Gas Bandit's Political Thread V: The Vampire Likes Bats

Saudi Arabia just got a whole lot more interesting. The first surprise was a Crown Prince that's not pushing 80. The sons of ibn Saud have had their day at last. Let's hope he makes it to actually become King. Because there's no way the clerics and their followers don't respond with violence.

I wouldn't be surprised if some of the royal family themselves don't try something stupid.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
Misleading headline.

55% of white americans believe discrimination against white people exists - not that they themselves believe they have been discriminated against.

And let's face it, there IS. Institutionalized, even.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
Well, of course. Whether or not it's worse than what some other groups face is another matter.
It's much more noteworthy that 45% believe it DOESN'T exist. The person they interviewed basically pulled the old "you can't be racist against white people because only white people can be racist" line.
 
It's much more noteworthy that 45% believe it DOESN'T exist. The person they interviewed basically pulled the old "you can't be racist against white people because only white people can be racist" line.
Yeah, why don't more people believe in something they never experienced or saw happen in their lives? Whatever happened to having faith?

Well, i do guess 55% - 19% = 36% true believers.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
Yeah, why don't more people believe in something they never experienced or saw happen in their lives? Whatever happened to having faith?

Well, i do guess 55% - 19% = 36% true believers.
By your logic, I shouldn't believe murder happens because I've never experienced it or seen it happen with my own eyes.
 
It's much more noteworthy that 45% believe it DOESN'T exist. The person they interviewed basically pulled the old "you can't be racist against white people because only white people can be racist" line.
Do you think there's any value to the argument that racism requires having a position of power, and since white people tend to have the power in this country, there's no such thing as racism against white people in America?
 

GasBandit

Staff member
Do you think there's any value to the argument that racism requires having a position of power, and since white people tend to have the power in this country, there's no such thing as racism against white people in America?
None whatsoever. Racism does not require a position of power, and discrimination against a member of an ethnic majority is a thing that happens in reality. They may not have effects of the same magnitude, but to say it doesn't exist is categorically false.
 
Yeah I've never bought the "position + power" definition of racism. We can have different terms to describe different things. If they said racism against white people is a real problem in the US, then I would be more concerned.
 
By your logic, I shouldn't believe murder happens because I've never experienced it or seen it happen with my own eyes.
Well, clearly, murder is a real problem where you're from...

...

C'mon, don't be daft, you know very well that no one actually said you literally can't discriminate against white people. Saying that white people dominate important areas of society ("Look at Congress. Look at the Senate. Look at government on every level. Look at the leadership in corporations. Look. Look anywhere.") implies that the effect of someone's racism towards white people would be mitigated by that fact, not that it's impossible for such a person to exist.

And of course tehre's also this gem: "Even though Hershman believes he has been a victim of anti-white discrimination, he wasn't able to provide a specific example. He describes losing out on a promotion — and a younger African-American being selected as one of the finalists for the job. But the position eventually went to a white applicant, who was also younger than Hershman."



I don't think any child in school has any position of power.
You know, i've long suspected that we're living in a simulation that started a little while before my first memories... only explanation why so many older people don't seem to remember what childhood was like... picking on people and making fun of them was definitely a way to assert and maintain your social status.


Do you think there's any value to the argument that racism requires having a position of power, and since white people tend to have the power in this country, there's no such thing as racism against white people in America?
That's stupid, because racism already has a definition hat works just fine. You don't need to redefine it because some people pretend not to understand that the magnitude of it's effect are influenced by who's doing the discrimination. I mean, you'd have to be literately retarded to not get that your boss discriminating against you is worse for you then the janitor doing it.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
Well, clearly, murder is a real problem where you're from...

...

C'mon, don't be daft, you know very well that no one actually said you literally can't discriminate against white people. Saying that white people dominate important areas of society ("Look at Congress. Look at the Senate. Look at government on every level. Look at the leadership in corporations. Look. Look anywhere.") implies that the effect of someone's racism towards white people would be mitigated by that fact, not that it's impossible for such a person to exist.
I'm not being daft, and you're moving the goalpost. The exact wording of the question is "do you believe discrimination against whites exists in the U.S. today?" And it does. As I said, it is also institutionalized through oft-maligned "affirmative action" policies in hiring and admissions. That minorities encounter discrimination more often and to greater effect does not mean that white Americans do not, and that it does not have an impact on their lives. Furthermore, the conversation then morphed to that of racism - which is different than discrimination... one is a belief and the other is a practice. You can bet your ass there is plenty of race-related resentment toward whites from minorities. I've experienced THAT plenty.
 
You know, i've long suspected that we're living in a simulation that started a little while before my first memories... only explanation why so many older people don't seem to remember what childhood was like... picking on people and making fun of them was definitely a way to assert and maintain your social status.
Way to pick one sentence from the original post and try to make you totally different point.

Racism exists from school yards to corporate business. I don't think any child in school has any position of power.
There's the whole post, in response to...
Do you think there's any value to the argument that racism requires having a position of power, and since white people tend to have the power in this country, there's no such thing as racism against white people in America?
Has nothing to do with my memory of school, in fact I stated that racism existed in school, may have existed more for me in the 70s than it does today. I don't have a rose-colored glasses view on my past.
 

GasBandit

Staff member
Has nothing to do with my memory of school, in fact I stated that racism existed in school, may have existed more for me in the 70s than it does today. I don't have a rose-colored glasses view on my past.
Hah, no, what he's attempting to assert is, the racist children DO have positions of power (over the other children).

Because of schoolyard social dynamics and whatnot.

I know, I know.

:rolleyes:
 

GasBandit

Staff member
You realize that discrimination against someone based on their race...IS, by definition, "racism," right?

--Patrick
Yes. If I wasn't clear, what I meant was, you can be a racist without actually subjecting someone to discrimination. A belief, vs an action.

Though technically, discrimination doesn't have to be about race, either... it can be about sex, height, sexual orientation...

But all that's beside the point.
 
Yes. If I wasn't clear, what I meant was, you can be a racist without actually subjecting someone to discrimination. A belief, vs an action.

Though technically, discrimination doesn't have to be about race, either... it can be about sex, height, sexual orientation...

But all that's beside the point.
I feel like these would all be obvious, too. But...y'know.

--Patrick
 
I know as a white male, my application chances to dental school are actually lowered, significantly. I know this through the makeup of the interviewees on interview days, oh, and hearing it directly from someone on the admissions board. So say, in a class of ~~ 100, because I'm White/Male, I'm only shooting for 6-7 of those seats, because schools value diversity.
 

Dave

Staff member
Which is exactly what I said earlier about scholarships and admissions into colleges. I understand why they do it, but that doesn't mean it can't hurt people through no fault of their own only because of the color of their skin.
 
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