What IS racism??

[bawang]

Adapt or die, it's the law. The only real law we have. The rest are just social constructs struggling to keep up with our nature.

but you couldnt adapt to the hordes of chinese being all rude and spitting everywhere in toronto. thats the future, babby.

[Syn7]

but you couldnt adapt to the hordes of chinese being all rude and spitting everywhere in toronto. thats the future, babby.

Why would I have to adapt to anything in TO? It's like the a boring version of NY without all the great stuff! The only think useful about TO, from my perspective, is the airport. I did a few shows out there in the club district. Not a place I really wanna go back to. I pretty much did my thing, got my money and hung out in the hotel till it was time to go.

As for Vancouver, I feel at home in Chinatown. In fact I feel at home everywhere in this city. We grew up VERY multicultural, it's just normal to me.

Besides, Chinese immigration will start to reverse by 2020. Won't be long till whiteboys are going there for work.

[Faruq]

Racing is when two or more people fix a specific task to be accomplished and compete to see who can finish in the shortest amount of time!

More come types of racing include, running, car driving, swimming, rowing, skiing, etc.

It is a perfectly harmless activity performed for fun, entertainment the for the acquisition of fame and fortune!

And as anyone who's seen the documentary "The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" knows; racing can also be very dangerous!!!

[Kellen Bassette]

If we were all in possession of a reasonable degree of common sense then we wouldn't need any laws or rules to govern ourselves. Rules are there for the people who don't, or perhaps do not have the capacity to, understand them.

Well, your always going to have the "evil" people who will take advantage of the weaker...But as for common sense laws, society is run by the wealthy and privileged, with the educated and intelligent, (these are not the same things), occasionally getting positions of power.

Culture doesn't evolve at the same pace as structured society. You always end up with the elite ruling the peasants...and a simple trip to Wal Mart will confirm that most people aren't yet ready to live in an "enlightened" culture.

At any rate, 500 years from now we will all be looked back upon as savages.

[bawang]

At any rate, 500 years from now we will all be looked back upon as savages.

500 years?

Culture doesn't evolve at the same pace as structured society. You always end up with the elite ruling the peasants

american culture promotes elitism. the ultimate dream is to not work. failing that, work as little with the least exertion and intensity as possible.

[Drake]

500 years?


american culture promotes elitism. the ultimate dream is to not work. failing that, work as little with the least exertion and intensity as possible.

EXACTLY 500 years.


Racism is acknowledging that a 6'4", 250lb black man will likely beat you to death, with his bare hands, regardless of how many years you study kung foo.

[RenDaHai]

american culture promotes elitism. the ultimate dream is to not work. failing that, work as little with the least exertion and intensity as possible.

But isn't some degree of elitism good? I mean if you let the peasants rule you get stuff like the cultural revolution happening.

It depends how you use the term, but elitism can be used to imply a kind of meritocracy. (Meritocracy is a system of governance in which power is vested in individuals according to merit. Advancement in such a system is based on intellectual talent measured through examination and/or demonstrated achievement in the field where it is implemented.)

I mean, this seems like a generally good idea.

There is not a problem in principle with having an elite class, especially if they are wiser than most. The problem is is that this is not the case in our society. People who become this class are the ones who are adept at exploiting others, not helping them.

This is only our own fault. It is the things we respect and admire. We don't place enough value on great achievements but on superficial ones.

[David Jamieson]

If people invested more time and effort into cultivating their own humanity. Of regulating themselves and their attitudes and less time into trying to control the behaviours of others through social constructs, then, the world would probably be a better place just from the conscientiousness of everyone.

Fwiw, I believe the ultimate elitist model that would be viable for a society is that which is found in Republic by Plato. The actual cultivation of people to lead who are brought up to do that from birth and do not have to do anything else but take care of the society and the people within.

Could be an unrealistic Utopia. Probably is when you consider the common person and their desires. But still, on paper, I think PLato had some good ideas about how to create a society.

[RenDaHai]

I think one of the roots of Racism is Culturalism (that is emphasising the importance of culture in determining behaviour).

Culture is implanted on us from birth. And cultural values take hundreds of years to evolve. As every generation teaches the next, so the flaws of that generation are implanted to some extent on the next.

It is undeniable that some cultures are certainly more primitive than others. What is illogical is to assume this is ethnicity based. The culture you have grown up with will have far more effect on your behaviour than your race will. But does that mean that someone from a more primitive culture will therefore be a more primitive person? This is where one root of racism is. It is a bad conclusion to draw because it ignores the potential of the person. It ignores what they are capable of but condemns them for their lack of opportunity, which is of course unfair.

However here we get into a problem. Relativism. When we try to be fair we make another false assumption. That all cultures and ideologies should be equally respected. NO! Simply. It is fine and good to be against some ideologies and some cultures. Being a Nazi IS wrong. Sharia Law IS primitive. Socialism does NOT work. Surely we need to be confident enough to disrespect these ideologies but at the same time NOT disrespect another Human being for holding them. And this is a difficult thing to do.

[David Jamieson]

I think one of the roots of Racism is Culturalism (that is emphasising the importance of culture in determining behaviour).

Culture is implanted on us from birth. And cultural values take hundreds of years to evolve. As every generation teaches the next, so the flaws of that generation are implanted to some extent on the next.

It is undeniable that some cultures are certainly more primitive than others. What is illogical is to assume this is ethnicity based. The culture you have grown up with will have far more effect on your behaviour than your race will. But does that mean that someone from a more primitive culture will therefore be a more primitive person? This is where one root of racism is. It is a bad conclusion to draw because it ignores the potential of the person. It ignores what they are capable of but condemns them for their lack of opportunity, which is of course unfair.

However here we get into a problem. Relativism. When we try to be fair we make another false assumption. That all cultures and ideologies should be equally respected. NO! Simply. It is fine and good to be against some ideologies and some cultures. Being a Nazi IS wrong. Sharia Law IS primitive. Socialism does NOT work. Surely we need to be confident enough to disrespect these ideologies but at the same time NOT disrespect another Human being for holding them. And this is a difficult thing to do.

I believe cultural identity is important as it gives people meaning and purpose in some respects. It is to be shared, not held over someone. that is an error that gets made because people feel they are superior based on what they have.

For instance, for some reason in North America, people think that intelligence is associated with wealth for a great part. This of course isn't true at all and wealth is not an actual measure of overall intelligence. So, that's an issue, IE: Hubris.

Being a nazi is illegal where I am, so yes, it is wrong to institutionalize hatred.
Sharia law is an attempt at mixing religion with matters of state. this is a recipe for disaster no matter what religion or what state. Not everyone thinks and feels the same an not everyone believes the same thing, so state religions are by that aspect, a throwback, old thinking and un-progressive.
Socialism has aspect of it that work.

Your public roads, your police service, your fire service, your public schools, your libraries etc etc. Everyone puts into the pot and everyone can benefit from these services. That is socialism when it works. That is to say, the services provided must be agreed upon as to what everyone is willing to chip in for.

A bad form of it is when it becomes overarching and inhibits freedom and innovation because of state control. So, economically, a total socialist state is not viable as was demonstrated with the collapse of the USSR and is also evident by the Chinese adoption of capitalism in order to lift hundreds of millions of people out of crushing poverty that was brought on during the hardline communist years.

Cultural relativism hasn't been acceptable for a while. I think that was made abundantly clear in the last decade alone. Pluralism is another thing though. We must recognize that despite our own ignorance there has to be reason for implementations of laws an practices in a society that we may or may not be aware of. But, if people are being harmed because of what other people "believe" then that is plain old "wrong". There really isn't a grey area when harm is done to innocents.

[RenDaHai]

Cultural relativism hasn't been acceptable for a while. I think that was made abundantly clear in the last decade alone. Pluralism is another thing though. We must recognize that despite our own ignorance there has to be reason for implementations of laws an practices in a society that we may or may not be aware of. But, if people are being harmed because of what other people "believe" then that is plain old "wrong". There really isn't a grey area when harm is done to innocents.

Well said.

The thing is there are a lot of people who consider themselves enlightened and will label you a bigot if you adopt anything other than the stance of cultural relativism. I think it is because for stupid people something like relativism is easy to understand and seems fair and it absolves you from having to form opinions.

It is probably less of a problem in Canada and the U.S but in Europe it is a big thing. Everyone is so fearful of stating an opinion on anything close to this topic as apparently to be strong in your convictions equates to political suicide. People seem to find it impossible to separate emotion from argument. Offense is taken at every turn.

[David Jamieson]

Well said.

The thing is there are a lot of people who consider themselves enlightened and will label you a bigot if you adopt anything other than the stance of cultural relativism. I think it is because for stupid people something like relativism is easy to understand and seems fair and it absolves you from having to form opinions.

It is probably less of a problem in Canada and the U.S but in Europe it is a big thing. Everyone is so fearful of stating an opinion on anything close to this topic as apparently to be strong in your convictions equates to political suicide. People seem to find it impossible to separate emotion from argument. Offense is taken at every turn.

Then it behooves people to educate themselves.
People have for the most always participated in the sheep mentality.
Those who speak out are generally rejected at first, ridiculed and persecuted as the truth comes out, then, they finally gain acceptance.

people simply are not good with dealing with change despite the fact that this is the constant in their lives.

we are odd creatures, that is for certain.