Note that anti-racist doesn't mean "Racist against the race that isn't currently the victim", and it doesn't mean "giving the targeted population special privileges in unrelated fields, to make up for it". It means "Calling out all prejudice/hate when it happens, and addressing and reversing systemic biases that keep the underprivileged people underprivileged"

If one can't agree with this description of being anti-racist, they're either not helping bring about the equality they may claim to want, or they're actually just a racist themselves and lack either empathy, perspective, or both

[–] bolexforsoup@lemmy.blahaj.zone 59 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

it doesn’t mean “giving the target population special privileges in unrelated fields to make up for it”

Your language overall makes me think you’re fine but I’d be lying if I didn’t say this particular part didn’t catch my attention. Is there a reason you felt the need to say this? In the context of affirmative action being repealed in the US it feels a tad loaded. Giving the benefit of the doubt here truly, but still curious why you felt the need to say this.

[–] Wilzax@lemmy.world 21 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

This is a common argument against affirmative action (which was not repealed in the US overall, just banned in a few very conservative states (although if I missed some major news about it being repealed on a federal level please don't hesitate to educate me) ), I'm addressing that common counterargument by saying that it's not what anti-racism seeks to do. Same as the example counterargument before it. That one's referring to the types who spout nonsense such as "But that's just being racist to white people!!1!". They're correct that it wouldn't be helpful, but incorrect in their assessment that that's the main goal of the movement.

That said, I do think that some movements and initiatives, which I will preemptively decline to name because the details and scope of these initiatives are irrelevant, are misguided in how they want to bring about equity. These movements do feed into the arguments of people who claim that affirmative action is just giving queer/nonwhite/poor/otherwise marginalized people special privileges, and that's why I want to set them aside as separate from the concept as anti-racist.

[–] bolexforsoup@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 5 months ago

Makes sense. Appreciate the elaboration!

[–] uriel238@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 5 months ago

In common leftist theory is known the enemy of the left is the moderate liberal, who wouldn't mind if equality were to happen quietly by magic but is not willing to suffer inconvenience or breaches of the status quo in the process of making change for the better for the whole public.

And yes, a lot of the democratic voter lumpenproletariat fall into this range, where they're willing to buy a rainbow Frappuccino but not suffer from commute slowdown due to a protest.