There is only the human race. Any differences in appearance is less that a % of genetic difference.
this post was submitted on 31 Jul 2025
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The modern concept of race was invented in 1684 by this guy:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Bernier?wprov=sfla1
It's been utter bullshit from the start
Of course he was fr*nch
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Fun fact, there is more genetic variation within Africa than there is in the rest of the world combined. This is because only a small lineage of humans ended up migrating out of Africa.
There's no logical difference, but there's all the emotional difference in the world. We evolved to be suspicious of that tribe over on the other mountain. And well we should have been! They might just come over and slaughter us for our women and land.
Besides, we didn't evolve to operate in groups larger than about 150. Past that, other people become objects in our minds. We can't be truly close to more than that many people. What is the Monkeysphere? ( <- solid article on all this)
It's why I understand the immigrant hate. Earth's population has more than doubled in my lifetime. "Who ARE all these people and why are they from another tribe?! It was already crowded!"
Only way we get over the hate ironically consists of two seemingly opposed plans:
- We need less people, or at least spread 'em out. Mammals get freaky when crowded.
- Get different sorts of people mixed up. People hate the idea of immigrants, "Meh, the ones I know are great people. It's those others who are bad guys."
We'll get there. There have been massive strides in my lifetime alone.
We'll get there. There have been massive strides in my lifetime alone.
If we don't extinct ourselves and a bunch of other species, first. Maybe. The current race toward devolution gives me pause to doubt, however.
We're not going extinct. Humans are the toughest beasts on the planet, the AR-15 of animals. Not the best at anything, not by a long shot, but we're perfect multi-purpose lifeforms. Hell, we survive in every ecosystem on Earth. Insects can't even claim that!
But yeah, I've commented enough in the past on what we're taking out with us. Lived through seeing 73% of animals go POOF! since 1970, seen my local ecosphere crashing out over the last 5. I want to cry and scream! And no one is aware. When I talk about it IRL, people are captivated, "You're right. Hadn't noticed that. Wow." You can see their gears turning, truly a new thought.
We're not going extinct. Humans are the toughest beasts on the planet, the AR-15 of animals. Not the best at anything, not by a long shot, but we're perfect multi-purpose lifeforms. Hell, we survive in every ecosystem on Earth. Insects can't even claim that!
I do believe climate science. And I do think a nuclear world war would decimate humans. I do hold hope, and recognize very real potentialities.
You can see their gears turning, truly a new thought.
And right back to football, video games, occasionally maybe standing somewhere publicly with a clever sign.
LOL, I'm a child of the Cold War. You can't tell me about global thermonuclear war fears! :) Weirdly, us teens just accepted it was a thing that could happen any second. Whatever.
And don't be so cynical! Educating people like that, showing them how things have changed for the worse in their experience has impact. But you gotta follow through with solutions they can work with! "And that's why I don't use pesticides or herbicides. Notice the frogs are back on our block? Seen all the dragonflies? Check out my ponds. They double as mosquito control!"
I think we're missing the trees in this forest of doom. We're powerless to fight the megacorps, and bitching about them only makes people feel more powerless. But we can teach people to chip away, give them actionable goals. Put the idea in their heads that, "This isn't normal or right and you've experienced this!", without being preachy. It's hard.
I've seen massive social and environmental progress in my life. It all started with grass-roots talking points. Don't say "fag", don't toss your cigarette fag (heh), pick up trash that's not yours, and on and on.
Don't lecture or lay blame, no guilt trips, talk about the problem in a personally, emotionally understandable way they'll internalize, give them a solution they can act on right now, today.
Maybe I'm still an idealist. So it goes.
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They'd still argue over religion. And what sports team they cheer for. And whatever else the billionaire owned media could decide to distract them with.
If I really wanted an excuse to hate people, I'd hate people who make dumb complaints about movies
People who won't use their blinkers
People with no regard to those around them
People who litter or don't clean up after their dog
The list goes on.
But To be fair, why was Gandalf the White just waiting around in the forest for Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas to stumble upon him?
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You... You really think we wouldn't find some other trivial differences to get overly tribal over?
Yes, I remember this conversation with a parent when I was in my 20s. They reminded me of clan and tribal wars.
Tell me you don't know what the nazies did in Eastern Europe without telling me you don't what the nazies did in Eastern Europe. Or how the Irish were considered in the USA, or the italians...
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Idk man. The Sneetches “got really quite wise on that day”, but they still never guillotined Sylvester McMonkey McBean.
It seems the sneetches wisdom knows very specifically defined bounds
That, mate, is the best comparison.
We'd still find ways to focus on what makes us different and fight about it.
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Let me tell you a bit bout a guy that I've seen.
A man known as Sylvester McMonkey McBean.
Every now and again he'd head towards the beaches
Carting along his machine, for the sneeches.
When did Dr. Seuss get so woke...
No we'd come up with something else. We need to gene edit everyone to edit out the tribalism gene and replace it with a "we're all in this together" gene.
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Twist, it is a completely novel race, no one looks normal anymore
I'd like for everyone to have green skin and antennae
I was thinking less alien, more realistic.
Maybe everyone is now a vaguely human looking Dusky Leaf Monkey.
Imagine the skin color patterns, being extra hairy, and looking somewhere between cute and uncanny valley.
Race is just one tool the parasite class uses...
There is gender and ethnicity and religion...
Possibilities are endless!
Race isn't really important to anyone but americans? There is racism everywhere, obviously, but race itself isn't important.
Nah. I've read online Europeans bashing every other sort of European, and they're mostly white. Often in jest, often in "Fuck the Gypsies!" Or the Greeks, or the Muslims, or what have you.
The US is quickly closing on on 50% white, 50% everyone else. Meanwhile, in Europe. So yeah, maybe we talk race too much, or use it as a shorthand too casually, but that doesn't automatically mean hate or exclusion. We just have big groups of races, ethnicities, whatever.
Not going to hear about America's racism when Europe is solid white. In other words, why would they complain about black people, or any other major ethnicity, when they don't have any?
As to other countries, I gather Japan is as racist as human culture gets. Australians are racist with the aborigines. Africans are racist against other African tribal groups. China is destroying the Uyghurs. I know jack about South America, but I got most of the rest of us in there! Not parroting the meme, but Canadians seem pretty nice. Oh, we go insane on each other in Antarctica. :)
Any of that make sense? Feels a bit rambly.
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Lol wot. You think we wouldn't get all caste system in this piece son?
See also: The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K Le Guin.