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In reply to the discussion: Liberal Racism: 25 Things I Learned After I Wrote About ISIS and White Racism at the Daily Kos [View all]freshwest
(53,661 posts)87. I have never lost sight of this truth from childhood:
6. The idea that white people who benefit in the present from systems of material advantage and other unearned privileges, outcomes that are the direct result of racial terrorism against non-whites, should own their history, is very upsetting and provocative to white folks. Never forget that White America and White Americans are a people and a country without a history.
I've said before, that white people have no culture or history on this continent, just what is commerically sold to them over the years. It's not self-loathing on my part to say we are one of the most imitative ethnic groups on the planet. It's a survival trait, to change with the times and go with whatever is working.
It's not a culture, although it once had one during the progressive era as I call it that called for total equality. Europe has one that is united or now it is several. America was a commercial from start and people buy whatever's being sold, and it's really ugly now and in other parts of our history too.
I've 'owned' the benefit of being white in America and elsewhere. But denial is so pervasive, I can't say that I do any good when I talk about it to others. and I cannot get through to baggers and libertarians.
My perspective of 'we come into this world with nothing, and will leave the same way' is inadequate to describe centuries of privilege. No matter what else myself or my family or my offspring suffer, we had advantage, it was not given freely, but taken from others.
Realizing that, people fall back on their philosophy in order to continue being comforted:
10. Class issues and real progressive politics trump any concern about race and racial justice.
I always like Chauncey's viewpoints, and I'm sick of the adulation of Bill Moyers, personally.
But as to ISIS, I agree with this man, and paragraphed the items he said. What he describes here is NO DIFFERENT from what has been done here, except for the time factor and that lives could be saved now.
That's what I think is important despite what has happened - and will still happen - here. Which savagery do we focus on - are we put in a position to say that it doesn't matter, even though these peoples have directly begged for our support?
I would like to learn from your discernment on this:
eissa (2,959 posts)
10. YES! Thank you, well said
As I've stated before, I belong to a minority community that is indigenous to Mesopotamia (Assyrians.) They are on the frontlines of the ISIS terror in both Iraq and Syria. The Iraq wars already forced most of them to flee their homelands, now these savages have turned their sights on them, and the daily terror they live with is incomprehensible to most of us.
Bringing up Vietnam means nothing when your female relatives are too afraid to leave the house lest they be kidnapped and forced into a camp where they will be repeatedly raped by these monsters.
Mentioning the Inquisition is worthless when your son and his friends are dragged into the streets and executed for watching a soccer game on tv. The Inquisition?
Tell that to the families who were forced to watch their children beheaded or buried alive for the sin of not belonging to the right religious group.
These false equivalencies are insulting. Everyone has acknowledged the wrongs done in the past; to tie them to the barbarity displayed by these animals is only furthering the agenda of ISIS.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026184879#post10
I was very moved by what eissa had to say, just as I have been when given the opportunity to hear what minorities in the USA say and what we were once taught in our public school history books.
The public school I attended during the 'progressive' era did not hide history from us, and made sure we understood how horrific racism is. What is being taught now with all the distortions I read about here on DU in the text books, is not going to move us forward. Hope you will have time to cudgel out where I'm going with this. If you think I am right or wrong. I've been very sick for over a week and may not have expressed it well.
JHMO.
I've said before, that white people have no culture or history on this continent, just what is commerically sold to them over the years. It's not self-loathing on my part to say we are one of the most imitative ethnic groups on the planet. It's a survival trait, to change with the times and go with whatever is working.
It's not a culture, although it once had one during the progressive era as I call it that called for total equality. Europe has one that is united or now it is several. America was a commercial from start and people buy whatever's being sold, and it's really ugly now and in other parts of our history too.
I've 'owned' the benefit of being white in America and elsewhere. But denial is so pervasive, I can't say that I do any good when I talk about it to others. and I cannot get through to baggers and libertarians.
My perspective of 'we come into this world with nothing, and will leave the same way' is inadequate to describe centuries of privilege. No matter what else myself or my family or my offspring suffer, we had advantage, it was not given freely, but taken from others.
Realizing that, people fall back on their philosophy in order to continue being comforted:
10. Class issues and real progressive politics trump any concern about race and racial justice.
I always like Chauncey's viewpoints, and I'm sick of the adulation of Bill Moyers, personally.
But as to ISIS, I agree with this man, and paragraphed the items he said. What he describes here is NO DIFFERENT from what has been done here, except for the time factor and that lives could be saved now.
That's what I think is important despite what has happened - and will still happen - here. Which savagery do we focus on - are we put in a position to say that it doesn't matter, even though these peoples have directly begged for our support?
I would like to learn from your discernment on this:
eissa (2,959 posts)
10. YES! Thank you, well said
As I've stated before, I belong to a minority community that is indigenous to Mesopotamia (Assyrians.) They are on the frontlines of the ISIS terror in both Iraq and Syria. The Iraq wars already forced most of them to flee their homelands, now these savages have turned their sights on them, and the daily terror they live with is incomprehensible to most of us.
Bringing up Vietnam means nothing when your female relatives are too afraid to leave the house lest they be kidnapped and forced into a camp where they will be repeatedly raped by these monsters.
Mentioning the Inquisition is worthless when your son and his friends are dragged into the streets and executed for watching a soccer game on tv. The Inquisition?
Tell that to the families who were forced to watch their children beheaded or buried alive for the sin of not belonging to the right religious group.
These false equivalencies are insulting. Everyone has acknowledged the wrongs done in the past; to tie them to the barbarity displayed by these animals is only furthering the agenda of ISIS.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026184879#post10
I was very moved by what eissa had to say, just as I have been when given the opportunity to hear what minorities in the USA say and what we were once taught in our public school history books.
The public school I attended during the 'progressive' era did not hide history from us, and made sure we understood how horrific racism is. What is being taught now with all the distortions I read about here on DU in the text books, is not going to move us forward. Hope you will have time to cudgel out where I'm going with this. If you think I am right or wrong. I've been very sick for over a week and may not have expressed it well.
JHMO.
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Liberal Racism: 25 Things I Learned After I Wrote About ISIS and White Racism at the Daily Kos [View all]
DonViejo
Feb 2015
OP
I will love this one forever and BTW ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NoJusticeNoPeace
Feb 2015
#1
Some duers who are complaining about bringing up America's dark racist past desperately need to
dissentient
Feb 2015
#2
I think the point was for us to stop pretending that Isis is doing the unthinkable.
bravenak
Feb 2015
#13
How about torturing, raping, and murdering innocent human beings in cold blood?
YoungDemCA
Feb 2015
#23
my question should have been directed to bravenak's post. thanks for your assistance, but i
ND-Dem
Feb 2015
#26
And we make a fatal mistake if we believe all of those white Christian Americans are dead and gone.
NoJusticeNoPeace
Feb 2015
#52
There are people complaining this comparison has even been brought up in the
dissentient
Feb 2015
#10
Liberal deflection. One need not tolerate opinions on current events if one knows enough history
lumberjack_jeff
Feb 2015
#3
Are you honestly suggesting that we cannot have two thoughts on the atrocity by ISIS?
salib
Feb 2015
#77
What you say is true, of course, but it is also true that too many people who identify as liberals
tblue37
Feb 2015
#71
If you want to call me a garden variety racist piece of shit have the backbone to say it openly.
Nuclear Unicorn
Feb 2015
#127
"It will be a cold day in hell before I take instruction from the likes of you."
Nuclear Unicorn
Feb 2015
#134
a lot of posters at DU aren't liberals; i assume the same is true at kos. so attributing all racist
ND-Dem
Feb 2015
#15
On the contrary, many of the worst offenders are proud, self-described "liberals" or "progressives"
YoungDemCA
Feb 2015
#21
since in general, we don't know who people posting on the internet actually are, or what they
ND-Dem
Feb 2015
#29
"Right-wing racists are much more honest, and thus easier to deal with, than liberal racists"
AgingAmerican
Feb 2015
#39
Girl... I even paged bravenak to this thread before I realized she'd already seen it
Number23
Feb 2015
#96
Oh I know bravenak, here & I are pretty close in age... I stopped biting my tongue on the
giftedgirl77
Feb 2015
#99
Heh... you've only been here since 2013 and you've ALREADY stopped biting your tongue
Number23
Feb 2015
#101
The problem with her statement is the fact that we deny they things we do and did.
bravenak
Feb 2015
#88
I dunno, I think that white people have a culture and history, but it's not monolithic.
Spider Jerusalem
Feb 2015
#118
You could almost get a drinking game started based on the predictable defensive responses. n/t.
Ken Burch
Feb 2015
#119
Nothing could be sweeter than someone leaping up and unintentionally highlighting in the most
Number23
Feb 2015
#100
I find it interesting the number of replies that pick one number or another to get upset with
ScreamingMeemie
Feb 2015
#76
10. “Class issues” and “real progressive politics” trump any concern about race and racial justice.
Number23
Feb 2015
#92
I hesitate to give my opinion because I will be asked why I take this personally or am upset
uppityperson
Feb 2015
#110
"It's wonderful how some of the replies here perfectly illustrate the problem!"
Number23
Feb 2015
#113
Nice. And i would say that the issue is really what you have the POWER to do with those prejudices.
kelliekat44
Feb 2015
#124
This. Is. GREAT!!! Thank you for this totally spot-on analysis. I will be rereading it
DesertDiamond
Feb 2015
#132