#393 "Black Stalin, Objectivity Is Racist, & Tax Robots Are Super Racist Too"
wethefifth.substack.com
Listen now (112 min) | The George Wallace travel app The genius and utter stupidity of WEB Dubois That disgraceful Dubois obit for Stalin A copy of the Conservation of Races book Len Downie’s rotten, horribly written piece about objectivity in news Jeff Gerth’s really good piece
My district gave all new faculty a copy of “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” (Beverly Daniel Tatum) when I started in 2005. Juxtapose this with Kendi’s “Stamped from the Beginning,” the pick for new hires in 2022. Sigh.
Not surprisingly, the complimentary lanyard included in my new hire grab bag still works, proving more durable than either bestseller.
The brat pack author who wrote in the second person Matt was trying to name was Jay McInerney, who for some reason I imagine Moynihan has drunk with at some point.
Great pod. Disagree with the school choice bit and I think Corey DeAngelis is a charlatan. But I liked the WEB Dubois Stalin stuff, well, I didn't LIKE LIKE it, but well, you know. I overall like the pod, as it is, am aware there are times where you guys might delve into subjects where I will shake my head and say "No, I don't think that's how it is" but hey, that's why America is great, amirite??
I had just posted that your offsets idea were, in the past, called “indulgences,” when Moynihan used the word. Very appropriate, as this has been a go-to of religions through the centuries.
One thing I’d add to the thing about journalists wanting to change the world: changing the world is a lofty goal, but good journalism can certainly have a positive impact while still being fair and impartial. For example, where I live in Australia, the journalism done by publications like The Sydney Morning Herald and the ABC has exposed corruption and changed this country for the better. For example, the 4 Corners report on corruption in the Queensland Police, the 7.30 and 4 Corners reports on alleged war crimes by the Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan, the 4 Corners reports on child detention, the banking industry, and aged care, all of which have led to Royal Commissions (independent judicial inquiries) into these sectors, the reporting by Kate McClymont of the Sydney Morning Herald into corruption in New South Wales, the 4 Corners and 60 Minutes reports into the cosmetics industry, the 60 Minutes reports into money laundering in casinos.
There are so many more examples of journalists making the world better through their accurate, impartial, and fair reporting. So you don’t need to be an activist, you can be a damn good journalist.
This was one of my favorite episodes yet! The only thing I'm not sure I agree on is that the school choice stuff is going to produce good results. I'm open to arguments in either direction and am admittedly ignorant of all the identifiable pros and cons. I mostly attended public schools as a kid, some of which were better than others. I also attended 2 private schools for a time, an Episcopalian one and a non-religious one, and the educational offerings from them were subpar. With school choice, what measures are proposed to enforce any sort of standards of quality on private schools? What would the effect be on public schools? I worry a great deal about improving our standards of education because it's one of those long-term issues that largely affect non-voters that often seem to go under the radar of politicians.
In defense of Len Downey’s piece: objectivity can be a challenge to one’s identity if you identify as a fucking moron.
Matt Welch > Josef Stalin.
Yeah, I said it. Come cancel me up, fam.
“A bit loose between the earlobes” is my new favorite Welchism.
My district gave all new faculty a copy of “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?” (Beverly Daniel Tatum) when I started in 2005. Juxtapose this with Kendi’s “Stamped from the Beginning,” the pick for new hires in 2022. Sigh.
Not surprisingly, the complimentary lanyard included in my new hire grab bag still works, proving more durable than either bestseller.
The brat pack author who wrote in the second person Matt was trying to name was Jay McInerney, who for some reason I imagine Moynihan has drunk with at some point.
Quote of the day so far: "Sniffing the musky jock"
Also, more proof of Matt's subterranean gay tendencies. Just own it, Matt. Love conquers all.
“Who was the better man, Dr. Martin Luther King... or Stalin?”
- Norm Macdonald, interviewing WEB Dubois with a characteristic gotcha question.
Great pod. Disagree with the school choice bit and I think Corey DeAngelis is a charlatan. But I liked the WEB Dubois Stalin stuff, well, I didn't LIKE LIKE it, but well, you know. I overall like the pod, as it is, am aware there are times where you guys might delve into subjects where I will shake my head and say "No, I don't think that's how it is" but hey, that's why America is great, amirite??
The Gentrification Indulgences also need to contain a land acknowledgement for the people who you priced out of the area.
I had just posted that your offsets idea were, in the past, called “indulgences,” when Moynihan used the word. Very appropriate, as this has been a go-to of religions through the centuries.
Welch with 2 A+ rants and I’m not even halfway through.
New tagline:
"TripAdvisor. Your George Wallace Travel App."
One thing I’d add to the thing about journalists wanting to change the world: changing the world is a lofty goal, but good journalism can certainly have a positive impact while still being fair and impartial. For example, where I live in Australia, the journalism done by publications like The Sydney Morning Herald and the ABC has exposed corruption and changed this country for the better. For example, the 4 Corners report on corruption in the Queensland Police, the 7.30 and 4 Corners reports on alleged war crimes by the Australian Defence Force in Afghanistan, the 4 Corners reports on child detention, the banking industry, and aged care, all of which have led to Royal Commissions (independent judicial inquiries) into these sectors, the reporting by Kate McClymont of the Sydney Morning Herald into corruption in New South Wales, the 4 Corners and 60 Minutes reports into the cosmetics industry, the 60 Minutes reports into money laundering in casinos.
There are so many more examples of journalists making the world better through their accurate, impartial, and fair reporting. So you don’t need to be an activist, you can be a damn good journalist.
This was one of my favorite episodes yet! The only thing I'm not sure I agree on is that the school choice stuff is going to produce good results. I'm open to arguments in either direction and am admittedly ignorant of all the identifiable pros and cons. I mostly attended public schools as a kid, some of which were better than others. I also attended 2 private schools for a time, an Episcopalian one and a non-religious one, and the educational offerings from them were subpar. With school choice, what measures are proposed to enforce any sort of standards of quality on private schools? What would the effect be on public schools? I worry a great deal about improving our standards of education because it's one of those long-term issues that largely affect non-voters that often seem to go under the radar of politicians.
Turns out that Black Stalin was actually a renowned calypso singer and five time “calypso monarch” from Trinidad and Tobago who died the end of 2022.
The obituary, which takes a tense and strangely long time to address his stage name, is here:
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/01/black-stalin-obituary
https://www.whitefolksisbad.com needs a Venmo