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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
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.
Words do often suddenly get a new meaning but one not adjacent one that causes confusion. If a hat is "sick" nobody assume the hat has an illness. It's just pathetic and it equates actual racism to stuff like people who think they are opposed for getting in trouble at work if they say the n word.
I have no clue what you're talking about.
racism noun
lanzybear is an idiot
Exactly, lazybear's take is very close to the moronic thinking making people believe that men can't be raped.
Stop making simple concepts complicated.
I'd say it's less that they are an idiot and more that they don't understand there is systemic racism and interpersonal racism (there is probably a more official term here but interpersonal covers it well enough for a Lemmy comment).
Systemic racism can only be done by the ~majority~ group with the power in a given system (usually government but it could be perpetrated in a religion, an institution, club, etc.). Red lining is a great example of that. Segregation as well. Things done by the group in power to the ones not in power of the given system. Throughout the history of the USA, this means white people oppressing other ethnicities but especially black people.
Interpersonally, anyone can be racist. They can hold racist views and hate others without knowing them beyond their appearance.
Systemic racism can only be done by the majority group with the power…
Counter argument: South Africa
This argument has been going on for 60 years, by historians and educators, black and white, who are much smarter than us... Here's a reddit comment I found that detailed the argument well (paraphrasing)
the purpose of "power + prejudice" was to move discourse away from the idea of being racist as a personal failing, and instead focus on structural oppression and the material reality of minority groups.
Basically liberal society largely seems to have conceived racism as 'being irrationally mean', but for people with a materialist anti-racist perspective, that definition isn't productive or insightful and the lack of material, tangible progress for black people post-civil rights made it clear that there needed to be more focus on power dynamics and historical context to combat racism.
Beverly Tatum's work offers an informed and compelling perspective on the matter
I reject the idea that a sixty year old redefinition that was followed by a rise in white resentment was done by people "smarter" than any of us.
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 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?
This is the exact kind of post racists like to share in their own communities to show how "the woke agenda" victimizes them.
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
This is true. The Nazis were just pretending
Hate to be a descriptivist but no, you don’t just get to change what a word means and then get mad because people are using it the correct way.
Racism is discrimination based on race, no matter how many arts majors screech otherwise.
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.
Just going to leave this old but gold video here for all the people in the comments: https://youtu.be/dw_mRaIHb-M?is=OpX9nrxIZBss7HCe
This guys does it well while keeping it funny.
I still disagree with the absolutism that opens an opportunity for people to get defensive, but the comedian focuses more on the scope, the seriousness, the disparities and extremes. And that’s only the well known and widely agreed issues
Maybe I’m generalizing from my own reactions too much but this is a great approach to communicating the issue