This is incredibly ignorant, backwards, and foolish. Someone could only write this drivel if they have no interest or intention of improving the lives of Black people. There is only ONE reason to write a piece like this. That’s to enrich oneself. This piece has no other purpose. I hate that some arrogant and ignorant Black people enrich themselves by making ignorant and foundationless statements about race while also maligning anyone who focuses on reducing racism. It’s disgusting.
These issues are national in scope and should be addressed accordingly. Glenn's observation that social capital is the prerequisite for human capital outlines what is needed, and you are correct that now is the time to leverage the political clout of the underclass. As exemplified by individuals like Rob Henderson and JD Vance, the military is uniquely suited to provide the social and human capital needed, but it's mission and current GWOT focus precludes broader participation. Defend The Guard legislation makes a Constitutional argument for getting the Guard out of forever wars absent a formal declaration of war, but I think that separation would also allow the Guard to function in a community college role while providing the structure a segment of our society needs. The reindustrialization of America will require much greater emphasis on CTE (career and technical education, or trades) than the education status quo can provide, and a partnership between the Guard's social capital and our Community College system can provide the education and training needed.
Economically our choices are higher debt, higher unemployment, or higher investment. The second part of our reindustrialization needs to support investment in the manner of the CHIPS Act for chip manufacturing and SHIPS Act for shipbuilding. America has the greatest inland waterway transportation system in the world, greater in length than the rest of the world combined. Our great older cities and their underclass ghettos were often located along the inland waterways and a Workforce Education and Waterways Investment Act (WEWIN!) could be key in supporting the investment needed to reindustrialize America and our inner cities.
Political parties exist to win elections, so they are more concerned with riling the base than getting policy right. But our politics are in flux, and Glenn is right that MAGA needs to broaden it's coalition for continued success. A program that removes the Guard from forever wars yet expands its usefulness in the economic contest with China while providing economic subsidies to induce investment might just work. We know the status quo will not. Art of the Deal indeed.
Also recall that Trump was happy to take credit for the record low Black unemployment rates whether he had any real responsibility for it or not. In contrast Democrats are happy to be seen helping Black people whether the people receiving the help need it or not. Black leaders might not ask for a federal grant as much as having Trump talk up what they are doing and in this way embarrass the racist members of his coalition
If we take “Black leaders who are in a position to cut deals funding local initiatives with track records of success (and there are such initiatives) ought to tell XXXXX they’re willing to work with him.” I don’t see why it makes much difference what XXXXX is.
I have lived in central Africa and can assure you that it is a very disappointing continent. African-American lagging, on average regarding IQ = G, is inherited and cannit be changed. I inherited Dyslexia but fortunately through great effort managed to 'somewhat' ameliorate the disadvantage so that it became manageable. John McWhorter, in my humble opinion, is flat out wrong. My prescription is stop trying to equalise IQ = G, it cannot be changed. A decent merciful society accepts what can't be changed and accept what can. Give lower IQ people the dignity of gainful employment. Employment that need not be overly uncomplicated but can be achieved over time. Stop flogging a dead horse.
You have no idea what you’re talking about and have obviously never deeply investigated any of the subject matters you’re discussing. I’m glad you learned to cope with your dyslexia and saw some minority percentage of the continent of Africa, but that is not even remotely the proper foundation for you to make the claims you’ve made in this comment. I hope you’ll self reflect.
I would modify this to "make Trump actually think about the policies that would improve the lives of the people that voted for him that have poor social capital instead of thinking tariffs will fix everything". Unfortunately in his first term he showed very little sustained interest in that.
Black high school completion rates - 89-90& of Black people possess at least a high school diploma. What "liberal" programs exist are the ones that have failed Black people.
William, I think you might be replying to what I didn’t write and not addressing what I did write. I do not disparage the accomplishments of people. They are adults and they’ve got this. I’m unhappy about the children who are pushed through the education system without being educated. Those children and their families are being cheated. So are the rest of us
I think we should try to figure out why out of wedlock births have declined because the reasons matter. Probably abortion. Maybe we should think about that.
Same thing with high school graduation rates. Have these graduates actually mastered the skills required in 12th grade? Another thing to check is whether or not the standards for high school graduation have been reduced. Employers find out fast enough if a diploma from an applicant is worth anything or not
Carol, you should not assume that abortion is the reason. That implies that the Black teenagers are merely promiscuous persons which is a racist TROPE. Throughout the country parents, Black churches, Black women's groups, etc., have attacked the teenage pregnancy problem. I have even participated in sessions to pus alternatives to premarital sex for these teenagers- both boys and girls. Why can it not be that these teenagers are making decisions that preclude teenage pregnancy among Black teenagers. The answer to your second question is : yes, I believe that these Black HS graduates have "mastered the skills required in 12th grade" Most of America's Black children do not attend school in big city school districts which have the most difficulties. I suspect that you may not know that.
Please, don’t be absurd. It’s not about black teenagers being promiscuous. Promiscuity really is color blind. It’s about trying to figure out WHY the numbers declined, which numbers are declining and who is doing what right. If it is because of various programs, great. Even if those programs just somewhat successful that’s still good. But, what about those programs is working and what is not. We seem to have a talent for either solving the wrong problems or crediting the wrong solutions.
However, what if it’s a decline in fertility? What if it’s social problems that inhibit social interactions? And, abortion is probably part of the decline.
It’s not a secret that Baltimore is graduating students who can’t read or do math. It would only be by the grace of God that only one school district is doing it. I am deeply suspicious of our district and it’s no where near Baltimore. For the students who do have the appropriate skills? Great. That’s what we paid for and it’s what I expect. What about the other kids? They’re just going to be casualties because we refuse to admit our schools could stand some improvement here and there. I’m afraid there are too many of those kids and I doubt it has much to do with race . Poor families all over probably face the same challenges. And I suspect a quick look at some middle class areas ….. We need to get this right.
Carol, it is not absurd to suspect that non-Black commentators in America would disparage the achievements of Black people. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Black young people graduate from high school. They go on to become military personnel, bus drivers, police & fire personnel, civil servants , apprenticeship aspirants, college students, healthcare personnel, etc. To even imply that these Black folks do not meet the criteria for the diplomas is absurd. There are local community groups/agencies who have successfully reduced Black teenage birth rates by using a variety of strategies
I hate to use anecdotal evidence. But I know for a fact that the HighSchool in neighboring town is graduating students that 2 decades ago would not have qualified for HighSchool graduation. A high percentage of students. Schools are being scrutinized for graduation rates and pushing students through. The measure of whether students have mastered the basic skills for graduation are standardized testing. The high school I am referring to has a 95% graduation rate and scores 50% reading proficiency and 25% Math proficiency. So, students are graduating… but certainly not mastering the skills required for graduating.
im sure someone could collate the data of graduation rates versus proficiency percentages and how they have changed over the years. I am also sure someone can compare data of abortions by blacks and increase of thereof and reduction of out of wedlock births. All data that would help in the discourse. Someone should do that...
Hi MJS. Listen, I am sure that someone could - one of the Muskcateers could take up such a task. Why not consider the more positive aspect such as that today's Black teenagers are making BETTER decisions relating to premarital sex or that you could conclude that Black HS graduation rates at over 90% is a good thing. Assuming that Black HS graduates are not competent is, well, a racist trope period full stop. Take care
Your ideas are not mercenary but there is a certain naivete that surrounds i the assumptions. Take the issue of "out-of-wedlock" births. Teenaged pregnancies among Black youth have decreased considerably to the point that the vast majority of "out-of-wedlock" babies are born to adults. For example, the post-game interview of Saquon Barkley (26yr) introducing his fiance - along with their two children born "out-of-wedlock." High incarceration rates for Black men exists in red as well as in blue states. At no time during the 1st Trump administration, did Trump express any interest in either of these issues.
A MAGA-led anti-poverty, pro-education, pro-work, and pro-family agenda that focuses not only on black-communities but also on majority-white communities with similar problems—if its goals were to be higher test scores, higher high school graduation rates, lower out-of-wedlock birth rates, lower incarceration rates, lower unemployment, and higher net wealth—would be fully consistent with the principles and goals of the MAGA movement.
Please see my February 7 Substack column on the MAGA movement, “Renewing American identity and values: The people are rising to save the American republic.”
Gave it a read (at least the first half where you outline the principles). Roughly speaking it melds traditional conservative principles with an isolationist foreign policy and then throws in some religious elements. You can argue the pros and cons of these principles but they are completely untethered from Trump and his actions. He is wholly unprincipled:
- He touts isolationism while pushing to annex Canada & Greenland, wrest the Panama canal away from Panama, and occupy Gaza.
- He panders to the evangelical community while cheating with porn stars and shilling out Trump Bibles ($59.99 standard, $1000 signed by the "author").
- He advocates for meritocracy while nominating media personalities. Pete Hegseth, for instance, isn't suited to run the Daily Wire, let alone the DoD. He's comically unqualified for the job, but merit isn't really what Trump is looking for.
- He's anti-communist but advocates for state ownership of TikTok?? Maybe it's just a passing whim (maybe), but it shows there's no foundational principles undergirding his thought process. (I will note that you're oddly charitable to communism in your article. An unexpected take.)
- And then there's this: "MAGA conservatives believe in the democratic principles proclaimed at the founding of the American Republic." In 2020 Trump made a bunch of unsubstantiated claims about ballot fraud only to turn around organize his own fraudulent electors, pressuring Pence to use them as a pretense to overturn the election. When Pence refused Trump ratcheted up the pressure, eventually culminating in the events of Jan 6. This is about as un-democratic and un-American as you can get.
I could go on and on. The principles you outlined are the types of principles Ben Shapiro would have advocated for 10 years ago, but they aren't principles that Trump or MAGA abide by. True conservatism is dead. Conservative thought leaders stood by and watched Trump slowly choke the life out of it.
I think the true ethos of MAGA is something like this: The rapid globalization of the 90's & 00's, paired with the leftward cultural migration, cultivated a DEEP resentment across vast swaths of America. This resentment morphed into a nihilistic belief that the federal government is so fundamentally broken that it needs to be torn down and reformed (something they share with BLM). And this isn't a completely unfair reaction: BOTH establishment parties abandoned these people, leaving their concerns unaddressed. Trump was able to recognize this, capitalizing on the resentment and nihilism and turning it into MAGA.
So resentment and nihilism, that's what fuels MAGA. Not some high minded principles. Your article is just a well written attempt to sane-wash Trump's insane actions.
Trump doesn't care about black people as a racial group any more than he cares for any racial group. But he does have an ego, and he likes success, and he's shown he's willing to listen to and implement good ideas.
As you have stated here, government programs have generally been ineffective at changing family dynamics, specifically the percentage of black children raised by a single parent, that seem to correlate with the negative outcomes you have listed. Wouldn't the government be more effective by directing funding to the root causes of this dynamic: by adjusting their funding rules for social welfare programs to reward two-parent households rather than parents living separately? If more money was given to households that had both parents present raising children, then perhaps the percentage of two-parent households would increase. What are your thoughts?
I am not Glenn, sorry, but Thomas Sowell addressed the War on Poverty issue in his book, Vision of the Anointed about 30 years ago. He also pointed out that when the original goal of the program wasn’t achieved instead of modifying the program they changed the goal. That tells me that they didn’t care 60 years ago and they don’t care today. They care about something, but it’s not people living in poverty. We could have solved that years ago.
This is incredibly ignorant, backwards, and foolish. Someone could only write this drivel if they have no interest or intention of improving the lives of Black people. There is only ONE reason to write a piece like this. That’s to enrich oneself. This piece has no other purpose. I hate that some arrogant and ignorant Black people enrich themselves by making ignorant and foundationless statements about race while also maligning anyone who focuses on reducing racism. It’s disgusting.
These issues are national in scope and should be addressed accordingly. Glenn's observation that social capital is the prerequisite for human capital outlines what is needed, and you are correct that now is the time to leverage the political clout of the underclass. As exemplified by individuals like Rob Henderson and JD Vance, the military is uniquely suited to provide the social and human capital needed, but it's mission and current GWOT focus precludes broader participation. Defend The Guard legislation makes a Constitutional argument for getting the Guard out of forever wars absent a formal declaration of war, but I think that separation would also allow the Guard to function in a community college role while providing the structure a segment of our society needs. The reindustrialization of America will require much greater emphasis on CTE (career and technical education, or trades) than the education status quo can provide, and a partnership between the Guard's social capital and our Community College system can provide the education and training needed.
Economically our choices are higher debt, higher unemployment, or higher investment. The second part of our reindustrialization needs to support investment in the manner of the CHIPS Act for chip manufacturing and SHIPS Act for shipbuilding. America has the greatest inland waterway transportation system in the world, greater in length than the rest of the world combined. Our great older cities and their underclass ghettos were often located along the inland waterways and a Workforce Education and Waterways Investment Act (WEWIN!) could be key in supporting the investment needed to reindustrialize America and our inner cities.
Political parties exist to win elections, so they are more concerned with riling the base than getting policy right. But our politics are in flux, and Glenn is right that MAGA needs to broaden it's coalition for continued success. A program that removes the Guard from forever wars yet expands its usefulness in the economic contest with China while providing economic subsidies to induce investment might just work. We know the status quo will not. Art of the Deal indeed.
Also recall that Trump was happy to take credit for the record low Black unemployment rates whether he had any real responsibility for it or not. In contrast Democrats are happy to be seen helping Black people whether the people receiving the help need it or not. Black leaders might not ask for a federal grant as much as having Trump talk up what they are doing and in this way embarrass the racist members of his coalition
If we take “Black leaders who are in a position to cut deals funding local initiatives with track records of success (and there are such initiatives) ought to tell XXXXX they’re willing to work with him.” I don’t see why it makes much difference what XXXXX is.
I have lived in central Africa and can assure you that it is a very disappointing continent. African-American lagging, on average regarding IQ = G, is inherited and cannit be changed. I inherited Dyslexia but fortunately through great effort managed to 'somewhat' ameliorate the disadvantage so that it became manageable. John McWhorter, in my humble opinion, is flat out wrong. My prescription is stop trying to equalise IQ = G, it cannot be changed. A decent merciful society accepts what can't be changed and accept what can. Give lower IQ people the dignity of gainful employment. Employment that need not be overly uncomplicated but can be achieved over time. Stop flogging a dead horse.
You have no idea what you’re talking about and have obviously never deeply investigated any of the subject matters you’re discussing. I’m glad you learned to cope with your dyslexia and saw some minority percentage of the continent of Africa, but that is not even remotely the proper foundation for you to make the claims you’ve made in this comment. I hope you’ll self reflect.
Your statement is vacuous.
I didn’t have an expectation that someone who wrote what you did would be capable of critical self reflection.
Another vacuous statement.
You’re not the one to decide.
Exactly right, and neither are you.
I would modify this to "make Trump actually think about the policies that would improve the lives of the people that voted for him that have poor social capital instead of thinking tariffs will fix everything". Unfortunately in his first term he showed very little sustained interest in that.
Right on, as we said back in the day. Not a mercenary approach but a pragmatic approach. What works is what matters.
Black high school completion rates - 89-90& of Black people possess at least a high school diploma. What "liberal" programs exist are the ones that have failed Black people.
William, I think you might be replying to what I didn’t write and not addressing what I did write. I do not disparage the accomplishments of people. They are adults and they’ve got this. I’m unhappy about the children who are pushed through the education system without being educated. Those children and their families are being cheated. So are the rest of us
I think we should try to figure out why out of wedlock births have declined because the reasons matter. Probably abortion. Maybe we should think about that.
Same thing with high school graduation rates. Have these graduates actually mastered the skills required in 12th grade? Another thing to check is whether or not the standards for high school graduation have been reduced. Employers find out fast enough if a diploma from an applicant is worth anything or not
Carol, you should not assume that abortion is the reason. That implies that the Black teenagers are merely promiscuous persons which is a racist TROPE. Throughout the country parents, Black churches, Black women's groups, etc., have attacked the teenage pregnancy problem. I have even participated in sessions to pus alternatives to premarital sex for these teenagers- both boys and girls. Why can it not be that these teenagers are making decisions that preclude teenage pregnancy among Black teenagers. The answer to your second question is : yes, I believe that these Black HS graduates have "mastered the skills required in 12th grade" Most of America's Black children do not attend school in big city school districts which have the most difficulties. I suspect that you may not know that.
William,
Please, don’t be absurd. It’s not about black teenagers being promiscuous. Promiscuity really is color blind. It’s about trying to figure out WHY the numbers declined, which numbers are declining and who is doing what right. If it is because of various programs, great. Even if those programs just somewhat successful that’s still good. But, what about those programs is working and what is not. We seem to have a talent for either solving the wrong problems or crediting the wrong solutions.
However, what if it’s a decline in fertility? What if it’s social problems that inhibit social interactions? And, abortion is probably part of the decline.
It’s not a secret that Baltimore is graduating students who can’t read or do math. It would only be by the grace of God that only one school district is doing it. I am deeply suspicious of our district and it’s no where near Baltimore. For the students who do have the appropriate skills? Great. That’s what we paid for and it’s what I expect. What about the other kids? They’re just going to be casualties because we refuse to admit our schools could stand some improvement here and there. I’m afraid there are too many of those kids and I doubt it has much to do with race . Poor families all over probably face the same challenges. And I suspect a quick look at some middle class areas ….. We need to get this right.
Carol, it is not absurd to suspect that non-Black commentators in America would disparage the achievements of Black people. Every year, hundreds of thousands of Black young people graduate from high school. They go on to become military personnel, bus drivers, police & fire personnel, civil servants , apprenticeship aspirants, college students, healthcare personnel, etc. To even imply that these Black folks do not meet the criteria for the diplomas is absurd. There are local community groups/agencies who have successfully reduced Black teenage birth rates by using a variety of strategies
I hate to use anecdotal evidence. But I know for a fact that the HighSchool in neighboring town is graduating students that 2 decades ago would not have qualified for HighSchool graduation. A high percentage of students. Schools are being scrutinized for graduation rates and pushing students through. The measure of whether students have mastered the basic skills for graduation are standardized testing. The high school I am referring to has a 95% graduation rate and scores 50% reading proficiency and 25% Math proficiency. So, students are graduating… but certainly not mastering the skills required for graduating.
You are right. You should hate to use anecdotal evidence based on a single school in a single town
im sure someone could collate the data of graduation rates versus proficiency percentages and how they have changed over the years. I am also sure someone can compare data of abortions by blacks and increase of thereof and reduction of out of wedlock births. All data that would help in the discourse. Someone should do that...
Hi MJS. Listen, I am sure that someone could - one of the Muskcateers could take up such a task. Why not consider the more positive aspect such as that today's Black teenagers are making BETTER decisions relating to premarital sex or that you could conclude that Black HS graduation rates at over 90% is a good thing. Assuming that Black HS graduates are not competent is, well, a racist trope period full stop. Take care
Your ideas are not mercenary but there is a certain naivete that surrounds i the assumptions. Take the issue of "out-of-wedlock" births. Teenaged pregnancies among Black youth have decreased considerably to the point that the vast majority of "out-of-wedlock" babies are born to adults. For example, the post-game interview of Saquon Barkley (26yr) introducing his fiance - along with their two children born "out-of-wedlock." High incarceration rates for Black men exists in red as well as in blue states. At no time during the 1st Trump administration, did Trump express any interest in either of these issues.
A MAGA-led anti-poverty, pro-education, pro-work, and pro-family agenda that focuses not only on black-communities but also on majority-white communities with similar problems—if its goals were to be higher test scores, higher high school graduation rates, lower out-of-wedlock birth rates, lower incarceration rates, lower unemployment, and higher net wealth—would be fully consistent with the principles and goals of the MAGA movement.
Please see my February 7 Substack column on the MAGA movement, “Renewing American identity and values: The people are rising to save the American republic.”
https://charlesmckelvey.substack.com/p/renewing-american-identity-and-values
What are the “principles and goals” of MAGA?
They are presented in the linked Substack commentary.
Gave it a read (at least the first half where you outline the principles). Roughly speaking it melds traditional conservative principles with an isolationist foreign policy and then throws in some religious elements. You can argue the pros and cons of these principles but they are completely untethered from Trump and his actions. He is wholly unprincipled:
- He touts isolationism while pushing to annex Canada & Greenland, wrest the Panama canal away from Panama, and occupy Gaza.
- He panders to the evangelical community while cheating with porn stars and shilling out Trump Bibles ($59.99 standard, $1000 signed by the "author").
- He advocates for meritocracy while nominating media personalities. Pete Hegseth, for instance, isn't suited to run the Daily Wire, let alone the DoD. He's comically unqualified for the job, but merit isn't really what Trump is looking for.
- He's anti-communist but advocates for state ownership of TikTok?? Maybe it's just a passing whim (maybe), but it shows there's no foundational principles undergirding his thought process. (I will note that you're oddly charitable to communism in your article. An unexpected take.)
- And then there's this: "MAGA conservatives believe in the democratic principles proclaimed at the founding of the American Republic." In 2020 Trump made a bunch of unsubstantiated claims about ballot fraud only to turn around organize his own fraudulent electors, pressuring Pence to use them as a pretense to overturn the election. When Pence refused Trump ratcheted up the pressure, eventually culminating in the events of Jan 6. This is about as un-democratic and un-American as you can get.
I could go on and on. The principles you outlined are the types of principles Ben Shapiro would have advocated for 10 years ago, but they aren't principles that Trump or MAGA abide by. True conservatism is dead. Conservative thought leaders stood by and watched Trump slowly choke the life out of it.
I think the true ethos of MAGA is something like this: The rapid globalization of the 90's & 00's, paired with the leftward cultural migration, cultivated a DEEP resentment across vast swaths of America. This resentment morphed into a nihilistic belief that the federal government is so fundamentally broken that it needs to be torn down and reformed (something they share with BLM). And this isn't a completely unfair reaction: BOTH establishment parties abandoned these people, leaving their concerns unaddressed. Trump was able to recognize this, capitalizing on the resentment and nihilism and turning it into MAGA.
So resentment and nihilism, that's what fuels MAGA. Not some high minded principles. Your article is just a well written attempt to sane-wash Trump's insane actions.
I hope John sees your comment. Doesn’t seem like an agenda of someone who only cares about himself
Just saw a Bari Weiss video explaining how she overcame her TDS. Maybe it can help him
https://www.livetube.tv/news/video-journalist-reveals-how-she-overcame-trump-derangement-syndrome
Trump doesn't care about black people as a racial group any more than he cares for any racial group. But he does have an ego, and he likes success, and he's shown he's willing to listen to and implement good ideas.
Glenn,
As you have stated here, government programs have generally been ineffective at changing family dynamics, specifically the percentage of black children raised by a single parent, that seem to correlate with the negative outcomes you have listed. Wouldn't the government be more effective by directing funding to the root causes of this dynamic: by adjusting their funding rules for social welfare programs to reward two-parent households rather than parents living separately? If more money was given to households that had both parents present raising children, then perhaps the percentage of two-parent households would increase. What are your thoughts?
I am not Glenn, sorry, but Thomas Sowell addressed the War on Poverty issue in his book, Vision of the Anointed about 30 years ago. He also pointed out that when the original goal of the program wasn’t achieved instead of modifying the program they changed the goal. That tells me that they didn’t care 60 years ago and they don’t care today. They care about something, but it’s not people living in poverty. We could have solved that years ago.