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Are african (descendant) people less intelligent

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Re: Are african (descendant) people less intelligent

Postby SliK » Mar 25th, '13, 03:24

Minimii wrote:
Willy wrote:If someone lacks the essentials for survival (food, clothing, water...), then he isn't going to be concerned with his intellectual development. People in Africa are knee-deep in AIDS, child soldiering, an oppressive government, harsh living conditions, etc. They aren't worried about studying for the SAT, attending college, or understanding life's mysteries. They're thinking about food, water, and if they're lucky sex (which will probably result in a death from AIDS).


You really dont have to go that far in the history of Europe to see that the situation there was quite similar as the situation in Africa today. People were dieing like crazy, famine, disease, wars were all there. But what happened then was that the nations developed and get rid of those problems. Considering that sub-saharan Africa has been inhabited for 200 000 years it should be more developed. Yet human were stagnant until (if i remembet correctly) 40 000 years ago when they left Africa and conquered Eurasia and Oceania. That means that during those 40 000 years more happened than during those 160 000 years in Africa.
Environment would be perfectly reasonable explanation if indeed blacks were less intelligent but it still would mean that they are, the reasons are irrelevant.

Don't use terms like "blacks" if you want to have a serious discussion. This topic is pretty borderline as it has the potential to be completely derailed so just be careful with your word choice. This isn't backstage.
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Re: Are african (descendant) people less intelligent

Postby Minimii » Mar 25th, '13, 03:31

SliK wrote:Don't use terms like "blacks" if you want to have a serious discussion. This topic is pretty borderline as it has the potential to be completely derailed so just be careful with your word choice. This isn't backstage.

Skin color doesnt define anything except your ability to resist sun's radiation yes, but it can be used to deduce someone's origin even if not with 100% accuracy plus it's just easier to type "blacks" than "people who originate from africa"
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Re: Are african (descendant) people less intelligent

Postby SliK » Mar 25th, '13, 03:34

Just say "African" since you are talking about Africans. Your fucking thread title says "African people" not "black people" so it is relevent since there are people with dark skin (who you would refer to as "blacks") all over the globe.

So I think it is not only relevent, but very important to distinguish and make your argument as clear as possible.
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Re: Are african (descendant) people less intelligent

Postby Minimii » Mar 25th, '13, 03:47

SliK wrote:Just say "African" since you are talking about Africans. Your fucking thread title says "African people" not "black people" so it is relevent since there are people with dark skin (who you would refer to as "blacks") all over the globe.

So I think it is not only relevent, but very important to distinguish and make your argument as clear as possible.

So if person who is born in africa moves to somewhere else he somehow becomes someone else?
African means only people in Africa, but there are "africans" all over the globe, immigrants for example. Or people who have african ancestry which would also include african americans and other black folk all over the world. Saying:
"it is possible that africans are less intelligent" but then saying that talking about blacks like this is wrong then you are a hypocrite.
You may also make a statement that african people are more intelligent than caucasians if you like. Everything is just speculation as there is no real proof.
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Re: Are african (descendant) people less intelligent

Postby SliK » Mar 25th, '13, 04:18

I meant people who are not African, like Indian, Aboriginal, Maori or Arabian for example. They aren't African but they can have dark skin.

So if you are talking about Africans specifically, use the word African. It's not hard.
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Re: Are african (descendant) people less intelligent

Postby CrashBand » Mar 25th, '13, 09:29

Minimii is a fucking retard.

If you read over your posts again, you might mistaken yourself as a black.
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Re: Are african (descendant) people less intelligent

Postby AbramIsaac » Mar 25th, '13, 10:18

CrashBand wrote:Minimii is a fucking retard.

If you read over your posts again, you might mistaken yourself as a black.

I'm pretty sure he does refer to himself as black in this thread.
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Re: Are african (descendant) people less intelligent

Postby CrashBand » Mar 25th, '13, 10:21

What's your take on this Abram?

Do you oppose to the possibility of what SliK mentioned.
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Re: Are african (descendant) people less intelligent

Postby SliK » Mar 25th, '13, 10:32

Keep in mind that I am only saying its possible. I have no evidence to say African people are less intelligent.
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Re: Are african (descendant) people less intelligent

Postby AbramIsaac » Mar 25th, '13, 10:41

Oh god, I don't even know...

It's a subject that can hardly be discussed without the motivation inevitably being racism on the part of one person or another. When you look at the history of this debate, this type of reasoning was used to justify continuance of slavery in the United States (and elsewhere, I'm sure) when there were those that classified the races as subspecies. Homo Sapien Africanus was considered to be less intelligent, and generally lazy. There are still some (I'm sure) that argue that sub-Saharan Africans are a subspecies.

I tend to believe that socioeconomic factors had a larger impact on the African continent than some sort of inherent intellectual inferiority. Colonialism and outside influence obviously affected that part of the world in a significant way, but there are other (less extreme, perhaps) examples of this type of damage done to peoples that had a proven history of intelligence and/or scientific achievement. Even in the Arab world, where scientific innovation was once a heavy presence, now the countries are war-torn and the people are impoverished.

I just think that the amount of influence one culture holds over another has everything to do with what said cultures are actually built around. If you look at who has a hand in the mess in Africa, you'll see nations with a culture built around colonialism. They weren't successful because the Africans were too stupid, they were successful because the African cultures that they conquered/corrupted/divided weren't built around that ideal. Comparing a tribal farmer or nomadic culture to ones that have a refined culture of colonialism dating back to English imperialism, or even to Rome, and it makes sense as to why they weren't able to adequately ward off the outside influence.

What SliK was essentially saying...that the different races may be like the breeds of dog in terms of intelligence difference...I'm not so sure about that. It's not that it's impossible, but to define what a race's potential for intellect is seems so difficult to really pinpoint. Since people define intelligence in different ways, it becomes sort of a clusterfuck. So...I'm back to "I don't believe so, and if so, I don't think it is what caused the African continent to be the way it is".
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Re: Are african (descendant) people less intelligent

Postby SliK » Mar 25th, '13, 10:50

I certainly wouldn't use their culture, or the state of Africa, as evidence that they are less intelligent.

Things differ among races though. Hair, skin, eyes, height, build, penis length, etc. It's not unreasonable to propose reasons for why different races might have different intellects. If the world really is committed to improving Africa and educating the youth it wouldn't hurt to do a little reasearch into the topic.
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Re: Are african (descendant) people less intelligent

Postby CrashBand » Mar 25th, '13, 10:55

Yeah, I know you're just saying it's possible.

I've proposed the exact same thing in a discussion before.

How Africans or people that of an African descent are faster sprinters is genetic. It's certainly possible. I don't think so though.

How about chicks though, SliK? Are they as dumb as blacks?
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Re: Are african (descendant) people less intelligent

Postby AbramIsaac » Mar 25th, '13, 10:57

SliK wrote:I certainly wouldn't use their culture, or the state of Africa, as evidence that they are less intelligent.

Things differ among races though. Hair, skin, eyes, height, build, penis length, etc. It's not unreasonable to propose reasons for why different races might have different intellects. If the world really is committed to improving Africa and educating the youth it wouldn't hurt to do a little reasearch into the topic.

Nah, I know you wouldn't.

I was actually addressing the main point of this poorly constructed thread. Minimii's main point was that there was no evidence in his mind to point to the races being of equal intelligence. Looking for evidence to point to one conclusion or another, in terms of the intelligence of African people relative to the rest of the world, he used the current state of the continent as a possible indication that Africans are of lower intellect.

I'll say this, if the races are that different across the board, I will finally be able to come to terms with the fact that Asian people are just always going to be better at math than I am, as a Caucasian.
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Re: Are african (descendant) people less intelligent

Postby SliK » Mar 25th, '13, 11:06

Women might have the same capacity for learning but they certainly aren't as rational. I learnt in psychology that women have 20% less grey matter (brain) and 20% less white matter (neural connections) than men. But (according to my female lecturer) it has no impact on intelligence.

It's clear from what we know that the brains of men and women work quite differently but I couldn't say for sure that women aren't as intelligent as men.

I do think women are fucking stupid though :coffee:
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Re: Are african (descendant) people less intelligent

Postby Minimii » Mar 25th, '13, 16:14

CrashBand wrote:Minimii is a fucking retard.

If you read over your posts again, you might mistaken yourself as a black.

What makes you think im not dumbfuck
SliK wrote:Women might have the same capacity for learning but they certainly aren't as rational. I learnt in psychology that women have 20% less grey matter (brain) and 20% less white matter (neural connections) than men. But (according to my female lecturer) it has no impact on intelligence.

It's clear from what we know that the brains of men and women work quite differently but I couldn't say for sure that women aren't as intelligent as men.

I do think women are fucking stupid though :coffee:

Women have smaller brain so ofc they also have less grey and white matter. Brain size however dont determine your intelligence. I believe the difference between women and men are the ways they are raised.


As far as africans are concerned i think it's unlikely that the difference between their intelligence and other's is genetic, i think it has more to do with environment. It could be genetic too but the IQ of african originated immigrants in developed countries is increasing, the Flynn effect.
But if african people are less intelligent, no matter the reason genetic or environment, then should this be taken into consideration when trying to help these countries?
Also as ive stated before pretty much the only "evidence" of the equality between different "races" (in terms of intelligence) is only the assumption that everyone is equal. On the contrary all the evidence seems to suggest that african people are the least intelligent (at least how western world defines it). This can never be discussed rationally though because you will be called racist and no scientist or politician or whatever wants to ruin their career over this. Some of them might be racist sure but even in that case i think the truth whatever it might be is more important, say what you say, for me this whole subject is repulsive as fuck but i choose not to let it prevent me from being objective.

"Let me present a dialogue between two African scholars, Nigerians, on the issue of intelligence and its follow-ups—superiority and inferiority:

AGBO DINA: "We cannot reduce human history to the last 500 years (incidentally a period when Africa's development was arrested mostly as a result of exogenous factors)."

BAYO JOHN: Conceding that exogenous factors "arrested" the development of Africans already sets the premise for the conclusions that will follow. Would it not be fair to assume right from here that a "superior" or better adapted exogenous group oversaw this development?

AGBO DINA: "No one has told me where Homer's great grandmother was when Africans built pyramids and invented agriculture."

BAYO JOHN: Building the pyramids on their own proves nothing about a predominantly Arab people who were "foolishly" obsessed with the concept of eternity and wasted all their energy and resources to create monuments for the sake of a limited number of individuals in their society. If we analyse the cost-benefit and value of the pyramids to the Egyptian populations we will see what an "unintelligent" endeavor this so-called wonder of the world was. It served the Egyptians very little purpose but did cost a hell lot both in resources and human capital. If the pyramids served as a spring board on which successive Egyptian developments rode, I would hail it as a great achievement.

AGBO DINA: "How many people did Africans sell to the Europeans and how many people did the Europeans capture on their own? Did Africans invite them to their corner of the world?"

BAYO JOHN: No, they didn't invite them; but it is a known fact in human evolution that the "strongest will survive" and the strongest, on their way to ensuring their survival, will trample on the disadvantaged. Doesn't this again point to some advantage of a certain group of people over others?

AGBO DINA: "We have to take due cognizance of the mentality or plight of the defeated people—they turn on each other."

BAYO JOHN: If one is defeated in any competition, it is fair to conclude for whatever reasons that the loser put up an "inferior" challenge. Explaining away the reasons for the loss, to my mind, amounts to self- denial.

AGBO DINA: "The only crime of Africans was that they had resources the Europeans needed for their survival. That was nefarious rather than something to be glorified and replicated. How does perfecting the instrument of violence and destruction translate to biological superiority?"

BAYO JOHN: Because survival on this planet does not hinge on moral considerations. The fittest, given all possible considerations, will take the upper hand and survive to propagate the continuity of their race.

AGBO DINA: "The colonization of Africa and other parts of the world was done at gun points. The neo-colonial machinations have continued to put the West at a tremendous advantage."

BAYO JOHN: Development of gun powder and the gun was a landmark invention that changed the course of history. Where did this invention come from? Why was it preferentially used by certain people to subjugate others? Does this not point to a certain advantage in projection of future needs of a people over others and clearly showing a step ahead in strategic reasoning?

AGBO DINA: "The fact that we're discussing this issue the way we are shows the extent to which Euro-centricism has eclipsed us."

BAYO JOHN: If the black race is gullible enough to be overwhelmed by Euro-centricism, it again points to a reality which we cannot push under the table. Some people have been smart enough to influence our thinking and ways to the point where they can manipulate us at their beck and call. What conclusions can we derive from this reality?

AGBO DINA: "What makes me different from a European? Should my skin, meant to save me from the scorching African sun, be the sole distinguishing characteristic rather than elements beneath it?"

BAYO JOHN: It is probably not just the color of the skin. But the total baggage that can be associated with skin color. Both in social studies and scientific analysis, a preponderance of evidence inevitably leads you to conclude in a certain way about issues. We cannot be lagging behind in so many indices and claim to be so because someone else is stopping us. Why is the reverse not the case?

AGBO DINA: "These are the questions which the Genome Project is addressing, but it's a relatively recent endeavor. That we are willing to accept these claims so readily is astonishing to me without end. That is in part why others say we are undereducated."

BAYO JOHN: The fact that we are undereducated again serves just to prove the argument. Someone else was smart enough to set out to under-educate us in a way that we will be subjugated to their ways and controls. Does this not point to some superiority in thinking and strategic considerations?

AGBO DINA: "What exactly do we mean by superiority and inferiority?"

BAYO JOHN: A superior person or superior performance is simply an outcome between two groups that clearly puts the other person at an advantage going forward.

It is easy to stand on the shoulders of a giant and claim one is as tall as a giant. What some of us are saying again and again is, "Let us not be defensive about the relatively poor performance and poor adaptability of the black-colored people worldwide."

We argue that if we are put in the same environment, with the same conditions, we will do better or out-perform the white race. I ask—which environment do we want them to use as the controlled environment for the double-blinded experiment? The one the whites have perfected or our traditional environment that we have done very little to conquer all these years?

AGBO DINA: "But nations and people rise and fall, not because they are inferior or superior, but because of the dynamic of human history theorized variously in social science as long cycle, hegemonic stability, and so on and so forth. That is why the Aztec, Nubian, Ethiopian, Chinese, and even Roman and Greek civilizations rode high at one point and crumbled later and were even overtaken by others, perhaps to rise again."

BAYO JOHN: Yes. But out of all these civilizations, which of the ones from Africa bequeathed any significant discovery or invention that is indispensable to modern living? None that I can readily think of, but I may be wrong. I need to be educated on this.

AGBO DINA: "The comparison of a black man’s commitment to a volunteer group with his commitment to their paid job is misplaced. One may choose to join or ignore a volunteer group without any consequences whatsoever. My livelihood does not depend on it. But if I fail to show up for my day job in time, I may lose it and will not have a place to stay or food to eat. Above all, I will not be remitting money to relatives at home, who depend on me for their survival. That, to me, is the key."

BAYO JOHN: And this is also where the black race makes a terrible mistake—the lack of understanding that there is a need for volunteerism and selfless commitment to communal endeavors that do not necessarily benefit us directly but have the potential for larger returns for society. The problem of individuality as the centerpiece for measuring our life successes sadly fuels the behaviors we see manifest in leadership across the black world, with devastating consequences.

AGBO DINA: "Sorry I have to say this. Humans were not meant to live that long so they may die and create room for others. In that way, resources of the world may be shared among those who survive. It is not all that bad. The problem arises when others find all kinds of ways to live longer and go after resources all over the world to support their aging populations. Thus, it becomes necessary to impose sanctions, contrive wars of liberation, and generally create chaos to justify the need for their illegal penetration of other nations and/or their superiority. The biggest political problem the Western world faces is what to do with their greying population that is politically active to the extent that the politicians are afraid to cut their benefits. The expenditure required to take care of the baby boomers who are exploring the possibility of elongating lifespan to 150 years will bankrupt these economies unless radical reforms are implemented. If you deem this a mark of development or superiority, you should at least give thought to the negative consequences."

BAYO JOHN: The mark of development here is the fact that these people realize the disturbing trends and understand them and are doing something about them. Contrast this with lack of appreciation of our key burdens and the seemingly oblivious foolhardy way we laugh and dance about our existence while we flirt with possible extinction of the black race by diseases and illnesses that the other societies manage to control and tame successfully.

There is a video by the eminent historian Basil Davidson. It is titled Different but Equal. I would recommend this video to anyone. He makes the point that racism is a very modern sickness that came about because of slave trade. Prior to that, whites saw Africans as different but equal. To buy and own slaves, it was necessary to dehumanize them, to commoditize them, which over time eroded the mutual respect that whites and blacks shared.

AGBO DINA: "I have all episodes of Davidson's The Africans. Since you have concurred with him, you have effectively negated your argument. In the one you have cited, he interviewed Sheikh Anta Diop, who argued that Africans built the Egyptian civilization, contrary to other claims. Isn't that enough evidence that our forebears had done something for which we should be proud?"

BAYO JOHN: I always ask this question: What really did the much-talked-about Egyptian civilization bequeath to modern society? Is it the wheel, the locomotive engine, electricity, medical techniques or what?

AGBO DINA: "If I am to believe the involvement of Africans in the shipping off of more than 12 million of their people into slavery, you have to demonstrate concretely the extent of their involvement and explain why you think possessing greater capacity for violence is a mark of superiority. I posed some questions above which you may wish to address."

BAYO JOHN: By deductive reasoning, if 12 million people were moved from Africa through slavery and we know that only a few ships were involved in this, there must have been a massive involvement of the Africans themselves to enable this to happen. Anyone who can persuade an individual to turn against his kith and kin and sell them off to slavery must possess some superior skills to make this happen.

AGBO DINA: "While this behavior is repugnant, I fail to see why the act of a minority of Africans or black people defines the entire race."

BAYO JOHN: It defines the entire race because the leaders are a product of the environment from where they come. The values that they propagate in leadership are acquired from the society from whence they come and are a reflection of the level of sophistication of their societies. They reflect the inadequacies inherent in their societies.

AGBO DINA: "Should we say that the Euro-types who misbehave have tarnished the image of all Euro-types and have dehumanized their people? Not so, I think. We should not reduce Africans to the worst among them."

BAYO JOHN: The strength of a chain is usually measured by the weakest link. In the European societies, they understand this and have clear ways of managing and controlling criminality in their areas! In the black world, we glorify criminality in so many ways. Is this not a reflection of lack of higher reasoning, knowing full well the ultimate consequences it will have on society? Are we thinking long term?

AGBO DINA: I may have to come back and explain how eugenics was included in college curriculum in USA up to the 1950s and the role it was supposed to serve. Watson, without doubt, came out of that generation and cannot help himself. But it was roundly condemned even then by "scientists" who readily debunked those false claims of racial superiority."

BAYO JOHN: What we saw from the reaction to Watson from the white world was expected and we should recognize it for what it is—strategic objection to release of information until when they have assessed the political consequences. Watson is probably regarded as a loose cannon, who has broken ranks with his likes and is spilling the beans ahead of when they must have perfected ways of managing the fall-out of their understanding. They are cunning like foxes, something we choose not to learn."
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