this post was submitted on 02 Jan 2026
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Is there a definition of relevant that, for you, doesn't include the impacts and effects of the thing in question?
Are you going to argue to me with a straight face that the only relevant aspects we should be concerned about with colonialism is whether ownership is current and active?
Now you're asking me how I might agree that not having any colonies can still count as colonization?
If you strip the land of resources when you owned it such that people can no longer use it, your colonization of that land – while in the past – is still relevant to the people now trying to eke out an existence on that land.
Playing prescriptivist with definitions isn't going to absolve Europe of the still ongoing effects that their colonization has caused.
Also…Europe still has colonies/territories (https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/1er0god/european_overseas_territories_outside_europe/); so your entire argument doesn't even hold up, to begin with. Europe's still colonizing.
It's interesting that you spent so much time defending your racism rather than trying to dismiss the allegation.
Europe's a race, now?
My only response was that you statement that Europe's history of colonization (which, again, isn't even true as Europe still has colonies) is still relevant as the effects of that colonization is still present today.
Something you haven't refuted or even contested; how is acknowledging history racist?
Now we've moved on to you saying Racism doesn't exist which makes it perfectly okay for you to say everyone from a specific continent is a pest/plague.
That would be xenophobia; not racism.
I also never said that Europeans were a pest or plague; as I said in the previous comment, "My only response was that you statement that Europe’s history of colonization is still relevant." You never alleged that I was saying that Europeans were a pest or plague (probably because I never said that) so I was never attempting to refute such a claim.
Xenophobia is Racism like Water is a Fluid.
I expect, at this point, we will just agree to disagree and there's no way we'll see eye to eye but no: it's very much not. Race is an ill-defined social construct whereas xenophobia is based on prejudice against cultural and national lines and, while those are also socially constructed, they are more concrete than the boundaries of "race".
As such, racism seeks to (and is more defined by its attempt to) construct a sense of identity against something to maintain a status quo (hence why the definition of "white" has been able to expand to include ethnicity such as the Irish) to better position itself against others.
While cultures and ethnicities can certainly change over time, they're not remotely as nebulous (and made up) as race is and, thus, don't operate in that same way; people are also much more invested in cultures and ethnicities beyond reasons of maintaining hegemonic status quo so that impacts things, as well.
Did you expect to convert me to racism?
I expected (hoped?) you'd educate yourself a bit; there's a wealth of information and research and theory on this subject so it's not like you have an excuse to so wildly misuse terminology which is well-known and well-defined. Continuing to use "racism" without defining what race is is cartoonish but I did hope for more from you; I guess, at least, good faith. Oh, well.
For others who come across this thread and would like creators who sometimes cover these topics with some depth, here's some video essayists:
https://www.youtube.com/@FDSignifire
https://www.youtube.com/@olurinatti
https://www.youtube.com/@lilbilliam
https://www.youtube.com/@Princess_Weekes
https://www.youtube.com/@KatBlaque/videos
https://www.youtube.com/@jouelzy/videos
Bro doesn't know the definition of race and thinks I'm the one who needs educating.