4 ms·

Racism isn't a political issue, it's accepted that it is a bad thing.

mywittyname 8y ago
I disagree. Lots of people think it's perfectly acceptable to say terrible things about (people they think are) Mexican. You can readily predict the political alignment of the people who do think such things are acceptable. I would not be surprised if their behavior extended to other groups, such as Muslims. Additionally, a subset of these people also believe that it should be socially acceptable to say disparaging things about blacks, Jews, and other groups that "enjoy" social protection from such behavior. Edit: grammar.
- brlewis 8y ago
  An individual's drug addiction is not a political issue, even though it predicts their political leanings around drug legalization. An individual's racism or xenophobia is not a political issue, even though it predicts their political leanings around immigration.
  - mywittyname 8y ago
    If politicians 1) talk about something a lot, and 2) take separate sides of the matter, then it's a political issue. Drug addiction absolutely is a political issue, and a hot one at that. Same with race issues and immigration. White bread or wheat would be an example of a non-political issue. It's possible that you live in a country where these are not political issues, but I'm from the USA and these topics are discussed by politicians on a daily basis. They have the secret to fixing the heroin issue, or the immigration crisis, or the Muslim terrorists, etc.
    - brlewis 8y ago
      Institutional/societal racism is a political or public policy issue. But this thread started w.r.t. individual racism: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17200028 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17200028 Comments about individuals are not political discussion, unless chepaslaaa's girlfriend holds public office.
- GhostVII 8y ago
  That doesn't make it a political issue though, because there isn't really any serious debate about it. Just because more racists support Republicans doesn't make it a political issue unless racism is something a significant amount of Republicans are supportive of.
yardie 8y ago
> it's accepted that it is a bad thing. I believe the recent presidential election has proven otherwise.
- GhostVII 8y ago
  How so? Were there politicians debating on whether it was OK to be racist? Being anti-immigration is not racism regardless of how you feel about the topic.
jpfed 8y ago
Republican Lee Atwater discusses how his party achieves the goals of racism while avoiding explicitly racist rhetoric: "You start out in 1954 by saying, “Nigger, nigger, nigger.” By 1968 you can’t say “nigger”—that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like, uh, forced busing, states’ rights, and all that stuff, and you’re getting so abstract. Now, you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is, blacks get hurt worse than whites.… “We want to cut this,” is much more abstract than even the busing thing, uh, and a hell of a lot more abstract than “Nigger, nigger.”" https://www.thenation.com/article/exclusive-lee-atwaters-infamous-1981-interview-southern-strategy/ https://www.thenation.com/article/exclusive-lee-atwaters-inf...
Frondo 8y ago
Except that it's amazing how many people will say racist things after disclaiming, "this may not be politically correct...[insert racist garbage here]"

I disagree. Lots of people think it's perfectly acceptable to say terrible things about (people they think are) Mexican. You can readily predict the political alignment of the people who do think such things are acceptable. I would not be surprised if their behavior extended to other groups, such as Muslims. Additionally, a subset of these people also believe that it should be socially acceptable to say disparaging things about blacks, Jews, and other groups that "enjoy" social protection from such behavior. Edit: grammar.

brlewis 8y ago
An individual's drug addiction is not a political issue, even though it predicts their political leanings around drug legalization. An individual's racism or xenophobia is not a political issue, even though it predicts their political leanings around immigration.
- mywittyname 8y ago
  If politicians 1) talk about something a lot, and 2) take separate sides of the matter, then it's a political issue. Drug addiction absolutely is a political issue, and a hot one at that. Same with race issues and immigration. White bread or wheat would be an example of a non-political issue. It's possible that you live in a country where these are not political issues, but I'm from the USA and these topics are discussed by politicians on a daily basis. They have the secret to fixing the heroin issue, or the immigration crisis, or the Muslim terrorists, etc.
  - brlewis 8y ago
    Institutional/societal racism is a political or public policy issue. But this thread started w.r.t. individual racism: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17200028 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17200028 Comments about individuals are not political discussion, unless chepaslaaa's girlfriend holds public office.
GhostVII 8y ago
That doesn't make it a political issue though, because there isn't really any serious debate about it. Just because more racists support Republicans doesn't make it a political issue unless racism is something a significant amount of Republicans are supportive of.

yardie 8y ago

> it's accepted that it is a bad thing. I believe the recent presidential election has proven otherwise.

GhostVII 8y ago
How so? Were there politicians debating on whether it was OK to be racist? Being anti-immigration is not racism regardless of how you feel about the topic.

jpfed 8y ago

Republican Lee Atwater discusses how his party achieves the goals of racism while avoiding explicitly racist rhetoric: "You start out in 1954 by saying, “Nigger, nigger, nigger.” By 1968 you can’t say “nigger”—that hurts you, backfires. So you say stuff like, uh, forced busing, states’ rights, and all that stuff, and you’re getting so abstract. Now, you’re talking about cutting taxes, and all these things you’re talking about are totally economic things and a byproduct of them is, blacks get hurt worse than whites.… “We want to cut this,” is much more abstract than even the busing thing, uh, and a hell of a lot more abstract than “Nigger, nigger.”" https://www.thenation.com/article/exclusive-lee-atwaters-infamous-1981-interview-southern-strategy/ https://www.thenation.com/article/exclusive-lee-atwaters-inf...

Frondo 8y ago

Except that it's amazing how many people will say racist things after disclaiming, "this may not be politically correct...[insert racist garbage here]"