[Politics] Is it OK to say racist things if you're not racist?

[raymondo]

Nice job, Naga

 

[Zeberdi]

https://news.sky.com/story/todays-p...london-seethed-with-mutual-animosity-13104778

After Michael Gove’s new definition of ‘extremism’ - is allowing two opposing demonstrations to run in such close proximity a deliberate attempt to inflame Islamophobic racial hatred by baiting the Pro-Palestinian protestors into an angry response?. What was the Home Office thinking?

When you consider what length to the Tories took to keep Pro- Palestinian and opposition protestors apart on Remembrance weekend - I have to ask, what would be the motive for allowing two demonstrations, in complete antithesis of each other, to take place right next to each other?

The Metropolitan Police easily could have diverted one of the demonstrations today so their paths didn’t cross so I don’t understand why they didn’t..

When you also look back to Sue Braverman’s dog whistling to the likes of Tommy Robinson and friends, the Government‘s treatment of migrants, the concern that politicians like Galloway could cause more internal fractures within the Parliamentary Tory Party - well It’s almost if the Government wants violence to kick off over racial divisions but to what end?

 

[The Fits]

...

When you consider what length to the Tories took to keep Pro- Palestinian and opposition protestors apart on Remembrance weekend - I have to ask, what would be the motive for allowing two demonstrations, in complete antithesis of each other, to take place right next to each other?

...

What's your feeling about this?

 

[Zeberdi]

What's your feeling about this?

What’s yours? I asked first

 

[Weststander]

I liked this thread at the beginning, now another one to Ignore forever.

Reasons …. you seldom get a calm unpolarised view from anyone …. and it’s too miserable for a Saturday evening.

 

[The Fits]

What’s yours? I asked first

Well the obvious answer is your final paragraph. But surely not....
The timing of it feels very strange.

 

[Zeberdi]

Well the obvious answer is your final paragraph. But surely not....
The timing of it feels very strange.

The timing of what? The March? My post?

 

[Zeberdi]

I liked this thread at the beginning, now another one to Ignore forever.

Reasons …. you seldom get a calm unpolarised view from anyone …. and it’s too miserable for a Saturday evening.

Well that’s a polarised view if I ever heard one I simply asked a question related to the thread topic - calmly sceptical - you don’t have to answer it - or indeed announce to all and sundry because of my post you are now ignoring the thread - just ignore it for heavens sake some of us do actually care about this stuff regardless of the day of the week.

Btw - personally I find this topic a lot less miserable than the idea of you wanting to make money on betting against RDZ being with us next season - so touche!

 

[The Fits]

The timing of what?

Gove's new extremism definition.
The Remembrance Day protests.
Last year's Public Order Act.

 

[Exilegull]

Apparently it is. If you apologize later.
And if you apologize later that means you're not racist
And if you're not racist we should all move on.

I'll remember that if I ever get the urge to punch someone hard in the face
If I then say 'I'm not a violent person' and apologize, I would expect to be allowed to move on.

To answer headline question its better not to say it so thats the way to go. But if you do you should apologise and people need to forgive.

 

[Zeberdi]

Gove's new extremism definition.
The Remembrance Day protests.
Last year's Public Order Act.

Gotcha

Yes, the timing is significant I think - the issue feels like its more about who is protesting rather than stopping protests for violent extremism - there’s been less arrests in all the recent demonstrations than football fans in Europe. Maybe it’s my age but I spent a good deal of the 80s and 90s demonstrating - it wasn’t pleasant but the National Front, BNP and various other extremist groups also were part of the demonstrating public. It feels a lot of the freedoms we had then to protest against government has literally been criminalised under incremental changes to Public Order Legislation ( through the back door with statutory instruments that don’t need to go through Parliament for debate).

People may support a crackdown on Pro-Palestinian protests or Climate Change protests due to their inconvenience but that same ‘extremist’ legislation can potentially have a very broad application. People may also think it is ok for a Tory Government to accept donations from a proven racist who has made extremely disparaging remarks against a Labour/Independent MP. But Tory MPs have lost the Whip for less so where is the consistency?

I don’t like where any of it’s heading - not at all.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Gotcha

Yes, the timing is significant I think - the issue feels like its more about who is protesting rather than stopping protests for violent extremism - there’s been less arrests in all the recent demonstrations than football fans in Europe. Maybe it’s my age but I spent a good deal of the 80s and 90s demonstrating - it wasn’t pleasant but the National Front, BNP and various other extremist groups also were part of the demonstrating public. It feels a lot of the freedoms we had then to protest against government has literally been criminalised under incremental changes to Public Order Legislation ( through the back door with statutory instruments that don’t need to go through Parliament for debate).

People may support a crackdown on Pro-Palestinian protests or Climate Change protests due to their inconvenience but that same ‘extremist’ legislation can potentially have a very broad application. People may also think it is ok for a Tory Government to accept donations from a proven racist who has made extremely disparaging remarks against a Labour/Independent MP. But Tory MPs have lost the Whip for less so where is the consistency?

I don’t like where any of it’s heading - not at all.

Just out of interest old boy, where do you think we are heading?

 

[Zeberdi]

Just out of interest old boy, where do you think we are heading?

Under this government? After the GE? In 10 years time? or 20? What answer do you want to hear?

Why does my view even matter except to my friends and family?

 

[Eeyore]

That, I think, is where the anti-racists (with the best intentions) are storing up problems. Treating black people as a different caste from white people is not going to help.

I am an accountant, but being an accountant doesn't define me.
I am bald, but being bald doesn't define me.
I am overweight, but being overweight doesn't define me.
I am a Burnley supporter, but being a Burnley supporter doesn't define me.
I have pink skin, but having pink skin doesn't define me.

But if I had dark skin, then none of the other things would be even relevant because having dark skin would define me.

It's 60 years since Martin Luther King said that he wanted his children to be defined by the content of their character, not the colour of their skin. I don't think we're getting any closer.

There is some truth in this although, as ever, the truth probably lays somewhere in between.

The politics of identity sometimes flies in the face of the concept of multiculturalism which is sold to us. Multiculturalism is myth anyway. We don't live in a multicultural society. I would say we have a plural form of monoculturalism.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

To answer headline question its better not to say it so thats the way to go. But if you do you should apologise and people need to forgive.

My point was.....OK I'll explain

A red-faced fat **** was recently outed for racist comment.

It was clearly entirely reflective of his racism.

He has *apologised* for falsely giving the impression he was racist when he isn't racist at all. And we have been invited to move on.

As my first post concludes, if I randomly punch you hard in the face and then apologise, perhaps telling you I didn't mean to do it, you'd shake my hand (while stemming the blood with the other) and move on?

Well, tomorrow Jesus will rise so perhaps your reply is 'of course'.