Peder D4

Discussion of politics and other odious things

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Racists!

I need a system where I can stick posts that I want to refer back to later.  This one, from Matt Welch, about casual assumptions of racism is a prime example. 
This isn't just bad journalism, it's bad tolerance. Attributing a single set of personality traits to scores of millions of people whose only commonality is age and race is the opposite of judging people not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. It's also a cheap way to wave off the substance of anti-Obama criticism—why bother figuring out why a majority of Americans have consistently disliked the flawed Affordable Care Act when you can just roll your eyes and assert that the real reason is white anxiety and worse? There is nothing tolerant about assuming that those who have different ideas than you about the size and scope of government are motivated largely by base ethnic tribalism.
 The casual assumption is a lazy excuse to avoid answering real arguments.  As a bonus, it gives the accusers some unearned virtue so that they can beat up their opponents.  Of course, it's also become a signal that the speaker should simply be ignored . . .

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