HBD is White Identitarianism
Those who want to talk about group differences have labeled their set of beliefs “Human Bio-diversity” (HBD). Yet this collection of ideas usually goes beyond the simple view that populations are not genetically identical in all aspects of cognition and behavior. If someone is into HBD, it usually encompasses the following four beliefs.
- Populations have genetic differences in things like personality and intelligence. (group differences)
- Groups are often in zero-sum competition with one another, and this is a useful way to understand the world. (zero sum)
- People to a very strong degree naturally prefer their own ingroup over others. (descriptive tribalism)
- Individuals should favor their own ingroup, whether that is their race or their co-nationals. (normative tribalism)
I know many people who only believe in 1, but not 2-4. Almost to a person, they do not want all of us to be talking about group differences, often out of fear that doing so will lead to a belief in descriptive tribalism, justify tribalism, and reinforce zero-sum thinking. Yet if someone grabs you by the shoulders and demands you talk about race and IQ, you can assume that he doesn’t only believe in group differences, but the whole HBD package.
The problem is that while 1 is true, 2 and 3 are mostly false, and 4 is a value judgement that individuals are free to accept or reject. Moreover, 2-4 are characteristics shared with other collectivist ideologies, and ideas that are not only based on falsehoods but should be actively combated.
