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November 07, 2005

Ethnic Socialism

Part of the problem with being one of a scientific mind is that you tend to believe that other people do things for logical reasons. A scientist without a mean streak tends to believe the best of people, which means that he equates their passion and conviction with a commensurate amount of logical effort. If I become an evil cur in my age, it will because I will have realized that I haven't done a commensurate amount of effort into studious investigations of human nature. Millions of dipdunks just don't think, and it does nothing to suppress their volume or influence on others of their ilk.

On my thick list of things to do now halfway done is to look at what's up with Syria's Baathists. Since it is now clear that you can inherit power from your dad, and that your government is capable of assassination, perhaps there is something of the same sickness in Syria as there was not too long ago in Iraq. Is the common thread Arab Socialism? Perhaps it is. It merits investigation.

This has to do with my growing disgust with Black Identity politics through the link to Nasser, who can be said to be the father of Arab Socialism. See, like most blackfolks, I have been told that Nasser was a Black Man, and that his anti-colonial struggles were part and parcel of my struggle. It was one more opportunity for the We Love Black People contingent to slip another shiv into us. Or maybe I should take the razor's conclusion that they were just stupid and it wasn't a conspiracy. Sounds fair to me.

Anyway, that's my 12 minutes of due dilligence. Back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Posted by mbowen at November 7, 2005 09:30 PM

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Posted by: puma at November 8, 2005 08:50 AM