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Michael Johnson says Slave Breeding led to Slavery Descendants being better athletes

Discussion in 'BBS Hangout: Debate & Discussion' started by DFWRocket, Jul 5, 2012.

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  1. DFWRocket

    DFWRocket Member

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    Wow - Didn't Jimmy the Greek get fired for saying something very similar once?

    I think his statement has some merit..but we have to remember that while there are many, not every superior athlete who happens to be black is a descendent of a slave. I think it could it be a cultural thing as well.

    http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/olymp...ndants-run-faster-because-155858303--oly.html

    Four-time gold medalist Michael Johnson believes the question of why black athletes dominate Olympic sprint competitions shouldn't be taboo. In the lead-up to the London Games, he's trying to broach the controversial topic.
    Johnson, who recently had his lineage traced back to West Africa as part of a British documentary, told the Daily Mail that slavery has "left an imprint through the generations."
    The eight men who ran in the 100-meter finals -- all African-American or African-Caribbean -- in Beijing are believed to have been descended from slaves, according to the documentary.
    [ Related: Michael Johnson's golden runs in 1996 live on in Olympic history ]
    "Difficult as it was to hear," Johnson said, "slavery has benefited descendants like me. I believe there is a superior athletic gene in us."
    The Daily Mail explains:
    Some scientists believe a combination of selective breeding by slave owners and appalling conditions meant that only the strongest slaves endured, creating a group predisposed to record-breaking athletic performance.
    African slaves underwent a rigorous selection process and only the fittest were transported on ships.
    Johnson's views on the genetics of slavery and his allusions to eugenics have been mostly ignored in the United States. The interview with the Daily Mail was published last Wednesday and barely made ripples across the pond. For good reason: It's a third rail topic in the States. Even intelligent debate on the subject runs the risk of becoming controversial. Any statement is treated as polarizing.
    The comments section on the Daily Mail piece is a fine example. Either Johnson is a hero for bringing his views to light or he's ignorant for his "trash" beliefs. There's no middle ground in a topic like this.
     
    #1 DFWRocket, Jul 5, 2012
  2. RocketMan Tex

    RocketMan Tex Member

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    Yes he did. Fortunately for Michael Johnson, he is not an employee of a major media outlet.
     
    #2 RocketMan Tex, Jul 5, 2012
  3. Bandwagoner

    Bandwagoner Member

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    It doesn't have any merit.
     
    #3 Bandwagoner, Jul 5, 2012
  4. pirc1

    pirc1 Member

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    it is not PC to talk about the subject, but from are purely science point of view, I believe it is valid. If you really pair off athletes for generations, you could create super athletes. theoretically you should be able to get super smart kids by pairing of geniuses as well I guess. But it takes centuries for something like this to began to work, so it is just a theory.
     
    #4 pirc1, Jul 5, 2012
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2012
  5. KingCheetah

    KingCheetah Atomic Playboy
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    This is why the Olympics should be white only.
     
    #5 KingCheetah, Jul 5, 2012
    1 person likes this.
  6. DFWRocket

    DFWRocket Member

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    Actually, I won't criticize Michael Johnson for this at all - These subjects need to be discussed, but discussed civilly.
    Michael Johnson is expressing his opinion, regardless of how you feel about him, he has a right to that opinion. Sponsors can leave him or love him if they want. I think he's smart in wanting to discuss the topic..since only through rational discussions about race, can racism ever be obliterated. Unfortunately, nobody in America can talk rationally about it. It seems that England has a much easier time discussing controversial topics because the English are able to rationalize over them while shifting personal feelings to the background..something we Americans should learn from them.
     
    #6 DFWRocket, Jul 5, 2012
  7. sammy

    sammy Member

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    Sic em
     
    #7 sammy, Jul 5, 2012
  8. AroundTheWorld

    AroundTheWorld Member

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    1) It gives a different explanation than doping.
    2) It gives a different explanation than purely race.
    3) I have no idea whether it has merit, but don't think one can just dismiss it.
     
    #8 AroundTheWorld, Jul 5, 2012
  9. da1

    da1 Member

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    This his been stated by a lot of people.
     
    #9 da1, Jul 5, 2012
  10. bloop

    bloop Member

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    It's not slavery it's West African genes.

    The reason why Americans and Caribbean athletes dominate is the West African countries don't have the ability to develop its human capital, in this case in sports.

    I mean in the 80s sprints were dominated by Americans, if it's slavery then the Jamaicans should have been dominant back then. They have a better program today and thus have more success.

    Africans are not one race Africa is a huge continent, much bigger than most Americans can even fathom, and the populations were extremely isolated, breeding bio diversity. Rome had roads stretching all the way to the Horn of Africa and Iran but blacks in Africa 500 miles apart might be separated by 10,000 years of evolution.

    West Africans have the fast twitch, East Africans have the long distance genes. It's like comparing Asians. NE Asians like Manchurians, Koreans Japanese have 110 IQ. You go down to Southeast Asia and their IQs are in the 90s like whites. Deke for example, is African but doesn't have the same gene as Johnson.

    I really don't think it's slavery. You can't evolve that **** in 400 years and West Africa (where the slaves originated) today have those fast twitch muscles. Plus slave masters didn't "breed" their slaves. This is just ignorance and hubris by American blacks who believe themselves superior not only to white Americans but black Africans as well? That **** is just stupid.
     
    #10 bloop, Jul 5, 2012
  11. KingCheetah

    KingCheetah Atomic Playboy
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    Honestly, I would enjoy a serious discussion on the matter -- humans are just animals -- why couldn't we benefit from selective breeding? Of course selective breeding does nothing to explain the Kenyans dominance in distance running or Americans/ Australians ability to swim fast which would be natural selection. Well, we do know the why, but not the how.
     
    #11 KingCheetah, Jul 5, 2012
  12. B-Bob

    B-Bob "94-year-old self-described dreamer"
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    KingCheetah, how exactly did you think the white peoples got to Australia. I mean, duh they scan swim really well. :rolleyes:
     
    #12 B-Bob, Jul 5, 2012
  13. DFWRocket

    DFWRocket Member

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    All extremely good points

    (until the rant at the end)

    If you would have ended with "I really don't believe it's slavery"..it would have been a really good argument. but the last paragraph reeks of anger and makes readers forget all the good stuff you said.
     
    #13 DFWRocket, Jul 5, 2012
  14. Bandwagoner

    Bandwagoner Member

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    Not really. It's important to understand why this has been so wide spread and believed. It fits everyone's biased beliefs and it is a well known fact that we are always more receptive to idea that fit our own little biased model of the world.

    It fits into BS models of:

    Blacks should be grateful for slavery.
    Black athletes are a product of white intervention.
    Blacks are sub human.

    Also:

    Makes white slave owners look more evil and maniacal.
    Discounts hard work, natural talent.

    This eugenics crap just didn't happen, and certainly isn't in anyway responsible for Usain Bolt or Andre Johnson.
     
    #14 Bandwagoner, Jul 5, 2012
  15. bigtexxx

    bigtexxx Member

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    Yao Ming's parents as potential evidence?
     
    #15 bigtexxx, Jul 5, 2012
  16. KingCheetah

    KingCheetah Atomic Playboy
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    Oh, there wasn't a land bridge?
     
    #16 KingCheetah, Jul 5, 2012
  17. CCorn

    CCorn Member

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    Trophy wives marrying nerdy business execs has lead to the demise of white athletes.
     
    #17 CCorn, Jul 5, 2012
  18. Mr. Brightside

    Mr. Brightside Member

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    The irony of all this is that if a rogue black scientist didn't create the white man in a test tube a thousand years ago, the birth of the oppressor would have never taken place. Talk about poor foresight.
     
    #18 Mr. Brightside, Jul 5, 2012
  19. DFWRocket

    DFWRocket Member

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    Oh I agree with a lot of what he said..its just how it was said that I believe hurt the argument. Its like I said earlier that we tend to let personal feelings get into a discussion.

    Although I disagree with the thought that it makes the case that "blacks should be grateful for slavery". Thats a terrible argument and shouldn't even be thought of in this scenario. The facts are that slavery happened - it should be Loathed, and for the most part it is. We shouldn't look at this as a "softening of the effects of slavery" but we should have civil discussions on the effects of slavery on people. Was this an effect of slavery? I think we've seen some good arguments here that counter that thought..certainly enough to make me discount Johnson's statement more.

    My point is, I applaud Johnson for bringing it up..whether he's wrong or right..we need to have civil discussions on race and racial history in order to move forward to become a less hostile society when it comes to race.
     
    #19 DFWRocket, Jul 5, 2012
  20. Bandwagoner

    Bandwagoner Member

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    No, it totally makes that point. It doesn't matter if 'blacks should be grateful for slavery' is a totally asinine, racist idea or not. Someone who tries to make it could use the preponderance of american blacks in athletics as support.
     
    #20 Bandwagoner, Jul 5, 2012
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