Legalize It

Disclaimer: Yes, I blazed regularly for several years. Yes, I still smoke on occasion today. No, I never really enjoyed it. I’ve never identified as a stoner or planned my life around getting high. Why would I engage in behavior I don’t particularly enjoy when it is expensive, among other downsides? The obvious answer is that marijuana is an evil, addictive drug. This is the problem with drug policy and propaganda. Oh, well I know a kid who started smoking a lot of pot and pretty much dropped out of life. Ignore that the drug was a facilitator, not a cause. That it happened despite preexisting illegality. That if it wasn’t weed it would have been something else. That it is not indicative of the overwhelming majority of responsible users. Why tackle complexity when we can settle on an easy answer then hit the bars.

Before you read anything I have to say, I want you to sit back, relax, and read the text of this speech titled “The History of the Non-Medical Use of Drugs in the United States.” I read it every few months like one might a favorite book. If I could force every person to read one thing, it would be this speech. Do it. I read it again, just now. Several times I jumped out of my chair and paced angrily.

A Diamond is Forever

That’s the line the De Beers cartel decided to sell to impressionable Americans starting in the late 1930s (the literal line itself, in 1947). Those shiny bits of carbon of artificial scarcity and fixed prices didn’t sell themselves – considering there was no long-term or widespread historical tradition of diamonds containing value or imparting status. Diamonds are no gold.

Recorded history of diamonds used in engagement/wedding rings takes us back over 500 years, a (true) fact pushed by the “history of the engagement ring” websites run by jewelers. No reference to the “standard” diamond engagement ring being a result of a De Beers advertising campaign, or that many other countries (including those that can afford diamonds) stick to simple gold bands or rings mounted with other gems. I’d wager most Americans believe the diamond engagement ring is dominant throughout most of Europe. For all the glorious background, read THIS PIECE from The Atlantic written by Edward Jay Epstein. I know… it’s long. The first few pages deal with the relevant engagement ring/ad campaign issues. Here is the brief.

Intellectual Tradition: A Truexian Shoutout

A quick conversation or single comment can change the way one looks at the world. “Wow, I never really thought about it that way,” is one of my favorite phrases to use and hear. This goes beyond acknowledgment of being right (or wrong); it is the simple joy of sharing ideas and learning how others view the world. There are two distinct ideas passed on to me by Dr. Truex that have greatly impacted my intellectual development and understanding of the world.

Race & Ethnicity: Jews Are So Smart! S-M-R-T

I run a Google search on every search term that leads someone to my blog. I like learning where I’m indexed, building knowledge on how to get indexed, and seeing what other results pop up that someone may have clicked on. Since most of my blogs deal with offbeat issues of race/ethnicity/culture and global scams/cults, I rank highly for some very weird search terms. I get to find out some very interesting things as a side-effect of my own writing.

I vaguely remember reading this Economist article on a proposed theory of the evolution of intelligence among Ashkenazi Jews. You can’t read that article without subscribing… but now is as good a time as any to do so. That’s not even an affiliate link; I get nothing out of it other than the joy of spreading knowledge.

Race & Ethnicity, Pt. 0.5: IQ & Culture

A predendum. It’s always nice to “make up a word” then Google it and realize 476 other people had the same idea. The old game of Googlewhacking follows the elusive search for two (real) words that result in only one Google hit. Harder than you might think; a search for “reticular thrombosis” (without the quotes) resulted in 74,600 hits, and I have no idea what either of those words mean.

Now that I’m starting to see Google searches leading people to my blog, I’m compelled to further explain my position. When it comes to questions of race and ethnicity, IQ is a fairly “advanced” topic. Not the most important, but it plays a role and is largely ignored. There’s plenty of information out there, but it isn’t covered often and there are no easy answers. Of course, it’s near-impossible to honestly discuss racism without coming off as racist.

I don’t mind being called racist, but I’d like it to be for the right reasons.

Race & Ethnicity, Pt. 2: Culture & Stereotypes

It’s impossible to personally audit one’s own underlying/subconscious racial prejudices without attacking the problem head-on. Wikipedia says that “stereotypes are ideas held about members of particular groups, based primarily on membership in that group.” That’s the first problem – I don’t know any people who view stereotypes as truths that apply to all members of the subject group. Most people understand that they are generalizations, I hope. Some argue that all stereotypes – positive or negative – are bad. If I argue that members of Group X are more likely to engage in behavior A or hold belief B than members of Group Y – and it’s evidently true – is that a problem? Where is the guidebook on which differences to celebrate and which to ignore? How can you understand the root causes of culture-oriented behavior without identifying and acknowledging the existence of these stereotypes?

Are Asian people bad drivers? I’ve certainly been stuck behind Asian drivers going 25mph in a 50mph zone – a practice I consider more dangerous than all but the most reckless forms of speeding. I’ve witnessed Asian drivers showing an extreme lack of awareness while on the road. Who else plays the game where you witness a bonehead driving move and then guess race/gender before pulling up alongside the offending car to check? I’ve gotten pretty good at it. Or have I? Problem with stereotypes, and human cognition in general, is that we tend to remember those things that validate our beliefs and ignore/conveniently forget that which does not. Maybe I’m no good at the guessing game, but I’ve convinced myself I am.