Understanding racism

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Understanding racism

Postby Dae » Tue Mar 23, 10 1:08 pm

Is it racist to say that the black people are best jazz and rap singers and good sprint runners?

(When I say so, I still discriminate them by their skin color, i.e. implying that the skin color makes difference).

Or is it racist only when I say negative things, i.e. "a lot of black people live in poverty"?
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Postby Professor Layton » Tue Mar 23, 10 1:29 pm

Both statements don't seem racist to me.
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Postby Allan » Tue Mar 23, 10 2:05 pm

Nor me, they're both provable facts. (Though the music point is somewhat subjective)

Though if you were to say something like "Black people are the best runners, because they've got so much practice stealing from shops", that probably would be considered racist, as you're making negative light of a positive point.
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Postby MainMan » Tue Mar 23, 10 3:13 pm

No, it's racialist, not racist.

In fact,

Dae wrote:Is it racist to say that the black people are best jazz and rap singers and good sprint runners?

Or is it racist only when I say negative things, i.e. "a lot of black people live in poverty"?


All the statements in your quote are racialist, they aren't racist because they don't convey the message of the race being inferior to your/another race - they are objective.

In my opinion, the word "racist" is greatly overused these days by people who have no idea of what it means. "omg dats racist!!" It's a powerful word and using it in such a stupid context detracts from its meaning...
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Postby Dae » Tue Mar 23, 10 3:16 pm

So "black people are better than white people in jazz" would be racist?
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Postby MainMan » Tue Mar 23, 10 3:19 pm

Dae wrote:So "black people are better than white people in jazz" would be racist?

No because it's still a relatively objective statement (despite being a question of taste); you are not making any degrading statements. Better / worse at music does not translate to better / worse as a race.

If you say "black people are illiterate," for example, that's getting much more racist because of the social, and therefore racial implications that it carries
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Postby ~SaSQuAtCH~ » Tue Mar 23, 10 3:23 pm

is it racist to call a white person a f*kin n*gger? (srsly)
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Postby MainMan » Tue Mar 23, 10 3:24 pm

No, but a lot of black people are offended by the word n!gger (in any context) so it's probably best not to.
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Postby clyzm » Tue Mar 23, 10 3:34 pm

MainMan wrote:
Dae wrote:So "black people are better than white people in jazz" would be racist?

No because it's still a relatively objective statement (despite being a question of taste); you are not making any degrading statements. Better / worse at music does not translate to better / worse as a race.

If you say "black people are illiterate," for example, that's getting much more racist because of the social, and therefore racial implications that it carries


How are you not making any degrading statements? You are basically undermining the entire white race of its jazz experience. Furthermore, how does musical history not account for a social aspect of a culture?

(I don't think it's true either; Bix Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz musicians of all time, and he was white. Don't get me wrong, though - Louis Armstrong is still pretty good, and probably more well-known.)

All the statements in your quote are racialist, they aren't racist because they don't convey the message of the race being inferior to your/another race - they are objective.


Are you sure you're not confusing subjective with objective? Those all seem like subjective opinions to me. An objective statement would be more like "Mongolia has a lot of Mongoloid people." And where is it stated that to be racist, you must feel another race is inferior to your own? Doesn't the official definition consist of something like the belief that your race is ultimately superior to all others, and some races produce unwanted qualities that do not directly coincide with people's beliefs and treatment towards those people?
Last edited by clyzm on Tue Mar 23, 10 4:57 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Postby Professor Layton » Tue Mar 23, 10 3:35 pm

white men can't jump
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Postby Allan » Tue Mar 23, 10 4:42 pm

Ethelbert the Tiger wrote:white men can't jump
shit Jaguar game is shit.
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Postby UT » Tue Mar 23, 10 8:49 pm

Is it sexist to say that Women don't have to play video games?

Is it racist to say that the black people are best jazz and rap singers and good sprint runners?

Or is it racist only when I say negative things, i.e. "a lot of black people live in poverty"?


Imo, it isn't racist .
they aren't racist because they don't convey the message of the race being inferior to your/another race


I fully agree this statement.
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Postby Survive. » Tue Mar 23, 10 9:22 pm

~SaSQuAtCH~ wrote:is it racist to call a white person a f*kin n*gger? (srsly)


But is it racist calling a black person a n1gger?
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Postby Alistair » Tue Mar 23, 10 11:14 pm

I knew some dick would come along and have to write something along those lines. GTFO
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Postby Survive. » Wed Mar 24, 10 3:26 am

Ok then... What about telling a black person a racist joke?
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Postby James » Wed Mar 24, 10 8:15 am

Survive. wrote:Ok then... What about telling a black person a racist joke?


What are you, 12?
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Postby Survive. » Wed Mar 24, 10 3:40 pm

James wrote:
Survive. wrote:Ok then... What about telling a black person a racist joke?


What are you, 12?


What... It's a serious question.

I do racist jokes in front of my black mate and he finds it ok, so I was trying to find out everybody else's opinion... >.<
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Postby James » Wed Mar 24, 10 6:37 pm

He finds racism okay from you. I'm almost certain there might be other people who are your mates, and I'm definitely sure there is someone who would react badly to those jokes if you tell them it. No matter what race they are.

Yes, it is blooming racist.
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Postby ~[ß]Lost~ » Thu Mar 25, 10 8:26 pm

Black men have bigger cocks than white men. Though partially black people like the Chinese seem to have one of the smallest penis' in this planet :roll:
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Postby Dae » Thu Mar 25, 10 8:39 pm

I suppose this is based on your own experience?
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Postby MainMan » Thu Mar 25, 10 9:01 pm

clyzm wrote:How are you not making any degrading statements? You are basically undermining the entire white race of its jazz experience. Furthermore, how does musical history not account for a social aspect of a culture?

Because it doesn't imply anything towards the race. You said it yourself - the "social aspect of a culture". Saying that a race is worse at music is not a degrading statement, because musical talent, just like sporting talent, does not have any bearing on the social status of a race. Of course it is an issue for debate, but if expressed constructively, it isn't derogatory.

Compare: "black people are more musically talented" and "black people are more musically talented because they have to busk on the street as they can't get enough money from welfare to support their 8 kids and their drug addictions."
Non-social versus social.

clyzm wrote:Are you sure you're not confusing subjective with objective? Those all seem like subjective opinions to me.

No, it's objective because it's just a judgement based on facts. It becomes subjective the moment you insert your own personal feelings on the matter. Of course a judgement, by its very definition is subjective, ultimately, but if it isn't fuelled by your own emotions or motivation then for the sake of practicality it is objective, relatively. (Nothing is 100% objective, absolutely speaking)

clyzm wrote:And where is it stated that to be racist, you must feel another race is inferior to your own? Doesn't the official definition consist of something like the belief that your race is ultimately superior to all others?

Same horse, different jockey. In fact, your definition is less accurate because you imply an opinion of inferiority towards all races, whereas in reality often people are racist towards some races more than others.

Not to be racist myself, but America has the worst case of the "OMG dat's racist!! im so offended!!!" misuse of the term "racism" of any country, in my opinion.

And not Bix, try Django for white jazz. :)
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Postby ~SaSQuAtCH~ » Fri Mar 26, 10 3:07 pm

Survive. wrote:
~SaSQuAtCH~ wrote:is it racist to call a white person a f*kin n*gger? (srsly)


But is it racist calling a black person a n1gger?


calling a black guy a fkin n1gger can be offensive because the guy is black and he might feel insulted rite
but
calling a white guy a fkin n1gger might not be that bad because it's obvious he can't be black rite?
explain
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Postby [FGS]Fear » Fri Mar 26, 10 6:44 pm

~SaSQuAtCH~ wrote:is it racist to call a white person a f*kin n*gger? (srsly)


LOL
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Postby clyzm » Sun Mar 28, 10 10:39 pm

Because it doesn't imply anything towards the race. You said it yourself - the "social aspect of a culture". Saying that a race is worse at music is not a degrading statement, because musical talent, just like sporting talent, does not have any bearing on the social status of a race. Of course it is an issue for debate, but if expressed constructively, it isn't derogatory.


You are however expressing derogatory statements towards the culture, correct? And I disagree with you on musical talent/sporting talent not having a social status of a race. The Irish take great pride in their Rugby matches, the Indians take great pride in cricket, and so on and so forth. Any significant part of a culture has to do with race, this is why Americans believe (racially) that we are the best at basketball because we have played it and have a wider fan base than any country.

Compare: "black people are more musically talented" and "black people are more musically talented because they have to busk on the street as they can't get enough money from welfare to support their 8 kids and their drug addictions."
Non-social versus social.


I think that's a bad analogy. You're using a slightly offensive derogatory statement and comparing it to an even more derogatory statement.

When you say a statement such as "Black people are musically talented," it is not as racist as to say "Black people are more musically talented than white people" because you are not making one race inferior to another in a social aspect, which is by its very nature racism.

No, it's objective because it's just a judgement based on facts.


The first statement Dae made, "black people are best jazz and rap singers" is subjective by its very nature because he is inserting his opinion, the key word here being "best." There are a lot of modern jazz artists and rap singers, and the word "best" is sketchy. Best at what?

The second statement he made, "a lot of black people live in poverty", I will agree with you in saying that it is objective. But one may also say that for white people and other races as well; poverty is universal.

Same horse, different jockey. In fact, your definition is less accurate because you imply an opinion of inferiority towards all races, whereas in reality often people are racist towards some races more than others.


I see. I was just using an older definition that they taught me back in school; when one was a 'true' racist, we assumed that they felt their race was superior to all others.

Not to be racist myself, but America has the worst case of the "OMG dat's racist!! im so offended!!!" misuse of the term "racism" of any country, in my opinion.


I agree with you. Racism is an injustice but using it as a base of all accusations/scapegoat is just detrimental to society.

And not Bix, try Django for white jazz.


heh, never heard of him. I will definitely look into it though :)
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Postby Alistair » Mon Mar 29, 10 12:18 am

Dae wrote:I suppose this is based on your own experience?


:rofl:
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