Answering Mr. Auster's Rebuttals

The following is a response to various replies Mr. Auster and his readers made at his blog, to my open letter to him.  Please go to his blog, and side with the culturists against the racists, in this lively and important debate.

---------------------------------------------------------------

I must apologize to Mr. Lawrence Auster in that in my open letter to him, I accused him of not paying attention to the decline of non-black culture.  Upon reading more of his postings, I find he does discuss culture quite a bit.  But, whereas he took umbrage at my calling him a racist, I do not retract this accusation; he consistently ties black crime and economic struggles to genetic propensities.  And, I used the word “accusation” because I consider his use of IQ to be false, disgusting, and destructive.

Mr. Auster and I agree on two premises: 1) We both wish to save the American nation.  2) And we agree that white guilt is the single greatest factor endangering our society.  For my part, I consider multiculturalism the largest manifestation of white guilt.  Spreading the words “culturism” and “culturist” to shore up western pride and jumpstart honest discussions of culture seem the best strategy for achieving our goal.

The Bell Curve itself tells us that most people are of average intelligence, that many blacks are smarter than whites, and total retardation is an outlier for both groups.  And as you admit, “traditional morality” could help raise black economic and educational achievement. As statistics from the 1950s prove, the black population is fully capable of maintaining marriage and crime rates that would make modern day whites jealous. The cultural lens provides proven potential for improvements.

You think convincing white America that race causes black failures will relieve white guilt. At best, the absolution your IQ focus can lead to is a collective “It is not our fault” from white Americans. But, do you think blacks and other American minorities will accept this argument?  No.  As it is to us with black loved-ones, your view is inherently offensive to blacks and other minorities. So your views necessarily lead to a permanent disconnect between groups of Americans.  Thus your goal of saving America is undercut by your very premises. 

Culturism, unlike multiculturalism, judges cultures and considers them important.  Both black and white Americans are concerned with our cultural decline.  Even if, as you argue, overall gaps will always persist, America’s mobility means so many blacks will be successful as to reinforce our traditional notion of merit.  From an individual merit perspective, that critiques cultures, no white guilt exists.

You have accused me of ducking “truth.”  Your truth offers no workable solutions and the division it necessarily creates is ruinous to America.  Would you hold on to your offensive “truth” at the cost of undermining dooming America?  You say that fear of being marginalized doesn’t enter into your thinking.  Unfortunately your vantage point marginalizes all of us who worry about Islam and immigration. To the extent that it justifies multiculturalists calling us racist, your reasoning weakens us and perpetuates the white guilt model. 

Your continued denunciation of the multicultural media would be helpful if you explained that their fear of discussing race comes from their confusing race and culture; Media might discuss culture while it won’t consider race.  By using our traditional American culturist ideals of pride in America, pro-social values, and individual merit, your work could inspire all races to improve themselves.  Your posts could help popularize culturism as an antidote to multiculturalism.  As it is, your IQ arguments just harm us all.
www.culturism.us