Thread: Are we all racist?

Originally Posted by stroller

People often only notice it when they are at the receiving end of it....

You mean like when the "F" word is mentioned?

I'm not racist at all, hell I've even got some mates that are English....well I think they are mates anyway, but you know what a two faced backstabbing bunch of kunts they tend to be

Originally Posted by risktohimself

Originally Posted by stroller

People often only notice it when they are at the receiving end of it....

You mean like when the "F" word is mentioned?

It is hardly spelled 'figger', is it? Get a dictionary.

I don't consider myself racist, but I've been confronted throughout my life with stereotypes I hold and assumptions I make.

I've struggled with this question. As a daughter of the Old South, I had ancestors who were poor farmers and some who were landowners and slaveholders. It's not a pretty heritage.

Here's an example...my family didn't allow the use of the word "nigger," not because it was racist but because it marked a person as being "common." Many Southerners used it daily as a matter-of-fact adjective. Who was racist? Couldn't tell from language, as it didn't really reveal thoughts and attitudes.

I have to say that dealing with my husband's Thai ex-wife and my Thai daughter-in-law's marriage arrangement has made me struggle with some stereotypes around the Thai approach to money, love, marriage and relationships.

Originally Posted by friscofrankie

Using stereotypes in humor is not racism.

i disagree, because IMO this type of humor can lead to generalizations based on race. once enough people have heard jokes about a racial group enough times, it becomes a truism.

^Everything in hunour has an element of truth.no truth=not funny.

I am not so much a racist but i would be lying if i said i liked Africans. They are very cheeky, complain constantly, have no respect for women and think everyone is against them.

One interesting aspect of racism in the U.S. has been the creation of a class of crime called "hate crimes."

Now, I agree there truly are hate crimes -- very obviously targeted at the victim's race or other different nature (gay).

But -- should there be greater penalties for hate crimes?

I never understood the concept of that since it doesn't promote equal justice under the law.

Originally Posted by friscofrankie

Before anyone can give a truthful answer, define racism. Not bigotry not prejudice, but racism. Do we treat or act towards others based solely on their race?
Having preconceived ideas on certain cultural or ethnic groups is one thing. acting on or basing our willingness to work with, live near or, if we make decicisions based on, a persons race then yes; you could say that is racism. Thinking Sikhs stink is not racism, just a fact, in our culture. Not sitting next to one that doesn't stink because he is what he is, is racism. Not sitting next to one that stinks, becasue he stinks; simple choice based on personal preference.
Using stereotypes in humor is not racism. Being afraid to let a welshman use your lighter is.

Pattern recognition is one of the most important faculties of animals and humans, and it would be misguided to try to ignore the patterns that we see.
For example, in my town when buying a used car from a Russian there is a good chance it is a rebuilt wrecked car. A healthy sense of suspicion, in this case, is a good idea and a positive use of stereotypes. It's an issue that shouldn't necessarily cloud one's relationships with other people, but kept in mind while in unfamiliar situations.

Originally Posted by ray

i disagree, because IMO this type of humor can lead to generalizations based on race. once enough people have heard jokes about a racial group enough times, it becomes a truism.

Originally Posted by FF

open discussion and a sense of humor about these things are the relief valve that keeps the pressure down. It ain't racism. Those that spend time arguing it is are wasting time fighting a ghost and avoiding the issue of true racism, it does exsist, you know

These two posts are two common approaches that cut accross many social issues. Most of us can get along and kid each other. I don't think we need to be protected from ourselves nor should all of us suffer because a small percentage of assholes use a joke to express their hate and make humor ugly. Making something taboo makes for secreted thoughts which become personal truisms that never get aired out or understood via cross cultural discussion.

Originally Posted by attaboy

For example, in my town when buying a used car from a Russian there is a good chance it is a rebuilt wrecked car. A healthy sense of suspicion, in this case, is a good idea and a positive use of stereotypes.

Buying a car from anyone it's always good to keep a eye onpen for 'tricks.' Would you really be any less meticulous in yur inspection of a car because the seller was not Russian? Or would you just pass on even dealing on a well priced auto because the seller was Russian?

If by racist, you mean that we all tend to gravitate to our own kind....I would say YES, we are racist. Not a big deal in the overall scheme of things. The challenge is to overcome the tendency.

rac·ism
n.
1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.
2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.
racist - definition of racist by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

An interesting article on the subject: Racism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thais gotta be superior to most of the white folk here

(no I dont mean you, not you Rich EXPAT..)

they have many of us working for them for peanuts

(they convinced many of us here that "peanuts" and "lifestyle" are same same, similar .. maybe a tad different huh? )

Originally Posted by in4zip

(they convinced many of us here that "peanuts" and "lifestyle" are same same, similar .. maybe a tad different huh? )

To be fair, they haven't convinced us, we have convinced ourselves of that.

Originally Posted by friscofrankie

Beat a woman up, hate crime; Beata gay person up hate crime; beat a balck up racisit hate crime. Six blacks beat white dude up, simple assault.

Try this:


BBC NEWS | Scotland | Glasgow and West | Trio jailed for Kriss race murder


A little bit of parity in Scotland?

Mr Ed? The talking horse

Of course!

Can our steroetypes be justified? I think so yes. Can our racism be justified. Unfortutately I think so

Originally Posted by stroller

rac·ism n. 1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.

Take for example, aboriginals, do you thin if they had the same opportunities education wize as lets say a german engineer, do you think they would have the same success. Maybe I am wrong and maybe this is an extreme case, but it seems that some stereotypes and racism can be justified. Am i a total a$$ for saying that or just very naive.

Taken at birth from the aboriginal surroundings and plaed in a well off western family surrounding, I wonder? Yeah genetics, maybe even parental diet have bearing on the abilityof a child to think and work things out. But early attitudes and surrounding inspiration accounts for a good deal of the ignorance and even lack of intelligence in the world.

Gotta tell you though the Fijians I worked with, I do believe, were just about the dumbest folks on the planet. The indians (Indo-Fijians) there were not much better, yet a good deal of the programming code written today is written by Indians from other parts of the planet..

Moroccans......I hate 'em all. Never met a good one.

Originally Posted by cali kid

Take for example, aboriginals, do you thin if they had the same opportunities education wize as lets say a german engineer, do you think they would have the same success.

Well, extracting a grown-up Aboriginal from his habitat and putting him down in Dortmund, would probably be about as successful as relocating a German engineer in the outback with a spear and asking him to go and catch something to eat.

Who would learn quickest though? Isn't that more pertinent?

Aboriginal to engineer, or German to hunt?

I don't believe the Aboriginal would have any more problems than I would with engineering, once he understood why he was being asked to do it.

The German, however, might not fancy the hunting...

Originally Posted by risktohimself

I don't believe the Aboriginal would have any more problems than I would with engineering, once he understood why he was being asked to do it.

The German, however, might not fancy the hunting...

I disagree I believe the western educated man would be more inclined to adapt that the aboriginal. but it's friday night and I'm outta here.

hurry up then Frankie.
I've been waiting since 4.30 and i'm already a bit pooped.