Cue Card Libertarianism -- Ethnicity

ETHNICITY: The elevating of one’s racial identity and associated cultural traditions to a position of supreme importance – a racist version of collectivism, under-pinned by post-modernism in philosophy, and still very fashionable in academia.

A UCLA General Catalogue eloquently presents this viewpoint, saying: “This university has no higher priority than to advance the ethnic diversity of its students, faculty, staff and administrators.” No higher priority?! Similar priorities are evident in New Zealand academia, with this 'new racism' too often given predominance over real learning. (Wananga and sing-along-Maori anyone?) Auckland University for example until recently boasted "The University has special responsibilities and obligations to Maori flowing from the Treaty of Waitangi which must be taken into account in setting strategic goals. ...The bi-cultural basis of New Zealand society and Maori engagement in academic life confer much of the distinctive and special character of this University."

American universities typically offer courses with such titles as “Black Hair as Culture and History,” with associated tests such as “400 Years Without a Comb.” Similar nonsense, under the general umbrella of Political Correctness, has been widespread in New Zealand for some years -- the phenonomena of racial pride and identification with one's tribe has been widespread, and employees requiring courses in 'cultural safety' and the non-existent principles of Te Tiriti has become de rigeur. The idea of Aryan ethnicity once swept Hitler to power; ethnicity drove the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda; it still drives conflict in Sudan, Gaza, Israel, and elsewhere in the Middle East and around the world. It is cultural and spiritual poison.

Defining oneself by one’s race and tradition -- things about which one has no control over -- is utterly incompatible with defining oneself by one’s conscious choices, and deriving pride in one's own achievements rather than just those of one's ancestors -- which is the essence of individualism.

This is part of a continuing series explaining the concepts and terms used by libertarians, originally published in The Free Radical in 1993. The 'Introduction' to the series is here.