Acting White: The Pareto Principle vs. Racial Realism

On the heels of reading and writing about white nationalists on this and other blogs over the last week, I have some observations that may or may not have meaning to those who wonder “what the hell is that guy Collier's problem?” Granted, the idea of a bunch of white men who want a white-only place to call home (that is not Idaho) disturbs and entices a lot of people.

So why am I not more fearful, but still mindful, of these people? This is where the pictured Vilfredo Pareto (1848-1923), the Italian economist comes in. Recall that he proposed the relationship where nearly 80% of stuff that occurs results from a source that is 20% of itself. So in Pareto thinking, 80% of the racism comes for 20% of the population, just as 80% of crime comes from another distinct 20%.

In the case of crime, blacks commit a disproportion and some folks errantly attribute this to a racial flaw. What is obscured is that 80% of crime is also committed by poor people (regardless of race), who also happen to be disproportionately black, with influence by some combination of their own doing and society's efforts. What is also obscured is that blacks were ‘bused in’ from regions of the world where the rule-of-law has lagged in development for thousands of years for reasons only speculated, perhaps establishing a lower threshold. Now if you want to have a discussion about racial/ethnic distinctions, this is the place to start, but this post is not the time.

In the case of ‘racial realism’, the white guy lingo for no Blacks, no Mexicans, no Jews, no Asian men allowed, the crux is not with the 20% who want others out, but rather the 80% of white people who don’t care or care in the opposite. Pareto gives us confidence in the 20% of whites ready, willing, and able to counter the white nationalist fever. Sure, the mad-as-hell-crew can show us scary progress, but the practical and committed race realists simply move to Idaho and try to make a living, while they practice for race Armageddon – problem solved.

Moving on, just because the realists are fighting a battle they cannot or should not win, does not mean that we should ignore their protest, especially the content of their angst. For example, immigration policies and enforcement that result in more low-skilled, uneducated citizens and quasi-citizens is very bad for this country's future. The cheap labor war was loss decades ago. Our best option is to pour resources into advancing technologies, rather than borrowing to buy imported consumables. The place to start and finish this effort is early age reading, math, and science in schools. It also means tracking kids who cannot make the grade into vocational trade programs in high school, where they can also live and contribute to a productive, lawful society, instead of filling prisons or as minimum-wage fodder for service industries that feed obesity and general unhealthiness.

To summarily toss out the baby with the racial realist-bathwater is to miss the important learnings their visibility allows. When I see a group angst-ing out, the first thing I try to do, after checking for weapons, is separate the behavior from its source, as they are not all crackpots - just (you guessed it) 20%.

Tip of the hat to Mr. Pareto.

James C. Collier

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