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Guardian CiF Re: Exploiting prejudice by interpreting it as racism Date: Friday 20 July 07 |
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response to an article by Adenike Adenitire, "Notes on
disharmony", on "prejudice/racism" between Africans and
West Indians Link to article and thread at The Guardian. All people are prejudiced: always have been and always will be. We have to live with it. To dream of the day when there will be no more prejudice (racial or otherwise), is to dream to the day when there will be no more sexual lust, envy, vanity or whatever. The Christian Church derived much of its power and control over society by cultivating a sense of guilt and shame amongst its members for their natural feelings and inclinations. The old "sins" are no longer as effective as a source of guilt and shame as they once were, but racial prejudice IS (not least, because of the horrors of Nazism and its insane racial doctrines). And those who exploit it are no longer restricted to the Church, but encompass wide swathes of the political and media establishment I'm not suggesting that natural feelings, including racial prejudice, do not need to be controlled. They certainly do, just as sexual feeling, envy, vanity, etc. need to be. But feelings of guilt or shame only serve those who seek to control society through them. Prejudice is a problem, but a far bigger and more insidious problem is its exploitation by those who deny or playing down their own prejudices, while playing up (or vilifying) the prejudices of others. Does anyone spring to mind . . . . ? Most people have racial prejudices (as this article illustrates, not just white people), and those who self-righteously decry it as RACISM do so (largely subconsciously) in order to dismiss (especially political) rivals and to elevate themselves onto the "moral high ground", with the possible advantages that go with it (political, social and economic; e.g. if you want a job working for the Guardian or the BBC, or in local government). We need to understand the individual and group psychology of prejudice (especially racial prejudice) and how it is misused (largely subconsciously) by individuals for their own social, political or economic advantage, and in general to manipulate society in the interests of its dominating elites (especially in politics and the media). |
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