From: smir+@CS.CMU.EDU (Yury Smirnov)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.soviet
Subject: Re: Can white men jump?
Date: 13 Oct 92 22:12:01 GMT
Article-I.D.: cs.Bw2z0C.Euo.1
Organization: Carnegie Mellon University

In article <Bw1rt9.83z@cs.columbia.edu>, ratner@cs.columbia.edu (Michael Ratner) writes:
|> In article <IGOR.92Oct12231136@krishna.cs.columbia.edu> igor@cs.columbia.edu (Igor Pankevich) writes:
|> >In article <Bw120z.5Eu@apollo.hp.com> goykhman_a@apollo.hp.com (Alex Goykhman) writes:
|> >
|> 
|> I don't think that blacks in general are more capable athletically
|> than whites.
|>
   I also think so. For most of black boys sport is an excellent way to get into
   a respectable way of life - high salary in professional boxing or basketball,
   scolarship at a university. But look at ice-hockey or swimming. Can you
   notice a bunch of talented black hockey players or swimmers ? It confirms
   the statistical law of great numbers : if 1000 white boys are going seriously
   in for swimming then 10 of them will be of high level and 1-2 of the top one.
   Just the same you can see in sprint : from 10000 black boys training in
   sprint 3-5 will be the fastest.

   Try to ask yourself : can I spent 4-5 hours and a lot of power every day
   in running, rowing or boxing ? Being honestly everybody should answer no. 
   Why ? Because you will be tired ? No, because you have good brains and wish 
   to implement them in orther ways. But I knew some runners in xSU who 
   preferred to train up to the retirement in order not to work, as it was the
   only thing that they could do well. 

|>  
|> >>      Let us, for the sake of the argument, assume that Race X
|> >>      is genetically more capable than Race Y when it comes to 
|> >>      activity Z.  So what?  This kind of knowledge is absolutely
|> >>      useless, unless one intends to discriminate on the basis of 
|> >>      race and is looking for justification.
|> >>   one's race is irrelevant -> all races are equal
|> >
|> >What about "Race X is more capable of learning things when taught
|> >using the strategy K, and Race Y is more capable of learning when
|> >taught using the strategy L"? There was a psychology professor
|> >somewhewere in the US who's research choed this on blacks vs. whites,
|> >and he was called a racist and had to retire, or something... It is
|> >not a discrimination, it is an attempt to bring forward some race's
|> >strongest potential, and it is called a racism. How about that?
|> 
|> Once again, I believe that there's a certain balance of abilities in a
|> person -- physically strong are usually not too bright, and smartest
|> guys I know don't exactly look like Stallone...  I guess you get my point.
|> 
   Is it an assertion : the smarter you are - the weaker and less healthier
   you should be ? Probably, vice versa ? It's so pity, that ancient Greeks
   died long ago, otherwise they would argue hard.
   It is quite natural that you should find a reasonable ballance of physical
   and intellectual strength, not beeing too fascinated in the first one.
   As for me, Stallone isn't the excellent model of men's beauty. This point
   of view is a good excuse for SU jews usually having bad health, rounded-
   shoulders back and a frequent headache. What's the use of one's smartness
   if he/she is very seldom able to demonstrate it sufferring all the rest time 
   of his/her sickness. I was lucky to see that American jews are much more
   sportive and healthier. I'm living near 3-4 jewish elementary school,
   boys and girls use to play basketball and tennis almostly every day.
   They are also frequently visiting a swimming pool at the nearest JCC.

   Probably, somebody is too lazy ? As for me, I make myselfe to spent 1 hour
   every day in running or swimming. Beeing sincere, it is not easy to do.
   How I got this hour in the intensive day schedule ? This thing is much
   easier than everyday training. You can have 25-hour day, if you get up 
   one hour earlier than usually.

   My opinion : All races are quite equal both in sports and intellectual life,
   but differences in cultural levels and ways of life lead to different stimuls
   and forms of children development, which begins from the period of pregnancy.
   After 20 it is extremely difficult to change cardinally, though still 
   possible. As in Russian proverb:
   "20 let - uma net i ne budet,
    30 let - zhenyi net i ne budet,
    40 let - deneg net i ne budet."

    Yury.