In response to this article, one of our regulars, Clazy, highlighted the words of Lee Jasper, the “Director for Equalities” for London’s Islamist-hugging mayor, Ken Livingstone. Jasper has argued that “you have to treat people differently to treat them equally.” Clazy regards this as “pure Orwell.” Rightly so, I think.

It doesn’t seem to occur to Jasper or Livingstone that the multicultural ‘identity politics’ of which they’re such enthusiasts can actually exacerbate suspicion and resentment. If some notional “communities” are being treated differently and being encouraged to cultivate difference for social or political leverage, then getting past a person’s skin colour or place or origin seems more difficult, not less. One is continually being reminded of how different a person is, or thinks he ought to be. A cynic might point out that the racial grievance industry – and the various commentators and lobbyists who benefit from it – depends on people being preoccupied by the colour of a person’s skin. And therefore, one might suppose, there’s an incentive to make sure lots of people are.

Scott Burgess has pointed out that some commentators can apparently detect racism in “homeopathic concentrations.” This paranormal sensitivity is, I think, pretty much inevitable among some race industry professionals. The threshold of grievance has to be lowered continually in order to justify further crusading – and, of course, to justify status, funding, media attention, etc. Eventually, left unchecked, this hypersensitivity can reach the level of paranoia, perpetuating the attitudes it claims to oppose.

Carnal Reason points out some neglected merits of courtesy. 

“My nine year old daughter asked why she should be polite to someone who has been rude to her. Courtesy is not a tip handed out to people who deserve it. Courtesy is not about being nice; it is not even about other people. Courtesy is a discipline with the goal of mental clarity under emotional stress. As long as anger is not allowed to displace manners, the mind remains in control. The polite man remains rational. The man who rages becomes unthinking, and thereby stupid.”

Yes, I rather like that.

Readers based in or around New York may be interested in Michael Light’s latest exhibition at the Hosfelt Gallery, 531 W. 36th Street. Bookworks runs from May 18th until June 30th and features an ongoing series of aerial photography studies, from the New Jersey wetlands and urban Los Angeles to copper mining in Utah (site of the world’s largest man-made hole).

I interviewed Michael Light for Eye magazine and the piece can be read in full here.

Japan’s leading toilet manufacturer says electric bidets “may catch fire.” Appliance in question features “pulsating massage spray, power dryer, deodorizing filter and Tornado Wash flush.” Burn treatment upgrade forthcoming, presumably. (H/T, Protein Wisdom) // North Korean Socialist Realist Art. Proletariat glorified, tractors worshipped. Realism aspect somewhat doubtful. // Unhinged race activist Dr Kamau Kambon proposes a final solution. Exterminating white folk will save the world, apparently. // Luggage labels. Lots of them. // Hotdoll. “The sex doll for dogs.” I kid you not. (H/T, Ace) // Via Mr Eugenides, an alternative to the previous item… Neuticles! “Allow your pet to retain his natural look and self esteem. With Neuticles, it’s like nothing ever changed!” Choose your preferred size and firmness. // Via Cox & Forkum, the 1940s political cartoons of Dr Seuss. // The Hollywood Animation Archive. From Uncle Remus to Playboy. // Rapatronic images of early atomic tests. First ten millionth of a second. Eerie and compelling. // Dave Pressler’s Toy Explosion. The Endorphins are fun, as is Tummy, the Brave Little Stomach. // Japanese Hyper Rescue Robot. Lifts cars, clears snow. // The Ragtime Ephemeralist. Cut a rug to the Honolulu Cake Walk and other bygone ditties. // Repeat after me, “All cultures are equal.” // When post-it notes attack. // Apollo Mission multimedia archive. Sights and sounds, Buzz and Neil. Onboard recordings, mishaps, Nixon calls long distance. // Earth and Moon, to scale. // William “The Shat” Shatner sings Common People. A post-ironic triumph, methinks. // And finally, to class the joint up a little… Mr Dean Martin. 

Oh my. According to DaimlerChrysler, the Smart ForFun2 “awakens the inner child in everyone who sees it.”

Yes, I’m getting that. The feeling, I mean. Not the car. More here.