The Alarming Significance of Culture
by Armstrong WilliamsI’ve always wondered what makes Jews so successful. Always a minority in each country they’ve inhabited (with the recent exception of Israel), Jews are disproportionately represented among the most wealthy, powerful and accomplished citizens in the world today. They’ve done this despite a millennia’s long history of persecution and oppression. Why have they achieved so much, while other groups facing similar conditions have failed to raise themselves out of poverty?
Many American blacks point to the election of Barak Obama to the highest political office in the land as a triumph of the civil rights movement. And in many respect it is. The eradication of de jure discrimination has opened unprecedented opportunities for middle class blacks to achieve their highest aspirations. On the other hand, the majority of blacks in America have succumbed to the worst social pathologies: high poverty, unemployment, crime, broken families, and incarceration rates that greatly exceed other races – even controlling for education and income. When these statistics are pointed out, black intellectuals and activists usually blame the persistent effects of racism for the plight of the masses.
But is this really true? Both Asians and Jews – who have achieved disproportionate success in this country – also share a history of racial discrimination. Many of them came to this country with nothing, and have managed to dig themselves out of poverty. The difference really comes down to values.
One episode that brought this home was when I was lounging on my couch late one night and flipping through the cable channels. It’s remarkable that with so many channels these days – there’s never really anything worth watching. But I happened to turn to a program documenting Jewish mobsters in America. Some of these guys were ruthless killers and degenerate thieves. But the thing that stood out about them is that they never raised their children to grow up to be mobsters. Some of their families had absolutely idea what they did for a living, and assumed that they were just legitimate businessmen. Others helped out the more legitimate members of their family by paying for their education and investing in real estate and other legal businesses.
Right after the show on Jewish mobsters ended, another program began. It was about a black family from Arkansas that took over the drug trade in Detroit. Like the Jewish mobsters, the black criminals displayed a similar level of violence and cunning. Like the Jews, they started out dirt poor; they also preyed upon their own kind. However, there was one striking difference. The black mobsters stayed in the ghetto where they peddled drugs. They never invested in the education of their other family members. In fact, when it became obvious to them that the law was closing in, they didn’t leave. They stayed and ultimately got arrested, even though they had amassed millions and could have gone anywhere in the world.
I was astounded by the lack of common sense these guys displayed. Despite their obvious intelligence, something was missing. Or rather present. They actually identified with their criminal culture and strove to maintain it. There did not seem to be any yearning to move beyond the ghetto into legitimate wealth in America. They raised their children amid the poverty and failed to help them get better opportunities. This is dangerous. It’s almost as if achieving anything in a legal manner made them less legitimately black. Their identity was deeply ingrained with pathology. There was no hope for the future. They had no inkling that their children could one day be President of the United States.
It was perhaps the pictures on the screen that said it all. The Jewish mobsters were dressed in conservative, expensive suits. They looked the model of mainstream success. You wouldn’t have known they were gangsters unless you’d been told. The black gangsters, on the other hand, were dressed in sleeveless t-shirts and festooned with gold chains and bracelets. They were carrying submachine guns with rounds of ammunition hanging around their necks. If any law enforcement office had happened by, they would have been arrested on sight. I realized in watching the contrast between Jewish and African-American gangsters was that the black gangsters had embraced gangster culture. The Jews had turned to crime out of necessity, and did not glorify it. It was merely a means to an end – a legitimate place in the society.
Jews share a deeply ingrained culture of achievement. Whether they are religious or not, they are raised with values: work hard, be just, be studious, and make something of yourself. This doesn’t mean that Jewish people are above some of the social ills that plague the rest of society. But it means that as a culture they consciously aspire to a higher standard.
During a recent conversation with a close Jewish friend I asked him what he thought separated Jews from most other ethnic groups. I was expecting him to talk about how a shared history of oppression had strengthened Jews and brought them closer together. But his answer was both surprising and controversial. “Unlike gentiles, especially Christians,” he said, “Jews do not believe in an after life as such. There is no God up there dictating your lot in life. We don’t believe the meek shall inherit the earth. We truly believe in the power of an individual’s free will, guided of course by right principles.”
As someone who ascribes to a strong Christian faith, I do not share my friends’ beliefs. I do believe in the afterlife, and that we will ultimately be judged for our actions by a higher power. But we do share the same principles when it comes to ethical behavior. Jews believe in the Ten Commandments, and so do Christians. These rules for behavior are not just a ticket to a blessed afterlife, but a prescription for success here on earth. These basic moral principles have had a profound effect upon how Jews view life.
In America, Christianity has been used by various groups to justify the enslavement of others. Blacks were told they were the Sons of Ham, and therefore cursed by God to be hewers of wood and drawers of water. Jews, on the other hand, have firmly held that they were specifically chosen by God to rule the earth. On the other hand, the slaves’ deep spiritual well enabled them to endure some of the harshest conditions known to modern man – intergenerational slavery in a foreign land. The so-called Negro spirituals and the importance of the black church bear witness to this. Still, despite the passage of time and expansion of opportunity, blacks as a race still bear the spiritual wounds of their captivity.
Barak Obama alluded to as much in his autobiography, Dreams of My father. As he surveyed the landscape of inner-city Chicago for a language of unity and strength to support the building of “families, communities [and] economies” he found the stories of hope and triumph on that ground tainted with hatred and feelings of inferiority. He found it difficult if not impossible to “separate that strength from the hurt and distortions that lingered around [him].” What Obama did not realize is the very policies of liberalism he espouses have massively contributed to such a culture. Liberalism betrays blacks by keeping them in a place of victimhood. After all, you can’t qualify for most social programs unless you profess to be disadvantaged.
It’s one thing to be bound together by a shared struggle. That lends people strength in times of crisis. But when the crisis is over, reveling in shared oppression only tends to frustrate future progress. Perhaps blacks should take a cue from the Jewish culture, and embrace a shared history of achievement and success.
I do not profess to have all of the answers to why there is such a disparity in achievement between ethnic groups in America. But I know from my own experience that achievement starts with an aspiration to be more than you are now. And to do that, you have to let go of the past.
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429 Comments
Thank you Mr. Williams for a well written article! As a Christian conservative with strong family values, I am amazed that minorities do not see this for themselves. I know that the continued liberal democrat mantra of "victimhood" for minorities plays a HUGE role in keeping minorities down economically.
I can honestly say that I've never heard a democrat pushing "self-reliance" or "personal responsibility" upon minorities. American conservatives WANT ALL AMERICANS to EXCEL!! Conservatives know that hard work, respect for oneself & others, morals, honesty and love of country help Americans achieve their dreams.
As a first generation American, my parents and family NEVER expected government or anyone to take care of them. My family fled socialism & communism for a better life. With the grace of God, my parents and family have indeed lived the American dream. What a shame that those actually born here in the U.S. ALLOW the democrat party to keep them living the "nightmare" that is the liberals dream!!
This President has certainly neglected the inner cities and just as with the local leadership, the inner city constituency continues to support and elect leaders that do not serve their best interests. The leadership tends to play the blame game and also pressures businesses to move elsewhere. Alot of the government programs designed to assist this struggle have actually had the opposite effect. Surprise! Surprise!
Important subject, and a discussion that needs to be had. Bill Cosby, and other black Americans have attempted broach this with black people, the breaking of this terrible cultural cycle that has consumed blacks in America for almost fifty years (The Great Society). The one cool thing about the election of ’08 was the fact that a black person made it to the highest office in the land, but instead of Thomas Sowell, Walter Williams, Herman Cain, we got a poverty pimp (Barry) that instead of saying look at what you can achieve in America, has done nothing but build the wall higher around black America, using more government cheese to keep the democrat plantation in tact. I know every color person and religion, and have done business with them all, and the one common theme you find in successful people, they are self starters who understand that if you want it you have to earn it, roll out of bed early in the morning and put in 50, 60, 70, 80, hrs. a week, and anyone in this country can be successful.
Cultures such as the Jewish or Asian cultures,…..
have found it easier to do the difficult things, while,……….
Black and "Latino" cultures have found it difficult to,…….
to try anything but the easier things.
Progressive policies are engineered to maintain an underclass of dependent citizens and a ruling class of elites. The progressive movement has worked tirelessly toward keeping families and the public education system broken.
Excellent work, Mr. Williams. I would only add that those who "preach" (Jeremiah Wright, etc.) based on Black Liberation Theology are a huge part of the problem.
For some it's the closest they have ever gotten to success, think Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton etc, other than a continual march on racism( keeping it alive) they really have nothing to brag about. Not a Martin Luther King in the bunch. Then again when you look at the one's who (should've)arrived like congressmen and congresswomen and our transparent president all their focus is on the past with no intention of a future based on individual accomplishments.
I've never looked at it from that point of view, but now that I have, I'm amazed that it's not been seen before. I think that I glimpsed it briefly in Thaddeus Russell's A Renegade History of the United States, but this was a wonderful peek into something that not many of us ever consider. I think your analysis is spot on.
One of the things that I have found to be a common thread among cultures where improving ones status in life is not taught is the boiling crabs in a pot syndrome. If some crabs attempt to escape the heat other crabs will actually pull them back into the pot. How many times do we hear conservative blacks called Uncle Toms by their own, this is an attempt to shame them into conformity and shame others into not following them to escape their own plight. It is also their way of resisting questioning their own culture as they perpetuate it as taboo. Even when many blacks become economically successful in sports, music or entertainment they are expected to keep the hood connection and lifestyle. Who do so many young blacks emulate? Their brothers and sisters in prison and gangs, not those who have found economic success and escaped the criminal and gangster cultures. What is worse is whites observing them from the outside, pushing the heads of blacks back down into the abyss using welfare, inadequate schools and cries of racism as shackles, we know them as bleeding heart liberals.. What is even more evil than that is when their own achieve success and then continue to thrive on the suffering of their fellow men, we call them Sharpton, Farrakahn, S.J.Lee, Waters, obama………
In all neighborhood bars there are for the most part;……..
the regular clients,…..a pool table,…….a juke box,……the person who has had one too many.,……….
a football pool,……a cigarette machine,…….a bar fly,………poker machines,………
snacks,…….a popper and a moocher.
But the one thing you will never see in a neighborhood tavern,…….
is a Jew.
In sense, I can understand the idea of rebelling against a culture you perceive as having oppressed your people. I get it, but at the same time, if that's what you're going to do, then you better have a viable replacement and alternative. African-Americans don't. The best they have is the African-centered movement. Look at Africa. There wasn't ever a very successful culture there even before the advent of colonialism; that's why even the Africans who immigrate here today have a better success rate of making it into the middle class than those African-Americans who have been living here for generations – they know their culture had failings and they are seeking to find a better way.
As per your usual opinions Mr. Williams, absolutely cogent and brilliant. Working in Harlem, I have seen immigrants from Africa and make a business, raise a family, and succeed. While the African Americans (whose families have been in America for years) complain and get on board the government plantation plan (I.E. Welfare). If black Americans (I refuse to use the term African American because that is a false statement because Charlize Theron and any Arab from Northern Africa would also be African American by logic) would place themselves, as opposed to their group identity, has their main identity, they would be better off. ;0)
"It’s remarkable that with so many channels these days – there’s never really anything worth watching."
As I said to my spouse only yesterday, "TV must be really bad when, during a commercial break, you can't even remember what show you were watching."
Great article and fantastic insight..
"But I know from my own experience that achievement starts with an aspiration to be more than you are now. And to do that, you have to let go of the past."
This needs to be the tag line for anyone who is trying to inspire others to achieve and succeed; not just on the backs of others but by themselves for themselves.
Just look at the injustices that this admin has tried to force on We The America People who have lived honest lives; all in the name socialism. He is punishing American's accomplishments. Obama believes in robbing tax payer money and 'Redistributing it to those who do not earn it, and accept no responsibility for their own futures.
No President in history has blamed another President like Obama has, all while he robs US blind in order to punish prosperous Americans.
Who elected Obama as Judge & Jury over US? Oh, that's right radical Dems who believe in racism,entitlement programs and the displacement & replacement of those who have built this country, by those who wish to use and abuse America.
Superb commentary and a very accurate assessment of Jewish culture. What remains puzzling, though, is why so many of them continue to vote Democratic, a party whose policies embrace victimhood and encourage sloth, envy, and dependence.
The "Jews" are promised Blessings According to Deuteronomy Ch 28, when they are in compliane with their Rule of Law, which is O.T. biblical.
They have returned to their land as promised acdg to Psalms Ch 83. They have "did their time" for their non-compliances.
"Generic" Christians don't realize that they are entitlled to the same blessings, as We are "Grafted into Israel as a Wild Branch" and have become "Adopted Sons of Abraham", when in compliance with the N.T. Teachings.
King Solomon's Behavior and attitudes caused the lst National Division of their nation. In the meantime, the Northern Tribe of Dan got involved with the Occult at Mt Hermon. This all together started a Civil War, with the North Vs the South. The Northern States went into captivity. The 3 remaining Southern "tribes" were present at the time of Christ. Around 70 A.D. the "jews" were kicked off of their land by the Roman Army…and scattered world-wide.
What the "black" people group don't realize is that they have been "cursed with the Curse" that was put onto Ham, one of the sons of Noah.
This basically means that they will always be a servant.
Now, this can be broekn if or when they become a N.T. Christian, which nullifies any curse put onto anyone.
However, all of us, no matter what racial group; are under thee Original Curse put onto Adam, Eve and the devil, and the Earth….until the Kingodm of God starts up.
Disadvantaged black people will never achieve until black women get fed up. It is in the nature of men to want to live up to the expectations of women. Many black women have become so dependent on their (government) providers that they have no need for men to behave responsibly.
Williams said:
What Obama did not realize is the very policies of liberalism he espouses have massively contributed to such a culture. Liberalism betrays blacks by keeping them in a place of victimhood.
—————-
I agree with the point thats is all about education and personal responsibility, though I think Mr. Willians citing two families of criminals he happened to see while channelsurfing as evidence of anything was bizarre (would he have altered his conclusions about culture if he had come across a documentary of Frank Lucas?).
Still, I think the attempt of Mr. Williams to blame liberalism (as opposed to the poor choices of individuals) as responsible for the problems of the black community is unconvincing. The Jewish community isn't nearly as Democrat leaning as the black community, but they are up there (3 out of 4 vs 9 out of 10).
Black conservatives have to ask themselves whether they want to make a convincing case for individual responsibility or an unconvincing one for the Republican party (I'm fine with the Republican party, but its how people live their lives that determine the quality of their lives, now how they vote every couple years).
I have had the great Blessing of being friends with many different races, It's really the Welfare state of mind,when your given free medical,free housing,food stamps and cash on the 1st of every month you develop terrible habits and envy as a atititude.
My mom had three kids all different dads we lived on Welfare and we where all criminals, we had no work ethic? No respect for authority? Or no Judeo-Christian values although my Grandparents did.
Morality is the biggest factor in preventing proverty, When I became a Christian at 24 my life changed dramatically no more bars, theft or living off the Goverment. Fathers are greatest determining factor in a child's life. Obeying God going to school and working hard BRING THE BLESSED LIFE. God Gave Joseph Favor wherever He was placed.
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There were many successful cultures in Africa before colonialism, however there are few successful cultures in Africa after the invasion of Arabs and Europeans
There is another place you rarely see them, in unions where the same status quo mentality exists.
"Jews do not believe in an after life as such. There is no God up there dictating your lot in life"
I'm sorry, but your friend is mistaken. I'm a Sabbath observing Jew and we do have a concept of the afterlife.
After our soul has finished its job here on earth it is directed back home to "shamaiyim" — heaven, or temporarily for those who may have misbehaved, "gehinom". But we do have a concept that our souls have a place when not here on earth.
And although we may not believe that G-d is "dictating your lot in life" — i.e. pushing the pieces around on his personal chess board, we do believe he is actively watching over us and concerned for ALL our well beings, Jew and non-Jew alike. We do see examples in the Bible where He intervened or "directed" events to save a life or teach a lesson to help us better ourselves as individuals or a group or all of humanity.
No team ever won the super bowl or world series first time up to bat. I'm afraid African Americans are going to get a similarly bad taste in their mouths after the first black president is out of office having failed miserably on virtually all fronts.
Emulating another race or culture is all well and fine but it misses the point really; In the service we learn that we're Americans first and whatever skin color we have means nothing when it comes to trusting your life to the guy next to you, black, white, Asian, Hispanic, Indian, whatever. Culture is a farce and a scam, talk about stubbornly "clinging on" to something (I.E. guns/religion).. We cling on to a culture that has been dead for a century or more in an age where anyone can become virtually anything if they choose to and they work hard for it. African Americans may well be biologically predisposed to some level of disadvantage in a cultural arena since being selectively bred like dogs for many decades promoted physically robust individuals and not intellectual powerhouses. Nonetheless, 150 years have elapsed since slavery and people still bitterly clinging on to their welfare and foodstamps,.. Culture, who the f**k needs it..
Anyone can succeed in this country. It's very simple. Graduate from high school if not college. Don't leave a string of fatherless babers behind you if you are a man. After school get a job, any job. Show up for work every day and work your ass off with a smile on your face. Stay out of trouble after work and on the weekends. Save a little money out of every pay check. If you behave yourself and work hard you may not end up like Warren Buffett, but you will end up successful.
Great article, however you missed a few things.
Many American blacks do not have a identity outside of what Europeans have shaped for them. They were raised in a society which tells them that they come from the worst continent in the world , they do not have a history before the trans atlantic slave trade and they must subscribe to a perverted European Christian theology or they will go to hell.
Ashkenazi "Jews" even while persecuted never accepted the religion and customs of their oppressor. Blacks in America did. There were Christians in Africa before Christianity was brought to Europe, however the majority of blacks/Africans in the world follow a perverted European version of Christianity with denominations and holidays like Easter and Christmas
Ashkenazi "Jews" did not and do not depend on others to teach their children their history. They have created a narrative of their history and they stick to it no matter who it offends. Blacks in America depend on the same power structure that enslaved them to teach their children their history. The European is a historical liar, you cannot depend on him to learn the history of your people. It is the European who made the image of God and Jesus as blonde haired European men. When blacks try to teach their children their history , Europeans in America get upset and want to stop this practice. This is because they want to control the historical narrative. If you control the history, you control the present therefore you control the future.
Blacks in America are a group of people without a past except what has been told to them by the people who enslaved them. The "Jews" do not suffer that same fate. Even while being persecuted, they never fully adopted the religion of their persecuter. Blacks adopted the religion, diet, and behavior of their oppressors in a belief that by acting like them, they would be accepted. "Jews" never believed that and still do not. The history of the Jew is a history of how to be successful by flying under the radar, using others to accomplish your goals and never ever accepting the culture and beliefs of the group that is oppressing you. Blacks still have not learned this, we think the path to success is by integrating and acting like "Negro" Europeans. The European will never see you as his equal , history show you that.
Now get mad.
And there you go…Excuses, excuses, excuses.
Instead of saying "Hey, you know what? Maybe African Americans should stop with the victim mentality and start emphasizing self reliance", we have "but, but, but…colonialism, racism, past events, etc".
Shame really. Some of the most famous African Americans in this country overcame tremendous obsticles to make something of themselves. You'd think that would be the focus…
Great essay!
I have never been racist — but I HAVE been culture-ist for a long time. (I apologize for the awkward usage — neither of the standard definitions for culturalist or culturist really work). After being subjected to years of multiculturalist indoctrination in grad school, I rebelled — by coming to the conclusion that some cultures ARE better than others.
To my mind, what makes a better culture is that it promotes correct principles about living and thus ennobles (rather than the scam term "empowers") the people who adopt it.
For what it's worth, by culture I am referring to foundational principles and philosophies, not the surface trappings (e.g. art, dress, etc.) which simply make for a more interesting and colorful world, unless they specifically promote the ills of a given culture (i.e. "gangsta rap").
Thanks, Armstrong, for the insight.
I do think that one of the differences is the ability to assimilate. Jews are fantastic at assimilating. You can argue that this is because they are, essentially, white folks, but there are other clearly nonwhite ethnic groups who have assimilated well and shown great financial success (such as immigrants from India). For whatever reasons, modern black culture is still very self-segregating, IMHO.
"On the other hand, the slaves’ deep spiritual well enabled them to endure some of the harshest conditions known to modern man – intergenerational slavery in a foreign land…. blacks as a race still bear the spiritual wounds of their captivity."
Mr Williams, you seem a very fine man and I thank you for this disscussion, however this problem is really on the backs and at the door of blacks and their leaders…look who they have chosen to have their voice…sharpton, jackson, waters, rangel, clyburn, obabby…not a soul who is talking about getting off your a$$ and getting to work…alllllll talking about how 150 years ago they were slaves and they are owed for that.
Well they could have been slaves in brazil instead…walked them into the mine…never saw the light of day again…died in the mine and carried out on death, they could have been convicted in their believs and fought with their captors "until the death", they could have died of starvation IN AFRICA.
Instead they were bless by God, given passage to a new world, housed, feed, given free medical care, and cared for from cradel to grave. For this they were asked to work and provide their labors. Those people who ended up in the USA were the LUCKY ONES! They should feel blessed. Blacks should look to men like George Washington Carver or Fredrick Douglass they understood they were blessed and that God brought them here to this land for the purpose of being a beacon for liberity and freedom.
If you thought blacks had a hard time back in those "old" days…They should have tried the poineers thing…they got the easy job instead…they were the lucky ones.
When you think does it hurt? That was about the dumbest nonsensical liberal gobbledygook I’ve ever read, but you keep up the good work, it’s very instructive. Oh, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result, I’m sure you’ve heard that, have ever thought about what it means?
In response to the passage "Jews, on the other hand, have firmly held that they were specifically chosen by God to rule the earth."
This is not correct. We do NOT believe that we are chosen to rule the earth. Jews believe that we are to strive to act as a nation priests to set an example of holiness for others. We are also taught to work to make the world a better place, this is known as tikkun olam. (Of course, as human beings, we know that we fall short of these objectives, but we are taught to try.)
Jews also believe in an afterlife and the concept of justice in the afterlife. However, the concepts are not as specifically defined in Judaism as they are in Christianity. Therefore, you will find a wide range of interpretation on what this means.
I would like to add that this is a very interesting and enlightening article.
Something like this from the President could start a dialog that might benefit America. I have a higher regard for Black America than pointing to gangsters as a starting point. I have always respected Jews and Asians for their love of learning, willingness to help their family, willingness to help their community, and their generosity to others (okay, not Asians on this one). I have respected blacks for their religious beliefs and artistic expressions (wish they would turn down their car radios though). But CULTURE is extremely important. One does not see his culture in his daily life but he wears it at all times.
Since you might be able to confirm this.
Isn't the reason Jews are more successful is related back to the Romans not allowing them to own any land, so they had to make a living doing jobs that would provide a higher return than farming?
LOL, typical European. You cannot attack the facts, so you attack me. LOL, go kiss your dog in the mouth.
not sure of that myself generally if a jew is there….he owns it.
To add to my previous comment…….The black community could certainly use some "Jewish mothers".
Somewhat related,……this was sent to me earlier:
A short time ago, Iran's Supreme Leader Grand Ayatollah Ali urged the Muslim World to boycott anything and everything that originates with the Jewish people. In response, Meyer M. Treinkman, a pharmacist, out of the kindness of his heart, offered to assist them in their boycott as follows:
"Any Muslim who has Syphilis must not be cured by Salvarsan discovered by a Jew, Dr. Ehrlich.
He should not even try to find out whether he has Syphilis, because the Wasserman Test is the discovery of a Jew.
If a Muslim suspects that he has Gonorrhea, he must not seek diagnosis, because he will be using the method of a Jew named Neissner.
A Muslim who has heart disease must not use Digitalis, a discovery by a Jew, Ludwig Traube. Should he suffer with a toothache, he must not use Novocaine, a discovery of the Jews, Widal and Weil.
If a Muslim has Diabetes, he must not use Insulin, the result of research by Minkowsky, a Jew.
If one has a headache, he must shun Pyramidon and Antypyrin, due to the Jews, Spiro and Ellege.
Muslims with convulsions must put up with them because it was a Jew, Oscar Leibreich, who proposed the use of Chloral Hydrate.
Arabs must do likewise with their psychic ailments because Freud, father of psychoanalysis, was a Jew.
Should a Muslim child get Diphtheria, he must refrain from the "Schick" reaction which was invented by the Jew, Bella Schick.
Muslims should be ready to die in great numbers and must not permit treatment of ear and brain damage, work of Nobel Prize winner, Robert Baram.
They should continue to die or remain crippled by Infantile Paralysis because the discoverer of the anti-polio vaccine is a Jew, Jonas Salk.
Muslims must refuse to use Streptomycin and continue to die of Tuberculosis because a Jew, Zalman Waxman, invented the wonder drug against this killing disease.
Muslim doctors must discard all discoveries and improvements by dermatologist Judas Sehn Benedict, or the lung specialist, Frawnkel, and of many other world renowned Jewish scientists and medical experts.
"In short, good and loyal Muslims properly and fittingly should remain afflicted with Syphilis, Gonorrhea, Heart Disease, Headaches, Typhus, Diabetes, Mental Disorders, Polio, Convulsions and Tuberculosis and be proud to obey the Islamic boycott."
Meanwhile I ask, what medical contributions to the world have the Muslims made.
If you tried to get me angry with your argument, I'm afraid to say you failed since I don't quite understand it in the first place.
On the conversion to religion issue, there was nothing to stop blacks from refusing to accept the European version of Christianity. Like the Jews, they could've resisted. Of course, like the Jews, that also could've very easily meant that those who did resist could've lost their lives. I can't say either way if there's any shame in converting simply because you want to live–I'm in no position to judge that–but it was still ultimately the choice of the individual on whether or not to convert. The same could be said of adopting the diet and behavior of the oppressors in order to be accepted.
On the dependency of having others teach their children their history, I still don't understand why blacks don't simply teach their heritage to their children. It's still ultimately their choice, isn't it? Yes, the slave trade was a horrendously dark moment in history–not just the blacks' but in everybody's history–but there are heroes like Harriet Tubman who had been slaves but had then risked their lives again and again to free others. I'd like to believe that stories about such heroism were passed down from those freed slaves were passed on to their children. Perhaps they weren't able to remember or know of the times before the slave trade, but that didn't mean they had to completely abandon what history they did know.
To me, it seems the difference between the two–based upon your own arguments–is that one group chose to resist while the other chose to appease.
"There did not seem to be any yearning to move beyond the ghetto into legitimate wealth in America. They raised their children amid the poverty and failed to help them get better opportunities. This is dangerous. It’s almost as if achieving anything in a legal manner made them less legitimately black. Their identity was deeply ingrained with pathology. There was no hope for the future. "
Profound. Answers a lot of questions.
A very interesting insight, Mr. Williams. Thank you for sharing!
You are right blacks need to teach their children their history. They should not depend on a "black history month" which a some liberal bs.
Your comment is a example of why blacks need to empower themselves with their history. Black history does not start with the slave trade. It starts with the tribe of Africans in which all other ethnic groups come out of. Black history is millions of years old.
Reminds me of Ryan Oneal talking to Don Cheadle's character in Bulworth. He asked him why he's just furthering his criminal enterprise instead of trying to lift people out of this mess. Seems like we need a few more Bulworths these days.
I am an orthodox Jew. We do believe in an afterlife where we are held accountable for what we did wrong and rewarded for what we did right during our life. The problem with defining "what Jews believe" is that these Jewish gangsters, like the majority of Jews nowadays, are secular. Even most Jews that affiliate with a synagogue or temple are secular and know next to nothing about the religion of Judaism. Being a Jew is more like being a member of a tribe or a nationality than a follower of a religion. So you can say "Jews believe [such and such]" about just about anything if you can find a Jew that believes that but that doesn't mean it has anything to do with Judaism.
That being said, these Jewish gangsters, like the vast majority of secular Jews nowadays, were/are only one or two or at most three generations removed from orthodox, practicing Jews. The beliefs and values of Judaism passed down to them from their (grand)parents probably had a profound affect on them.
Also, we do not believe Jews "were specifically chosen by G-d to rule the earth." The command to "rule the earth" was given to Adam and applies to all mankind. We were chosen to be witnesses to the other nations that there is a G-d who gave mankind rules for morality and holds us all accountable for it. We're obviously not doing our job very well.
I understand that black history is several millions of years old. Perhaps I was a little unclear with this line:
"Perhaps they weren't able to remember or know of the times before the slave trade, but that didn't mean they had to completely abandon what history they did know."
If you'll permit me to clarify, what I meant was that those in the slave trade might or might not have been among those in their tribes who knew a great deal of their history. There probably were storytellers and the like who were brought over, but I assumed that not all of them would have such a wealth of knowledge readily available to them. That was a blanket assumption, and I apologize for that.
You don't think very highly of Black People.
Some Blacks have adopted the religion of the people who sold them into slavery as evidenced by the number of Blacks who practice Islam and who have Arabic names.
Dogs – exhibit unconditional love and loyalty. A world without dogs would be Hell.
Not quite "all" other ethnic groups; consider the Cradle of Civilization.
I personally give blacks a lot more credit than you do. They are just as much a person as I am; capable of thinking and doing for themselves. You suggest the entire race is nothing but a bunch of followers. That's absurd.
I bet we spent $200K getting you a degree in diversity, useless as teats on a boar-hog.
Not the Romans really, but the Roman Catholics were the ones that restricted the ways Jews could earn livings; not just farming, but other vocations as well. And because the Church forbade Catholics from moneylending, and Jews kept most of their assets liquid in case they were forced to emigrate, most of the moneylenders and pawnbrokers were Jews.
I am like the Jews, I do not believe in diversity.
Obviously you did not read the article because I was referring the black who HAVE adopted the religion of their oppressors.
ROTHFLMMFFA
Was Ryan O'Neal in Bulworth? I though the main character was played by Shirley McClain's brother.
a perhaps superficial, but somewhat telling tangent, was the movement among some blacks to adopt more 'ethnically authentic' names- both as families & individually. when many were criticizing this practice, i tried to take the more charitable position that i still have the privilege of bearing the surname of my Italian ancestors and recognize blacks' ancient ancestors were not named "Jackson" or "Washington"…
they're making somewhat crude advances in punitive surgery…
So you were talking about Black Muslims.
Thank you for the clarification.
So tell us, what exactly IS the black history that is being suppressed? What uplifting greatness is there? Mr. Williams' identification of a major cultural difference is, unfortunately, quite accurate. What has Africa contributed to humanity in its history? Most live in squalor and don't aspire to do something as simple as RELOCATE to more hospitable terrain. Most natives of Africa are the ultimate example of the welfare lifestyle – preferring to wait for someone to provide charity rather than improving their own conditions.
Worse are the few who get the opportunity to travel and learn more about the outside world seem to have returned home with ideas of how to dominate their people instead of creating opportunity. I may be wrong on some counts and welcome proof to the contrary but my most notable example is Robert Mugabe. Zimbabwe used to export food to the surrounding regions until Mugabe learned that hungry people are easily controlled. White Europeans who ran farms were driven out. That would have been just fine with the world had the farms been given to local farmers yet, to this day, many in Zimbabwe flee the country just to get a daily meal. This is where the observation of cultural differences holds a solid foundation. It's the nature of the culture that is in question. Despite being surrounded by a world of achievement for many millenia, black culture seems to have remained in the realm of spirituality but little else.
So, again, what black history is it that is being suppressed? What is it about African culture that would be so inspiring as to have the potential to elevate American and European blacks above their currently embraced fate? I've heard for so long how "white people are the world's problem". Let's say all the white people suddenly vanished off the face of the planet. Would blacks AS A CULTURE finally strive to build a civilization the likes of which exist elsewhere in the world – where freedom and opportunity are worked toward and encouraged amongst each other? Looking at the motherland, I have reservations against the prospects.
Kept getting message that post was too long – had to split it. Apologies for being too new to have long posts.
After the "Jews" return to their God-given land, they will experience a totaly Huge Windfall Profit, acdg to a prophecy in DT.
They are back under their Abrahamic Covenant.
A must read is: "As America Has Done to Israel" Showing the cause and effect of our US Nat'l Decisions regarding Israel.
Except of course the curse was not put on Ham, but on Canaan the son of Ham:
9:18 The sons of Noah who emerged from the ark were Shem, Ham and Yefeth. Ham was the father of Canaan.
9:19 These three were Noah's sons, and from them, the whole world was repopulated.
9:20 Noah began to be a man of the soil, and he planted a vineyard.
9:21 He drank some of the wine, making himself drunk, and uncovered himself in the tent.
9:22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father naked, and he told it to his two brothers outside.
9:23 Shem and Yefeth took a cloak and placed it on both their shoulders. Walking backwards, they then covered their father's nakedness. They faced away from him and did not see their father naked.
9:24 Noah awoke from his wine-induced sleep, and he realized what his youngest son had done to him.
9:25 He said, 'Cursed is Canaan! He shall be a slave's slave to his brothers!'
9:26 He then said, 'Blessed be G–, the Lord of Shem! Canaan shall be his slave!
9:27 May G– expand Yefeth, but may He dwell in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan be their slave!'
It is rather silly to talk about the Bible when you start with such an egregious error.
To be fair, it was also the Eastern Orthodox that restricted the professions Jews could be involved in, and prohibited usury by Christians leaving it to Jews to fill that niche.
And of course the Muslims did the same thing when they showed up, as did various Protestants. (Although Cromwell was talked into letting Jews back into England on the premise that the "end times" could not occur until the Jews were dispersed to every nation on earth.)
The initial dispersal also meant Jews wound up with relatives, even if they were "only" cousins, scattered across the Mediterranean, setting a base for trading cartels. That expanded when the Muslims showed up leaving the Jews to serve as middlemen in trading between the Christian states of Europe and the Islamic states of North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia Minor. Of course that fueled a great portion of the anti-Semitism that plagues Europe.
hello. these blanket definitions of individuals are ridiculous. Jewish people are all motivated by money as success, and blacks are motivated by respect. a black can be president of his community, while a Jew wants political favors from the President. how absurd these labels become about individuals. the biggest blanket mentality is wealth, and articles legitimizing illegal steps to wealth are asinine.
Great article!
Here's another example regarding culture. My maternal grandparents were taken from their home in Poland when they were teens and placed in a Nazi work camp in Austria and worked there for 6 years under harsh conditions. My mother was born in that camp and my grandmother had to steal milk to feed her. After the war, my grandfather decided not to return the family to Poland (gee, I wonder why) and instead to emigrate to England. My mother's family and other refugee families were given "homes" on an abandoned U.S. Army medical base in England. They lived in either brick barracks or quonset huts. Most of these families arrived there with nothing but the clothes on their back and malnutrition.
There was no indoor plumbing and only a wood stove for cooking and keeping warm. They had to pay rent on those "homes" and they all had jobs. My grandparents both worked in factories. It wasn't until my mother was 12 that they were able to move into a real home and that was only by "bad luck" – my grandfather had been injured on the job (he lost one of his fingers) and had received a settlement from the employer. Even then they struggled.
But what my mother remembers is that those barracks and quonset huts were IMMACULATE. The people grew vegetable and flower gardens. The English would actually come by and stare and marvel at how beautiful that abandoned base had become in the hands of war refugees.
Fast forward to the 1960s and 1970s. My dad is working near Newark, NJ. He has to drive through it 5 days a week. He would see the "projects" going up; he would see them when they first opened. How nice and clean they were. Within 5 years, they looked like war-torn Europe.
Now, both groups were "given" the houses to live in. My grandparents paid rent, and I believe that "affordable housing" still needs to be paid for. Yet somehow one group is able to keep it nice and the other group isn't. And my mother's family faced prejudice. Many English didn't want them there, didn't want them working along side them. The Irish girls in my mother's school used to bully her both verbally and physically.
I think it is a CULTURAL thing. And it doesn't mean that it's EVERYBODY in that culture that does good or does bad. But you can see a difference.
I think a mindset was unleashed in the black community. No not all blacks fell for it, but too many did. And the people that unleashed it were both black and white and they fed on anger and hatred and fomented the history so that it was all negative and none of it positive. I think one party got a hold of them and they have not let go yet as they are drunk on power.
And so we have Mr. Williams and Allen West and Thomas Sowell and Dr. Williams – all our modern day Harriet Tubmans trying to rescue the black community from the new plantation they have been put on.
Nice article. But I'd like to believe that we have Armstrong Williams' because of progressive ideas and policies and not in spite of them.
"Black conservatives have to ask themselves whether they want to make a convincing case for individual responsibility or an unconvincing one for the Republican party (I'm fine with the Republican party, but its how people live their lives that determine the quality of their lives, now how they vote every couple years)."
You are right . . . and wrong. Yes, I think that Black conservatives should begin the conversation by helping the community realize that their values and the values of conservatism are pretty much the same in many ways. Then help them to understand that if they want those values respected, they are voting for the wrong party. It's one thing to say "I'm for individual responsibility" while at the same time voting in a block of 90% for the party that does everything it can to destroy any semblance of individual responsibility. The 2 go hand in hand. And no, we don't have to convince them to vote Republican per se, as many of us are disgusted with the party. But we can convince them to vote for conservative/libertarian candidates who mirror their values and who will respect those values and protect them.
I watched the speech that the mayor of Philly gave this summer. Great speech. Powerful, needed to be said.
But he should not only talk the talk, but walk the walk – enough of the welfare and the social justice programs, etc. Lead by example. Show them what personal responsibility looks like. Push for reforms in welfare, and push for limited government and the city level.
It's fine to talk about personal responsibility, but then push programs that destroy it. Because let's face it, regardless of race, age, gender, creed, etc., if something is being handed out for "free", people are going to flock to it. If you're on a diet, you don't buy cookies and then don't eat them. You don't buy them at all.
Well said.
First off, the basis of this article, that there are more Jews in places of power and financial success than non-Jews, is perhaps a myth and is yet to be proven. Does the author have any stats to back it up? Jews and Christians share a common history, but if you get down to it, Jesus rejected most of Judaism's legalistic, in group/out group morality. Christians are people of the Golden Rule, not the Ten Commandments. And many Jews converted to Christianity during the Spanish Inquisition, who, like African slaves here, were under the threat of death, which goes back to my original observation.
Except . . .
Ashkenazi Jews did adopt the language of their oppressors, to the point of Hebrew becoming a dead liturgical language. Of course so did most all Sephardic Jews, albeit different languages.
And a considerable number of Ashkenazi Jews did embrace the culture of their oppressors wholesale, leaving their Judaism as barely more than a different church they attended. Yes, there was a reaction against that, leading to the various Haredi groups with their distinct clothing and attitudes.
So as it goes, you are starting with flawed premises, and coming to flawed conclusions.
Hardly surprising all things considered, but there you have it.
"Blacks in America are a group of people without a past except what has been told to them by the people who enslaved them."
On that you are correct. The Left, the Democrats in this country, were the party of slavery. And even today they hide true black history from the black community, including what blacks contributed to the American Revolution and how their were blacks that served in Congress in the late 1800s. Instead, the history is nothing but "racism racism racism" and how terrible this country is.
And black history – you know you can major in that in college. Unfortunately a lot of that is full of lies, including teaching them that all the Jews in the United States owned all the slaves.
And "perverted" religion of Christianity – any credibility you could have had coming into this conversation just went right out the window.
You have provided no facts, only conclusions.
You didn't provide any facts. What is the "real" history you say is not being taught? That blacks contributed to the American Revolution; that there were free blacks at the time. That blacks served in Congress in the mid to late 1800s?
Do they teach about Frederick Douglass or do they skip over him because he was what is now known as a "conservative"?
Ah, there you go. You are just another anti-Semite.
There was a time when black parents, black mothers especially were strong and put their foot down and disciplined their children. The Mayor of Philly brought that up in his speech – how he was to be home at a certain time and if he didn't have his watch or his watch broke (anticipating the child's excuses I guess), he could look at the street lights – if they were on, his butt was to be home.
Some of that still goes on, but not in enough numbers.
Consider a young black man who had escaped the usual drug and gang-related minefields of the 'hood' and gone on to get a college degree and then a mainstream job. If he were to return to his hometown to visit old friends, what percentage of those 'friends' and neighborhood acquaintances would come up and congratulate him? What percentage would come up and begin mocking, disparaging and even threatening him for 'selling out to the MAN'?
My guess – about 0% – 5% congratulate; 95% – 100% disparage
Jewish: close to 100% congratulate
Asian: close to 100% congratulate
White: 50% to 80% congratulate
Hispanic: no idea
(It's chilling to know – according to a recent newspaper report – that black men now have a longer life expectancy if they're incarcerated than if out on the streets. What the…??)
You can believe anything you wish, but it's "in spite of" them. If he followed those ideas and policies, he wouldn't be writing articles on a conservative site promoting personal responsibility. He'd be on a liberal site promoting victimhood.
Actually, the way I was taught in school was this:
Jesus was asked what were the greatest commandments. He said (1) To love God with your whole heart, your whole soul, and your whole mind and (2) To love your neighbor as yourself.
If you break up the Ten Commandments into 2 parts, they fit right in – Jesus' first commandment covers the first 3 (no other gods, not taking the Lord's name in vain, keeping the Sabbath holy) and His second commandment covers the other 7 (no stealing, no adultery, no murder, etc).
So basically, he was saying that they are ALL important but decided to not get caught up in the details (which I think Jesus preached often – stop getting caught up in the bells and whistles and focus more on your most basic behavior).
Nice article, Armstrong. I remember seeing you on TV several times when i lived in Baltimore. If I remember correctly, one of the times you were at the home of Dr. Benjamin Carson (or perhaps it was at your home). I always found you to be a refreshing voice in the liberal-dominated Baltimore and DC area.
Thanks for mentioning the word "Culture". It's a concept that you never hear from the mainstream media (outside the Bill O'Reilly show). Keep up the good work and keep championing the cause.
Like I said,…
it is so easy to do the easy things and,….
your "justification" of it all does not help, but than,……..
all you want, is to hear yourself talk.
crude,..???????
are you kidding,….?????
they are generations ahead of the rest of the world.
There are too many single parent families, too many kids being 'raised' by indifferent parents, too many kids who are coasting in school because their parents aren't preassuring them to do otherwise, too many abortions, too many guys doing stupid/evil things and getting locked up, etc.
The Democratic party has nothing to do with any of that, all those problems are caused by the poor decisions of individuals and merely voting differently is not going to improve anyone's quality of life (as Mr. Williams pointed out, as a group Jews have done well by any reasonable measure and they vote only slightly less liberal than blacks).
I consider the promotion of personal responsibility a separate thing from the promotion of a political party (as you might guess, I consider the first more important than the second).
If welfare certainly cushions the blow of poverty, but I'm not convinced it makes poverty so wonderful that it draws people to it. Up until the economy went south, most people who fell onto welfare rolls stayed there only until they found a job.
There is long term, even multigenerational poverty in the US, but there is multigeneration poverty in countries without welfare so I'm not convinced that the welfare system of the US is the reason long term poverty exists in the US.
Well said, Armstrong. One thing Ive always asked myself in recent years is "Is Jeremiah Wright-like pastors more common in the black community than we might otherwise think"? considering Wrights Trinty UCC in Chicago has over 5000 congregation members, including both Obama and Oprah Winfrey in past years. Sadly, the answer is yes. I seldom see a black pastor discuss the huge illegetimacy rate or the out of control crime, even when blacks are the victims. Ive seen "black-on-black" crime orgs that are nothing more than drug pushers or other criminal enterprises. Whites are not going to solve the black communities woes. Un til they adopt a more moral culture, they will continue to flounder.
I gues sy ouve never heard of the Bishop from Nigeria, a man who has been considered a possible sucessor to Pope Benedict. Hes a black whos anything but a liberal, and tells many of HIS parishoners that the Christians and Jews are far preferabble to the Arab Moslems, who STARTED the slave trade in the first place. BTW, have you never heard of "afro-centric" studies? When GIVEN the chance to teach there own history, instead they INDOCTRINATE young blacks with racist hatred and secular humanism. Thats how the black "churches' end up with the Jermiah Wrights and Otis Mosses of the world. And ask Asians why THEY dont have the problems blacks do-in SPITE of the fact that the Christian bible has not made large inroads into Asian societies.
Ben Carson is a black brain surgeon. He has written books about his childhood. I think they made a movie too. He was a lackluster student until his mom realized that the educated people she cleaned for all had lots of books. She started to make her kids read books and write book reports for her. They learned a lot, got interested in things, did better in school. He made history as the first brain surgeon to remove half a brain and cure someone by doing so. How many "brain surgeons" from the inner city are in prison instead?
Jews favor other Jews in ways that would normally be both racist and illegal, yet people turn a blind eye to it.
Jews are even admired about how they stick together. But as a minority in every other country, their loyaty often lies with other Jews and not what ever country they happen to be living in.
Yes, progressive ideas like eugenics advocate Margaret Sanger's "Negro Project". That should have led directly to individualism among African Americans, huh?
Williams wrote: "On the other hand, the slaves’ deep spiritual well enabled them to endure some of the harshest conditions known to modern man – intergenerational slavery in a foreign land."
Obviously he's talking here about African Negroes being enslaved in America, and seems to think that this explains some of the problems with the behavior of blacks today, but he forgets that this sentence also describes the Jews' enslavement in Egypt under the Pharaohs.
Once the Jews got free from enslavement they bounced right back to their normal productive culture. Blacks, on the other hand, have never bounced back, because there was never any "back." For whatever reason, blacks do not achieve much anywhere in the world, and never have. Intelligence tests show that they are one standard deviation (about 15 points) less intelligent than other races, which may have something to do with their culture always being at the bottom, but why they are so violent as well is difficult to say.
Verbatim is correct that your friend is misinformed about traditional Jewish belief in the afterlife. Proof of this is in the beginning of the book of Genesis: "In the beginning G-d created the heavens and the earth. According to oral tradition, "the heavens" refers to the spiritual world, which includes the realm of the afterlife where souls return after death. The "earth" refers to the physical realm that we dwell in now. It's also incorrect to state that Jews believe we are here to rule the earth. The notion that the Jewish people are "chosen" is a spiritual not a physical concept. We are taught that we have a responsibility to bring light to the world by doing good deeds and setting a good example for all peoples. Not exactly a power trip! Your friend also was wrong about thinking we don't believe the "meek will inherit the Earth." This is a verse written by King David , in the book of Psalms chapter 37. In the Hebrew, "meek" has the connotation of being humble. Humility is a necessary ingredient for repentance. When we find out we are doing something wrong we need to change it. According to the Rabbinic sages of Blessed memory, Repentant sinners have a higher place in the world to come than complete saints. As Rabbi Nachman of Breslov taught, if you believe you have the ability to mess thingsup, you should certainly believe that you can fix them.
Reaping what was sowed.
I never understood why people complain about Jews having a lot of money and such, when that's what "society" forced them to do. It's like being upset when the nerdy kid gets the highest grades in class because he wasn't picked for any teams by the other kids.
Thank you for the article Mr. Williams. How true it is that all of us, regardless of ethnicity, need to strive for success. It's the internal, not the external that counts. It's sad to see so many assumptions made by people who infer character from skin color. I just read an article about current ethnic relations and was sad to see a woman who was an icon of the civil rights movement still basing character on color–
—
“It did have a lot to do with this particular president,” (Ruby)Bridges said. “He is a president of mixed race. So I believe he is about the same things that I am. You cannot look at a person and judge him or her by the color of their skin. … I did feel if anyone would hang the painting, it would be him.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/61677.h...
______
The self contradiction of her statement is disappointing. Yet that's the way many people see and think of it. And so we press on with patriots like you who defy convention not for its own sake but for the sake of truth. Let's all do likewise, laying aside the easy answers that bind us and seek reality!
That's why anti-Semitism inevitably turns to increasingly bizarre conspiracy theories and blood libels.
The foundation is irrational so the excuses for it are irrational.
Ask the freemasons and the shriners what Africa has contributed to humanity. This is why blacks cannot allow europeans to control the narrative. They will lie till they die
Interesting,thanks for sharing.
http://www.pancardverification.com
PART I –
You wonder why the Jews are so successful? Because they serve the one, true and only 'living' GOD of Abraham, Isacc and Jakob! I, too, am successful…because I…too…serve the same GOD through the acceptance of HIS only Begotten Son of the one, true and 'living' GOD…Jesus Christ!
The Jewish people and Israel go hand in hand…perhaps…that is why you are having such a difficulty in recognizing the blessings of Almighty GOD to Israel…the land of the Jewish people!
GOD also said that the descendants of Ishmael…the illegitimate son of Abraham…were to be a 'warring people' and they are!
PART II –
See Old Testament…Book of Genesis Chapter 16: Verses 11-12. Speaking to Saria's handmaiden regarding the child of Abraham's union with her.
AS NOTE: GOD promised Abraham and Sarai, his wife, a child of promise. But Sarai got weary of waiting…and becoming older…actually nearly 80 when she conceived and delivered Isacc…the promise. So she encouraged Abraham to take her handmaiden to be a 'surrogate' for them and a son was born of this union.
"And the Angel of the LORD said to her: "Behold, you are with child, and you shall bear a son. You shall call his name Ishmael, because the LORD has heard your affliction. He shall be a wild man; his hand shall be against every man, and every man's hand against him. And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren."
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