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Glad to see a lot of the comments denying this idea.
Racism is racism, fuck racists of any kind.
Yeah, there has been a movement in recent decades to redefine racism, sexism, etc. As only applying to stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination by a person from a dominant group toward people from a marginalized group. To some extent I get that--that is why anyone ever started caring about racism etc.--and language evolves. If we as a society decide that is the only set of valid definitions, I'll go with it, because I care more about the struggle for equality than about the words used in that process.
That said, my issue with this usage is that it is imprecise and bundles some extra judgments. This use of racism requires an extra assessment of the power dynamics between the groups each of the parties belongs to (and sometimes identifying that is a quagmire itself). I'd prefer keeping those judgments separate. For example, maybe responding to this racist troll by saying that some kind of racism cause and deepen harm a lot more than others, and he is ignoring that fact due to his own racism.
What they are talking about is systematic racism, which defines racism + its proximity to power. IE the system cannot be really racist to white people if white people run the system. However its the system not specifically the individuals in the system that are racist.
I believe an example would be something like if you have a white sounding name you are more likely to be interviewed over someone with a non white name all other factors being held the same. At least in say the US.
Idiots like the person responding in the image coopted the definition to apply it to racism as a whole so they could say things like "I am not racist because i do not have systematic power but you are racist simply because of the colour of your skin, even if I am saying far more vile things and judging you based on nothing more than skin colour."
Racism is discrimination based on a persons skin color regardless of what you look like.
Systematic racism is more what the system does to those outside of the agreed upon "norm" inside of a system.
There is and should be distinctions in these definitions but the internet ruins everything.
But the thing is the “norm” is different in different places. If you go as far as saying it doesn’t exist in certain directions, someone is going to get defensive. And they’re right, sort of. Maybe it’s just arguing terminology but to say it doesn’t exist is wrong and someone will argue it.
But once you get to the differences in impact, that seems a lot more clear cut, and with no absolutes for people to argue
This is a dumb redefinition of the word to have a narrower meaning than it should, confusing the conversation. You can just say "systemic racism".
I'm a big fan of "oppression". Blacks in America are victims of racial oppression.
"Systemic racism" doesn't solve the "this is something that is bad and happens to blacks but not whites" inference while "oppression" is both implicitly bad and not something you can do tp the dominant group.
I mean sure if you use your own made-up definition of what racism is.
Racism as defined is the belief that one's race is better than another.
It doesn't matter what race you are. As long as you hold that belief you are in fact a racist.
It's basically moving the goal posts. Language is a malleable thing, however when one word is being already actively used by the majority of people for an adjacent meaning then a new word is needed. If people can't use context other than the race of the victim to determine if you mean someone was racist or racist+ then your word sucks.
But we already have a term for what the user is describing, 'systemic racism'. This is trying to define a common term to mean something more specific to push the same behaviors out of the umbrella depending on the color of the person doing it. Ironic.
I came here to say that. Systemic racism is exactly what the post was describing.
These are always my favorite: "Language is malleable." It is indeed. But that's a poor excuse, especially in situations like this, where the person in the post above is literally inventing her own definition of racism to fit her narrative.
Language does change over time. It adapts as needed to convey meaning more effectively in discourse between people.
Just not here.
The concept of believing one's own race is superior to others has not changed. We already have a word that describes that state of mind.
That word doesn't suddenly get to change its meaning the moment the established definition no longer supports the speaker's narrative. The meaning remains the same.
You don't need to be in a position of power to be racist.
Most racist chuds have no power.
True racism had never been tried
True racism is indistinguishable from misanthropy. Gotta hate every race. Including your own.
This is the exact kind of post racists like to share in their own communities to show how "the woke agenda" victimizes them.
Well, ackshually 🤓
Seriously though, that's not the definition most people use, and you're never going to change minds through pedantry. Also, people like this always seem to be colossal losers.
People always want things black and white, they want everything to fit in neat little boxes and that's just how reality works.
I fully acknowledge my place of privilege, but yes I’ve experienced racism. I understand it’s pretty mild relative to what others experience, but to say it doesn’t exist is just starting an argument. Feel free to say it’s mild and describe how someone else has to suffer much more serious racism, and I’ll probably agree and ask what we can do about it
And it’s not white people food, it’s specifically British food and Midwest us food that taste bland and flavorless. I don’t get it: both benefit from large immigrant population from some of the world’s greatest cuisines ……. So wtf are they eating?