Bullshit Racism Accusations As A Way To Lord Over Other People
John C. McWhorter writes at The Boston Globe:
It may seem perhaps the least likely thing an anti-Trumpian would do, but there's a word we might consider tempering our usage of in the coming years, given that the way we use it opens us to certain charges involving kettles and the color black. I refer to the word "racist."The Martian anthropologist would recognize no difference between the way those accused of being witches were treated in 17th-century Salem, Mass., and the way many innocent people are being accused of "racism" today. Those appalled by the way people were tarred with the Communist label in the 1940s and 1950s must recognize that America has blundered into the same censorious mob mentality in assailing as "racists," just recently, people such as Ellen DeGeneres -- for Photoshopping herself riding on Jamaican gold medal sprinter Usain Bolt's back in celebration of his win -- and Hillary Clinton -- for referring to the black men terrorizing poor black neighborhoods as "superpredators" in describing plans for protecting people in those neighborhoods from such crime.
Or, many of us have for days been furiously dismissing Trump's victory as the action of "racists." However, many of the people who voted for Trump did so for populist reasons, amid which to them, Trump's take on black people and women was unseemly, but still less of a priority than to most who voted for Hillary Clinton. Regret this though one may, do all of these people deserve to be casually tarred with the same "racist" label that we appropriately apply to David Duke and Donald Sterling?
The way we use the word "racism" has become so imprecise, abusive, and even antithetical to genuine activism that change is worth addressing. More to the point, it widens the cultural divide between the elites and the people too often breezily termed the ones "out there."
THE BASIC meaning of racism refers to a sentiment that a person or group of people is inferior because of their race. Certainly the enlightened person will understand that such a sentiment need not be expressed via direct abuse, physical or verbal. Rather, racism can be just as pernicious in the form of, as Clinton reminded us in her first debate with Trump several weeks ago, implicit bias. One hardly need espouse segregated water fountains to have subtly negative associations about, for example, black people, as psychological tests have amply demonstrated.
Let's review:
"THE BASIC meaning of racism refers to a sentiment that a person or group of people is inferior because of their race."
This doesn't mean we can't laugh at things that blacks or whites or Jews or the Chinese do. (And yes, I know not all of these are races.)
It means to judge people -- individuals -- by those beautiful words from Martin Luther King: "by the content of their character."
And you can make fun of me for being the color of fresh Wite-Out and for having all the rhythm of your dead grandma. Oh, and for doing the most pathetic, whitest fist bump anyone has ever seen (or will ever see).
via @fsnole1
20 years ago Prager noted that it had happened to the word "rape" as well. Summoning instant revulsion and sympathy theretofore, by Clinton's second term one was compelled to ask "What exactly happened?"
Crid at November 10, 2016 11:04 PM
RS:
It doesn't matter what follows the "but." Taibbi has already missed the chance to learn the most profound political lesson taught by the American electorate in my not-young political lifetime.Does anyone else notice that these "has always run through American society" passages are just as oppressive, if not more oppressive, than anything we ever faced from Catholicism? I sincerely think so. They might well be more historically consequential that the condemnations of Original Sin from Vatican Hill.
Amy is right to talk about this desiccated condemnation of racism. It's never about human beings of any color. If all these lefties are so attuned, where are the black people in their lives? More to the point, with all their earnestly articulate virtue floating around in our culture, how come the actual wretchedness of the minority poor is never improved?
It ain't hillbilly whites who are having the problem. From this day forward, when a lefty mentions "racism," I'll assume what they're saying is "Cridmo, your own relative comfort with people of different backgrounds is upsetting and unflattering to me, so I'm going to pretend that you're the problem."
...Because I'm not the problem. I've got too many diverse friends, partners, lovers and co-workers in various contexts to accept the condemnation from someone who really doesn't understand what race does and does not mean.
Consider also the transparently fraudulent 'humility' of this piece from a week ago.
Let me know how it ends... By the time the guy got through the childishly self-aggrandizing throat-clearing at the top, I'd lost interest in whatever point he was going to make.
These people did not learn on Tuesday, no matter how often they affirm that they did.
This is going to happen again.
And again.
Crid at November 11, 2016 1:43 AM
See also Kaus. Trende and about five other commentators knew pretty precisely what was going to happen at the polls this week, and it's obnoxious to argue that the rest of them couldn't have done better.
Just as I was typing this, Kaus issued an update. He didn't need to; he was right the first time.
We should almost never trust people who say "no one could have known"... In ANY context.
Crid at November 11, 2016 1:49 AM
Similar: Robby Soave
http://reason.com/blog/2016/11/09/trump-won-because-leftist-political-corr
They won't listen. Why should they? they've been told they have the right values, and everyone else isn't just wrong to hold different values but are evil.
I R A Darth Aggie at November 11, 2016 6:40 AM
@IRA: "They won't listen. Why should they? they've been told they have the right values, and everyone else isn't just wrong to hold different values but are evil."
And because "they" are evil, anything "we" do, even if it's a little shady, can't possibly be as bad as what those evil bastards are doing, so our conscience is clear.
Old RPM Daddy (OldRPMDaddy at GMail dot com) at November 11, 2016 6:59 AM
On the topic of: racism accusations as a way to lord over people. Is it also time to acknowledge "sexism accusations" as such as well?
Kenii at November 11, 2016 9:07 AM
I think the threat of being called a racist is losing its power and probably inspiring a backlash. For months now we've all had hounded into us that a vote for Trump (or any Republican) was racist... And yet, half the country did just that. People are shrugging their shoulders, and deciding that since someone thinks they're racist or bigoted no matter what they do, they might as well just do what they want.
Ahw at November 11, 2016 11:04 AM
One of the things Trump said that caused him to be accused of racism was his talk about illegal immigrants. He specifically mentioned allowing terrorists in with no screening even attempted, and allowing major criminals in just because they walk in from Mexico. He was NOT talking about legal immigrants. If we have laws, it might make sense to enforce them. We DO have laws about illegal aliens (of whatever race).
Open borders advocates ignore that at least 100 million around the world would love to come here if there was no border control at all. Are we not allowed to even discuss this without being called racist? In Europe to even mention that too many immigrants are coming in can get you prison time, but isn't this in fact a political issue?
BLM is treated as if they are saints and questioning them is "racist"--but they are a political movement with in fact incoherent policies--some branches insist we must get rid of the police. Must we support that?
cc at November 11, 2016 1:28 PM
Robby Soave: Example: A lot of people think there are only two genders—boy and girl. Maybe they're wrong. Maybe they should change that view. Maybe it's insensitive to the trans community. Maybe it even flies in the face of modern social psychology. But people think it. Political correctness is the social force that holds them in contempt for that,
A comment in the NYT from someone in Cornwall (England):
So this woman doesn't think it's a woman's place to be president. Perhaps a lot of people think that way. Maybe they're wrong. Maybe they should change that view. Maybe it's insensitive to women. Maybe it even flies in the face of modern thinking about male and female roles. But people think it. Political correctness is the social force that holds them in contempt for that. It's elitist snobbery to look down on people who think that a woman shouldn't be president. Or a black person shouldn't be president. Or a Jew shouldn't be president.
JD at November 11, 2016 3:24 PM
I would change one word. Racism is the belief that people of some races are inferior more, or less, entitled to favorable treatment because of their race.
This makes it absolutely clear that, for instance, at the U of Missouri demonstrations, one side was clearly racist and the other wasn't -- and the side using the word was the racist side.
jdgalt at November 11, 2016 7:49 PM
"inferior" in the above was in strikeout type but this site stripped that.
jdgalt at November 11, 2016 7:50 PM
Crid, second post = beautiful.
"THE BASIC meaning of racism refers to a sentiment that a person or group of people is inferior because of their race."
What if I show that a region of the world is inhabited by humans with demonstrably smaller brains?
An Intel i7 chip has more transistors than an i5. There is a direct correlation between brain mass and learning potential. The group with smaller brains will, in fact, have inferior potential.
Please note that there is more actual diversity on the African continent than elsewhere. This isn't about color.
Radwaste at November 12, 2016 4:39 AM
>>>A comment in the NYT from someone in Cornwall (England):
Just before Election Day the BBC went door-to-door in rural Ohio and Pennsylvania interviewing Trump supporters. One woman said as a conservative she was against abortion and "all that gay rights stuff" and then added, "I don't think it's a woman's place to be president."
So the world gets saddled with Trump as US president because rural folks refuse to enter the 21st century?
I absolutely love the anecdotal, sloganeering logic of the elitists/MSM (for example: the now propaganda BBC). Guess what? There are 300+ million people in the United States. Based on that massive number it's not shocking that someone can go out knocking on doors asking a specific question and finding 20 people who will answer the opposite of what is correct or popular or maybe even decent/fair etc.
You will find whites who believe blacks should be killed. You will find blacks who believe whites should be killed. You will find blacks who think blacks should be killed. You will, ahem, even find white people who pray for white (specifically white males) people to die (hollywood and college campuses would be a jackpot for that last question. BBC's next survey question?).
To semi-quote episode 1 of The Pacific (spoken by Chesty Puller): *the strategy will have been that of others but the victory will have been yours*. The strategy was of others but the victory is ours. And it's a victory already written in ink and put in the record books despite what ups and downs come in the next 4 years. Those opposed to safe spaces and appalling anti 1st amendment college admins, those opposed to PC prevaricators within almost all of the MSM, those opposed to the working class hating elites who exist in nearly every corner of society, the list goes on -- these people have demonstrably been shown their power is less. Everyone on every side saw that the puppet masters' massive power is in fact not massive enough to buy/manufacture every outcome.
I believe there is a near universal truth in mammalian nature: a female and a male gender (a complimentary intent of evolution). Why leftys want so bad to deny this reality is baffling. Additionally, I also believe muslims (and anyone else) who hold anti American views shouldn't be given a green light to emigrate/immigrate to the USA. I believe we should have tight border security with rule of law determining who comes into the USA. I believe we should have a temporary lowering in legal immigration and resources inwardly focused especially into areas badly in need of attention (such as inner cities). I believe in open and unapologetic pride in America despite its flaws. I believe in courts that don't believe the constitution protects feelings over speech while at the same time believing 4(?) amendments are broken by requiring any one of 6 valid forms of identification to vote. So ultimately what my views mean to the MSM, elites, political party establishments, nevertrump etc is I'm an glaring member of the basket of deplorables. It's one hell of a badge of honor too...
TPW at November 12, 2016 7:01 PM
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