Are you still grieving? You are not alone.

[Shell B]

Calling someone a racist isn't really an argument. It doesn't end the discussion at all. However, if the argument is over whether Chinese people should be allowed in movie theaters, you can certainly say to someone, "You are arguing from a racist perspective and are therefore biased." That's a pretty solid end to a discussion there. I'm just arguing nothing, though, since I seem to think you all believe the same thing, but are just not connecting on it for some reason.

[abaris]

Since racism wasn't the original topic here, had a look at the Philippines recently? That's what you get when a rightwing populist goes rogue and delivers on what he promised. Without any significant politicial resistance as it seems.

But that's only the peak of the Iceberg. True, in Poland or Hungary people aren't killed on the streets, but the rollback on civil rights, checks and balances and freedom of the press are already in full swing. Roma are oppressed in Hungary. To the point that the emergency services don't visit their settlements anymore, since it's only Roma and not some first class citizens in need of help. Neonazis like the Jobiks are free to patrol and harass Roma, since they're also the ones supporting Orban in parliament. I guess I don't have to mention Turkey again, since it's obvious what's happening there.

All of these august figures ran on the nationalist ticket. Most of them instrumentalise religion to suit their needs and all of them crack down on minorities. LGBT rights are out of the window, women's rights to their own bodies too. At least in the case of Poland, which already had a stringent anti abortion law, which, if the government has it's say, would get even more strict with putting an end to abortion once and for all and under any circumstances.

So, I would ask our resident fans of politicians like that, if that is the paradise they imagine in their dreams of a new kind of policy.

[ApeNotKillApe]

A Theist is a massively bigoted cretin who I won't be addressing directly. Not worthy getting riled over that fuckface. In fact his dislike of me makes me look good.

---

It's an exercise in futility when everyone is a bigot screaming bigot at other bigots. Talk about an echo chamber.

In my experience that never happens. There's always non-bigots too and the bigots are the people who normally get called bigots.

Never happens? This thread by itself proves my point. Division and contrarianism, always.

Naturally difficult for people to get a wider perspective, especially when they're invested, plus they generally don't want one. Understanding that your precious self aggrandising identity politics (whichever wing you plant your ass on) grant you the relative worth of a particle in a pathogen; it tends to break your narrative. Forces you to look at yourself as you are: a microscopic imbecile among equals.

(Using the general 'you' btw) 

[Regina]

Calling someone a racist isn't really an argument. It doesn't end the discussion at all. However, if the argument is over whether Chinese people should be allowed in movie theaters, you can certainly say to someone, "You are arguing from a racist perspective and are therefore biased." That's a pretty solid end to a discussion there. I'm just arguing nothing, though, since I seem to think you all believe the same thing, but are just not connecting on it for some reason.

It's absolutely fine under certain circumstances, yes, like the one you gave.

I just think the general Left's knee-jerk reaction to everything being "that's racist." is a real dumbing down and oversimplification of the discussion. You can't get an open white supremacist, or even just a regular white person with some subconscious bias, to wake up and change their views without actually hearing the developed arguments they need to hear.

It's also the quickest way to get someone to brick up and not listen to anything you have to say, instead of engaging them.

[Shell B]

Certainly. I find both far left and far right folks very difficult to understand. One side screams racist while the other calls people ridiculous names like ilbtards, thinking it's somehow actually funny. The fake news and terrible memes this past year should be enough to embarrass both groups.

[Catholic_Lady]

Calling someone a racist isn't really an argument. It doesn't end the discussion at all. However, if the argument is over whether Chinese people should be allowed in movie theaters, you can certainly say to someone, "You are arguing from a racist perspective and are therefore biased." That's a pretty solid end to a discussion there. I'm just arguing nothing, though, since I seem to think you all believe the same thing, but are just not connecting on it for some reason.

I can definitely stand behind this. 

Only thing I would add is that I'd try to understand what their motivation is for saying such a thing before making the assumption that it's because of their race. Obviously the Chinese not being allowed to go to movies is an extreme example and I can't see why other than racism anyone would have a problem with Chinese at the movies, but as principle I'd like to think I'd try to understand their perspective before mentioning anything about race. Who knows, maybe they'd have a reason for thinking that way that has nothing to do with race. Doubt it though.

[SteelCurtain]

Calling someone a racist isn't really an argument. It doesn't end the discussion at all. However, if the argument is over whether Chinese people should be allowed in movie theaters, you can certainly say to someone, "You are arguing from a racist perspective and are therefore biased." That's a pretty solid end to a discussion there. I'm just arguing nothing, though, since I seem to think you all believe the same thing, but are just not connecting on it for some reason.

I can definitely stand behind this. 

Only thing I would add is that I'd try to understand what their motivation is for saying such a thing before making the assumption that it's because of their race. Obviously the Chinese not being allowed to go to movies is an extreme example and I can't see why other than racism anyone would have a problem with Chinese at the movies, but as principle I'd like to think I'd try to understand their perspective before mentioning anything about race. Who knows, maybe they'd have a reason for thinking that way that has nothing to do with race. Doubt it though.

I 100% understand this. And I would agree, if it weren't for my every day experiences, I would follow you right down this road.

My experiences nearly every day here in TN make this unbelievably hard. It would be naive of me to continuously think this. I am constantly bombarded with reminders that I am a black guy. I don't think people are malicious about it, but in the five years now that I've lived in TN, I have been pulled over and had a service weapon pulled on me for reaching into my glove compartment after being stopped for having a brake light out, I have been called "boy" literally hundreds of times, I have been told I wasn't welcome at a gas station because "we don't serve towelheads here," I have been greeted too many times to count with that ever so familiar look of surprise when a brown person walks through the door, and then on top of it all, you can't go anywhere without that Confederate Flag flying proudly off of people's black smoke belching raised pickup trucks.

It's hard not to be overly suspicious of everyone when one constantly encounters casual racism.

[pocaracas]

I can definitely stand behind this. 

Only thing I would add is that I'd try to understand what their motivation is for saying such a thing before making the assumption that it's because of their race. Obviously the Chinese not being allowed to go to movies is an extreme example and I can't see why other than racism anyone would have a problem with Chinese at the movies, but as principle I'd like to think I'd try to understand their perspective before mentioning anything about race. Who knows, maybe they'd have a reason for thinking that way that has nothing to do with race. Doubt it though.

I 100% understand this. And I would agree, if it weren't for my every day experiences, I would follow you right down this road.

My experiences nearly every day here in TN make this unbelievably hard. It would be naive of me to continuously think this. I am constantly bombarded with reminders that I am a black guy. I don't think people are malicious about it, but in the five years now that I've lived in TN, I have been pulled over and had a service weapon pulled on me for reaching into my glove compartment after being stopped for having a brake light out, I have been called "boy" literally hundreds of times, I have been told I wasn't welcome at a gas station because "we don't serve towelheads here," I have been greeted too many times to count with that ever so familiar look of surprise when a brown person walks through the door, and then on top of it all, you can't go anywhere without that Confederate Flag flying proudly off of people's black smoke belching raised pickup trucks.

It's hard not to be overly suspicious of everyone when one constantly encounters casual racism.

You'll see no such flag in Portugal... just saying!

[Catholic_Lady]

I can definitely stand behind this. 

Only thing I would add is that I'd try to understand what their motivation is for saying such a thing before making the assumption that it's because of their race. Obviously the Chinese not being allowed to go to movies is an extreme example and I can't see why other than racism anyone would have a problem with Chinese at the movies, but as principle I'd like to think I'd try to understand their perspective before mentioning anything about race. Who knows, maybe they'd have a reason for thinking that way that has nothing to do with race. Doubt it though.

I 100% understand this. And I would agree, if it weren't for my every day experiences, I would follow you right down this road.

My experiences nearly every day here in TN make this unbelievably hard. It would be naive of me to continuously think this. I am constantly bombarded with reminders that I am a black guy. I don't think people are malicious about it, but in the five years now that I've lived in TN, I have been pulled over and had a service weapon pulled on me for reaching into my glove compartment after being stopped for having a brake light out, I have been called "boy" literally hundreds of times, I have been told I wasn't welcome at a gas station because "we don't serve towelheads here," I have been greeted too many times to count with that ever so familiar look of surprise when a brown person walks through the door, and then on top of it all, you can't go anywhere without that Confederate Flag flying proudly off of people's black smoke belching raised pickup trucks.

It's hard not to be overly suspicious of everyone when one constantly encounters casual racism.

Wow I'm sorry about this. I don't blame you.

[SteelCurtain]

You'll see no such flag in Portugal... just saying!

It costs me $300 to go to Florida. How much would it cost me to go to Florida from Lisbon?