What is racism?
Racism entails a combination of fundamental wrongs against a person on the basis that he or she belongs to a group defined by race, colour, nationality (including citizenship) or ethnic or national origin. It can take the form of actions, a call to action, a behavior (individual or institutional), an attitude, or a belief. The hatred/anger/fear/mistrust that fuels racism often hides behind a belief or cognitive system of justification – the so-called ‘denial of racism’.
What follows is a simplification. But it serves to give an idea of how different attitudes or beliefs relate to racism and how denials are constructed. It might also serve as a stimulus for discussion.
Why is it wrong?
• It is an abuse of power: a dominant group violates the human rights of a minority group.
• It is the defamation of a people: our people are good/superior and your people are bad/inferior.
• It is an injustice. It breaks the Constitutional laws of most societies (including Finland’s).
• It is immoral. It is valueing people differently based on their ethnic grouping.
How is it justified?
• It is an abuse of power: – but WE were here first, so WE can suppress THEIR culture.
• It is the defamation of a people: – but THEY create more problems than THEY solve.
• It is an injustice: – when THEY break the law THEY should be punished more severely (Finnish Constitution: Ch2 § 6 Everyone is equal before the law).
• It is immoral: – but WE are more valuable to society than THEM.
Why does it persist?
• It is an abuse of power: – getting people to admit or give up power is notoriously difficult.
• It is the defamation of a people: – nationalism says our country is the best. Finns are the greatest.
• It is an injustice: – we tell ourselves we are just looking after our own (Finnish Constitution: Ch2 § 6 No one shall… be treated differently from other persons on the grounds of…origin, language, [and] religion…)
• It is immoral: – It is easy to abuse a person and then deny it if you can blame them for the abuse.
Why is it pointless?
• It is an abuse of power: – it’s stupid. Abuse creates animosity, which creates more problems. These things always come back to bite you in the bum!
• It is the defamation of a people: – it’s tribalism. You cannot put your foot on a man’s throat and then complain he doesn’t stand up.
• It is an injustice: – it’s counterproductive. If you take the basic rights of one group away, then society becomes poorer in terms of overall justice.
• It is immoral: – it’s plain wrong. It hurts people. There is only one species, and it’s human. And they are called HUMAN rights!
What is the appeal?
• It distracts from the problems at home and shifts responsibility.
• It generates a feeling of ‘belonging’ for the in-group.
• It vents generalized anger about an ‘unfair’ society.
• It’s easy to hide the hatred/fear behind a ‘good morality’.
What are the common denials of racism?
The economic denial: It’s not personal, it’s only business!
The social denial: We never had any problems until they came along!
The cultural denial: But their so different; how can they ever fit in!
The multicultural denial: We are all the same and they are all totally different
The social denial: We never had any problems until you came along!
The historical denial: Immigration never existed and we’ve never emigrated.
The anthropological denial: But of course they are just savages, aren’t they!
The philosophical denial: It’s not immoral to believe races are different.
The biological denial: Biological differences justify us treating them differently.
The anti-philosophical denial: Racial equality is just a philosopher’s pipe dream!
The moral denial: We are just taking care of our own!
The superior denial: We’re just better than them!
The scientific denial: But it’s been proven that we are better!
The sexual denial: I don’t like those foreigners, but I’d shag her (ethnic woman)!
The sophisticated denial: Competition between peoples is normal!
The strategic denial: Imagine if one day they were the majority!
The clichéd denial: Hey, I’ve got friends who are Arab, but…!
The honest denial: It’s them fucking niggers/pakis/arabs/islamists…!
The dishonest denial: It’s not about ethnicity; us Finns just want…!
The comedy denial: How do you make a black man cry? Kill his whole family!
The reverse denial: But why did you ever want to come here?!
The paranoid denial: Everyone knows they’re terrorists!
The simple denial: I’m not a racist, but…!