web analytics

About that AP survey…?

Did y’all see the brouhaha last week about an AP poll that supposedly found 51% of Americans are prejudiced against black people? That really weirded me out, because…well, among other things, they’re not counting black people as Americans?

So I tracked down the actual survey (.pdf file). It’s a joint product of the University of Michigan, Stanford University and the University of Chicago. Here’s the first question:

“Irish, Italians, Jews, and other minorities overcame prejudice and worked their way up. Blacks should do the same without special favors.”

If you agree with that, you’re scored as a racist.

Let that sink in a minute.

If you think black people are just as smart and capable as Irish, Italians and Jews, you’re a racist. Phwaw. Ready? Question two:

“Generations of slavery have created conditions that make it difficult for Blacks to work their way out of the lower class.”

Disagree with that, and you’re a racist. So if you think someone’s prospects are not blighted by something horrible that happened to his great-great-great grandparents, there’s just no other explanation for it: you’re a racist, sugar! The next three questions are pretty much variations on the “hard work = get ahead” theme from the first question. Here’s question six:

“Some people say that Black leaders have been trying to push too fast. Others feel that they haven’t pushed fast enough. What do you think?”

Yup. If you think the likes of Jesse Jackson and Louis Farrakhan aren’t doing black people any favors — racist! The next two questions are how much racism is there in the US, and how much of that is the fault of black people. Then they move onto complete voodoo.

On a computer screen, they show a quick flash of a black man’s face or a white man’s face, followed by a Chinese character. Then you’re asked if the Chinese character is pleasant or unpleasant. They do this 24 times. If you don’t like the squiggle you see after a glimpse of a dusky gob, you’re Bull Connor, baby!

Totally not making that up. It’s called Affect Misattribution Procedure (AMP). Because — science, you inbred hillbilly!

That’s it. That’s the whole thing. That’s how they come to the conclusion a whopping 51% of Americans are racists.

Is this the new, official, mainstream (Associated Press) definition of racism? Thinking black people are as smart as anybody else? And only 51% agree that they are? And those 51% are the bad guys? I really am having trouble processing this.

And, after all that, I still don’t know if the AP is only counting white people as Americans.

Comments


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: October 30, 2012, 10:28 pm

I have very little attention span reading academese. Someone with a higher tolerance could probably mine more goodies from the paper.

I really am left awestruck by this thing. I mean, I knew stupid shit like this went on on campus, but I didn’t realize the AP would pick it up and everybody would run with it.


Comment from Oceania
Time: October 30, 2012, 10:35 pm

I see one of your reactors outside new York has lost spent fuel pool cooling.


Comment from Bob Mulroy
Time: October 30, 2012, 10:41 pm

That’s why I never answer polls.


Comment from Uncle Al
Time: October 30, 2012, 10:43 pm

It says 51% of Americans are racist? Well, that obviously means that 51% of Black Americans are racist because not including Black people as Americans would itself be racist, wouldn’t it? And we all know that the surveyors couldn’t possibly be racists themselves. Oh, no-no-no!

But whatever their take on this mess is, my take is that the survey and its scoring is pretty much racist.


Comment from Oceania
Time: October 30, 2012, 11:26 pm

Sweasle can’t handle the Truth!


Comment from dissent555
Time: October 30, 2012, 11:45 pm

“And, after all that, I still don’t know if the AP is only counting white people as Americans.”

I doubt very seriously that the AP can count. I mean, why go to all that trouble when you can just make shit up and send it out over the wires as “news”.


Comment from Oceania
Time: October 30, 2012, 11:57 pm

Sub-human knuckle draggers!


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: October 31, 2012, 12:01 am

Oceania, dude, chill on the toddler routine.


Comment from Stark Dickflüssig
Time: October 31, 2012, 12:02 am

I’ve lived in a few places & met a whole lot of people & if you told me that 51% of (American) blacks are prejudiced against their fellow blacks I’d say you’re lowballing it.


Comment from Rich Rostrom
Time: October 31, 2012, 12:18 am

The Left’s bitter clinging to the bogeyman of racism is obsession.

For instance: there is a YWCA near me. The YWCA, like all not explicitly conservative institutions, is run by liberals. They have their organizational creed on the sign by the street:

“Eliminating racism Empowering women”. Note which comes first. One would think that the Young Women’s Christian Association would put women first – but no. The liberal sacred cow takes absolute precedence.

And of course racism. Not poverty, not ignorance, not crime, not war, not tyranny, not corruption, not slavery, not drugs, not cancer, not illiteracy, not mental illness, not wife-beating, not illegitimacy, not alcoholism.

Racism 24/7.


Comment from Some Vegetable
Time: October 31, 2012, 12:23 am

I’ve long thought that Affirmative Action action and things such as ‘Black History Month’ are condescending towards Blacks. In the case of affirmative action – “you aren’t smart enough to make it unless we over-rate you, poor dears” and regarding Black History Month” I can’t stop thinking of the old Cake mix TV ad that shows the little girl saying “And I helped!” Yes, Blacks, you helped. Imagine someone trying to organize Jewish History Month.

I have to confess though, that I’m not as tolerant of American Black behavior as I used to be. I grew weary of the knee-jerk reaction that I saw at my company where almost every Black who received any criticism or wasn’t promoted et al, was convinced that the reason was racism. I had a few Black friends who hated the whole thing… one was very proud that -never- in her career had she played the Race Card and she cringed every time she saw it done.
On that same note I have always been fascinated that Caribbean and African Blacks -don’t share that attitude.


Comment from Some Vegetable
Time: October 31, 2012, 12:24 am

Am I banned yet, or just to be shunned?


Comment from AliceH
Time: October 31, 2012, 12:33 am

SomeVeg – that was not a cake commercial. It was Shake ‘n Bake. You racist. 😉


Comment from Oceania
Time: October 31, 2012, 12:34 am

You need to try hard to get banned …. your performance is slipping old boy!

No one wants to admit multiculturalism has failed!
I believe in my race and support those wanting to protect theirs!


Comment from Oceania
Time: October 31, 2012, 12:37 am

Can anyone here remember if the Mk I at Oyster Creek has its spent fuel pool up high like Fukushima?
Because the pumps have jammed.


Comment from Armybrat
Time: October 31, 2012, 12:41 am

Some veg- I agree with much, but I would clarify to say I am not tolerant of ghetto behavior. That is, women who spread their legs indiscriminately, men who spread their seed wantonly and the mostly feral children that combination begets. That our government actively promotes the begating is another issue I have issue with. That skin color gives any participant in this sad existence a leg up speaks clearly to the amoral basis of the question.


Comment from Oceania
Time: October 31, 2012, 1:29 am

I’m going to make a Prediction!

That race Eugenics is coming back in with a Vengeance!
Culture, and Genetics go hand in hand.
You can take the man out of Africa, but you cannot take Africa out of the man.

Some of you Americans should have more pride in your genetic history, than pandering to the lowest mongrel sub-species denominator of your local gene pool.

After all, that’s the only culture that you really have …


Comment from Davem123
Time: October 31, 2012, 1:43 am

Don’t get too worked up over the study. It’s only in the news for one reason- It was the top Google search result when a reporter typed in “racism”, looking for something to help the O’you-know-who campaign against the evil Romney.


Comment from Davem123
Time: October 31, 2012, 1:44 am

On another note, it looks like someone skipped their meds today.


Comment from Michael
Time: October 31, 2012, 3:10 am

The University of Michigan (Hail to the Victims!) was involved? Color me shocked


Comment from Christopher Taylor
Time: October 31, 2012, 5:02 am

I wouldn’t at all be surprised to find that 51% of black folks in America had the same reaction to that quiz as you did. Especially if they’re immigrants from Africa.


Comment from Oceania
Time: October 31, 2012, 6:37 am

And a very good morning to you too Ms Weasle!


Comment from Oceania
Time: October 31, 2012, 6:38 am

Look what happened to the Europeans in North America 40,000 years ago?
Europeans in China 8,000 years ago?
Oh look at multiculturalism today? If you don’t like multiculturalism – you’re a Racist!
I certainly don’t like it …


Comment from Oceania
Time: October 31, 2012, 6:43 am

And no – you shouldn’t be having sex with Hobbits.


Comment from Mike C.
Time: October 31, 2012, 9:26 am

“You can take the man out of Africa, but you cannot take Africa out of the man.”

You really are an utter moron, you know.


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: October 31, 2012, 10:32 am

Yeah, pretty much. He’s got his heart set on pushing the boundaries today. Any mention of race gets his motor running.


Comment from scottthebadger
Time: October 31, 2012, 12:08 pm

Than this should kill him. LeMans, Indianapolis, and the Reno Races, where the F2G Corsairs dominate!


Comment from Clifford Skridlow
Time: October 31, 2012, 12:46 pm

As long as blacks in the US allow fools like this to speak for them, they are doomed.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/ballot_box/2003/09/the_worst_of_al_sharpton.html


Comment from jwm
Time: October 31, 2012, 4:13 pm

Prejudiced? That would mean thinking blacks are stupid and violent without encountering any blacks.
How about postjudiced. Thinking blacks are stupid and violent after having encountered them.

JWM


Comment from Can\’t hark my cry
Time: October 31, 2012, 4:16 pm

I mean, I knew stupid shit like this went on on campus, but I didn’t realize the AP would pick it up and everybody would run with it.

This is perhaps an unusually dire example–but the model is pretty much used for all media reports of scientific and academic research, in part because they get their leads from the press releases put out by the researchers, who tend to overstate (big time!) the importance of their research and meaning of its results. A shameful performance all around.

And, yup; probably take a couple of days for the troll to get himself back under control, but there’s no need to pay any attention to him, so that works out good.


Comment from Stark Dickflüssig
Time: October 31, 2012, 4:31 pm

Comment from jwm
Time: October 31, 2012, 4:13 pm

Prejudiced? That would mean thinking blacks are stupid and violent without encountering any blacks.
How about postjudiced.

Having encountered many stupid & violent blacks does not mean that the individual standing before you is stupid or violent.


Comment from Christopher Taylor
Time: October 31, 2012, 5:49 pm

This is just part 1 of the tsunami of “AMerica the Racist” coming in the next 4 years. Expect movies, TV shows, magazine articles, newspaper specials, college studies, HBO special events and so on. We’re going to be inundated with this crap, I predict.


Comment from jwm
Time: October 31, 2012, 6:52 pm

Time: October 31, 2012, 4:13 pm

Prejudiced? That would mean thinking blacks are stupid and violent without encountering any blacks.
How about postjudiced.

Having encountered many stupid & violent blacks does not mean that the individual standing before you is stupid or violent.

Didn’t say that it did. One can have a low opinion of a group in general while still giving individuals the benefit of the doubt when meeting them. The problem is that according to our betters in academia, the media, et al we are allowed only one opinion, that of the party line. And it doesn’t matter if the party line is wildly inconsistent with reality. We are still allowed only the opinion of the party line.
The real problem is one of semantic drift, or deliberate conflation of terms. Prejudice= pre-judging, not bigotry. Racism= believing that there are traits determined by race, again, not bigotry.
Only bigotry is bigotry. But our betters have chosen to conflate all three terms with bigotry, and allow no dissent from their pre-ordained judgment. That’s what pisses me off.

JWM


Comment from unkawill
Time: October 31, 2012, 7:03 pm

All I know is that I don’t like Lazy people.


Comment from mojo
Time: October 31, 2012, 7:07 pm

Aw, the Blunder from Down Unda is trying to annoy.

Ain’t that cute?


Comment from Oceania
Time: October 31, 2012, 8:42 pm

How nice.
You know it is true.

But look what happens when black breed with you? You have one as your president now. Half communist black, half Jew.


Comment from S. Weasel
Time: October 31, 2012, 9:31 pm

Wait, what? How’d a joo get in there?


Comment from Oceania
Time: October 31, 2012, 9:35 pm

You Americans don’t know too much – do you?


Comment from Davem123
Time: November 1, 2012, 12:43 am

It’s always the Jooooooos. I’ve heard that the Joooooooos were told to leave NYC before Hurricane Sandy hit, also.

Coincidence? I think not!


Comment from Steve Skubinna
Time: November 1, 2012, 7:33 pm

This is in the same tradition of those periodic “scientific” studies that demonstrate conservatives are less intelligent and well educated than lefties.

I think they’re funded by the Mengele Institute of Politico-Scientific Research.


Comment from Eddie Willers
Time: November 18, 2012, 4:51 pm

Chris Rock already gave us a pithily cogent summation:

“Who’s more racist? Black people or white people?
Black people! You know why? Because we hate black people too!…There’s like a civil war goin’ on with black people, and there’s two sides. There’s Black People and there’s Niggaz – and the niggaz have got to go!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3PJF0YE-x4


Pingback from AP To America: “You Are All RAAACIST!” | The Political Hat
Time: December 14, 2012, 3:10 am

[…] example, some of the questions asked are hardly racist at all, as S. Weasel clearly shows: “So I tracked down the actual survey. It’s a joint product of the University […]

Write a comment

(as if I cared)

(yeah. I'm going to write)

(oooo! you have a website?)


Beware: more than one link in a comment is apt to earn you a trip to the spam filter, where you will remain -- cold, frightened and alone -- until I remember to clean the trap. But, hey, without Akismet, we'd be up to our asses in...well, ass porn, mostly.


<< carry me back to ol' virginny