I commented a bit on this a few days back, but Thomas Sowell really hammers home the takeaway from the latest census data:
The movement of the black population– especially educated young blacks– is the most striking […].
In the past, the massive movements of millions of blacks out of the South in the early 20th century was one of the epic migrations of a people– comparable in size with the millions of the Irish who fled the famine in Ireland in the 1840s or the millions of Jews who fled persecution in Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In more recent decades, blacks have been moving back to the South, however. While the overall black population of the northeastern and midwestern states has not declined in the past ten years, except in Michigan and Illinois, the net increase of the black population nationwide has increasingly been in the South. About half of the national growth of the black population took place in the South in the 1970s, two-thirds in the 1990s and three-quarters in the past 10 years.
While the mass migrations of blacks out of the South in the early 20th century was to places where there were already established black communities, such as New York, Chicago and Philadelphia, much of the current movement of blacks is away from existing concentrations of black populations.
Blacks are moving to suburbs, and even to cities like Minneapolis. Overall, the racial residential segregation patterns are declining in the great majority of the largest major metropolitan areas.
Among blacks who moved, the proportions who were in their prime — from 20 to 40 years of age– were greater than in the black population at large, and college degrees were more common among them than in the black population at large. In short, with blacks, as with other racial or ethnic groups, those with better prospects are leaving the states that are repelling their most productive citizens in general with liberal policies.
Detroit is perhaps the most striking example of a once thriving city ruined by years of liberal social policies. Before the ghetto riot of 1967, Detroit’s black population had the highest rate of home-ownership of any black urban population in the country, and their unemployment rate was just 3.4 percent.
It was not despair that fueled the riot. It was the riot which marked the beginning of the decline of Detroit to its current state of despair. Detroit’s population today is only half of what it once was, and its most productive people have been the ones who fled.
Treating businesses and affluent people as prey, rather than assets, often pays off politically in the short run– and elections are held in the short run. Killing the goose that lays the golden egg is a viable political strategy.
As whites were the first to start leaving Detroit, its then mayor Coleman Young saw this only as an exodus of people who were likely to vote against him, enhancing his re-election prospects.
But what was good for Mayor Young was disastrous for Detroit.
There is a lesson here somewhere, but it is very doubtful if either the intelligentsia or the politicians will learn it.
Or perhaps put another way, they will learn the wrong lesson — the result being that Dems and Republicans will battle each other over who can pander most effectively (and egregiously) to secure the Hispanic vote.
And yes, I know. I’m a racist, nativist, xenophobe what justs wants to punish the brown peoples longing to be free. So let’s just get that out of the way up front.
At any rate, all of politics — from the morass of the left to the morans of the contemporary right — is rife with short term thinking. And the result is always and predictably long-term destruction.
I say we nuke the whole thing from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.
DEATH THREAT!
I find a glass of Petron silver helps in times like this. On the rocks, with fresh lime.
That is really surprising that blacks are moving south, I guess we just aren’t being hateful enough.
There is a lesson here somewhere, but it is very doubtful if either the intelligentsia or the politicians will learn it.
This assumes that they’re interested in learning the truth about ANYTHING.
When the acquisition of power is your top priority, trifles like “learning” and “truth” are just plain annoying.
The political calculations for policies that cause “voting with their feet.”
PDF warning. “The Curley effect.“
Game over, man. Game Over!!!
I’ve decided that when it hits the fan I’m moving to the country and making whiskey for a living.
Or possibly peach schnapps.
(Please notify the PW representative of the Denouncers’ Union that I’ll be needing their services in a moment.)
(ahem)
Don’t you think fortified wine and malt liquor would be more lucrative?
(Okay boys, do your thing.)
How will I get it to my customers without getting shot?
I pay homeless guys to carry it.
Of course, only about half gets to the buyer, but that’s not my problem.
“Or perhaps put another way, they will learn the wrong lesson — the result being that Dems and Republicans will battle each other over who can pander most effectively (and egregiously) to secure the Hispanic vote.”
The story of California writ large. Governor Pete Wilson, hardly a far-right sort of guy, being pro-choice and at least indifferent to the Gay Left agenda then brewing, understood that Hispandering would not work. But the BushyRovieKempies who ran and still run much of the GOP did not and might still not get it.
“morans”.
Heh.
…and even to cities like Minneapolis.
What the hell is that supposed to mean?
Anyone who lives in the south knows this truism. This was told to me by a black friend (why should I even have to identify melanin?):
“Tom, the north sucks because, to your face, they are all Squiggly Wiggly. But the minute you turn your back, they stick a shiv in you. At least in the south, they’re honest, and I know where they stand”.
I really want to say: “Fuck you, lying proggs”, but I am white and therefore I understand nothing, am not allowed to comment on reality.
So, I guess I have to say: “You stupid JOOOOOOOOOS! It’s all YOUR fault!!!!!”
It’ll be interesting to see what happens after this demographic shift. Is succession the next logical step? If the feds keep pushing everyone around, and all the attempts at dis-allowing voter mandates (and the GOP entirely) maybe a new country is a good idea. It’s historically inaccurate to think that a civilization will stay unchanged over time. Maybe instead of thinking about trying to keep this one together, maybe efforts on making a new one would be a better use of our time?
I’m partial to The Federal Republic of Greater Texas.
As long as that Federal Republic includes land from El Paso to Savannah, we’re peachy.
I’ve noticed this shift as it is noticeably apparent in our sleepy little suburb. Most of the new folks moving in are black, and at the country club, of the new members, 12 of 25 of the new adds this year are black families. Really nice folks – I’ve played golf and Bunko with them several times. Most are from up north and are in IT or Education and are in some really nice neighborhoods.
The interesting thing is that the ‘first home’ neighborhoods are running 50% or more black inflow to 25% latino outflow. Where the latinos are going.. IDK.
Construction workers going home, most likely.