Systemic Racism: Fact or Myth?

[_Gunnar]

Ajax18 is a massive racist whose heart is black with bigotry. He knows he can't defend this, so he will only engage at the level of ludicrous straw-man. But he helpfully is a walking example that even hardcore racists tend to bristle at being called racists and reject the label.

This becomes only more obvious every time he posts. It's sad that he seems to knows there is something inherently evil about racism, because he bristles at being called one. Yet despite that he can't stop being one, and not just inadvertently, it seems to me, but often defiantly so.

[_EAllusion]

Ajax18 is a massive racist whose heart is black with bigotry. He knows he can't defend this, so he will only engage at the level of ludicrous straw-man. But he helpfully is a walking example that even hardcore racists tend to bristle at being called racists and reject the label.

This becomes only more obvious every time he posts. It's sad that he seems to knows there is something inherently evil about racism, because he bristles at being called one. Yet despite that he can't stop being one, and not just inadvertently, it seems to me, but often defiantly so.

Most people who express racist sentiments bristle at being called racist because racism is normally understood to be bad and they don't think they're doing anything bad. "I'm not racist, but if black people don't want to be pulled over by the police, they should stop committing so many crimes..."

Really hardcore racists like Ajax tend to have more self-awareness that their views are what people ordinarily label racism, but resent the fact there's a term to shame them for it. He doesn't want to be shamed for being a bigot. At the end of the day, he thinks he's right, and he interprets the fact that he can't argue his way out of a paper bag to the tricksiness of his interlocutors.

His post here is an almost verbatim copy of a trend in the alt-right where they claim that people who criticize them are what cause people to adopt their views. As a sociological thesis it's bunk, but it's not a real sociological thesis. It's sad attempt at argumentative jujitsu to deflect criticism. Ajax18, someone who has an understood racist history going back over a decade, including active participation with KKK members and neo-Nazis, decided to try it out here on my by attributing his past commentary to my posts even though that makes no sense both in terms of timeline and how people think.

[_Gunnar]

This becomes only more obvious every time he posts. It's sad that he seems to knows there is something inherently evil about racism, because he bristles at being called one. Yet despite that he can't stop being one, and not just inadvertently, it seems to me, but often defiantly so.

Most people who express racist sentiments bristle at being called racist because racism is normally understood to be bad and they don't think they're doing anything bad. "I'm not racist, but if black people don't want to be pulled over by the police, they should stop committing so many crimes..."

Really hardcore racists like Ajax tend to have more self-awareness that their views are what people ordinarily label racism, but resent the fact there's a term to shame them for it. He doesn't want to be shamed for being a bigot. At the end of the day, he thinks he's right, and he interprets the fact that he can't argue his way out of a paper bag to the tricksiness of his interlocutors.

His post here is an almost verbatim copy of a trend in the alt-right where they claim that people who criticize them are what cause people to adopt their views. As a sociological thesis it's bunk, but it's not a real sociological thesis. It's sad attempt at argumentative jujitsu to deflect criticism. Ajax18, someone who has an understood racist history going back over a decade, including active participation with KKK members and neo-Nazis, decided to try it out here on my by attributing his past commentary to my posts even though that makes no sense both in terms of timeline and how people think.

Thanks, EA. I must admit that makes more sense and is more comprehensive than what I had to say on the topic. I dearly wish we could get through to him somehow. Whether he knows it or not, he would benefit as much as anyone if he could somehow let go of his bigotry and hate, and would be a much happier person for it too. I'm sure his family would be better for it too.

[_ajax18]

What is your position on reparations and what is the reason for your position?

I'd venture to say we can all find an ancestor who was enslaved or had his land taken in war. Reparations were never paid nor have they ever been paid. The idea is laughable. Nobody alive today owned slaves. There are disadvataged people of all races. Why are they less deserving of help because of their race?

[_EAllusion]

I'd venture to say we can all find an ancestor who was enslaved or had his land taken in war. Reparations were never paid nor have they ever been paid. The idea is laughable.

US government, both at the federal and local level, has paid reparations on multiple occasions, probably most famously to victims of Japanese internment and their heirs.

[_Jersey Girl]

There ate disadvataged people of all races. Why are they less deserving of help because of their race?

Like who?

[_EAllusion]

This is an example of what a modern reparations case looks like:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/ar ... ns/361631/

Ajax18 appears to imagine that if you can check "African-American" on your census form, the government will cut you a check or something.

[_Gunnar]

There ate disadvataged people of all races. Why are they less deserving of help because of their race?

Like who?

Ajax doesn't care for the disadvantaged of any race, let alone black or colored people. He seems to me one of the most selfish and uncharitable creatures I have ever encountered.

[_Jersey Girl]

Like who?

Ajax doesn't care for the disadvantaged of any race, let alone black or colored people. He seems to me one of the most selfish and uncharitable creatures I have ever encountered.

That's nice. But, I didn't ask him who he cares or doesn't care about. I asked him to support his assertion. You know, burden of proof?

Now. If you don't like this reply just remember you only have yourself to blame because you, my friend, are one of the people who did this to me and it cannot be undone.

[_Gunnar]

That's nice. But, I didn't ask him who he cares or doesn't care about. I asked him to support his assertion. You know, burden of proof?

Now. If you don't like this reply just remember you only have yourself to blame because you, my friend, are one of the people who did this to me and it cannot be undone.

Maybe I can't reasonably claim to have absolute truth of that, but it seems to be a reasonable inference from what I have seen him write. Maybe he will answer your question to your satisfaction, but don't hold your breath.

The tragic thing about him is that he probably regards himself as a righteous person, and has probably closed himself off to the possibility of experiencing the joy and enrichment of getting to know and appreciate people of other races and cultures and points of view.