In the 'Chatbox', Simon wrote:
Unless pre-empted, I will indeed take the 'first bite of the cherry'.Dear sharpstuff,
I would certainly welcome if you (or any forum member) started a thread titled "Engineering Racism".
Ideally, the thread should be placed in our Worldwide Deceptions" section.
It should make for a most interesting discussion topic.
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PART ONE
Please note: For the purposes of this essay, all the following definitions are taken from the on-line Oxford English Dictionaries.
racism
1 Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior.
‘a programme to combat racism’
1.1 The belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.
‘theories of racism’
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racist
A person who shows or feels discrimination or prejudice against people of other races, or who believes that a particular race is superior to another.
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race
Each of the major divisions of humankind, having distinct physical characteristics.
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ethnic
adjective
1 Relating to a population subgroup (within a larger or dominant national or cultural group) with a common national or cultural tradition.
‘ethnic and cultural rights and traditions’
‘leaders of ethnic communities’
1.1 Relating to national and cultural origins.
‘pupils from a wide variety of ethnic origins’
1.2 Denoting origin by birth or descent rather than by present nationality.
‘ethnic Indian populations’
1.3 Characteristic of or belonging to a non-Western cultural tradition.
‘ethnic jewellery’
‘folk and ethnic music’
2 archaic Neither Christian nor Jewish; pagan or heathen.
noun
(dated, offensive)
A member of an ethnic minority.
Usage
Ethnic is sometimes used in a euphemistic way to refer to non-white people as a whole, as in a radio station which broadcasts to the ethnic community in Birmingham. Although this usage is quite common, more specific terms such as ‘black’ or ‘Asian’ are preferable. Note that use of the word as a noun is often regarded as offensive, especially in British English, and is best avoided.
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All the above definitions may, in some way be valid. However, there is a contention that the human animal is not divided into 'races' but that depending upon the circumstances of their geographical location at the time of their birth, they may indeed be different in many ways but that is how they have adapted to their surroundings over many, what we call 'years'.
However 'many' years we can have no idea, since our personal knowledge of 'age' can only be within the range of our personal existence.
We may be aware of what we call our parents, grand-parents and possibly even great-grand-parents. However, beyond that, in actuality, would be conjecture. Those persons who may be 'adopted' for some reason will surely have other notions of their origins.
If we take the definition (above):
'racism
1 Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior.'
I believe we have the concept here, if I may be allowed, in a 'nutshell'.
At least, that is the notion that prevails at this time in 'history' when others talk of 'racism'. The ignorance lies in the engineering of prejudice for what one might call (in litotes) political reasons.
The word 'prejudice' devolves from the word pre-judgement (Old French).
The notion of 'race' seems to be that what we call human creatures, is conflated with the fact that humans can be divided into other species of some kind such as creatures we call, cats, dog, birds and/or whatever else. The 'moral' dimension of 'race' is singularly lacking, of course.
To be continued...