1 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager. Here thousands of 2 00:00:24,240 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 1: hours of Dennis's lectures courses in classic radio programs. Had 3 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: to purchase Dennis Prager's Rational Bibles. Go to Dennisprager dot com. 4 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:43,159 Speaker 2: Hi, everybody, this is Dennis Prager and this is the 5 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 2: Ultimate Issues Hour. Every week at this time I devote 6 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 2: an hour to some great topic about life, and they're endless. 7 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 2: I wondered when I began the Ultimate Issues Hour, would 8 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 2: I eventually just run out of topics? How many Ultimate 9 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 2: issues can there be? We are in no danger of that, 10 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:05,719 Speaker 2: my friends. How long have we been doing this? Now? 11 00:01:05,960 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 2: Started at August, started in August two thousand and six, 12 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:20,399 Speaker 2: and this is now April of twenty twelve. That's six years. 13 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 2: The reason I did that, folks, was just in case 14 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 2: we want to broadcast this six years from now. Now 15 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 2: you know what it's like with you pre data check 16 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 2: or post data check, so we could post date some shows. Yes, indeed, 17 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:41,399 Speaker 2: welcome to the Dennis Prager Show and the Ultimate Issues Hour. 18 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 2: The subject is a dual and it is what is racism? 19 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:53,200 Speaker 2: And is America racist? These are huge subjects and they 20 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:56,920 Speaker 2: are obviously in the news and I'm going to play 21 00:01:56,960 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 2: for you some clips from the State of the Black 22 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 2: Union conference that just took place. The dictionary definition I 23 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 2: read to you a belief for doctrine that inherent differences 24 00:02:07,040 --> 00:02:10,960 Speaker 2: among the various human races determine cultural or individual achievement, 25 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:14,639 Speaker 2: usually involving the idea that one's own race is superior 26 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 2: and has the right to rule others. That's very good. 27 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 2: That happens to be a very good definition. A belief 28 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:28,520 Speaker 2: or doctrine that inherent differences among the various human races 29 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 2: determine cultural or individual achievement. That's exactly right. Now, Who 30 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:42,679 Speaker 2: in that regard were racist, Well, for example, those who 31 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 2: held that a person who had black skin had less 32 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:52,880 Speaker 2: value as a human being than someone of white skin. 33 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:59,359 Speaker 2: That's that's the classic example, Or that having black skin 34 00:02:59,760 --> 00:03:07,920 Speaker 2: determines the not just your value, but your traits you 35 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 2: are not capable of handling. I don't know neurosurgery. I 36 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:18,399 Speaker 2: don't know what I'm making something up. So that's that's classic. 37 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 2: The Nazis were classic a racist. Being a Jew meant 38 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 2: that you had certain rates and therefore were worthy of death. 39 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:33,079 Speaker 2: All right, So those are those are the most obvious 40 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:37,680 Speaker 2: classic examples. The Japanese had it. The Japanese believed that 41 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 2: that non Japanese were inherently inferior. Just did. And that's 42 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 2: part of the reason that they treated prisoners of war 43 00:03:46,400 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 2: so horrifically, and why they treated Chinese so horrifically and Koreans. 44 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 2: The Japanese had a very very strong doctrine of being 45 00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 2: the superior race, and that race determines a one's worth. 46 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 2: Even after the war, I remember, they would not accept 47 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 2: vietnase boat people whereas many other kids did, because they 48 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 2: didn't want to pollute the purity of the Japanese race. 49 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:21,280 Speaker 2: So that's what racism is. Racism has become so distorted, 50 00:04:21,840 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 2: so beyond what it actually means that people don't even 51 00:04:24,919 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 2: know what it means any longer. And I naturally I 52 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:33,800 Speaker 2: hold colleges responsible for this, because that's they are the 53 00:04:33,880 --> 00:04:39,480 Speaker 2: idea places, and they have distorted the notion beyond recognition. 54 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 2: So have activists, which is usually synonymous for our dear 55 00:04:43,640 --> 00:04:52,640 Speaker 2: fellow Americans on the left, for whom if somebody mentions that, 56 00:04:54,040 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 2: let's see, there's a disproportionate number of blacks born out 57 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:02,320 Speaker 2: of wedlock, born with no father present or no married parents. 58 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 2: Then that means this could suggest that the person is racist, 59 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:15,159 Speaker 2: suggesting that that black crime is a serious problem in 60 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 2: the United States, that would mean you are racist. Uh, 61 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:23,720 Speaker 2: it holds for any group. I mean, my god, I 62 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:26,120 Speaker 2: remember I did, I did. I can't believe I did 63 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 2: that hour on Asian drivers? Remember that alub we did 64 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:32,039 Speaker 2: you know? We are? Can you can? 65 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:32,159 Speaker 3: You? 66 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:37,479 Speaker 2: Is any stereotype allowable or does it inherently mean racist? 67 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 2: And I took the most innocuous one I could. I could, 68 00:05:41,160 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 2: I could offer because Asians score higher on on i 69 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:48,760 Speaker 2: Q tests than anybody else, including whites, and do so well, 70 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 2: so nobody could charge some inherent view of inferiority there. 71 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:57,119 Speaker 2: But people have a view of some Asian drivers, whether 72 00:05:57,200 --> 00:06:00,159 Speaker 2: right or wrong. That's what they have. In fact, I 73 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,400 Speaker 2: had Asian callers colon and they said they share the 74 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:07,679 Speaker 2: same view. But that's that's a separate issue. In any event, 75 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:13,000 Speaker 2: Racism is the belief that your race determines your qualities 76 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:18,520 Speaker 2: and your worth. That's what racism is. Now. My my 77 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:23,360 Speaker 2: own of racism has always been that it's obviously evil. 78 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 2: But as obvious as it being evil is that it 79 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:33,680 Speaker 2: is stupid. That my knowing that you are a member 80 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 2: of a given race, tells me nothing about you nothing, 81 00:06:41,000 --> 00:06:43,919 Speaker 2: that's that's a given. And the motto of my show 82 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:47,000 Speaker 2: one of the few mottos. I have a couple of mottos, 83 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:50,360 Speaker 2: and one is there are only two races, the decent 84 00:06:50,440 --> 00:06:52,400 Speaker 2: in the indecent. It is not my own quota is 85 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:56,039 Speaker 2: from Victor Frankel, and it is. It is a terrific line. 86 00:06:56,200 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 2: I divide the world between the decent and the indecent, 87 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:02,279 Speaker 2: not between black and white, or between any other ethnic 88 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 2: or racial or even religious groups. So that's racism. There's really. Now, 89 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 2: if you have a problem with that definition, please call 90 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:18,920 Speaker 2: me one eight prager seven seven six. I guess another 91 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 2: form of racism would be where you regard all members 92 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 2: of a certain race as worthy of being treated in 93 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:31,480 Speaker 2: a worse way than you would treat members of another race. 94 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 2: I guess that would be another example of racism. Now, 95 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 2: the bigger question is not what is racism? The bigger 96 00:07:40,360 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 2: question is is America racist? This is a fundamental question 97 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 2: of our time. And my position is that America is 98 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 2: the least racist society in the world. And my proof, 99 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 2: my proof is this that a person of any color, 100 00:08:00,760 --> 00:08:06,240 Speaker 2: any ethnicity, who moves to this country is more likely 101 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:10,080 Speaker 2: to feel at home and part of the majority culture 102 00:08:10,800 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 2: than moving to any other country in the world will 103 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:18,480 Speaker 2: enable them to feel a member of that culture. I 104 00:08:18,520 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 2: give as as an example a recent one. I was 105 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 2: in Singapore recently. Some of you will recall I had 106 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:30,360 Speaker 2: a Singapore professor on my show and I said to him, 107 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:32,199 Speaker 2: you know, I'll be in Singapore in a few weeks, 108 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 2: why don't we have lunch. In fact, I did show 109 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 2: up at his office. He couldn't that day, he had 110 00:08:37,559 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 2: just come back, but I did. With his assistant. We mad, 111 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,320 Speaker 2: We had a wonderful time. We should put the picture up, actually, 112 00:08:44,319 --> 00:08:48,840 Speaker 2: and that was a great bonus. His assistant was a Hindu, 113 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:53,720 Speaker 2: a woman from India and a Hindu, and her name 114 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 2: was pre T p R e t I, and she 115 00:08:58,960 --> 00:09:04,240 Speaker 2: was just a joy to meet. We spend a couple 116 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:10,679 Speaker 2: of hours together. And she's a married Hindu woman living 117 00:09:10,760 --> 00:09:15,120 Speaker 2: in Singapore who had lived in the United States, in 118 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:17,760 Speaker 2: rural Texas and in New York City. You can't get 119 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 2: much more different than in rural Texas and New York City. 120 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 2: She told me, with no prompting none, how hard it 121 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 2: was for her to leave the United States. As a 122 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 2: Hindu woman. The only two places on Earth she felt 123 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:41,160 Speaker 2: fully comfortable in were India, her home, and the United 124 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:45,880 Speaker 2: States of America, including rural Texas. I forgot the city 125 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 2: I was a city I'd never heard of. In fact, 126 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 2: I would have her on live, but I'll have to 127 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 2: record it because the time zone difference makes it makes it. 128 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 2: I'm not going to wake her up in the middle 129 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:01,199 Speaker 2: of the night to have her on American radio. But 130 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:07,320 Speaker 2: that was something I will explain when we come back. 131 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:11,400 Speaker 2: How is it that a Hindu woman can feel so 132 00:10:11,640 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 2: comfortable in America? And she's been all over the world, 133 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 2: and she loves Singapore, but it was the United States 134 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:23,760 Speaker 2: that she felt at one with? Why when we come 135 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 2: back on the Dennis Prager Show. 136 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:29,720 Speaker 1: This episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right after this. 137 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:38,840 Speaker 1: Now back to more of Dennis Prager's Timeless Wisdom. 138 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:42,600 Speaker 2: This is the Ultimate Issues hour, some great issue of life. 139 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 2: Is America racist? And what is racism? I defined racism 140 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 2: for once. I found the Dictionary definition number one to 141 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:55,440 Speaker 2: be completely accurate. And in any event, whatever definition you 142 00:10:55,480 --> 00:11:00,280 Speaker 2: give the United States, whatever I think valid definition, I 143 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 2: mean serious definition, the United States is the least racist 144 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:08,679 Speaker 2: country in the world, probably in world history. Though I 145 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 2: know the world today better than I know whether to 146 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:16,960 Speaker 2: compare it to ancient Rome, though I suspect that we 147 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:20,720 Speaker 2: were better than ancient Rome at accepting members of every 148 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:23,880 Speaker 2: other race as one of us. The Hindu woman was 149 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:27,760 Speaker 2: the classic example what she described, even with regard to blacks, 150 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 2: where we do have the original sin. It is original 151 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 2: sin of racism in this country, of slavery, of Jim Crow, 152 00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:39,560 Speaker 2: of segregation, absolutely lynching. I mean, it can never be denied, 153 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:43,080 Speaker 2: it should never be forgotten. But I'm talking about today, 154 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 2: and with regard to blacks today, one of the pieces 155 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:54,280 Speaker 2: of data I love to cite is that more Black 156 00:11:54,280 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 2: Africans have moved to this country voluntarily post slavery than 157 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:05,960 Speaker 2: in the entire centuries of slavery, because Black Africans know 158 00:12:07,040 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 2: that they will do well here, just as this Hindu 159 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 2: woman did. I will have to have her on and 160 00:12:16,640 --> 00:12:20,160 Speaker 2: you need to hear, yeah, you need to hear from 161 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:25,440 Speaker 2: her the comfort level. And remember it wasn't just New York, 162 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 2: it was rural Texas as well. Yep. One day, should 163 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 2: America decline, one day people will look back and wonder, 164 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:47,440 Speaker 2: how did people living in that country that was so 165 00:12:47,559 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 2: much more a land of opportunity for every one of 166 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 2: every background than any other place. How come it produced 167 00:12:55,800 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 2: so many ingrates? How did that happen? It will be 168 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:07,840 Speaker 2: that will be worthy of many PhD theses In light 169 00:13:07,880 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 2: of the question is America racist? I have some excerpts 170 00:13:12,960 --> 00:13:19,079 Speaker 2: from Let's see it is the State of the Black EU. 171 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:21,319 Speaker 2: It was in New Orleans. When did this take place? 172 00:13:21,440 --> 00:13:22,200 Speaker 2: Was it yesterday? 173 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:22,840 Speaker 1: Oh? 174 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 2: In February. It's from February. Okay, so the State of 175 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 2: the Black Union took place. So that's well, that's you know, 176 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:34,320 Speaker 2: six weeks ago. And let's see it is one of 177 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:36,280 Speaker 2: the from the description I have here, is one of 178 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:39,600 Speaker 2: the biggest African American events, held annually by Tavis Smiley 179 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 2: and televised on c SPAN for the entire day. Smiley 180 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:49,120 Speaker 2: got together the most prominent Black leaders, intellectuals and business leaders. Well, 181 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:51,760 Speaker 2: I don't agree the most prominent, the most prominent on 182 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:56,040 Speaker 2: the left. I doubt if Shelby Steele was there, Larry 183 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:57,239 Speaker 2: Elder was there. 184 00:13:57,200 --> 00:13:59,080 Speaker 1: Or or. 185 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 2: Basic Economics, Tom Sewell was there, Jack mcwater was there. 186 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:09,560 Speaker 2: I doubt if these people were there, let alone Bill 187 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:18,439 Speaker 2: Cosby anyway. Now let's see. Oh, there was one black conservative, 188 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:22,160 Speaker 2: Michael Stele, the former lieutenant governor of Maryland, and he 189 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:31,120 Speaker 2: was decidedly apolitical. Alrighty, So let's see here. So let's 190 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 2: hear some We have seven clips. The first one is 191 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:40,920 Speaker 2: from Michael Eric Dyson, and he is, as described here, 192 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:45,680 Speaker 2: one of the black intellectual community's brightest stars Georgetown Universities. 193 00:14:46,600 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 2: He's a university professor. That's the highest honor a university 194 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:55,920 Speaker 2: can give a professor, being called a university professor. And 195 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 2: he went to Princeton or taught at Princeton as well. 196 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 2: But he's at Georgetown, Michael Eric Dyson. And let's hear 197 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:08,120 Speaker 2: what some of forty seconds of what he had to say. 198 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 4: So I think, Tavis, there's no question that the problem 199 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:14,440 Speaker 4: of the twenty first century continues to be wrestling with 200 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:19,240 Speaker 4: this fundamental problem of the identity of the despise and 201 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:24,360 Speaker 4: the degraded and the demoralized Black masses, along with others 202 00:15:24,840 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 4: who have been similarly, though not uniquely, treated to such 203 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:33,520 Speaker 4: a powerful and negative force called white supremacy, social injustice, 204 00:15:33,560 --> 00:15:36,720 Speaker 4: and in this case, economic inequality. There's no question about that. 205 00:15:36,760 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 4: We sit here in New Orleans, New Orleans is, as 206 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:44,360 Speaker 4: you said, a powerful municipal metaphor for the malady at 207 00:15:44,360 --> 00:15:46,920 Speaker 4: the heart of not only of American culture, but the 208 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:48,760 Speaker 4: kind of global crisis of capitalism. 209 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:56,600 Speaker 2: Well, well that's who the universities honor. This is Marxist 210 00:15:56,640 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 2: claptrap that I studied when I was an undergraduate. It's 211 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:09,160 Speaker 2: painful to me to hear such drivel because people suck 212 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:13,280 Speaker 2: it up. They loved them, I mean, they loved them 213 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:24,200 Speaker 2: the demoralized what oppressed and demoralized black masses. White and 214 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:27,760 Speaker 2: white supremacy continues to be the fundamental problem of the 215 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:32,520 Speaker 2: United States. White supremacy. Hey, any of you listening Meeter 216 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 2: white supremacist? Recently read any right supremacy. These people on 217 00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:40,640 Speaker 2: the left don't live in the twenty first or the 218 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 2: twenty cent If you live in the nineteenth century, the 219 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:46,880 Speaker 2: further left you get, the more you return to nineteenth 220 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:51,840 Speaker 2: century paradigms. They have not rethought a single thing. They 221 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 2: are the opposite of progressives. They are truly the reactionaries 222 00:16:55,280 --> 00:17:00,600 Speaker 2: of aritime They live in two centuries ago when Marx 223 00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:07,359 Speaker 2: analyzed the crisis of world capitalism. Katrina is paradigmatic of 224 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:12,999 Speaker 2: the crisis of world capitalism. Katrina is paradigmatic of nothing. 225 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:19,919 Speaker 2: It's paradigmatic of natural tragedy combined with a less than 226 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:25,720 Speaker 2: effective governmental response. That's what it is. That's what it's parading. That. 227 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:30,280 Speaker 2: It is not paradigmatic of racism. Whites were disproportionately affected, 228 00:17:30,680 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 2: Larry Elder pointed out yesterday, because the older were more affected, 229 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:36,840 Speaker 2: and there were more old whites than old blacks living 230 00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 2: in New Orleans. And that's it. This is white supremacy 231 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:52,080 Speaker 2: continues to be fundamental thing in Georgetown University that a 232 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:59,600 Speaker 2: Catholic university orse nominally was university. Let's hear another clip 233 00:17:59,600 --> 00:18:00,040 Speaker 2: from him. 234 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:05,080 Speaker 4: First of all, you can have ventriloquists right there, folk, 235 00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:08,520 Speaker 4: when sometimes when women speak, patriarchy never has a better voice. 236 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 1: Right. 237 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:13,840 Speaker 4: You could be a female articulating an anti female proposition. 238 00:18:14,520 --> 00:18:19,800 Speaker 4: You could be a negro articulating racist perspectives because the 239 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:23,159 Speaker 4: plantation is portable and your mouth becomes a freeway for 240 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:29,320 Speaker 4: its articulation, no question about that. So I'm for Ruth 241 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:32,119 Speaker 4: Bader Ginsburg, not Clarence Thomas, and he and Negro all 242 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:32,600 Speaker 4: day long. 243 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:39,040 Speaker 2: Why they love that. They love that Clarence Thom's not 244 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:46,120 Speaker 2: black enough he's a Negro. We return on as America 245 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:51,160 Speaker 2: racist Dennis Prager Show. You're listening to the Dennis Prager Show, 246 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 2: the Ultimate Issues Hour. The questions of this hour have 247 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:58,679 Speaker 2: been what is racism which we spoke of briefly, and 248 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:02,159 Speaker 2: is America racist? My belief is that America is the 249 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:05,480 Speaker 2: least racist country in the world today, has been for 250 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:09,719 Speaker 2: most of my adult life. That is why people from 251 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:13,040 Speaker 2: so many countries, including African countries, who move here in 252 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:17,840 Speaker 2: great numbers, feel so welcome, so at ease, and integrate 253 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:23,200 Speaker 2: so well. The original sin, which it is of America, 254 00:19:23,240 --> 00:19:27,440 Speaker 2: of racism, is the great scourge of our history. There 255 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:30,919 Speaker 2: is no question about it. But my question is not 256 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:36,960 Speaker 2: was America racist? My question is is America racist? And 257 00:19:37,320 --> 00:19:41,040 Speaker 2: let's go to witt are you or California? And Charles Charles, 258 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 2: thank you for calling. Dennis Prager. Hello, Charles. 259 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 5: Yes, Dennis, Yes, Dennis. I love you, man, but I 260 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:54,359 Speaker 5: have a couple of challenges with you on this whole 261 00:19:54,400 --> 00:20:01,280 Speaker 5: subject of race, specifically as applying to African Americans. Dennis, Unfortunately, 262 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:05,760 Speaker 5: you were one of the only people I've ever heard 263 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:11,479 Speaker 5: to justify the Rodney King beatings. That's the first thing Dennis, 264 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:15,200 Speaker 5: And that calls me. That calls me to question your 265 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 5: credibility on the whole subject of race as applied to. 266 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:20,440 Speaker 2: African Americans, because do you feel that if Rodney King 267 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:24,440 Speaker 2: were white, I would have had a different position? No, no, no, no, 268 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:26,960 Speaker 2: it has to because you're making a race issue out 269 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:29,440 Speaker 2: of what I didn't think was a race issue. No, 270 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:32,359 Speaker 2: I'm no, I know what you're saying. So tell me 271 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:34,960 Speaker 2: if Rodney King had been white? Do you think I 272 00:20:35,000 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 2: would have had a different position. If a man had 273 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:42,760 Speaker 2: been wanted by the police, sped through neighborhoods, risking people's 274 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:47,840 Speaker 2: lives at tremendously high speeds, fleeing the police, then taunted 275 00:20:47,840 --> 00:20:50,000 Speaker 2: the police when they caught him, the guy in the 276 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:53,919 Speaker 2: car totally untouched of the exact same color, and only 277 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:56,680 Speaker 2: the parts of the beating shown on national television when 278 00:20:56,680 --> 00:21:00,440 Speaker 2: the rest of the tape showed his provocative conduct. Then 279 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:02,320 Speaker 2: do you think that I would have said had they 280 00:21:02,440 --> 00:21:05,200 Speaker 2: done the exact same thing to a white I would 281 00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 2: have said the police were terrible and wrong. 282 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:12,280 Speaker 5: No, Jennis, I think that the police acted out of 283 00:21:13,440 --> 00:21:15,200 Speaker 5: they like totally restrain in that case. 284 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:19,520 Speaker 2: That's not my point, Charles. You said that I have 285 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:24,240 Speaker 2: no validity on the issue of racism because I didn't 286 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:26,959 Speaker 2: think that the police were acting in a racist manner. 287 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:31,520 Speaker 2: But so I'm asking you if Rodney King had been white, 288 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:34,080 Speaker 2: do you think I would have had a different position. 289 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:36,359 Speaker 5: Dennis, I'm gonna have to give you credit that. 290 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:38,800 Speaker 2: I think you got me there, Dennis, Okay, what's the 291 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 2: next one? 292 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 6: Next one? 293 00:21:40,320 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 5: I think you got me there. 294 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 2: I'll be honest. 295 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:44,000 Speaker 5: Okay. But as far as the Jenas six, Dennis, you 296 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:47,960 Speaker 5: drove me crazy. You had a reporter there. Now you 297 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:52,119 Speaker 5: have this black student who at an assembly has to 298 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:54,639 Speaker 5: sit under a white only tree. He asked that to 299 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 5: the principal. The posibel says, you can sit wherever you want. Okay. 300 00:21:58,040 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 5: The next day, after the student sits under that tree, 301 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:02,639 Speaker 5: news is are hung on that tree. 302 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:05,439 Speaker 2: Okay, all right, So Charles, listen to me carefully. I'm 303 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:07,159 Speaker 2: I'm gonna let you go on hold so you'll be 304 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 2: able to hear. The Genus six has been covered by 305 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:16,159 Speaker 2: the Christian Science Monitor and by other liberal newspapers to 306 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:20,200 Speaker 2: a degree that, as you note, the entire issue has 307 00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:22,960 Speaker 2: ceased to be part of the rhetoric, except for Barack Obama, 308 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:25,840 Speaker 2: who raises it in front of black audiences to his great, 309 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:32,560 Speaker 2: great discredit. As it turns out everything had an innocent explanation. 310 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 2: Everything the news has had nothing to do with lynching blacks, 311 00:22:40,600 --> 00:22:43,480 Speaker 2: which is what we all thought, including me. I thought 312 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:47,880 Speaker 2: so too. We have learned what you just described were 313 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,720 Speaker 2: all original charges. Now that we know the whole story, 314 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 2: it is entirely different. Up at praegerradio dot com. At 315 00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:58,320 Speaker 2: the blog you will find the Christian Science Monitor article 316 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:04,040 Speaker 2: describing the entire issue. The villains in this issue were 317 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:08,400 Speaker 2: the media who wanted to create what they have all 318 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:11,360 Speaker 2: been taught a journalism school and a graduate school, an 319 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:16,080 Speaker 2: image of a racist America, especially in the South. And 320 00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:19,439 Speaker 2: I'm glad you called. And to Charles' credit, he was 321 00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:22,399 Speaker 2: very adamant. And then I asked him the key question. 322 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:27,200 Speaker 2: I may be wrong on the Rodney King analysis, although 323 00:23:27,200 --> 00:23:30,320 Speaker 2: it's in my book. My analysis is is in Think 324 00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:32,320 Speaker 2: a Second Time, the most important I think of my 325 00:23:32,359 --> 00:23:36,760 Speaker 2: four books. But it has nothing to do with race. 326 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:44,240 Speaker 2: That's the point. Nothing, all right, one A Praguer seven 327 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:48,159 Speaker 2: seven six. When we come back, more excerpts from the 328 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:51,560 Speaker 2: Black State of the Union conference that just took place, 329 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:55,280 Speaker 2: and your calls. You are listening to the Dennis Prager Show. 330 00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:59,440 Speaker 1: This episode of Timeless Wisdom will continue right after this. 331 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 1: Now back to more of Dennis Prager's Timeless Wisdom. 332 00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:13,440 Speaker 2: Ultimate Issues Hour Big one is America racist and a 333 00:24:13,480 --> 00:24:17,320 Speaker 2: lot of racism. And let's go to some of your 334 00:24:17,359 --> 00:24:21,240 Speaker 2: calls and then some more from the couple of weeks 335 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 2: ago or a little over a month ago conference on 336 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:27,199 Speaker 2: the State of Black America. We're gonna We're gonna invite 337 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:29,920 Speaker 2: my friend Tavisan. Tavis and I go back many many 338 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:33,880 Speaker 2: years in radio, and we've always had a very good report. 339 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:35,679 Speaker 2: So I'm going to have him on. I'm gonna ask 340 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:39,120 Speaker 2: him these questions. We'll have them in studio, in fact, 341 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:46,280 Speaker 2: so I can really intimidate him as dark humor, folks, 342 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:48,920 Speaker 2: it's all it was, all it was, and it's actually 343 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 2: self deprecating in its own way. Let's go to Pete 344 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:55,879 Speaker 2: in Sunland, California. Pete, Dennis Prager, thank you for calling. 345 00:24:56,040 --> 00:24:58,040 Speaker 6: Oh Dennis is a president. Speak to you. I've listened 346 00:24:58,040 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 6: to you for numerous years. Thank you, and man, thank 347 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:03,240 Speaker 6: you for help me see the light and move from 348 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:05,680 Speaker 6: the democratic side of the owl to the conservatives out 349 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:06,119 Speaker 6: of the album. 350 00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:07,320 Speaker 2: Well welcome to the Light. 351 00:25:09,160 --> 00:25:11,840 Speaker 6: Just not to get off point, but it's so blatant 352 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:14,800 Speaker 6: every day as I watched the news, the media, and 353 00:25:14,880 --> 00:25:17,119 Speaker 6: I didn't see this years back when you were saying 354 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:18,960 Speaker 6: this as I was listening to as a younger person. 355 00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:23,800 Speaker 6: Mm hmmm, it's totally clear now and I do thank you. Well. Well, 356 00:25:23,840 --> 00:25:25,840 Speaker 6: I was going to tell you that I work as 357 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:28,520 Speaker 6: a musician in the film and music business. 358 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:29,760 Speaker 2: What do you do? What do you do? 359 00:25:29,840 --> 00:25:31,600 Speaker 6: I write music. I'm a composer, what. 360 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:32,399 Speaker 2: Type of music? 361 00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:36,880 Speaker 6: Pretty much, I write where the gig is from, jazz, 362 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 6: R and B, new age, whatever they they asked, they'll 363 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:43,360 Speaker 6: hire me for. I'm not a scorer, but I do write, 364 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:45,639 Speaker 6: uh the soundtrack. 365 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:47,560 Speaker 2: For those fascinating Okay, go ahead. 366 00:25:47,960 --> 00:25:51,800 Speaker 6: Well, I'm getting debates daily with my friends, either were 367 00:25:51,960 --> 00:25:55,040 Speaker 6: cold beer or just at work, and they think that 368 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:57,639 Speaker 6: I'm out of my mind, that I don't see the 369 00:25:57,720 --> 00:26:01,000 Speaker 6: racism that they see. And these are my white friends. 370 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:04,280 Speaker 6: They tell me that the reason we get poor seating, 371 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:08,879 Speaker 6: because if I'm with them, it's because of me. They'll 372 00:26:08,920 --> 00:26:10,159 Speaker 6: tell me the reason. 373 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:13,359 Speaker 2: We're Wait a minute, poor sat Wait poor seating. Where 374 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:18,440 Speaker 2: at a restaurant by the way I am. I promised 375 00:26:18,560 --> 00:26:21,120 Speaker 2: to all my listeners. What I am about to ask 376 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:24,679 Speaker 2: is sincerely meant, yes, what is a poor seat in 377 00:26:24,760 --> 00:26:28,639 Speaker 2: a restaurant? Well, I am so naive. What does that 378 00:26:28,680 --> 00:26:31,919 Speaker 2: even mean? Well for me, is it in the kitchen? 379 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:33,159 Speaker 6: No? 380 00:26:33,200 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 2: Well that I'm with you, but I know I'm not 381 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:37,560 Speaker 2: kidding what is a poor seat in a restaurant? Now 382 00:26:37,640 --> 00:26:40,040 Speaker 2: tell me that they must have a strong view on 383 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:43,879 Speaker 2: this subject. So tell me no, no, no, I'm not kidding you. 384 00:26:43,920 --> 00:26:45,480 Speaker 2: What is a poor seat in a restaurant? 385 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:47,960 Speaker 6: For my friends, it seems that they like to be 386 00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:51,200 Speaker 6: more in the as you would say, the center of 387 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:53,560 Speaker 6: a restaurant, and rather the corners of the outskirts. 388 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:55,960 Speaker 2: I'd rather be in a corner because it's quieter. 389 00:26:55,840 --> 00:26:57,960 Speaker 6: Quieter, it's more serene. I don't have to listen. 390 00:26:57,720 --> 00:27:01,120 Speaker 2: To the reason that the reason I'm asking is they 391 00:27:01,160 --> 00:27:03,959 Speaker 2: have set up a scenario where wherever you'd be seated, 392 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 2: they would say it was a poor seat because you're black. 393 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:07,399 Speaker 6: Thank you. 394 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:10,840 Speaker 2: If it's in the corner, ah, you see, they're sticking 395 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:13,119 Speaker 2: a black in the corner. If it's in the center, oh, 396 00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:14,560 Speaker 2: they put them in the noisy area. 397 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:18,520 Speaker 6: And this happens but they seem to find these scenarios 398 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:21,520 Speaker 6: and everything that we do together. I'm being one of 399 00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:25,080 Speaker 6: the few black in the circle of friends. They point 400 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:27,240 Speaker 6: out for me what I don't see when I'm with them, 401 00:27:27,520 --> 00:27:28,920 Speaker 6: and I said, I don't know what you're talking about. 402 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:29,320 Speaker 2: Guys. 403 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:32,040 Speaker 6: I'm comfortable. I've got a great smile for my waitress. 404 00:27:32,080 --> 00:27:35,600 Speaker 6: My waiter makes be I feel totally comfortable and I'm 405 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:38,720 Speaker 6: enjoying myself. You guys are actually making me want to leave. 406 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:43,040 Speaker 2: Now that make you throw up at Frankly, it would 407 00:27:43,080 --> 00:27:43,880 Speaker 2: ruin my meal. 408 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:47,280 Speaker 6: And when we when it comes to work, they tell 409 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:49,600 Speaker 6: me that, wow, you're not working on that project because 410 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:51,240 Speaker 6: they don't think you can do that kind of music. 411 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:52,960 Speaker 6: Why because I'm black? 412 00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:58,399 Speaker 2: No, because the evident omission of blacks from American music 413 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:01,400 Speaker 2: to life. That's why they have a risk. They pick 414 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:06,240 Speaker 2: the pretty lousy area to prove racism popular music. 415 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:10,000 Speaker 6: You should have gotten that gig because you can do 416 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 6: that kind of music. I see. 417 00:28:12,240 --> 00:28:15,240 Speaker 2: They're basically you, Freds are trying to make you miserable, 418 00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:16,359 Speaker 2: and it's. 419 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:19,119 Speaker 6: Amazing because I don't I think with their that you 420 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:22,520 Speaker 6: really upset about is that I have basically told him 421 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:25,920 Speaker 6: that I am going to vote for Sinjan McCain. And 422 00:28:26,000 --> 00:28:30,399 Speaker 6: I'm appalled at all the brew ha and the dishonesty 423 00:28:30,520 --> 00:28:33,800 Speaker 6: surrounding Barack Obama. And it just really is. 424 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:36,520 Speaker 2: You're exactly the kind of guy I want to meet. 425 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:40,400 Speaker 2: You send me an email, You're you're a delicious soul. 426 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:43,400 Speaker 2: If I may be, I don't know. Mixed metaphors here 427 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:47,440 Speaker 2: is he was this type of guy. I got to 428 00:28:47,480 --> 00:28:49,840 Speaker 2: tell you a joke. I never tell jokes if I'm funny, 429 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:53,400 Speaker 2: it's spontaneous. But here's a joke that jews hell on 430 00:28:53,560 --> 00:28:55,920 Speaker 2: exactly this subject. It's about a guy. This is a 431 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 2: very old joke. It's like from the twenties or thirties. No, no, 432 00:28:58,840 --> 00:29:01,960 Speaker 2: when did radio begin? About about the yeah, twenties and thirties, 433 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:04,160 Speaker 2: So in the beginning of radio. But it could have 434 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:07,160 Speaker 2: been any could have been last year about this guy 435 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 2: goes to uh, tryout for a job in radio and 436 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:17,920 Speaker 2: he comes back and his friend said, so, did you 437 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:22,480 Speaker 2: get the job? And he goes no, And the guy says, 438 00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:29,280 Speaker 2: well why not because there are anti semites. It's a joke, 439 00:29:29,480 --> 00:29:31,600 Speaker 2: and it's a beauty of that joke. And please, if 440 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:34,360 Speaker 2: you stutter, it's not a joke about you. It's a 441 00:29:34,440 --> 00:29:41,360 Speaker 2: joke about false accusations of anti Semitism, because obviously you 442 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 2: can't stutter and have a radio job as a general rule, 443 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:47,800 Speaker 2: I mean just that there were limitations on any specific thing. 444 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 2: You can't be a pilot if you don't have twenty 445 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:53,800 Speaker 2: twenty vision, all right. Anyway, So that was Oak Jews 446 00:29:53,840 --> 00:29:57,600 Speaker 2: about other Jews who, no matter what, always saw anti Semitism. 447 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:00,200 Speaker 2: Does that mean there was no anti Semitism? No, my god, 448 00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:04,400 Speaker 2: there was. But it is there are people who see 449 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:08,600 Speaker 2: it where it isn't and certainly that is particularly true 450 00:30:08,640 --> 00:30:11,160 Speaker 2: about racism today. We go to the next clip here, 451 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:12,840 Speaker 2: what are we up to? Are we still on dyce 452 00:30:12,880 --> 00:30:15,720 Speaker 2: in here? Let's gip that one. Let's go to number four. 453 00:30:16,880 --> 00:30:20,960 Speaker 2: Why do you like? Oah, No, another black academic at 454 00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:24,840 Speaker 2: this State of the Black Union address or Black State 455 00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:30,200 Speaker 2: of the Union Conference, Cornell West of Princeton. Number five edition. 456 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:33,000 Speaker 3: Of democracy is to come to terms with the catastrophic. 457 00:30:34,000 --> 00:30:35,200 Speaker 2: And that's why it's. 458 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:38,920 Speaker 3: So very important we are here in New Orleans because 459 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:44,160 Speaker 3: the slave ship was catastrophic, the plantation was catastrophic. Jim 460 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:47,360 Speaker 3: and Jane Crow was catastrophic. Teaching black people that hate 461 00:30:47,400 --> 00:30:53,880 Speaker 3: themselves as catastrophic. Katrina was catastrophic. There's a history of 462 00:30:53,960 --> 00:30:58,200 Speaker 3: coming to terms with the catastrophic and the condition of 463 00:30:58,240 --> 00:31:01,240 Speaker 3: truth allowing suffering to speak the condition of democracy. Coming 464 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:04,880 Speaker 3: to terms with the catastrophic means that black people's doings 465 00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:08,600 Speaker 3: and sufferings become the very key to the understanding not 466 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:10,720 Speaker 3: only of what it means to be human in America, 467 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:13,280 Speaker 3: but what it means to create an American democracy. 468 00:31:13,440 --> 00:31:15,400 Speaker 2: Shame on Princeton. We'll be back in a moment. 469 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:25,560 Speaker 1: This episode of timeless Wisdom will continue. Now back to 470 00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:29,000 Speaker 1: more of Dennis Prager's timeless wisdom. 471 00:31:29,040 --> 00:31:32,800 Speaker 2: It is so sad. There are more more excerpts here. 472 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:35,080 Speaker 2: Should we do one more? Let's see thirty eight seconds. Yeah, 473 00:31:35,120 --> 00:31:40,520 Speaker 2: let's do this one. Cornell West, the black professor, also 474 00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 2: huge name at Princeton. Go ahead, Oh sorry, that'll be 475 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:47,000 Speaker 2: number six. Yeah. 476 00:31:47,360 --> 00:31:50,040 Speaker 3: We've been living in a political ice age, which is 477 00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:53,560 Speaker 3: a historical period where it's fashionable to be indifferent to 478 00:31:53,680 --> 00:31:57,200 Speaker 3: the suffering of others, especially the most vulnerable. And for 479 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:00,920 Speaker 3: thirty some years we've had ways of life in which 480 00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:05,480 Speaker 3: people could turn their backs to the catastrophic circumstances in 481 00:32:05,560 --> 00:32:09,640 Speaker 3: our society, and we're shattering that indifference. We are living 482 00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:14,000 Speaker 3: in an unprecedented moment today in which we are witnessing 483 00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:17,760 Speaker 3: the melting of the political ice age, where the catastrophic 484 00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:21,960 Speaker 3: circumstances in a mass and around the world become more visible. 485 00:32:22,680 --> 00:32:26,040 Speaker 3: And Obama campaign is a symbol of that. 486 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:33,760 Speaker 2: All right, okay, The catastrophic nature of racist American the oppressing, 487 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:38,560 Speaker 2: pressing of the of its black masses, the language of 488 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:41,600 Speaker 2: the dice in language was really something. I studied Marxism 489 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:44,000 Speaker 2: at the Russian Institute of Columbia. That was my field 490 00:32:44,360 --> 00:32:46,960 Speaker 2: of communist studies. I mean, this is truly It's like 491 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:49,400 Speaker 2: listening to a guy from the nineteenth century who had 492 00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:53,920 Speaker 2: just read Marx The Oppressing of the Black Masses. That's awesome. 493 00:32:55,080 --> 00:32:56,800 Speaker 2: If you a member of the black masses, give us 494 00:32:56,840 --> 00:33:01,240 Speaker 2: a call. Always wonder who these people are. But at 495 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:04,040 Speaker 2: Georgetown University, when you're university professor and you live in 496 00:33:04,040 --> 00:33:06,000 Speaker 2: the world of theory and you have tenure, meaning you 497 00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 2: can say anything, no matter how ridiculous, and you can't 498 00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:12,840 Speaker 2: lose your job, you can still do that. Oh, my 499 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:14,840 Speaker 2: dear friends, let me just say this, because we have 500 00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:18,920 Speaker 2: so many good calls and it's it does. I sincere 501 00:33:20,160 --> 00:33:22,440 Speaker 2: from the depths of my heart that I wish I 502 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:27,080 Speaker 2: could take all of your calls Reggie, Michael, Harry, Bobby, Richard, 503 00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:33,000 Speaker 2: Jimmy from around the country. I I will leave you, though, 504 00:33:33,080 --> 00:33:34,560 Speaker 2: I have to leave you with a thought, because we 505 00:33:34,600 --> 00:33:37,760 Speaker 2: have just a minute to go here. The notion that 506 00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:45,520 Speaker 2: America is racist hurts everybody. It hurts America because it 507 00:33:45,680 --> 00:33:49,720 Speaker 2: breeds ingratitude to something worthy of gratitude. So it's an 508 00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:56,240 Speaker 2: immoral statement that which breeds in gratitude. But the biggest victims, 509 00:33:56,280 --> 00:33:59,600 Speaker 2: by far, of the belief that America is racist are 510 00:33:59,640 --> 00:34:03,400 Speaker 2: those who believe it and who feel that they are 511 00:34:03,440 --> 00:34:06,840 Speaker 2: its victims. In this case, those blacks who believe it. 512 00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:11,200 Speaker 2: I cannot think, and I'm serious, I cannot think of 513 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:13,080 Speaker 2: a worse way to wake up every day than to 514 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:18,920 Speaker 2: think your society loathes you, to walk around and think 515 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:20,960 Speaker 2: that the average person who is not a member of 516 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:23,600 Speaker 2: your race wants to put you in the worst seat 517 00:34:23,640 --> 00:34:29,439 Speaker 2: of the restaurant, whatever that means. I wrote a book 518 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:32,440 Speaker 2: on happiness, and I can't think of anything less conducive 519 00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:37,080 Speaker 2: to a happy, healthy life than the belief that America 520 00:34:37,160 --> 00:34:38,920 Speaker 2: is racist. This is Dennis Prager. 521 00:34:51,080 --> 00:34:55,400 Speaker 1: This has been timeless wisdom with Dennis Prager. Visit Dennisprager 522 00:34:55,440 --> 00:34:58,960 Speaker 1: dot com for thousands of hours of Dennis's lectures, courses 523 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:03,640 Speaker 1: in classic radio programs, and to purchase Dennis Prager's Rational Bibles.