he also doesn't understand why people actually avoided these things. people after WWII realized that this seemingly innocent kind of stereotyping IS THE WAY RACISTS TALK. changing poirot's dialogue dispels the implication he's a bad guy. it's not "too close for comfort"-- it's a calling card.

That he leans into the NBA, the laziest and most inanely common “racism can’t exist because of overrepresentation” trope, while also pretending there’s no history/ context to explain disparate impact, while saying Trump can’t be racist because he had a Black friend is the height of ignorance.

And “most points seem reasonable” is basically how “scientific” racism gives Hannania et al a veneer of respectability—you’re reading his tone as reasonable when he’s saying that Trump can’t be racist because he has a couple Black friends

White people are genetically predisposed to be good at lacrosse, yachting, and equestrian polo.

"like ticket enforcement". Law enforcement, famously a field absent of racial bias.

"obviously blacks have the basketball gene" and "obviously asians have the math gene" are both stupid, incorrect things to believe and also tell me you believe a lot of extremely ugly shit you're using that as the socially-acceptable tip of the spear to advance

"look, we can all agree blacks are genetically better at basketball, right?" is basically case closed on what matty really thinks!

pairing "there's not perfect racial balance in everything, like advanced math enrollment" and "we don't try to get white kids to play more basketball" makes it perfectly clear what you believe, sorry

this yglesias post is insane, the whole thing is him trying to square the fact that he quite obviously believes in hanania-style scientific racism and thinks trump isn't racist-racist with the need to not agree with nazis

The laundering of race science back into respectability should be a permanent stain on these people, and on everyone who scolded us that we had to take them seriously. This stuff is morally abhorrent but it is also scandalously intellectually dishonest.

Specifically complaining about automatic traffic enforcement as Woke Gone Wild is really giving the game away.

Discriminatory enforcement of traffic rules is one of the most well studied manifestations of institutional racism in America, and is well publicized in pop culture!

"Why should we insist that public instutions represent American citizens equally when we don't do that with the NBA, a private entertainment business of almost no social influence? I am very smart."

Predictably Yglesias is acting like reading between the lines here and noticing he doesn’t actually deny scientific racism is correct - and in fact seems to suggest that perhaps genetics explain racial disparities - is “bad faith.”

in chinese culture, it is considered rude to offend the people you want to negotiate with by calling them dumb peasants. few know this

He’s played this game for years. Often it’s annoying but harmless. But when the idea you’re dancing around is “do black people have genetic differences that make them worse at math” you need to be explicit about your beliefs or accept that people will be ungenerous about your refusal to be explicit

That’s the game: write something that seems to suggest a controversial idea without actually saying it, and then, when people naturally notice the implication, feign outrage at all the bad-faith wokesters who are misreading you.

Here's an alternate fantasy author who isn't an absolute cunt: Ursula K Le Guin

If they want to keep shoving women back into the kitchen, I bet we could find about 75000 ways to put your entire meal in gelatin.

Nothing says June Cleaver like pot roast and peas in Jello-O.

Measles outbreak: I sleep
Seed oils being consumed: REAL SHIT