The Trump Administration (just Trump) Thread

King Stannis said:

White and black is a construct and a poor label (like Asian) when it comes to genetics. However, genetic ethnic groups do show certain pre-dispositions.

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Right, precisely; this is actually the point being made -- the term "Black" and "White" here makes almost no sense. You must discuss these concepts from the standpoint of actual ethnic background -- and for African-Americans, that's almost impossible without personalized individual study of their genetic makeup.

King Stannis said:

East Africans are very good at marathon running not only because of cultural influences, but because they have mutations on their red blood cells that give them superior endurance via enhanced oxygenation.

As Jigo pointed out, Nordic populations show a pre-disposition toward extreme upper-body strength. And, for some reason, 5% of the Nordic population has an immunity to HIV thanks to some random genetic mutation that has existed since at least the Viking age. In areas the Norse conquered, or at least visited in an intimate fashion, that genetic footprint still exists in smaller numbers (2% of people in the Orkney Islands are immune to HIV).

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I agree that within ethnicities you can find such variance; but not across race. You cannot look at the population of "Black people" and make the same comparison since that term is simply too broad.

A "Black" person could be descendant of any number of African, whether East African, North African, or sub-Saharan African, and these three distinct groups cover well over 100 genetically distinct ethnicities with sub-Saharan Africans having remarkably different genetic characteristics than East Africans while North Africans having closer genetic composition to certain Southern Europeans than other African ethnic groups.

Simply put, the term "Black" when used in this context, is simply misleading. It does not mean what people think it means, and when they use it to describe or discuss what we call "Black" in this country and try to assign genetic realities to the term it begins to run into a myriad of contradictions, and qualifications, until you reach the point where you realize you can't make any reasonably reliable claims about the genetic traits of "Blacks" even compared to other "Blacks."

Simply put, the term does not apply to a closely related group of people... and that's highly counterintuitive for many folks because they perceive Black people as having a likely singular recent genetic origin.

The Oi said:

There is a high occurrence of certain genetic disorders in Ashkenazi Jews.

This is a good example of undesirable traits being bred into smaller communities over long periods of time.

Not particularly useful for professional sports and maybe part of the reason why you don’t find a lot of Epsteins and Feinbergs in the NBA. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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The genetic comparison between "Black people" and Ashkenazi Jews is remarkably different in scope. If you re-evaluate the two terms here, and understand just how broadly different they are, you'd see why it's not a reasonable comparison.

gourimoko said:

Right, precisely; this is actually the point being made -- the term "Black" and "White" here makes almost no sense. You must discuss these concepts from the standpoint of actual ethnic background -- and for African-Americans, that's almost impossible without personalized individual study of their genetic makeup.



I agree that within ethnicities you can find such variance; but not across race. You cannot look at the population of "Black people" and make the same comparison since that term is simply too broad.

A "Black" person could be descendant of any number of African, whether East African, North African, or sub-Saharan African, and these three distinct groups cover well over 100 genetically distinct ethnicities with sub-Saharan Africans having remarkably different genetic characteristics than East Africans while North Africans having closer genetic composition to certain Southern Europeans than other African ethnic groups.

Simply put, the term "Black" when used in this context, is simply misleading. It does not mean what people think it means, and when they use it to describe or discuss what we call "Black" in this country and try to assign genetic realities to the term it begins to run into a myriad of contradictions, and qualifications, until you reach the point where you realize you can't make any reasonably reliable claims about the genetic traits of "Blacks" even compared to other "Blacks."

Simply put, the term does not apply to a closely related group of people... and that's highly counterintuitive for many folks because they perceive Black people as having a likely singular recent genetic origin.

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Race is a relatively new concept created in the 16th Century in Europe to justify the subjugation of the Americas and later Africa.

Traditionally, Antiquity made no real distinction between the color of one's skin. Empires, by definition, are vast conglomerations of people and it is of little use to an Emperor to distinguish and categorize their subjects by skin color.

The Roman Empire only had one distinction: Citizens and non-citizens. If you were a citizen you had the same rights and legal privileges as any other citizen regardless of origin or skin color. By the 3rd Century, citizens could be dark-skinned sub-Saharan Africans, Indians, Arabs and the palest of Scotsmen.

Shit, a black man, Septimius Severus from Tunisia, was one of Rome's best Emperors, and an Arab, Philip the Arab, also wore the Purple. This continued on with the Eastern Empire following the West's lapse into barbarity. The various Persian Empires (Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanid) were also famously multiracial as were the vile Ottomans. As were the Crusader kingdoms of Outremer. Europe only started creating labels, backed by legislation, when the slave trade started.

gourimoko said:

The genetic comparison between "Black people" and Ashkenazi Jews is remarkably different in scope. If you re-evaluate the two terms here, and understand just how broadly different they are, you'd see why it's not a reasonable comparison.

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It was a real point about Ashkenazis used as a setup for a joke.

Your point about “blacks” being spread out all over the planet is well taken. It makes perfect sense.

But do you disagree with the theory that slave owners selecting for athletic body types still has an impact on current body types today?

Yo how about Eminem completely destroying Trump last night? Holy shit. Any Trump supporter who is against Kapernick just got their shit pushed in by that. LOL explain to me how calling POWs losers for being captured isn't 1000x more disrespectful than for taking a knee for equality while explicitly stating you fully support the troops? You can't. So don't try. That should put this NFL shit to bed. Still waiting for my check from Mike Pence's big top act however.

Check mate. Thanks Marshall!

Jack Brickman said:

No doubt. If/when I have kids, I'd teach them to be kickers. Make a couple hundred grand a year minimum and the chances of CTE are basically nil. The other players might make more, but at least the kickers will be able to remember their careers in twenty years.

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Long snappers aren't allowed to be hit anymore. Plus, it's an easier repeatable motion with fewer variables involved like blockers, distance, and wind. You do have to make a tackle from time to time though.

Hurl Bruce said:

Long snappers aren't allowed to be hit anymore. Plus, it's an easier repeatable motion with fewer variables involved like blockers, distance, and wind. You do have to make a tackle from time to time though.

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Remember when the Browns out-thought themselves and took pro-Bowl longsnapper Ryan Pontbriand early?

The Browns have consistently had great players at positions that can’t score touchdowns.

Slim Shady made a living off disrespecting woman in every way through rap music, that piece about respecting women and Hillary, I call bullshit. That can't come from him.

Mr. Orange said:

Yo how about Eminem completely destroying Trump last night? Holy shit. Any Trump supporter who is against Kapernick just got their shit pushed in by that. LOL explain to me how calling POWs losers for being captured isn't 1000x more disrespectful than for taking a knee for equality while explicitly stating you fully support the troops? You can't. So don't try. That should put this NFL shit to bed. Still waiting for my check from Mike Pence's big top act however.

Check mate. Thanks Marshall!

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I see you like to talk to yourself.

Cool.

Real Deal said:

Slim Shady made a living off disrespecting woman in every way through rap music, that piece about respecting women and Hillary, I call bullshit. That can't come from him.

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While I appreciate Eminem as an artist and agree with his message here, he has a loooooong history of misogyny and homophobia that I don't think he's atoned for at all (please correct me if I'm wrong).

I hate the Royals as a concept but this is kinda funny.

Putin got a fucking state visit I think. They really just don't want to bother an old lady with a boarish shitstain like Trump I guess.

Mr. Orange said:

Yo how about Eminem completely destroying Trump last night? Holy shit. Any Trump supporter who is against Kapernick just got their shit pushed in by that. LOL.

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Just a guess here, but I suspect a great many Trump supporters (and many people in general) had no idea that Eminem said anything, or would even care if he did.

Doesn't the air get a bit stinky inside that bubble of yours?

King Stannis said:

Shit, a black man, Septimius Severus from Tunisia, was one of Rome's best Emperors,

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I don't believe Septimus Severus was black. He was born on the continent of Africa, but that didn't make him black.

-Akronite- said:

While I appreciate Eminem as an artist and agree with his message here, he has a loooooong history of misogyny and homophobia that I don't think he's atoned for at all (please correct me if I'm wrong).

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That's one hundred percent true. And yet I can't help but be captivated by Eminem's freestyle destruction of Trump. He succintly and skillfully captured the hypocrisy of this president. The messenger is certainly flawed, but I found his message compelling and profound.

The Oi said:

But do you disagree with the theory that slave owners selecting for athletic body types still has an impact on current body types today?

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the CBS NFL pregame show in the 70s and 80s used to have a guy on there, Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder, who picked the winners (against the line) each week. He was fired for basically saying what you just said. Here's what he said: