4 ms·

While it is definitely racially insensitive, it’s punching up to the majority, or more specifically the hegemony which is the majority that holds the power. Th

While it is definitely racially insensitive, it’s punching up to the majority, or more specifically the hegemony which is the majority that holds the power. Think of the school yard situation where Nick is bullied for his leg, Tony yelling, “You walk funny!”, punches down and isolates and separates Nick from the group. Inclusion (more so, not being rejected) is strongly important to most humans. If Nick shouts back “Tony, your straight legs are like everyone else”; it doesn’t hold much strength, power or bite. It’s because Nick is punching up. Tony remains comfortably part of the hegemonic group part of the majority with no loss of anything really. I think this is an evolution in distinctions on this, earlier framing was that any racially insensitive comments were all collectively racism; the current framing seems to be some comments are racially insensitive and are a bit awkward while others shift power, divide and exclude; and the later is being defined as the more contemporary definition of racism. In short if the type of slur is not biting at you it’s likely because your power or position or inclusion as “one of us”, is not at risk or in question and it’s hence much easier to brush off. For people who fit well into the majority, much of this can be very invisible; hence so many comments from people with privilege often confirming to each other; I can’t see a problem here, I don’t feel this.

firebaze 5y ago
Nick could just ignore the bullying from Tony. If he'd like, he could smirk when Tony launches a personal attack, pointing out - if asked - how insecure he is, and that he wishes him recovery. Perception dominates everything.
- netizen-936824 5y ago
  Its a bit different when Nick is excluded from classes because he "can't sit in his chair like everyone else"
quinnjh 5y ago
I dont think we should be encoding rules relating to which classes of people are "above" and "below". Can you see how encoding a platform with rule sets for the "highers" and "lowers" could be problematic if maintained for years? Obviously im failing to grapple with the content. However, it is time we look at race as a technology of control- and if the "above" class is taught sticks and stones while the "below" class is taught that words and silence are violence - are we not re-entrenching the same oppressive binaries? (Oh right i forgot what the point was)
horns4lyfe 5y ago
Not all white men are in a position of power, in fact most aren’t. I don’t care either, it’s just a backwards way of racially based thinking. Of people want to be backwards then fine, that’s their issue.
inglor_cz 5y ago
"punching up to the majority, or more specifically the hegemony which is the majority that holds the power." Uh, if you look at classical antisemitism of the 20th century (or its contemporary offshoots, very much alive in some Islamic countries), it operated along the same lines of thinking, only without using the word "majority". Antisemites chose a few rich and connected Jews, pointed fingers at them and screamed "See, Jewish plutocrats control the world! It is a Jewish hegemony!" They absolutely saw their activity as a desirable "punching up" to the nefarious world masters. Of course, the vast majority of Jewish people were neither plutocrats nor powerful, and the vast majority of whites today isn't in positions of power either. This practice of taking an entire ethnic group as a whole and treating them the same based on a few negative examples is pure, unadulterated bigotry. It is dismaying to see how it took vigorous root in the West again. It is evil and it is going to have evil consequences.

firebaze 5y ago

Nick could just ignore the bullying from Tony. If he'd like, he could smirk when Tony launches a personal attack, pointing out - if asked - how insecure he is, and that he wishes him recovery. Perception dominates everything.

netizen-936824 5y ago
Its a bit different when Nick is excluded from classes because he "can't sit in his chair like everyone else"

quinnjh 5y ago

I dont think we should be encoding rules relating to which classes of people are "above" and "below". Can you see how encoding a platform with rule sets for the "highers" and "lowers" could be problematic if maintained for years? Obviously im failing to grapple with the content. However, it is time we look at race as a technology of control- and if the "above" class is taught sticks and stones while the "below" class is taught that words and silence are violence - are we not re-entrenching the same oppressive binaries? (Oh right i forgot what the point was)

horns4lyfe 5y ago

Not all white men are in a position of power, in fact most aren’t. I don’t care either, it’s just a backwards way of racially based thinking. Of people want to be backwards then fine, that’s their issue.

inglor_cz 5y ago

"punching up to the majority, or more specifically the hegemony which is the majority that holds the power." Uh, if you look at classical antisemitism of the 20th century (or its contemporary offshoots, very much alive in some Islamic countries), it operated along the same lines of thinking, only without using the word "majority". Antisemites chose a few rich and connected Jews, pointed fingers at them and screamed "See, Jewish plutocrats control the world! It is a Jewish hegemony!" They absolutely saw their activity as a desirable "punching up" to the nefarious world masters. Of course, the vast majority of Jewish people were neither plutocrats nor powerful, and the vast majority of whites today isn't in positions of power either. This practice of taking an entire ethnic group as a whole and treating them the same based on a few negative examples is pure, unadulterated bigotry. It is dismaying to see how it took vigorous root in the West again. It is evil and it is going to have evil consequences.