The explosive subject of race and genetics has sullied the reputations of many scientists over the decades but none quite so famous as James Watson, who was suspended by his laboratory in New York late Thursday over his comments implying that black people have inferior intelligence.
Now, before my post is misused to assert that I think all blacks are less intelligent than all whites, let me assure you that I know more (well more) than a few blacks I consider my intellectual superiors and I meet white folks (daily! continually! without ceasing!) who are dumber than a bag of hammers.
That has nothing whasoever to do with the simple fact that James Watson’s observation is true, is borne out consistently in scientific investigation: unquestionably true that as a class (see here for one discussion of classes as I use the term here) blacks consistently demonstrate a lower intelligence (lower “g” if you will). That is is true is made obvious by the fact that no critic of his comments (zero, zilch, nada, complete and total absence of any whatsoever) have done anything but make ad hominem attacks upon Dr. Watson.
Name-calling absent any facts to support the labeling is no argument. That Watson’s attackers have no argument is obvious in the fact that they make no attempt to make any argument whatsoever.
The sun and moon and stars revolve around their flat earth and you’d damned well better not say differently because they can’t hear you over the fingers in their ears and the loud chanting of “La-la-la-la-la”.
All right: Will anyone give me one scientific reason why separated groups of people should not have evolved different levels of intelligence? Groups differ in hair color, color of skin, shape of eyes, ratios of various long bones to others, biochemistry, and brain size. Give me one reason why all groups must be precisely identical in intelligence. Just one reason, and Watson’s argument fails. I’m waiting.
No one doubts, as long as blacks (or women) are not involved, that differences in intelligence can exist between subspecies, which is what the races are. No one will take exception if I say that Border Collies are smarter than pit bulls, or that they have been genetically selected for intelligence. Nor will anyone suggest that the difference is cultural, or that breeds of dogs are “social constructs,†or that Border Collies do not exist because intermediate breeds do.
Oh, as always with Fred, there’s more. It’s just that this time his sarcasm almost entirely takes a back seat to simple, clear reasoning.
Update: a reader at Chaos Manor in Review points out,
We hear loudly from critics when a white scientist of European descent points out that black racial groups have lower IQ scores on average, than whites. But if the point is to prove the racial superiority of whites, then why do they also conclude that East Asians are smarter than whites, and that Ashkenazi Jews are the smartest of all. Those latter conclusions are hardly going to appeal to your average white supremicist….
As a plain old “white” guy of European descent who is neither an Ashkenazi Jew nor (obviously) Asian, I have no problem acknowledging the simple fact that those two classes are smarter than the class I belong to, and that indeed, there are many in those two classes who are worlds and away more intelligent than I am.
Big stinking deal. I guess that makes me a racist who’s biased against “white” folks of European descent, eh?
*Feh* All these claims of racism (or sexism) whenever someone notes facts distinguishing classes of persons is just B.S.
Trackposted to Nuke’s, Outside the Beltway, Perri Nelson’s Website, DragonLady’s World, The Populist, Shadowscope, Pirate’s Cove, Webloggin, Leaning Straight Up, The Bullwinkle Blog, Conservative Cat, High Desert Wanderer, Right Voices, and Conservative Thoughts, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
