Eddie's Fight Against Racism in Australia

[Mav]

If I were a PR guru and racists came to me for some advice, I’d proceed as follows.

Take a leaf from Union busters. If you can stop people from organising and seeking public support, you can fragment them and exert power over them individually. Start a campaign to accuse the minority du jour of being the true racists: they should instead be admonished that they should forego any communal identity and blend. The catchcry should be, “I don’t see any colour - white, black, green ... it’s all the same to me. If you highlight your own skin colour or someone else’s, then you’re the real racist!”

This approach will work brilliantly. You’ll be free to carry on attacking indigenous Australians but you can add righteous indignation that they’re being racist in protesting about Invasion Day and the like. And you can use it as a cudgel to beat back anyone who may sympathise with the group you’re attacking.

Brilliant, eh? You can simply declare that racism doesn’t exist and some people will believe you. That’ll be $20,000, gentlemen, payable in Bitcoin.

[LP]

In the USA they use a term "Passing", most of the time it's used and assumed to identify people who are accused of betraying/denying their African American heritage to "pass as white", in the bad old days it was apparently very common for mixed race individuals to pass themselves off as Italian, European or Welsh to get access to restricted resources and communities, even to marry.

But the term "passing" is not unidirectional, it's also used to describe someone who identifies themselves or connects with a culture when they really aren't part of it. Here you might think of Mitch Robinson or perhaps a Doug Pascoe aligning themselves with Indigenous culture, in that context the term passing works in the other direction.

In more modern time, the term is also starting to appear in social discussion of gender and sexuality.

In all cases it is derogative and divisive, yet it's still widely used and popular in racism debates, and in recent academic circles it's use has experienced a renaissance.

[PaulP]

It's not possible to understand racism without understanding power relations, race relations and history. Racism manifests itself in different ways, on a spectrum from casual to overt, from simply being mildly odd and irritating to doing lasting and significant damage. It's a genuine problem which must be attended to collectively and individually.

[LP]

It's not possible to understand racism without understanding power relations, race relations and history. Racism manifests itself in different ways, on a spectrum from casual to overt, from simply being mildly odd and irritating to doing lasting and significant damage. It's a genuine problem which must be attended to collectively and individually.

I fear the term has become too general, and now encapsulates far too many antisocial behaviours for it to ever be resolved.

For me true racism is more about xenophobia, but now it's broadened to become a political, social and economic weapon.

[PaulP]

I fear the term has become too general, and now encapsulates far too many antisocial behaviours for it to ever be resolved.

For me true racism is more about xenophobia, but now it's broadened to become a political, social and economic weapon.

I disagree. Racism can and is way more subtle than overt xenophobia IMO.

[LP]

I disagree. Racism can and is way more subtle than overt xenophobia IMO.

Yes, but "them versus us" happens at many levels of society even within families, yet it can only be labelled racism when the very same is directed externally.

The behaviour is the same, the motivations are the same, it's the context that makes it racist, that in itself is problematic.

Greed, Avarice, Lust, Envy, Pride, Sloth, etc., etc., do not all equal racism via a change of context or perspective, I feel blaming everything we dislike on racism has become too easy.

Am I being unfair or petty?

[Thryleon]

Given GTC’s post was about racism towards indigenous Australians, I limited my response to that topic. If you can state your opinion on that topic concisely, please do it.

Therein lies the problem.

You cant eliminate racism to one group only.

Bigotry is bigotry.  The action is the problem.

[Mav]

Saying we can’t act on 1 component of a larger problem is a great recipe for doing nothing.

[Thryleon]

Saying we can’t act on 1 component of a larger problem is a great recipe for doing nothing.

Is that what I am advocating?  Or are you dismissing my point regarding bigotry and eliminating, because its too broad a brush?  Only one stating that we should do nothing about it is you.

You fat smelly, greasy wog.  Go back to where you came from.

What Box Hill?  I remember this conversation quite vividly.  Thats the brand of non racism I experienced.  This is largely a zero sum game, if you practise any form of racism, YOU ARE THE PROBLEM. 

[Mav]

Indeed, but the way to address the problem is not to dilute concerns raised over the treatment of 1 group by demanding all evil be eliminated in one gigantic war against bigotry.