You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘Systemic Racism’ tag.
Well, here we have 3 movie posters as they were displayed in mainland China. What do you see missing?
Are the anti-racism activists losing their minds about this? Can the vaunted arbiters of social justice be bothered with actual racism?
Naaaah. The REAL work is to keep looking for the systemically racism Unicorn that permeates EVERY facet of western society and must be rooted out – but only the experts can see it and you’ll have to hire them to get these dire systemic Unicorns out of your organization…
Should we actively oppose racism and racists sentiments, absolutely. Do we need a class of self appointed experts to root out the systemic racism that only they have the insight to see and root out? – Probably not.
In reference to an interesting coincidence, that through civil rights activism and a incremental changes to our society overt and institutionalized racism is largely over. But with most of racism in society gone, what then (thanks grok) – When cults face falsification of their beliefs, they often employ several strategies to retreat from reality:
Denial and Reinterpretation:
Denial: Cults might outright deny any evidence that contradicts their beliefs, claiming it to be false, misleading, or part of a conspiracy against them.
Reinterpretation: They might reinterpret the evidence in a way that fits their narrative. For example, if a prophecy doesn’t come true, they might claim it was a “spiritual” fulfillment or that the prophecy was misinterpreted by outsiders.
Isolation: Cults often increase their isolation from the outside world. This can involve moving to remote locations, restricting access to external information (like news or internet), or discouraging interactions with non-members. Isolation helps prevent members from being exposed to contradicting information or viewpoints
.
Shifting Blame or Goalposts:
Shifting Blame: If something goes wrong, rather than questioning the belief system, the leadership might blame members for not being faithful enough or external forces for interference.
Moving the Goalposts: They might change their doctrines or predictions subtly or significantly to account for the falsification without admitting error. This can mean setting new dates for prophecies or redefining what the prophecy meant.
Cognitive Dissonance Management:
When faced with evidence against their beliefs, members might experience cognitive dissonance. Cult leaders often provide explanations or new interpretations to reduce this discomfort, reinforcing loyalty and belief.
Increased Control and Manipulation:
There might be an increase in psychological manipulation techniques, like love bombing, where members are showered with affection to quell doubts, or fear tactics where leaving the group is associated with dire consequences.
Creation of Parallel Realities:
Cults might develop their own news sources, vocabulary, or interpretations of events to create a reality that aligns with their beliefs. This parallel reality can make external critique seem irrelevant or part of an antagonistic narrative.
Rituals and Practices:
Increasing the frequency or intensity of rituals can reinforce group identity and belief. These practices can act as a distraction from reality or as a mechanism to reaffirm faith in the face of contradictory evidence.
Charismatic Leadership:
The leader might become more central, perhaps through claiming new revelations or visions that explain away the falsification. This can also involve the leader becoming more authoritarian, ensuring that followers remain under tight control.
By using these methods, cults not only protect their belief systems from external critique but also maintain internal cohesion and loyalty among members, even when faced with undeniable evidence against their doctrines.
The amount of profound stupidity in Canada’s HoC some days. The government needs to ensure that individual rights and safety are protected in society.
You know how you solve climates of ‘hate and fear’ – with speech and cogent arguments. Not hand-waving at the pathetic progressive boogymen of “islamaphobia” and “systemic racism”.
Toward the end, the question was asked by Ramaswamy to his opponent – ‘The best way to stop discriminating on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.”
You can see all the identity politic tropes manifest themselves – ‘intersectionality’, oppression narratives, the willful dismissal of the evidence at hand (name a better country for the advancement of all people in the country).
We end up hurting the most vulnerable people in society when we turn away from empirical evidence and the real world. Listen and enumerate the damage being done to children in the name of ‘combating systemic racism’.
The CBC wrote an article about the misunderstanding of people who benefit from systemic racism have when it comes to Black Lives Matter versus All Lives Matter.
What Black Lives Matter is:
“Frank Leon Roberts, a professor-lecturer specializing in race and social movements at New York University, says Black Lives Matter is an “anti-violence movement that is attempting to end structural racism in all forms.”
“Police brutality is one form of structural racism but there are other forms that Black Lives Matter is combating as well,” Roberts told CBC News.”
Combating the system that is murdering your people is a historic task. The BLM movement is necessarily a long term movement, the structural change required in society is huge and most likely will require more militant action to see the problem of systemic racism resolved. But let’s just stop here and state for the record the situation in question.
- Systemic racism exists in the United States.
- It is a choice to maintain systemic racism.
- Society can resolve this matter in myriad of ways, but the two poles of the spectrum are peaceful revolution or violent revolution.
- Peaceful revolution *should* be the preferred method of eliminating systemic racism.
- The path that is ultimately followed will be the result of the dominant class in society making a choice, or being forced to make a choice, as JFK well understood, see his quote below.
“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.” -John F. Kennedy
C. It behooves us (the dominant class), to fundamentally re-imagine society so it more closely resembles this (from the Declaration of Independence):
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”
(A side note here, “men” should not be construed as the default for everyone. Women’s struggle to be recognized as fully human goes farther back the Declaration and necessarily that struggle (sadly) continues to this day)
So maybe let’s err on the side of preserving human life and take the less violent option, just for once? The race issue in the US is not going to go away, this isn’t another #occupy, as this is so much larger and so so much more history behind it. Oh certainly this instance of BLM might simmer down a bit, but the on going injustice coupled with the immediacy of social networking will keep the boil going.
I think it would be wise if the representatives of he status quo decided to take the non-violent path, because soon that choice will become unavailable, and then only the more chaotic option will be all that remains (which will be bad for everybody).
Let’s take a peek at the what the other side is saying:
“But there are many who do not see eye to eye with the message Black Lives Matter is attempting to send because they believe all lives are important, and specific groups should not be singled out.
[…]
“It appears many “all lives matter” supporters feel that “Black Lives Matter” is not about equality, but rather focusing on the oppression experienced by only one group.”
Well duh? BLM is about the fact that being Black in the US is an oppressive experience. Would the converse statement make things any more clear? #WhiteLivesMatterMore? Don’t look at foreign policy if you’re about to disagree with #WLMM, the uncounted coloured dead in Iraq (Afghanistan, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Vietnam, Syria, Mexico, India, Philippines… et cetera) have millions of arguments to make against you…
“Recently, Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York City, went as far as to say that “Black Lives Matter” is “racist” during an appearance on Fox and Friends.
“It’s inherently racist because, number one, it divides us. All lives matter,” he said.”
Nothing more racist that overlooking the fact that a racial divide exists. :/ But here we go again, with the notion that somehow the playing field is the same for everyone and everyone has the same chances and opportunities in society. The answer according to the status quo is more ‘equality'(?). Unfortunately, ‘more equality equals ephemeral/meaningless ‘change’ to the status quo to make things look more equal, while in fact, maintaining the superstructure that is responsible for the racial oppression in the first place (we can lump a large part of liberal feminism into this grouping as well). So let’s dispense with the neo-liberal platitudes and realize:
- The playing field is not even.
- The opportunities are not the same.
- Treatment within the society is not the same.
- Outcomes in society are not the same.
Without addressing the root causes of institutional racism, nothing will change. (For a great example of please see the second wave of feminism, as they named the problem, and tackled some of the institutions responsible for their oppression) Let’s slip over to Deep Green Resistance for their take on the problem –
“Justice is not won by rational argument, by personal transformation, or by spiritual epiphany. It’s won by taking power away from the powerful and then dismantling their institutions.”
Hmm… sounds like a painful process. It all depends on how fiercely the dominant class latches onto the superstructure that benefits and supports them; maybe some enlightened self interest might take hold and change that doesn’t come from the barrel of gun will be possible. I doubt it, but it could happen.
Oh, and some gems from the comment section of the CBC article, ranging from light banality to vapid boorish ignorance :
-I think it just comes down to poor branding. Black Lives Matter might be better served by say End Racial Violence, or Black Injustice, or less vague and self-evident to anyone with an open mind. The issue isnt that black lives don’t matter, and no one who isn’t a racist thinks they don’t so maybe the movement should have a more focused name based on their stated goals.
[Because changing the name will make all the difference. Racists be like, “Oh snap! They are *just* trying to end Racial Violence – we’re totally on board with that!.“]
-“Black Lives Matter” doesn’t do anything to prevent racists from joining their group, and their group has racist overtones in their messages, focusing only on blacks when many blacks have already openly called “Black Lives Matter” an Anti-Police hate group.
[Binky has the fun idea that oppressed people can be racist. Sorry Binky, it doesn’t work that way. Racism has the institutional power of society behind the racist actions in question. Most certainly, oppressed groups can discriminate, but not be racist – especially toward their oppressors as they hold no institutional power in society.]
-Black Lives matter creates further division, especially with it’s members and supporters condemnation of saying All lives matter. Inclusive thinking rather than exclusive is required – All Lives Matter is inclusive and is something to strive for.
[Inclusion in this instance is just another way of obfuscating the fact that black people in America face more obstacles that white people do. In every facet of their lives’ because of the colour of their skin, they are treated differently. This has to change, and focusing on this difference is completely justified in pursuing their goals of a more equal society.]
-The problem is BLM aren’t selective in their support for black people who come to a bad end in encounters with the police. They even support the ones who have guns, a rap sheet five miles long and who had intent to kill cops. If you are going to support people who don’t deserve that support then your movement will be seen as a mockery.
[Ah, well perhaps we can use the tried and true ‘a few bad apples’ apolgia to wave this one away. Funny how it tends not to work when you happen not to be white, rich, and male.]
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