DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - Why Race Became Such an Issue in the United States

**Repwailia** · 03-20-2012, 11:25 AM

Why did race become such a big issue in the United States compared to the other former colonies? I was watching a video where economist, social theorist and political philosopher Thomas Sowell stated that race became such an issue in the United States due to the egalitarian ideas that the United States was founded upon. In the Declaration of Independence it says that all men are created equal. Now I don't believe in that claim for a second, but Sowell says "if that's true then the only way you can justify slavery is to say that some men are less than men". He makes the point further by highlighting the fact that Brazil imported more slaves than the United States but does not have anywhere near the same history or views regarding race.

Egalitarianism in practice always seems to have these undesirable outcomes. I suspect that these negative outcomes stem from the fact that egalitarianism is based on a profound misconception of human nature and a feeling of discontent toward nature itself.

I find Sowell's argument to be an interesting and convincing. What's your take on it?

Let's look at the facts. You have the whitest people on the earth and the blackest people on earth, sharing the same space after tens of thousands of years of being separate. Naturally, this is going to be some kind of issue. Germanics and Nubians: two opposite ends of the spectrum in so many ways. I think we can all be glad that it has not yet played a central role in our society, resulting in the eradication of one by the other?

03-20-2012, 11:25 AM	#10
Repwailia Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 533 Senior Member	Why did race become such a big issue in the United States compared to the other former colonies? I was watching a video where economist, social theorist and political philosopher Thomas Sowell stated that race became such an issue in the United States due to the egalitarian ideas that the United States was founded upon. In the Declaration of Independence it says that all men are created equal. Now I don't believe in that claim for a second, but Sowell says "if that's true then the only way you can justify slavery is to say that some men are less than men". He makes the point further by highlighting the fact that Brazil imported more slaves than the United States but does not have anywhere near the same history or views regarding race. Egalitarianism in practice always seems to have these undesirable outcomes. I suspect that these negative outcomes stem from the fact that egalitarianism is based on a profound misconception of human nature and a feeling of discontent toward nature itself. I find Sowell's argument to be an interesting and convincing. What's your take on it? Let's look at the facts. You have the whitest people on the earth and the blackest people on earth, sharing the same space after tens of thousands of years of being separate. Naturally, this is going to be some kind of issue. Germanics and Nubians: two opposite ends of the spectrum in so many ways. I think we can all be glad that it has not yet played a central role in our society, resulting in the eradication of one by the other?
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