I've been to downtown philly and it definitely is a mess. I didn't feel in danger there just because I was white, maybe if I looked like I had money, I'd be concerned because it's an economically depressed area with a lot of crime, not because black people live there.

This is why we can't really get much further with your point on tribalism. I think focusing on that at all is a great waste of time while you think it's the only thing we should do. Politics is not about advancing a race over another to some. I think that's a pretty strong statement to assume. I can tell you nothing in my political leaning has to do with what helps my race. I may consider people by class at times but that's important to look at for figuring out what is and isn't health for an economy.

2. I'm confused if we are on the same page. By institutions, I did mean political institutions. Our courts, legislators, and the balance of power that comes with them because enough people respect their purpose. I would be amazed if you are on the same page with what I meant and believe Chinas institutions (in the clarification I mentioned) helps the common man more than the US does. That's absurd to me.

 

[Lead]

1. Of course. Among WR racists, BLM is some kind of militant terrorist organization, but in the real world, it's just people who want better police relations with blacks (and it's not organized).



2. I would point the finger at the people talking about the issue more and benefiting from it more. That is, people who are trying to divide the working class to get popular support for extremely unpopular policies that mostly amount to vast upward redistribution of wealth.



3. It's a ridiculous comparison. The U.S. is way the fuck better off than China by any metric you want to use (note that China's per-capita GDP is just fucking $6,807), and is in a much, much better position going forward than both China and Japan, in large part because of immigration (which is preventing the aging that is crippling Japan). The median age in Japan is over 46, while it is 37.8 in America (still higher than ideal). A little less in China than in the U.S., but that will change, and it'll keep getting worse. Tribalism is a major obstacle to economic and cultural growth.

1. Agreed and I wish the discussions tha the media would push would be more policy focused. Actual ideas like funding for police body cameras get 1% of the airtime and the other 99% is riots and footage of the shootings (ironic enough the filming being shown but not used as an idea). I've actually seen a panel where the host brought up body cameras and one person said, that won't help and they were actually against it.

2 This goes a little off topic. I know you think there is a racial element with the GOPs policies. We can table that off for now.

3 Yea, I tried to make those points earlier about Japan and China. Japan is actually the worst example to use in order to push a homogeneous society. Their population is aging and they can't use one of the most important levers to fix that. Also, for the US to not use that lever when we have a very unique advantage in how many want to come here, why would we not use it? It baffles me we should somehow ignore that tool just because America may become more beige. I understand weighing some importance to whether a person will assimilate or not but that shouldn't be determined by their skin.

 

[Stitches4snitches]

That's why MSNBC, CNN, and NPR have such bad ratings.

lol what are you talking about? MSNBC is the highest rated Cable news network.

 

[Blackened]

1 My point is those people who would gang up on people based on race are the problem, whether that's black white or whatever. I've been to downtown philly and it definitely is a mess. I didn't feel in danger there just because I was white, maybe if I looked like I had money, I'd be concerned because it's an economically depressed area with a lot of crime, not because black people live there.

This is why we can't really get much further with your point on tribalism. I think focusing on that at all is a great waste of time while you think it's the only thing we should do. Politics is not about advancing a race over another to some. I think that's a pretty strong statement to assume. I can tell you nothing in my political leaning has to do with what helps my race. I may consider people by class at times but that's important to look at for figuring out what is and isn't health for an economy.

2. I'm confused if we are on the same page. By institutions, I did mean political institutions. Our courts, legislators, and the balance of power that comes with them because enough people respect their purpose. I would be amazed if you are on the same page with what I meant and believe Chinas institutions (in the clarification I mentioned) helps the common man more than the US does. That's absurd to me.

It is, whether people are aware of it or not. The proof is in the voting trends. The inequality largely exists because of the inherent strengths and weaknesses of different races.

The whole thing is set up so that discrimination against white people is OK, but any other race it's "racism". Know of any affirmative action lawsuits for Chinese restaurants because all the workers are Chinese? No. Only if it's a white owned establishment will you see the owners being sued. I'm more in favor of giving white people the same rights everyone else in America has, freedom of association.

 

[FrankensteinMMA]

im sick of red ice and their obsession with race and gender

im sick of stormfront radio and their obsession with race and gender

im sick of every popular right wing youtube "celebrity" who vlogs about race and gender

do you make threads about these outlets too?...nah....

its like in the comments section of TYT, people complain its too biased...i wonder if these same folks run to red ice and say the same.....

only the left are biased...never the right....

 

[Jack V Savage]

2 This goes a little off topic. I know you think there is a racial element with the GOPs policies. We can table that off for now.

3 Yea, I tried to make those points earlier about Japan and China. Japan is actually the worst example to use in order to push a homogeneous society. Their population is aging and they can't use one of the most important levers to fix that. Also, for the US to not use that lever when we have a very unique advantage in how many want to come here, why would we not use it? It baffles me we should somehow ignore that tool just because America may become more beige. I understand weighing some importance to whether a person will assimilate or not but that shouldn't be determined by their skin.

2. My point is a little more narrow than that. The GOP's policy agenda is not popular at all. A plurality of their own voters wants *higher* taxes on high earners to pay for increased spending, while elected officials are fanatically devoted to the opposite. So they (politicians, campaign people, donor-funded media, etc.) have a strong incentive to play the identity game, and that ties into your point about the favoring of fringe elements in media coverage and pushing policy to the back burner.

Sort of related point, I often see people attempt to change the subject from policing to crime ("if BLM, why not focus on crime victims?"), but those issues are really tightly related. Bad relations with police means people are less secure and have more incentive to cultivate a reputation in their community for violence in order to protect themselves and their friends and family, which leads to a vicious circle. Building trust with the police force is one of the ways that modern gov'ts have broken that circle (think of Hobbes here).

3. Agreed, and I'd add that another huge advantage America has over those countries and others is its ability to assimilate immigrants. Other countries legitimately have the kinds of problems that the right mistakenly thinks America does precisely because they aren't as good as us at that. A lot of non-American posters or alt-righters (who largely ape the views of the European right) don't really get America in that regard.

 

[TheGreatA]

3 Yea, I tried to make those points earlier about Japan and China. Japan is actually the worst example to use in order to push a homogeneous society. Their population is aging and they can't use one of the most important levers to fix that. Also, for the US to not use that lever when we have a very unique advantage in how many want to come here, why would we not use it? It baffles me we should somehow ignore that tool just because America may become more beige. I understand weighing some importance to whether a person will assimilate or not but that shouldn't be determined by their skin.

You don't think 130 million Japanese living on a tiny island that is subject to a human catastrophe at any moment, is enough? You ever been to a Japanese city? You seriously think more people is what they need?

This doesn't look crowded enough for you?

Do we truly need a few more beige faces and blonde heads there to make the painting more complete?

Perhaps there is a point where we must acknowledge that enough is enough, that not all "economic growth" is worth the compromise. If we aspire to "grow" forever, we will eventually reach a point where this growth cannot be sustained. Where the value of human life and the worth of our principles will decrease as we become more and more replaceable by any "global citizen" of the world, willing to take our place, without any ties to the land that they occupy, nor any appreciation for its distinct culture, developed throughout the centuries.

There are 320 million people in the United States. When America first began its open-door policy, there were less than 100 million. Times have changed since then. Some 250 million people after, you'd think there's a time to re-evaluate whether it is truly necessary to continuously haul in millions of people to America, every year. Perhaps it is time to close the books for a while, and figure out how to make life better for the ones you've already got.

If your only answer to make life better for others, is by offering them increased "economic prosperity" through an accelerated population growth, resulting from mass immigration, and the resulting "business opportunities" (in other words using 3rd worlders as slave labour) then you should probably, probably, figure some things out.

 

[moneyfight]

@Lead please be honest about the situation in Philly.

 

[Fawlty]

I don't find NPR too obsessed with race and gender, at least in morning talk. I wish more news outlets took the same thoughtful tone and heard out the best points of each side.