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62 of 67 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
To an Open Dialogue on Race, June 22, 2002
This book is one of many that emerged in the early to mid-1990s concerning issues of political correctness, race, and immigration. I read several of these books; Dinesh DSouza and Martin Gross are the first that come to mind. David Horowitz is another who covers these issues in some of his writings. These books are still important because even though we dont hear about these issues as much today, they are even now stalking the American landscape. Jared Taylors book seems to be the best one I have read to date. Paved with Good Intentions, written in 1991, is Taylors manifesto on the corrosive and divisive issue of race relations in modern America.Paved with Good Intentions is not a racist tract, but is a calm, expertly documented approach to the race question. Taylor writes with neutral reasoning as he covers every aspect of the problem. Taylors purpose is not to denounce blacks and other minority groups, but rather to open a dialogue on an issue that threatens to destroy the country. I dont think anyone denies that race is a big problem in America. Taylor explains that this is the result of obfuscation by guilty whites, fast buck hustlers, and misguided do-gooders who have more to gain from racial tension than peace. Some of things you will discover while reading this book: Crime: blacks commit the vast majority of crime, with most of the crimes directed towards other blacks. Far more racial crimes occur when blacks victimize whitesespecially rape, which is overwhelming black against white. The media tends to play up crimes where the perpetrator is white and the victim black, while downplaying (or just plain ignoring) racial crimes committed by blacks against whites. Affirmative action is bad: economic policy favors minorities and excludes whites. Minorities get breaks in education, business, housing, hiring, and a host of other areas. Instead of raising the living standards of blacks, affirmative action has worked to instill in blacks a hatred of whites, while making little difference in the lives of many poor blacks. Schools exclude better qualified whites in preference for minority students. Many of the under qualified students end up dropping out of school when they discover they lack the necessary skills to compete. Entrance tests to schools and jobs have been altered, or dumbed down, in an effort to raise test scores. This occurs in important occupations (police, firefighting) where the best people are needed, but are not getting the jobs. Racism: there is a constant cry of racism over the most ridiculous issues. Like Peter and the Wolf, these constant cries desensitize the public and cost minorities credibility. Taylor does an excellent job revealing the truth about racism, namely, that it doesnt exist in the levels that it once did. The claim of institutional racism is shown to be a falsehood, to say the least. Taylor shows that government agencies employ a large percentage of blacks, which are unlikely to engage in any sort of institutional racist programs. Claims that AIDS or drugs are a racist conspiracy by whites to destroy blacks are equally fallacious. According to Taylor, if whites are so bent on destroying blacks, why would they waste time using methods that cause harm to the white community? Why would they waste billions of dollars to improve minority positions in society? Jared Taylor doesnt hate minorities. His writing shows a real concern for these issues. He seems to want a return to Martin Luther Kings idea of a colorblind society, an idea that is subverted daily by those who seek to profit from racial animosity. Until an open, honest dialogue emerges, these problems will only get worse. I think for many people really dont understand the full picture when it comes to this issue. Books like this could open eyes when voters find out what the politicians are really up to in Washington. I recommend this book to those amongst us who have an open mind, and to those who want to start thinking for themselves.
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