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The Past 100 Years

A lot has been said about our progress over the past 100 years. And though this article may seem to state the obvious, it’s good to have a recap. Progress has come in two forms: social and economic. Since much of social has been fueled by economic, let’s start there.

Economic

Economist, Robert J. Gordon, says that before the Civil War (1860s) the average American home was completely isolated. But by 1940, it was connected in five ways:

electricity
gas for heat
running water
waste disposal (sewage)
telephone

Before electricity, food was cooked on a coal or wood stove. There were no refrigerators, washing machines, or dryers (so groceries were bought often and laundry took forever), and air conditioning was out of the question. Not to mention electric light, electric fans, or anything else we plug in.

Before hot water tanks and gas furnaces, buildings were heated by coal or wood stoves. Running water saved the hours of lugging it from river or well. Indoor plumbing was not only more convenient than shuffling to the outhouse, it saved us from waterborne diseases (like cholera). And telephone allowed people to speak with someone not in the same room.

The internal combustion engine along with cross-country highway systems got vehicles on the road and air travel, radio, and television really made things cook. Why? Because feeding all those horses took one sixth of all agricultural output and they left residue on the street (which stunk). Air travel allowed us to move faster than by ship or rail, and radio plus TV were remarkable means to educate and entertain.

These advancements affected more than personal convenience, they greatly enhanced economic productivity. For example, hand tools to power tools—can you imagine? Equipped with electricity and the motor, industry could now pump it out. So rather than making your own clothes, one could buy them. And instead of employing 50% in farming, we freed up many to create new industries.

Social

As living standards increased, we started to feel better about ourselves. Much of which led to social change. Here are the major steps:

mass education
freedom from strict religion
the women’s movement
birth control, divorce, daycare, and retirement
gay rights
combating racism
health care
democracy, communism, and the (hopeful) end of imperialism
society’s focus on children

The industrial revolution (early 1900s) forced society into mass education. No longer was a man able to earn a living by being taught by his father. And the same went for ladies. Primarily because of productivity, we went from 25% living in urban cities to 75%. These new jobs involved all sorts of things that required various forms of learning (and they’re still expanding).

Educating the masses brought about a release from structured religion. No longer were followers willing to accept unnecessary laws in order to be spiritual. Former preachers taught that life was to serve God and only through suffering could one attain paradise, but that notion fell as believers began to think for themselves. And though many of today’s youth believe women were constantly held down, that wasn’t the case. Prior to the past 100 years, women were kept in domestic roles out of necessity. Just think of it. You lived on a farm. No electric appliances. No birth control. No disposable diapers. How could any woman join the labour force when she was so busy working? It wasn’t until we moved into cities (thanks to productivity) that women working outside the home was even possible.

Birth control not only allowed for smaller families, it empowered the sexual revolution. Prior to, society pushed abstinence because, as everyone knows, the pony dance makes babies. But once we got the pill, floodgates opened. Divorce came with the movement of women into day jobs. Now that both sexes no longer required each other for survival the quality of marriage became important. Daycare then followed to accommodate single parents and really took off when grandparents claimed their child rearing days were through. Once everyone got past the guilt of leaving kids with strangers, daycare was fully embraced and is now government subsidized.

Before the modern concept of retirement, seniors simply lived with their children, contributing what they could (domestic skills, child care). But thanks to health care and personal savings, old fogies started buying places in Phoenix. Another major shift. And without getting into detail, people are now allowed to be gay (also against old church rule).

Racism in first world countries was combated and mostly overcome. There are over 160 instances of slavery throughout history. Britain abolished theirs in 1807; France in 1848. But ending slavery was usually followed by forms of racism (since former owners were still convinced of superiority). Slavery in the US ended in 1865, with blacks getting the vote in 1870. But less than 30 years later, the Supreme Court ruled racial segregation was constitutional, paving the way for repressive Jim Crow laws in the South (remember, not all states were slave states). These laws legalized discrimination and stayed in effect until the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Along the way, activists supported entertainers like Nat King Cole (1943-1965) and baseball’s Jackie Robinson (1947), to make public opinion change. Within 45 years, America elected its first black president.

In 1917, almost every country was ruled by a monarch. Only 12 were democracies. Also in 1917, communism was born in Russia. Sure it failed, but progress sometimes involves making mistakes. In the words of Boris Yeltsin, then president of the falling USSR, “Communism was an experiment that should have been tried on a much smaller country.” And since the 1970s, there’s been a huge focus on our youth. People were obviously not happy with how they were raised, and together with smaller families and better economics, kids today are being treated differently. No longer are they viewed as takers to be seen and not heard. Instead, they’re regarded as social responsibilities and the role of being parent is revered.

Summary

It’s important to understand our place in history and that modern civilization is not complete.

In Canada, 64% of adults between the ages of 25-64 have a degree, college diploma, or trades certificate. A lot more than ever before. Education, along with inventions, have unleashed human potential the likes we’ve never seen. It’s easy to see this economically but don’t forget the social changes. And though it’s possible to still witness prior times right before our eyes (since not all countries enjoy the same standards), living in a developed nation has never been better. Bottom line: much of the world is brand new. Remember this when citing history—sometimes it doesn’t repeat itself.

Note: See Robert Gordon’s presentation at TED (the above references start at the 6 minute mark).

Racism

The word racism has been tossed around lots lately, especially in the US. So I decided to dig deep into the issue and find out what was going on. I started with the most unbiased news organization I could find. The call went like this:

“Good morning, CNN—you’re a racist.”
“Hi. Van Jones please.”
“Van Jones, CNN—you’re a racist.”
“Hi Van, I’m doing some research on racism and figured you’re the man. Is there a definition?”
“Sure, there are three levels. Level 1 is when you physically hurt people—it’s the worst. Level 2 is old time discrimination—denying people a fair shot at employment, education, an apartment, or access to a club. Level 3 is when you verbally trash people in public just to keep them down.”
“Cool. Then why have you called people like John McCain a racist?”
“That’s Level 4—they’re conservatives. You see, in American politics they call us commies and we call them racists. Folks down here get it, but sometimes it scares people from other countries.”
“Okay, so then what’s all this stuff about white nationalists and white supremacists?”
“Even I don’t understand that, you’ll have to ask David Duke.”

So I called David Duke:

“David Duke—I’m not a white supremacist.”
“Hi David, I was just calling to ask about your story?”
“We believe white people are no better or worse than anyone else. We simply host an organization that opposes affirmative action because it discriminates against whites from getting jobs or gaining acceptance to colleges and universities based on the colour of their skin.”
“That sounds almost reasonable. Anything else?”
“Yes, we advocate for immigration to center around keeping America a predominately white, Christian nation. We believe there’s nothing wrong with Africans living in Africa, Chinese people living in China, and white people living here in America.”
“So you’re like the Japanese who believe in homogeneity?”
“Yes, and we believe all liberals are communists and we have a real conspiracy hard-on for the Jews.”
“Okay, so you do have some weird ideas?”
“Right. And that’s the point. Just because Hitler was a bad man, doesn’t mean he was a pedophile. And just because he wasn’t a pedophile, doesn’t mean he wasn’t a bad man. So just because I’m messed up as a nationalist, doesn’t mean I’m a supremacist.”
“Thank you for clearing that up. Lastly, is it true you were once a member of the KKK?”
“Yes, but that was 40 years ago and the KKK isn’t what people think”

So I called up the KKK—and a Chinese guy answered the phone.

”Good morning, Kru Krux Kran.”
“Excuse me, are you Chinese?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“You gotta be kidding. How did a Chinese person get a reception job at the KKK?”
“Well, first they don’t want me because I can’t say their name—Kru Krux Kran. But then I charge them with racist and judge say they got to give me the job. So now I work here for five years.”

I didn’t ask any more questions because I sympathized with the employer. (It’s like ISIS having to hire someone with a lisp. Can you imagine? “Good morning, Ith-ith.”)

Nationalists

So what’s the difference between a nationalist, a supremacist, and everyone else?

Nationalists believe what David Duke says and their websites claim they’re against violence. They simply want to make their point. One which very few people support and that’s going absolutely nowhere. Supremacists take it to another level.

Supremacists

Being a supremacist gives you all the benefits of a nationalist with two additional features:

Whites are genetically superior (because of how nature makes our genes)
Whites are God’s chosen people based on some twisted interpretation of the Bible

The first may have flown years ago before we started to screw each other, but now that the cat’s out of the bag, I don’t think we can make this claim. My guess is it’s an old argument meant for an older time because if immigration has taught us anything it’s that we (people) are all the same. But before experiencing today’s living proof, humans believed all sorts of things about each other.

As for God, the world is filled with twisted interpretations of scripture and it’s true that supremacy is part of all religious order. But when it comes to modern day America, this type of thinking is out of date (i.e., supremacists aren’t on the rise).

Note: Other than to populate the new world, immigration was devised to show the world we can all live together. And Jesus would have been proud of that.

Summary

Deciphering racism is like having a transgender pick a pronoun—it’s complicated. And the world is so crazy these days I heard a single mother of nine say she doesn’t want any more kids.

When you use the word racism you need to define exactly what kind. Generally, it means one group being mean against another (nothing to do with race). Violent racism is common throughout history. A good example is the Rwandan genocide. Hutus and Tutsis looked so much alike the government had to issue mandatory identity cards to tell them apart. Discrimination-based racism is like the one between the British and the Irish, which lasted for 400 years. Both of these types still exist in the world but not in the US.

Realists know that John McCain is not a racist and neither is ol’ Mitt. The left needs to grow up in this regard (and maybe righties could curb their use of the term “commie”). There’s also no doubt about the ugly side of left. They use violence without condemnation, lie without conscious, and fight like a girl. This doesn’t mean their causes aren’t just, but they’re certainly not a bunch of fine people.

Neo-Nazis are on a different page and skinheads are just disgruntled punk rockers who hate that everyone now dresses like them. So they shave their heads to show that nobody loved them. And if you think about it, probably nobody did.

In order to be effective social justice warriors, people need to understand their adversary’s side and put together a relatively solid argument. For example, if you’re interested in the issue of statues and the confederacy—without being punched in the face—watch this episode on C-Span. It gives real history and the story from the last caller is beautiful. There’s also a series on CNN called the United Shades of America. Here are some clips (clip 1, clip 2, clip 3, clip 4).

Note: All research for this article was done using my wife’s browser.

An Irish Argument

Two Irishmen were discussing politics in a bar. The first one called liberals whiny, runny-nosed, naively dangerous, small-peckered buffoons. The second proclaimed that every conservative in the country was a c***. The next day, which Irishman was offended?

Neither, because they were both drunk.

Ladies and gentlemen, the art of an Irish argument is in serious danger of extinction. These damn Google machines and the dummies who hold them have almost ruined this time-honoured tradition of marrying intellect with humour and bullshit.

Today’s arguments always turn into hissy-fits where someone leaves pissed off. But back in the day, people could vehemently disagree without such concern for consequence. That’s because we had rules for how to conduct a good fight. But now that culture has changed, the way we argue has changed.

An intellectual argument isn’t the same as an Irish argument and an Italian argument is something completely different. An intellectual argument involves disclosing supporting information, similar to a legal battle, so participants can challenge whatever they wish. But typically in a bar room setting, we don’t have time for that. An Italian argument involves tons of yelling.

I once witnessed an Italian brother and sister go at it for over an hour. The fight was about which type of knowledge is more important. She believed in the arts and he was more interested in a train that went over two hundred miles an hour. They yelled and screamed so hard that prisoners in the local jail cell got scared. By the end of it, they absolutely hated each other. It was awesome.

But an Irish argument is supposed to be fun. It really is a combination of intellect, humour, and bullshit. So here are the rules:

It’s not a competition

Who cares who’s right? The contest is in the arguing itself, not the resolve. The Irish style has nothing to do with actual facts because they’re mostly made up. (And facts don’t matter much inside any argument—it’s principles.)

In the example above, neither Irishman was offended because they knew the real answer was beyond their grasp. So neither could be right without the good fortune of guessing correctly.

Insults are allowed

Back in the day, no disagreement was complete without the term “garbage” and the expression “anybody who thinks like that is a complete tit.” Nowadays, people say something disparaging and the whole debate comes to a screeching halt. It’s like feelings are more important than our point.

But in an Irish argument, half the joy is in hurling wicked insults towards your opponent.

Within old parliamentary intercourse, quick-witted slaps were common. Upon her retirement, a famous British politician was asked for her favourite. She told the story of a question being asked of the Prime Minister but answered by another minister. After the response, the questioner countered with, “I wish to speak with the organ grinder and not the monkey.”

Summary

A good argument is equivalent to two dogs play-fighting in a yard—it’s good for you and it’s fun. What impedes verbal battles today is the insecurity we all feel towards looking stupid. We’ve made intellectual ability a large part of who we are (status) and believe that losing turns us into ninnies.

But once you get past all that, you’re sure to have a good time. Remember, there’s nothing wrong with a good slur and any argument should leave room for a laugh. Otherwise people’s feelings get hurt and we can’t fight anymore.

Stanford

A previous article presented four types of guys to watch out for regarding sexual assault. One of them was opportunists and they were highlighted this week at a trial held at Stanford. We’re not going to talk about this particular case, but let’s dig deeper into the circumstances surrounding opportunistic sexual assault and then make some observations.

We must first answer three questions:

Who are the victims?
How often does this happen?
Who are the perpetrators?

Victims

The Stanford case, and most situations like it, involves a girl who got passed out drunk. So let’s talk about passed out drunk. When it comes to young people, there are four types of drinkers:

tea-toddlers
social drinkers
party animals
piss-tanks

Squeaky clean tea toddlers don’t drink; social drinkers have a few but don’t get drunk; party animals get drunk often; and piss-tanks get hammered all the time, many times to the point of passing out.

As a result, party animals and piss-tanks make up the bulk of the victims. But social drinkers can also cross the line, albeit unintentionally.

Frequency

It’s estimated that opportunistic sexual assault occurs 2-300 times per week in North America (Canada and the US), which equals 10-15,000 times per year.

Perpetrators

Perpetrators are young men with medium to high sex drives, who are usually also intoxicated.

Medium to high-drive men who drink beyond the “social drinker” level make up 30-50% of the population. As a result, approx. 40% of young men are potential offenders. Because of these high numbers, they can’t all be classified as monsters.

Nature

By nature, every weekend thousands of young girls get passed out drunk, and by nature, a large percentage of boys have high sex drives. Combine these two with opportunity and you get a crime that has been occurring for centuries.

Usually girls travel in packs—ensuring that if one gets drunk, a friend is there to care for her. But sometimes the drunken wildebeest gets separated from the herd.

Feminists believe that drunk, horny men will act responsibly if we throw some of them in jail. That the threat of punishment will override their naturally raging hormones into not committing a crime that their uninhibited drunken selves believe is easy to get away with.

Anti-feminists say we should just teach young girls never to get drunk.

Conclusion

People often have strong opinions without proper knowledge. Knowledge that is sometimes denied because certain topics are labeled as taboo (therefore, not socially discussed).

Everyone has to accept the truth about the male sex drive and that opportunistic sexual assault can be carried out by almost anyone. Then we need to acknowledge that young girls naturally get drunk as much as young boys do—so stop saying it’s their fault.

Feminists have traditionally focused on educating males about the severity of the crime with little mention about prevention. But perhaps some of the solution lies in adapting social behaviour to reality. For example, Mabel, Betsy, and Inga go to a party and Inga gets wasted. Derrick tells Inga she can sleep in his bed. When the two remaining girls have their conversation, it could go like this.

Mabel: “Do you think Inga is going to be okay?”
Betsy: “Ya, Derrick said she could sleep in his room.”
Mabel: “Maybe we should take her home.”

Also informing young people about reality is a better approach than denying it. Because a well-informed Mabel can access that though Derrick may seem like a fine young man—40% is a high number.

In mathematical terms: Passed Out Girl + Drunk Horny Guy + Opportunity = Potential Foul

We can’t stop young people from getting drunk and we can’t change the male sex drive, but we can consciously try to remove opportunity. This way, Mabel and Betsy get to go to heaven, Derrick is potentially saved from himself, and Inga doesn’t have to write a 12-page letter.

Note: Lack of prevention doesn’t make sexual assault any less of a crime (if you forget to lock your doors, someone taking your stereo is still stealing) and the actions taken at Stanford were definitely at the deviant end of the 40%, but the point remains—if a girl passes out at a party, take her home.

Jian Ghomeshi

Interest in the Ghomeshi trial peaked last week in Alberta because my wife wanted to charge me with the same thing. After the verdict, I said, “Fifty Shades of Grey—sugar. I’d get off!” But seriously, fathers and daughters need to start talking about men.

Until 1983, rape in Canada was defined as unlawful sexual intercourse with a woman against her will. After the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, this term was folded into a new crime called sexual assault, which covers everything from unwanted touching to any form of penetration.

Public education is widely available, but girls should be getting more from their homes. Here’s what they need to know:

Most guys are great but you have to watch jocks, nerds, and opportunists.

Jocks

Jocks are all those guys used to getting lots of tail. They include athletes, musicians, and hotshots. They can potentially come with two issues: younger ones treat groupie-chicks like objects, and older ones have drives that are advanced.

Younger men have always been confused about sexuality and the role that gender plays. Add in high testosterone and the macho thing, and you see why guys who get lots of action expect the next to be the same. So partying with football players may sound great, but there are lots of good guys who don’t make the team.

In terms of jocks over fourty, once you’ve slept with thousands your tastes kinda change. Sexual veterans find regular formats to be boring and thrive on pushing the limit (alla Fifty Shades). So though it may seem cool to sleep with a rock star, you might be getting in over your head.

Nerds

Nerds are sexually frustrated fellas who hang around with girls they can’t have.

Sure, male friends can be fun—but only if gay. Guys only hang out with you lots if they like you as a girl, not as a friend. And sometimes this attraction can explode.

Opportunists

If a girl shows up at a party wearing a miniskirt and gets drunk enough to pass out, there’s a good chance someone will touch her leg. And the guy won’t be far off from the norm.

Men have strong sex drives, especially when young. So even though piranha look like goldfish, it’s best to acknowledge they have teeth. Never let me catch you leaving this house half-naked with a full bottle of gin on your way to a frat. Because it’s difficult for boys to resist—even if good.

Conclusion

Feminists go ape when you mention anything about prevention because they place the blame squarely on men. But remember, though we have laws to stop theft, people still lock their doors.

Contact without consent is wrong because it’s damaging to the recipient and contrary to people being free. But it continues to exist. A step forward is for dads to start talking to daughters about men. Because feminists can fight all they want for the freedom to walk around topless in Iraq—my girls are going to know what they should.

Art of Doing Nothing

There are primarily three things we do with our time: work, learn, and play.

Draw a circle and put an upside down Y in the middle, to make what we used to call a peace sign. Write the words work in the top-left, play in the top-right, and learn in the bottom. Then focus until you realize this is how we spend the majority of our day.

Now insert two more slices. One for rest, because we need to rejuvenate our bodies, and one for nothing, the topic of this article.

Nothing is pleasure we attain without doing anything to cause it. Things like, daydreaming or standing in front of a fire. Hanging around the house or poking around in the yard. Rest isn’t pleasure and play is something active (like eating, golfing, or going to a movie) so neither of these are nothing. Nothing is feeling contentment without doing anything in particular to create it.

Laid-back people know all about this. They generally float around without enthusiastic plans and don’t require a lot of excitement to get satisfied. It’s the ambitious who need to be taught about nothing—keeners who are always tackling a to-do list.

To them I say, relax. It’s okay to waste time. You needn’t be afraid of falling behind or missing out. It’s good to sometimes take life at a slower pace. Plus, nothing helps you live longer so, in essence, it doesn’t cost you anything.

Take a year off from having goals. I’ve done it for two-and-a-half months and not only did I enjoy myself—I lost 15 pounds. Unplug your TV and shut off the radio. Get comfortable with silence. Talk to the plants, Zen with nature, and say thank-you to inanimate objects. (Is this scaring you?)

Ambitious people need to discover another dimension outside their regular world. One filled with unusual pleasure and self-acceptance. It’s called nothing. And you’re going to love it.