Bermuda's Onoda Syndrome Sufferers

Royal Gazette Opinion, Friday 13 May 2005

On a small Philippine island some seventy-five miles south-west of Manila, a Japanese soldier emerges from the jungle. Carrying a .25 calibre rifle, 500 rounds of ammunition and several hand grenades, he meets his commanding officer. The officer tells him that the Second World War has ended; he can return home. The soldier weeps. The date is 9 March, 1974.

The story of 2nd Lt. Hiroo Onoda, the Japanese soldier who continued to fight the Second World War for almost 29 years after it ended, is the most famous of the stories of the Japanese holdouts. But there were many others across the Pacific who fought on for months or years after Japan’s surrender on 2 September, 1945, unaware or disbelieving of the war’s end.

It’s tempting to think of Lt. Onoda as a foolish man who chose to ignore the evidence that the war had ended. But his determination to fight on was a result of his upbringing. Bushido, the code of the samurai warrior, was the creed of the Japanese soldiers. It demanded bravery and loyalty, and considered death preferable to surrender.

Fast-forward thirty years, to another remote island, this time in the middle of the Atlantic.

In the 29 April, 2005 issue of the Workers Voice (sic), Alvin Williams writes about another conflict, that between the black and white residents of Bermuda:

“This is a war and I have always looked upon it as such. I have trained for it and been a part of it even during the days when I used to write letters to the editor of the Royal Gazette where I faced hostile letter-writers… [I am] ready to react if something needs to be defended concerning the progressive forward movement of this country. As I have stated, this is a war, and I am in it for the long term.”

There is no doubt that for many years the struggle of Bermuda’s blacks was indeed a war. Battles were fought first against slavery and segregation, then for universal suffrage and political representation. The combatants grew up in a society which sought to persuade them that they were inferior; their struggle instilled in them a warrior’s code not unlike that of Bushido.

Clearly, racial discrimination still exists today. Economically, black Bermudians are still suffering too: the 2000 Census shows that they still earn less than white Bermudians in every occupational group. This is the legacy of the era of segregation, and it must be addressed.

But this is just a mopping-up operation. The war is over. The martial spirit of Mr. Williams and his band of brothers, which once served them well, is now as useless as the rusting ships and aircraft that still litter the Pacific. They are suffering from the Onoda Syndrome.

Numerous attempts were made to find Lt. Onoda and persuade him to return to Japan. Leaflets saying that the war had ended were dropped on his island, as were photographs and letters from home. Newspapers were left for him. Friends and relatives spoke to him over loudspeakers. Lt. Onoda found something suspicious in every approach, dismissing them all as Allied propaganda or a trick.

Similarly, Bermuda’s Onoda Syndrome sufferers still find racism in any comment from the white community. If necessary, they’ll read between the lines to winkle it out. Criticism of the PLP is dismissed as racially-motivated propaganda. Conciliatory gestures, by individuals or by the UBP, are dismissed as a trick.

Lt. Onoda believed that the Philippine villagers he encountered were enemy spies or troops in disguise, and fired on them. In his time on the Island he killed at least 30 Filipinos and wounded around 100 more.

Similarly, Mr. Williams uses his columns to snipe at Bermuda’s whites, making crude generalisations about “white thought” and suggesting that “[the white community’s] racism has prevented them from seeing [black people] as human beings on the same level as themselves.” He may not be killing anyone, but his comments are poisoning the well of trust that both races need to draw from.

Some of the Japanese holdouts knew that the war had ended, but were too afraid to give themselves up. They feared disgrace from their families or were unwilling to return to their American-occupied home.

Perhaps Bermuda’s Onoda Syndrome sufferers know that the war is over too, but having spent all their lives battling against racism, cannot bring themselves to believe that most whites now consider blacks to be their equals.

It’s a tragedy that one man wasted 29 years continuing to fight a war that had already been lost. But it’s an even greater tragedy that some Bermudians are wasting their lives fighting a war that has already been won.

Bermuda’s black and white communities must find a way to bring these old warriors down out of the hills, so that they can enjoy the spoils of their victory instead.

Comments

[ace on 16.05.05 at 16:09]

"So I can only assume that gombey is your real name. It fits."

No it doesn't.

Gumby would be more appropriate. :)

[desperado on 16.05.05 at 16:44]

"I would very much like to read this book. His life definitely sounds inspiring."

It was -- and continues to be thanks to his books. "Paradise Found, Almost" is a collection of essays, letters and musings written between the 1930s and 1990s, when he was a regular contributor to the Mid-Ocean News. His other book, "The Jackson Clan", is a history of one Bermudian family. Both volumes should be required reading for all Bermudians.

[Bill Cook on 16.05.05 at 17:28]

Thanks Desperado,

I was out in the garden enjoying the day, !!

Yes Paradise Found "ALMOST"

Not to be confused with Miltons Lost and found !

In reality Vernons book was partly a chronology of letters to the editor true, but more than that.

The intro by James Ziral hit the spot.

He held up a mirror to the face of an Island struggling to come to terms----- but with a quiet dignity and gentle wisdom ---

What Vernon did if you were white was to have you slip on a pair of black shoes in a way that you never knew he was doing it.

You never got the impression even for a loose moment that he hated you for being white or anything like that but was stunned by mans inhumanity to man and wanted in his own special way have you try to understand how it must have felt to be an intelligent sensitive human being who was coloured at that point in time in Bermudas history.

Sure as hell worked on me and I wrote to tell him so.

Would I have bought a used car from him or voted for him as a politician ? bet your God D-- A-- I would.

The book was published by Globe Press in 1994 and may be hard to come by.

Dale Butler never mentions it even tho I have told about it, I wonder why ?

My copy was given to me by Vernon with a special message and is treasured.

[ace on 16.05.05 at 17:32]

How does one get a copy of this book?

[Bill Cook on 16.05.05 at 17:47]

Ace,
It may be tough, but there are copies in the public library.

I often thought of suggesting to Vernons son Wayne to have a reprint and in hard back this time.

Apropo heritage month it was May 1993 that Vernon was asked by James Viral to write an article which led to MR Viral doing the foreward for Paradise.

[shipstones on 16.05.05 at 17:48]

"A history of inheritance and connections is a phenomenal advantage."

It truly is and all stems from slavery and racism!

So what do we do about it?

Lets start by someone naming one company that employs whites because they are white and not because they have a better resume.
Then lets discuss this with that company and see what we can do about the problem.

I personally will do that and report back to this forum what their answers are.
We can take it from there st what we do next.
I don't think we need to go to war, lets just confront the issue in a civilised manner with facts at our disposal and address specific issues.

Statistics can be read in amiriad of ways, but you cannot get away from the fact that blacks are worse off than whites and the reason is obvious.

But don't lets druel over this for the rest of our lives lets do something about it.

I see young blacks doing something about it in larger numbers, they are getting educated and focused on their future and seeing massive opportunities ahead.

There are black Bermuda capitalists, heart surgeons, developers, bankers etc.etc.

Blacks have one huge advantage now, they are the majority and quickly becoming the market for capitalists. Once there is more wealth and spending power with blacks the tipping point will be reached!

I don't think that will be as long as Onion and Guilden think. Young black people are not dumb! They will take advantage of this opportunity.
In the meantime the minority, albeit a big minority of black men will be publicised for gang violence and drug running because that is obvious and in your face. The subtle but fast moving changes are coming.

[Bill Cook on 16.05.05 at 18:01]

Sorry Viral was the editor of THE BERMUDIAN MAGAZINE.

[Raptor on 16.05.05 at 18:20]

Another reader of "Paradise Found: Almost" by Vernon Jackson. I wrote to him too. What great character, a special individual.

[Getaclue on 17.05.05 at 07:27]

"Let me preface my comments by noting your addiction of cut and paste when referring to other posts.

In my opinion there are at least 2 reasons for that, the first reflecting unimaginative intellectual sloth, the other a rather cowardly sneaky habit of cherry picking items that suit your argument and often perfert the message in its entirety, a fairly common occurrence on some international debates I contribute to."

Bill, my addiction to cutting and pasting from previous posts is to assist in pointing out who and exactly what I am replying to. Why must you resort to personal insults like "intellectual sloth" instead of attempting to answer the questions I've presented to you?

"I am not saying you are being deliberately disengenous in stating that you feel the way you do and you have every right to express yourself anonymously as do others on this forum, but I can honestly say that the advantage of being white is today and even in my day blown out of proportion."

Quoting population statistics, who runs the Government and pointing to a few blacks in senior business positions, as a reason not to use a pseudonym is quite disappointing. Blacks have long been a numerical majority in this country, but that did not stop segregation and other forms of discrimination. I'm sure you understand this. What would it matter then if the Government, police and judiciary, are overwhelmingly black if they are not the ones who overwhelmingly run this economy? Statistically, management/owners/employers are overwhelmingly white, and those who take exception to views like mine would likely be a barrier to my success in the work force. People who think like you would not face the same challenges because people with views like mine do not run the economy (and it hardly matters anyway when you run your own business). It is common knowledge that blacks do not lead the economy, and where they differ from those in power over any issue, it makes sense to use a pseudonym.

Do you think it is any coincidence that most succesful blacks on the island are either a-political or are UBP supporters? Do you think that Freedie Yearwood or John Swan would have(had) any difficulty if they publicly announced support for the PLP? Be honest, Bill. Do you think (even today) the most talented black college graduate with no shortage of credentials and experience would at all be stymied by challenging the views of the UBP or any organisation representing the economic status quo? Of course it would - we all know that it would be career suicide. So please respect my need for a pseudonym.

We all know that the reigns of power in this country are not held by the original settlers, but I'm sure you know that we are not talking about original settlers when discussing racial economic advantage in recent history(so why raise that point?). It is time that you and others acknowledge that blacks were systemically handicapped right through the 80's. If racial advantage is a myth as you suggest, then why would the UBP create CURE in the 1990's?

I've asked you repeatedly, and I'll comment no more. What happens/happened to medicore white Bermudians? I've asked you about advantages of inheriting or being connected to wealth? I've challenged the value of salary statistics in discussing real wealth. I've asked you to explain why we rarely/never see a white postman, garbageman, etc. Let's deal with this point that you are dodging over and over again - where are the mediocre white people, and why don't we see these low-achievers holding low income jobs? Yes Bermuda has come a long way since the 1950's, but your claim that racial advantage is a myth goes several steps too far.

[Raptor on 17.05.05 at 09:16]

Onion: What is Bryant Trew's website address?

[Onion on 17.05.05 at 09:30]

Raptor, I think he used to have a website called bermudaonion.com.

I do not know if it is still up and running.

I guess gombey thought the name "onion" must've been trademarked by him!

[Bill Cook on 17.05.05 at 10:49]

In my opinion the people who control the economy are the people who have the purchasing power.

The people who have the purchasing power are in the main not white numerically.

When the CO OP was started it failed not because it was prevented or stymied but because it was not supported by blacks well enough to succeed.

The theatre boycott succeded for mostly economic reasons.

If blacks have the purchasing power the government and civil service plus all others I have outlined I cant agree with your reasoning.

The reason that whites have not been so much in mediocre jobs per se' is the normal process of things.
As ones socia economic advantages improve they gravitate to higher paying easier jobs.

This results in the importation of foreign workers to fill those essential but less pleasant jobs.

Many of these workers are in the employ of affluent blacks.

Whites of portuguese extraction have been employed in the most menial jobs shunned by blacks.

Bank tellers were white a low paying job.

The best street cleaner was / is white

For a variety of reasons blacks have increasingly become upwardly mobile.

If you feel that there is an area of an inner sanctom of white control that really calls the shots come up front using you alias as protection and inform us all, as to date you have not been specific which makes your claims meaningless in my opinion.

CURE did little to assist Dr Sean O' Connell a white former Jesuit Priest who lectured at the College, when the word of a liar and cheat was all that was needed to have him fired after 30 yrs of good service.

Did that apparent injustice bother you or do you practice selective morality?

[Raptor on 17.05.05 at 11:32]

Onion: Thanks for the Bermudaonion.com site address. However, it's all about groceries now! I'll look out for Bryant Trew at the Bermuda Sun. Thanks.

[Getaclue on 17.05.05 at 21:10]

"In my opinion the people who control the economy are the people who have the purchasing power.

The people who have the purchasing power are in the main not white numerically."

Now you're making me wince. No job means no purchasing power. Bill, I'm sure you have far greater intentions than most people, but the things you are throwing out tell me that you are not being genuine. So I bid you adieu.

[Guilden M. Gilbert, Jr. on 17.05.05 at 21:28]

Bill,

"Whites of portuguese extraction have been employed in the most menial jobs shunned by blacks."

You sound like Mexican President Vicente Fox. Are blacks only supposed to be in menial jobs and they don't want them so they were given to the Portuguese?

Please be a little more selective in your choice of words. In reading your posts I very much doubt you meant anything derogatory by this comment but perception is reality, especially on this site.

[CANUCK on 17.05.05 at 21:30]

I find Bill's comments the only voice of reason on this blog.In Canada,the PLP and it's race prophets would be charged with hate crimes,not to mention the brutal attacks on female visitors.

the case of Dr Sean O' Connell a white former Jesuit Priest who lectured at the College,is a shamefull and despicable example of the moral decline of Bermuda politics.

[Silent Majority on 17.05.05 at 23:27]

Onion,

Interested in your comments dispelling a link between educational achievement and net worth.

Does this comment pertain only to high schools or does it also scale to undergrad and higher educational levels? Any idea of the agregate numbers of whites/blacks with university degrees, especially in the professional fields? It seems astonishing that firms would turn away bright talent due to the color of their skin or political affiliation, especially in the last 15 years given how competive business has become.

Interested in stats etc that would back verify this, very compelling statement.

[Getaclue on 18.05.05 at 07:51]

"I find Bill's comments the only voice of reason on this blog.In Canada,the PLP and it's race prophets would be charged with hate crimes,not to mention the brutal attacks on female visitors.

the case of Dr Sean O' Connell a white former Jesuit Priest who lectured at the College,is a shamefull and despicable example of the moral decline of Bermuda politics."

Onanda Syndrome comes in many different forms. You have some blacks who see racism in everything, and you have some whites who only believe racism exists when they perceive themselves to have been the victim of it. For them there is only racism against whites, not against blacks (eg. brutal attacks on female visitors is racism because they are white visitors).

Bill is saying that the people who control the economy are the people who have purchasing power, and further claims that numerically whites do not have the most purchasing power. This "voice of reason" deliberately fails to compare the wealth held by each groups over and over. Ten people with $10 do not have the same real power as one person with $100. A child can understand this, so why can't Bill figure out that real power is based on real wealth? Getting ten people to agree on how to spend $10 in unison is not even remotely comparable to the single person who can arbitrarily decide how to spend their $100. To add further insult to injury, we have the Vincente Fox comment along with contined conspiracy claims about Dr. Sean O'Connell. O'Connell was fired by the Head of the Bermuda College WHO IS WHITE. He was not fired by the Bermuda Government. Ahad having false credentials does not prove that O'Connell did not say what has been claimed and witnessed by the other WHITE people in the room. Those people who continually omit the fact that he was fired by a white man give people like Alvin Williams plenty of reason to still believe this is a war. Race prophets? Selective morality? What planet are you two from?

[big bad wolf on 18.05.05 at 08:03]

What Happens to mediocre white people in the Bermuda economy? They rent cycles, they work in Construction,They pain houses,They drive taxis,They are truck drivers,They do ordinary jobs just like any other group that you class mediocre. Still in these economic areas there are people that prosper both white and black because they give their best to their jobs and bring a passion and an excellece to what they do.These types of people thrive at their work no matter what they do and are worth their weight in gold and build on thier skill set even if it seems to be a limiting job.Infact the money that they earn would make some people jobs in the white collar sector seem mediocre. Working ^..^

[Bill Cook on 18.05.05 at 08:29]

Since when has CURE meant only dealing with black v/s white or vice versa?

The fact of the matter is that Dr Sean O'Connell was fired without a proper hearing on a charge brought by a discredited source.

Telling me or anyone else that he was fired by a white person has nothing to do with justice,what a ridiculous racist statement to make.

If you think that having the overwhelming purchasing power in the country does not empower you perhaps you need a course in economics.

I am requested to give examples of whites in menial tasls and as soon as I do I am accused of being like Fox, I never said or implied that blacks were only capable of because of pointing out that Portuguese whites who are of course WHITE have always worked these areas, they were not allowed to be postmen etc.

Wolf summed up several areas that make plain good sense.

In the final analysis you will beleive what ever makes you feel most comfortable regardless what anyone says and for me thats it folks, I am smart enough hopefully not to use my spurs on a wooden horse.

[othello on 18.05.05 at 08:51]

why is it that whenever we discuss "Racism" on this notice board, everyone automatically assumes that racism is whites against blacks? Surely there's a reverse???

[big bad wolf on 18.05.05 at 09:54]

Yes racism is a two way street and in some countries its a SUPER HIGHWAY.Wish we could really progress to OUR Bermuda,where people shed their colour glasses and start examing character and integrity on an individual bases.The rest is really a word circus. ^..^

[Onion on 18.05.05 at 10:31]

Silent majority,

You said,

"Interested in your comments dispelling a link between educational achievement and net worth."

I had said,

"The idea that economic diparities have a direct correlation with educational disparities is not accurate. Let's compares apples with apples."

I never dispelled the link. I am just saying the two have not necessarily gone hand in hand.

You said:

"It seems astonishing that firms would turn away bright talent due to the color of their skin or political affiliation, especially in the last 15 years given how competive business has become.

Interested in stats etc that would back verify this, very compelling statement".

This is/was Bermuda's segregated history. You need stats to verify this? You need stats to verify that blacks, no matter what their level of education during segregation,could not even get a job selling stamps at the post office?

I gave you examples of what the banks executive racial make up was until the last 15 years. I gave you examples of how many black partners there have been in the top 2 law firms. If you want further details of education vs job positions I am sure can collect them at the government dept of statistics.

The point was that there were highly educated black Bermudians coming out of segregation that were not allowed the same level of job opportunities throughout our history. It was segregation not just education that had been the obstacle. In todays world the dynamics have changed and I cannot measure to what extent race or culture still plays a part in denying persons job opportunities.

[shipstones on 18.05.05 at 10:34]

"It seems astonishing that firms would turn away bright talent due to the color of their skin or political affiliation, especially in the last 15 years given how competive business has become."

It seems astonishing to me too, having recruited professional accountants. Very few black males ever applied in the last tweny five years as I remember. The ones that did had either no qualification or false qualification! I hired almost all of the black female accountants that applied and they worked out very well. No surprise in that!

Therefore I ask those that believe firms are choosing based upon race to give just one example and I will find out why this is. I believe I have sufficient credibility with these companies to at least get a chance to ask the right questions. What the answer will be, we will have to wait and find out.

Lets stop beating around the bushes and move forward.

By the way I believe the most contentious words that the good Jesuit Priest used were "grease monkey".

Grease Monkey International - 10 Minute Lube & Oil Pros
Grease Monkey International offers you the best in oil and lubrication work for
you car or truck.
www.greasemonkey.nv.switchboard.com/

We better put these people out of business!

How can you get a racist connotation out of this term?

[shipstones on 18.05.05 at 10:37]

"In todays world the dynamics have changed and I cannot measure to what extent race or culture still plays a part in denying persons job opportunities."

Exactly the point Onion. Lets stay in the present and look to the future. I believe it is astonishing if companies in todays environment choose on race!

[Onion on 18.05.05 at 10:55]

Canuck writes;

"I find Bill's comments the only voice of reason on this blog.In Canada,the PLP and it's race prophets would be charged with hate crimes,not to mention the brutal attacks on female visitors.

the case of Dr Sean O' Connell a white former Jesuit Priest who lectured at the College,is a shamefull and despicable example of the moral decline of Bermuda politics."

Canuck, you sound like a disgruntled Canadian that just didn't have a good time in Bermuda. That sucks ay?

Well guess what, I too lived in your country. And since we are talking about Colleges and professors, does the name Dr. Philip Rushton mean anything to you? He's the professor that was allowed to teach at a well respected Canadian university who's theory was that blacks are genetically and intellectually inferior and that one's organ's size was inversely proportional to one's intellect. Yes, that was his theory!! Despite massive protests on campus he was still allowed to teach there.

So shall I now decry the Canadian government for having suffered a "moral decline" as you put it?

What about all the native Canadians who had their land stolen from them? What about the native Canadians that were shot dead by the Mounties in the stand off in Quebec in the early 1990s? What about the outstanding cases of police shooting dead black suspects in Toronto for no good cause? What about the shabby treatment many Bermudians have received at the hands of Canadian immigration on their way to university over the years? Shall I decry the moral decline of all Canadians now?

I lived in your country. I loved Canada. But don't talk to me about moral decline. Canada is far from squeeky clean. When I hear Canadians talking to me about "hate crimes" in Bermuda or how terrible we are b/c of the Rebecca Middleton case (which I agree was an awful awful crime and no-one was brought to justice)I have to smile because it is like they develop amnesia. Do no injustices occur in Canada? Please, get a life. The very fact that you can live there today is only because some poor native Canadians were robbed of their land.

[Onion on 18.05.05 at 11:35]

Canuck, here's a little Canadian reading for you.

This guy is allowed to teach in YOUR COUNTRY. Notwithstanding the fact that he conducts studies not unlike Nazis did in WW2 he's ok to teach in Canada.

Who is Jean Philippe Rushton?
July 2003

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

Philippe Rushton, Phillipe Rushton, Philip Rushton, Charles Darwin Research Institute, Origins of Humans, Race, Evolution, and Behavior: A Life History Perspective, race, genetics

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

Anyone who is familiar with the works of Steve Sailer knows his obsession with race and genetics. Being a eloquent writer rather than a scientific researcher, Steve has been known to derive much of his research on the ideology of a so-called race researcher named Jean Philippe Rushton

Who is this Philippe Rushton whom Steve primarily bases his racial research? Philippe Rushton is a professor in psychology of the University of Western Ontario in Canada. After receiving a large research award from the racist and pro-facist Pioneer Fund in 1981, the research area which would boost his fame up to the next decade was the controversial subject of genetic differences in racial groups.

Rushton's early experiences of racial criticism and political correctness was from a paper presented at the Symposium on Evolutionary Theory, Economics, and Political Science on 1989. He classified all human beings somewhere among the three major racial groups: Black (Negroid), White (Caucasoid), Asian (Mongoloid). He claimed to have scientific evidence of an inherited link between brain size, intelligence and race, where Blacks and Asians are on opposite ends and Whites are in between.

Blacks, according to Rushton, have larger genitals, making them more promiscuous, and smaller brains, making them less intelligent than whites and Asians. Using 60 different measures, Rushton ranks the races along an evolutionary scale with blacks at the bottom and Asians at the top. [1]
Rushton then continued his controversial research on race for the next several years, writing a few books on race as well. His only significant source of funding for his racist research was the pro-fascist Pioneer Fund, since no other credible organization would waste their time and money on his racist and flawed research project. His relationship with the general public, the academic world, and the scientific community has indeed been treacherous.
Among his academic colleagues at the university of Ontario, Rushton has endured much flack. Then Prime Minister of Ontario, David Peterson, declared Rushton's arguments 'offensive to the way Ontario thinks', and called for the University to dismiss him; a group of students lodged a complaint about him with the Ontario Human Rights Commission. He was not fired nor suspended, but when he tried to give classes, the students themselves howled him down. Poor Rushton was forced to lecture to the television cameras, safe from the howling mob (Berton, 1993). [2]

Even the Canadian police found interest in Rushton's works. Rushton was investigated several times by the Canadian police for possible violations of Canada's hate crime laws, for promoting hatred against any identifiable group. Eventually, in the words of attorney-general Ian Scott, the police decided that Rushton's theories were 'loony but not criminal' and therefore dropped all criminal charges. [3]

Some claim these incidents show Rushton was unfairly hounded by a zealous left-wing faction, although the Canadian police has no political opinion as a group. The other criticisms against Rushton came from high-level members of the University of Ontario and the Prime Minister of Ontario, not special left-wing interest groups. Even from an objective, scientific, and non-political perspective of Rushton's works, many reputable scientists have found numerous flaws in Rushton's theory of race.

Loyola Marymount (Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts)
Extensive critique showing the flaws of Rushton's research on race, based from a scientific perspective.
Ohio Citizens for Science
"Would teachers be required to tell their students about J Phillippe Rushton's "scientific" views on the inferiority of Africans? Notice that, although promoters claim the work is scientific and even claim that it forms part of the evolutionary corpus, they publish in books, not peer-reviewed journals --just like Intelligent Design "theorists." "

http://www.sntp.net/eugenics/genetics_1.htm
"In 1989 Rushton’s colleagues in the Behavior genetics Association (BGA) protested his views. Five key officers of the BGA circulated a letter dated February 17 to the membership, calling Rushton’s work "insensitive," "repugnant," and "dubious scientifically." "

http://radio.cbc.ca/programs/quirks/archives/95-96/feb1796.htm
Feb. 1996 - "University of Western Ontario Professor Rushton appeared at the Poster Session of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Meeting in Baltimore to present his race science and was confronted by protesters. The AAAS claims he slipped into the session because his name wasn't recognized and he didn't use the word "race" in his abstract. They say had it been known he was coming, they might well have denied him permission to present. Dr Joseph Graves, who ran another session at the AAAS on "Psuedoscience and the Education of African American Students," attacks Rushton's work."

http://prague.tv/pill/article.php?name=bachelor-of-science
"Rushton is the most dubious of Bakalár’s sources; he has been criticized repeatedly for misrepresenting data and selectively citing and misinterpreting sources. This is significant in terms of Bakalár’s book, which relies heavily on Rushton’s ideas and research, most notably his study, "The IQ of Gypsies in Central Europe." Interestingly, neither Rushton nor Bakalár carried out any primary research or fieldwork, but based their scientific claims on the papers of other researchers."

Rushton became an outcast from the reputable scientific community. After seeing his scientific career spiral downhill since the 1990s, Rushton was dealt some final blows to seal his fate. His reputation was so lowly he was booed off the unreputable Geraldo Rivera stage set. The only major supporters of the racial ideology of this failed scientist remaining into the 21st century are David Duke, former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan who lost the Louisiana governor's race over a decade ago, and today a worldwide spokesman for the white supremacy movement, and Steve Sailer to whom this site is dedicated. [4]

[Darkandstormy on 18.05.05 at 11:57]

"The very fact that you can live there today is only because some poor native Canadians were robbed of their land."

In much the same way as, say, the ancestors of today's Zulus conquered and dispossesed the Bantu-speaking peoples of southern Africa. Wars of imperial conquest are certainly not a European invention. For you to engage in such waspish (so to speak) cultural one-upmanship hardly adds any credence to your supposed case. You're bright. You have facts at your disposal. Use them. Don't get caught up in the name-calling and finger-pointing that so often breaks out here.

[denning on 18.05.05 at 12:15]

Onion, I'm proud to say that I was in that howling mob that shouted Rushton down at Western. Rushton's so-called "research" was thoroughly discredited, as you've highlighted, but the debate at Western raged on because while virtually everyone was prepared to dismiss what he was saying, few of us could take the view that he should be prevented from saying it. The debate became one not about race, but about academic freedom. Should researchers, academics, philosophers, scientists and thinkers be prevented from exploring an area or expressing an idea, out of fear that they will no longer be permitted to teach? In Rushton's case, it was an awfully close call. I'm still conflicted on the point to this day. But when you say that "This guy is allowed to teach in YOUR COUNTRY. Notwithstanding the fact that he conducts studies not unlike Nazis did in WW2 he's ok to teach in Canada" please know that it was not because most Canadians valued his ridiculous and racist theories. It was because most Canadians felt compelled to accept (grudgingly) the principle of academic freedom.

Your larger point is entirely valid: racism exists everywhere, no place is 'clean', even Canada, eh?

[Silent Majority on 18.05.05 at 13:07]

Onion,

Agree with the segregation issue, that is indisputable.

The original intent of this thread as I understood it was that although racism does still exist in individuals (both black and white it should be noted), systemic racism is very rare, yet many black leaders, such as Alvin W dispute this. They seem to mistrust all whites and believe that whites have natural prejuidces against blacks.

Current business status quo is very competitive---and I don't know of any firm that would turn down qualified talent because of nationality or race, others on this forum seem to agree.

What is your personal take on this? Do you believe that systemic racism still exists?

[Onion on 18.05.05 at 14:02]

Dark n' Stormy, I was merely responding to Canuck's comment that the PLP has race hate prophets hate and that Bermuda was in moral decline. My point is that no-one, not Bermuda, not Canada, has clean hands. I am not trying to get one up on anyone.

Denning,

I agree with you about not all Canadians supporting Rushton. And in the same way persons should not assume that all blacks, or all PLP supporters were in favour of this Bermuda college lecturer being dismissed, as is being alleged by Canuck. I surely was not.

(Go Mustangs)

Silent Majority,

What is my take on the current level of discrimination? As I said, the dynamics are changing from before and it is hard to say what extent race still plays. There are blacks getting ahead in the corporate world. But some still complain aboiut a cultural bias in hiring practices. People just like to gravitate to what they know.

[Desperado on 18.05.05 at 14:16]

"But some still complain about a cultural bias in hiring practices. People just like to gravitate to what they know."

You are absolutely spot on here, Onion.

Black and white Bermudians alike run into a cultural glass ceiling when it comes to advancement in an economy increasingly dominated by the off-shore financial services industry.

It is, of course, a sector dominated by Americans, Britons and Canadians and, as you say, people gravitate towards what they know. What the Big Chiefs of these firms know are their compatriots from London, New York and Toronto. Bermudians, by and large, get hind tit from many of these firms regardless of their race, educational qualifications and overseas experience. It's a growing problem -- and one that is going to get increasingly worse as the tourism economy continues to contract.

[Getaclue on 18.05.05 at 20:39]

"The fact of the matter is that Dr Sean O'Connell was fired without a proper hearing on a charge brought by a discredited source.

Telling me or anyone else that he was fired by a white person has nothing to do with justice,what a ridiculous racist statement to make."

The issue you made as per, "CURE did little to assist Dr Sean O' Connell a white former Jesuit Priest who lectured at the College, when the word of a liar and cheat was all that was needed to have him fired after 30 yrs of good service," was about his firing - not about whether or not his demand for a trial has been answered in due time. Dr. O'Connell was fired by his employer, just like any one us could be for misconduct. Anyone can dispute a firing and sue for wrongful dismissal. Whatever it was that he allegedly said was witnessed by two other professors. Those two other professors were white, and the source was discredited AFTER he was fired, AFTER the case was reviewed by the college head. The fact of the matter is that the word of a liar and a cheat was not all that was needed to fire O'Connell. Further, CURE could not do anything about the firing as Ahad's credentials were discovered after the fact and for the most part are a completely separate issue from the firing of O'Connell. The implied allegation that CURE does not stand up for whites is complete baloney, as is the idea that he was fired only on the word of a fraud.

"If you think that having the overwhelming purchasing power in the country does not empower you perhaps you need a course in economics."

Bill, your claim that blacks have had the overwhelming purchasing power in this contry is absolute nonesense, just like your obtuse use of population statistics. Purchasing power is not determined by the number of purchasers, it is determined by the amount of actionable wealth that individuals possess. If you are going to claim that two people with $25 have the same real power as a single person with $50, then your belief that racial advantage is a myth has proven to have few bounds.

You Sir, are entirely ill-equipped to discuss this subject in a rational and honest fashion. I therefore choose not to waste any more of my time.

[shipstones on 18.05.05 at 21:27]

Desperado,
Name the4 copany/ies that this happens and i will check out your claims if you have knowledge of such discrimination. I don't ask that you "out" the Bermudians that are discriminated against.
Lets confront this issue head on! Rather than statistics and anecdotal moaning!

[Bill Cook on 23.05.05 at 20:08]

Getaclue,
(sometime soon hopefully)

Just had a chance to put together some figures from the 2000 census.

The combined incomes from ALL households was app $504,000,000.

Breaks down to whites $192,000,000

Non whites $312,000,000.

Its difficult to be completely accurate to the cent..

All you need to do now is go to the chamber of commerce and see how the spending goes, and see how much is spent.

IE if there is more than the listed total or if in fact it relates fairly accurately to the above figures.

The market place would be wise to cater to those who spend the most.

[Simpleton on 24.05.05 at 12:08]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't any discussion about purchasing power have to track disposable income? If the census only tracks household income by way of salary, then the data Bill just used would be worthless in determining real purchasing power, wouldn't it? And what about retired people who no longer collect a salary, or people who live off of investments in companies, real estate, etcetera? The Census wouldn't capture that data. Based on Bill's line of thinking they have no real power, because they have no current income to purchase goods.

Everyone knows that power is really about the concentration of wealth into fewer hands, anyway. I totally fail to see how this census information demonstrates economic equality and real power/control in society. The people who control the means of production run the society. The only exception to the rule is communism, but even that shows that the concentration of political power through military control is the dominant factor.

Bill, are you suggesting that blacks exercise real control over Bermuda by choosing what stores they buy from? Assuming it was possible to get all individuals to work together, if all the blacks decided to stop buying from certain stores, would that really have a dramatic impact on social change? What stores would you say they could boycott to exercise control? Pardon the simple questions, but what you are saying sounds ridiculous, and I just want to understand where you are coming from.

[Bill Cook on 24.05.05 at 12:51]

Simpleton,

Simple questions are the best questions in my opinion.

That I can not give equally simple answers is my shortcoming.

Let me steal or borrow really a quote from John Maynard Keynes the godfather of economics some say.

"The ideas of economists and political philosophers, both when they are right and when they are wrong are more powerful than is commonly understood. Indeed the world is ruled by little else. Practical men, who beleive themselves to be quite exempt from any intellectual influences, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist. Madmen in authority, who hear voices in the air, are distilling their frenzy from some academic scribbler of a few years back .... soon or late, it is ideas, not VESTED INTERESTS, which are dangerous for good or evil "

Wall street tells us that the consumer drives the economy, and lack of consumer confidence causes the collapse of the economy.

What we need to know is how much money is actually spent in Bermuda outside government spending, and then finding out who these people are and once you have ascertained that I think you will see the potential power of those people.

[Simpleton on 24.05.05 at 13:38]

No offence meant, but quoting Keyenes does not demonstrate your point. Wallstreet depends on consumers to sustain and grow the economy - that is the extent of the relationship. It's not the guy who buys a burger from Mc.Donalds who wields real power. It's the Wall Street guy in the pinstripe suit who owns a chain of McDonald's franchises.

Even looking at consumption patterns as you now suggest won't tell us much about real equality and institutionalized racism. I honestly don't see how you can say that current salary incomes show that discrimination or racial advantage is a myth. If money equals power, then wouldn't you agree that disposable income and total assets are far better indicators than salaries?

Hey! You never answered my boycotting question.

PS: Ideas take money to finance them.

[Bill Cook on 24.05.05 at 14:06]

If Joe Brown had a likker store and no one bought his likker how long would he make money selling likker?

If Tom Smith had a tobacca shop and no one bought tobacca from him how long would he remain profitable in his business.

I think you greatly underestimate the power of the purse but I have enough lasers trained on my back with some of my power to the people theories,to be silly enough to advise on boycotting anytime soon !!
But remember while I am no Karl Marx he was in my opinion responsible for the eventual sharing of wealth of the boom era that basically ended any chance of the success of communism

[Terry on 24.05.05 at 15:59]

If we don't buy McDonalds, then Mr. Wall Street, in his pinstipes will have nothing from that venture. He may be in the mood to by some more stripes, mabe Burger King but all that stock will be/is taken. Have a good 24th.

Terry.

[Simpleton on 24.05.05 at 19:32]

But Mr. Wall Street probably already has enough saved up that it really doesn't matter if people boycott his business unless it is forever, or until the business is insolvent. Isn't that how people in power operate? Chances are he has set his company up as a limited liability, so the only real power you have is if he actually needs McDonald's to provide him with additional income. If he has enough cash to outlast the boycott, then he is fine. If he doesn't, then he closes up shop and invests his protected wealth in goods that the boycotter's can't do without. And even then, someone has to provide that service.

Are you suggesting that the real power of blacks somehow lies in their ability to boycott white businesses out of existence, and then somehow have enough cash to provide that service for themselves? Who is going to come forward and organise such a boycott? Bill doesn't even have the guts to name a company that blacks could boycott to bring about change. He's too frightened to even name a company, but still maintains that real power exists at the purchaser level. This is just getting sillier and sillier. You guys know this purchaser power argument is very unrealistic if not pure fantasy.

*Just my opinion*

[Bill Cook on 24.05.05 at 21:15]

Simpleton,

Unless that is your name like Madonna or Cher,
in which case its remarkably appropriate,on the other hand ifs not you are a fine one to question my Cajones.

No I would not need to boycott any business in Bermuda as I never feared competition.

I started up worked harder and smarter and beat the competition.

In the final analysis education which will elevate ability and those who will be the smartest will control the power in the brave new world.

Just my opinion.

[Simpleton on 25.05.05 at 07:36]

Bill,

You do realise that you've failed to back up and support or have contradicted just about everything you've said in this discussion, don't you? To now say that those who are the smartest will control the power in the brave new world is the very height of naivete and ignorance! How then do you explain those who control power now? Is it just that they were the smartest? Are you proposing that society is the way it is due to some survival of the fittest? This sounds all too Darwinian to me. It's almost like saying that blacks haven't achieved greater equality because they aren't smart enough, while completely dismissing that we lived/live in a society that has tried to slow down the wheels of equality.

History has proven that for minorities, working harder and smarter does not always beat the competetion. Didn't the UBP have an MP who was a cinema boycotter, but he had to keep it secret? What do you make of that, Bill? Was he not smart enough, or was his silence necessary? What you are saying is depressing. I thought Bermudians were far more enlightended than this! It's 2005, for Pete's sake!

Now I'm sorry I ever responded to this thread :-(

[Bill Cook on 25.05.05 at 08:40]

Simpleton,

Nothing is as consistent as change.

Those who are unable or unwilling to change will be left behind.

The Bermuda of the past is markedly different from how it is today, relative to opportunities etc.

I see the future as one where the playing field is more level and this will see those with the ability rewarded with success in line with their effort.

My advice which I give to every young Bermudian I have interacted with was to prepare yourselves to take advantage of opportunity.

The choice is yours scream at the darkness or light a candle.

[Terry on 25.05.05 at 09:24]

Simpleton,

YOU brought up RACE again. It was not me. People in Striped Suits come in all colours. I was talking about PEOPLE, you know, Human Beings.
I have nothing else too say. Next time Bermuda has a crisis, which I am sure they will, which set of clothes will You be running too for help if you need it, or will You choose which set of clothes to help.

I going outside now and say a prayer. Even though it raining here, and overcast my voice will get through.

Enough.

Terry.

[Simpleton on 25.05.05 at 19:13]

Terry,

One of us is metaphorically-challenged. All I'm proposing is that boycotting a store is no where as powerful as Bill suggests, because wealthy people can sustain a downturn in profits. It's quite simple, really. The whole idea that blacks are more powerful than whites because they collect more income as a group is utter drivel. All that reading was a waste of my time!

[Terry on 25.05.05 at 20:35]

I said my prayer, and you responded. Challenged?
Don't waste anymore time. You seem to have a lot of it, also very opinionated. Leave race out of it. Were dealing with people.

Terry.

[Simpleton on 26.05.05 at 07:10]

Very opinionated? How am I more opinionated than anyone else commenting here? If we are discussing a topic, then aren't we supposed to be exchanging opinions? The the thread is about race? Why are you telling me to leave race out of a thread that is about race? Nevermind, this is pointless. Let's all just go back to our own basecamps and hardened points of view.

[Raptor on 20.06.05 at 15:40]

A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING: Sorry to go back to Alvin Williams again, but his latest irresponsible Mid Ocean column seems worse than usual. Yes, Alvin wants independence, but how about letting the voters making that decision based on a careful exploration of some fairly sophisticated facts and consideration of the opportunities available? Let’s not cut off our noses to spite our faces by giving up the good things so we can have a new flag, a new song…. Life is full of trade-offs; maximize advantages and opportunities.

As for the rest of his column and his strong positive impression of some pretty sick books, I find it very disturbing. This stuff is hatemongering. My experience in the world has been that there are good people and bad people and people in between—with no relation to skin colour. Alvin presents anti-white invective. Why? He conveniently writes off highly regarded Black scholars of African-American history as “conservative” to suit his own personal views. To suggest Gates at Harvard is there and cowed by Jewish support is laughable in the extreme. Alvin claims a “free black mind,” but such a mind is only free if exposed to good solid inquiring scholarship, not what is willfully distorted by others or himself. If Alvin’s definition of a “free black mind” is the freedom to believe anything he reads or wishes were true, he is, rather, a slave—a slave to manipulation, hate, and immorality.

Here is Gates’ comment on The Secret Relationship Between Blacks and Jews (put out by the Nation of Islam): a book that “unfortunately, is likely to impress lay persons who aren’t familiar with the relevant historiography.” The scholar Eugene D. Genovese writes: “the absurdity of [this book’s] pretensions to scholarship are outweighed only by its sheer viciousness…a transparent attempt to foment anti-Semitism, irrationality, and hatred, and to subvert intellectual discourse and common decency…” C. Vann Woodward points out that the book “leaves out the involvement in the slave trade of black and white Muslims,” which was significant. Prof. Brackman, Afr-Am history at UCLA, sees the book as an attempt at “reflecting blame away from Muslim nations,” where slavery had continued to be legal in some of their countries until very recent times.

The Iceman Inheritance is more outright racist garbage. The author actually “acknowledges his limitations of scholarship”! It’s a handy book for buttressing racist beliefs, based on myth, unsupportable biology, and the dismissing of scholarship that doesn’t fit the bill. The Isis Papers talks about “albino mutants.” Please! This stuff is vile. Black children don't need their minds filled with this junk, there is so much out there that is true, that reveals the richness of their heritage, their strengths, their goodness.

The academic world does argue, Alvin, but they argue based on good scholarship, and none of these texts meets that standard. I guess you can keep going in your column with this trash as you want--continue to distort, throw out gross racist untruths tied in to some truths to suggest credibility, or use authors who have done the same. Give us something better!

I don’t come across people/whites who deny the horrors of the racist past, or the racism that still exists today. But to try to lay these irresponsible books on top of what most of us are all honestly trying to change is evil intent.

Violence exists in all cultures. It is not the province only of whites. Why not write about trying to garner more support for those suffering still in Rwanda? Or what about the huge tragedy--genocide--in Darfur? Or how about last week’s NYTimes article about Mugabe’s “cleanup” campaign? He uses a Shona word meaning to “drive out the rubbish,” and that refers to 1.5 million of his very poorest citizens who live in shanties. Their homes destroyed, they are driven out to the countryside where they face even greater poverty, greater hunger, and jobs are nonexistent. I suppose you will blame it all on "albino mutants."

Alvin, if you’re not part of the struggle for the future, not helping us go forward, you truly are stuck in the Onoda Syndrome. A sorry place to be in this day and age. This junk is not a source for pride in being Black; it is not what will get a young Black male off the wall on his way to a productive, fulfilling life. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and I don't think you know the difference.

[on 22.08.05 at 08:00]

Whites make more than blacks in almost every area. What more proof of racism does one need. I talked before about whites having the better end of the bed made by their forefathers and this seems like a good example of what I was saying. On another note when I see a group of white men I don't think omg I should run they're gonna enslave me and send me to some remote part of england. Hoever when a whiteman see's a group of black males does he think omg they're gonna want to get even? I don't know.

Equal rights and justice people, how bout it?

Lets hear from those whites who are ready to take cut-backs to ensure equal pay lmao yeah right...