Racism and the Coronavirus

[Moody]

"Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue."

 

[JackMiles]

Most leftists have not been out of Australia so don't have any experience of countries to compare to Australia.

It's pretty funny (and might I humbly suggest kinda lacking in self-awareness) to make sweeping generalisations about large groups of people in a discussion about racism.

I don't have any quantitative data to point to but FWIW, in my experience, my left-leaning friends/consociates are much more often well-travelled, along with being more adventurous and curious, than my right-leaning friends/consociates.

 

[burmans]

It's pretty funny (and might I humbly suggest kinda lacking in self-awareness) to make sweeping generalisations about large groups of people in a discussion about racism.

I don't have any quantitative data to point to but FWIW, in my experience, my left-leaning friends/consociates are much more often well-travelled, along with being more adventurous and curious, than my right-leaning friends/consociates.

JohnK's observations are frequently not fact based, in fact he frequently boasts about this. Sweeping uninformed generalisations are his forte.

 

[JohnK]

It's pretty funny (and might I humbly suggest kinda lacking in self-awareness) to make sweeping generalisations about large groups of people in a discussion about racism.

I don't have any quantitative data to point to but FWIW, in my experience, my left-leaning friends/consociates are much more often well-travelled, along with being more adventurous and curious, than my right-leaning friends/consociates.

Sweeping generalisations are calling Australians racist without understanding what goes on in the world. So if your friends/associates are well travelled then they travel with their eyes closed and only see what they want to see.

P.S. I travel a lot and experience racism quite often. This is not an opinion it is fact.

 

[dajop]

Sweeping generalisations are calling Australians racist without understanding what goes on in the world. So if your friends/associates are well travelled then they travel with their eyes closed and only see what they want to see.

P.S. I travel a lot and experience racism quite often. This is not an opinion it is fact.

I think the problem with coming from an English speaking country is that many people, from many different countries and races speak some English. It is relatively easy to pick up on racism when there is a degree of language understanding. But move outside that sphere to Thailand, China, India etc if someone is being racist towards you (as, perhaps, a white person who speaks English) , sometimes you will pick up on it based on social cues, but most of the time you will be blissfully ignorant if you don't speak the language.

But is it a good argument to say, just because everyone else does XYZ, it's OK for us to do it as well? I was always taught growing up just because everyone else does it, doesn't make it the right thing to do.

That aside, generally Australians are pretty accepting of most races, and are pretty low on the racism scales towards most people of different backgrounds. There is probably one notable exception to this, and nothing to do with people from other countries.

 

[Tropic]

Actually dont think it matters what political leanings one has when observing the prevalence of racism in other countries. Having travelled the world for the past 40 years, I have witnessed racism (often linked to religious beliefs) in many other countries, asian and european, ranging from the subtle to the blatant, from the actions of individuals and the policies of Governments. Actually I think Australia is so PC now that any hint of racism in the media or elsewhere is quickly and viciously attacked and the perpetrator demonised. There are of course extremists in every society. Since the adoption of multiculturalism in this country and given our current diversity, I think any claim that Australia is a racist country is simply laughable.

 

[pauly7]

I made spaghetti with meatballs last night and fried rice tonight...

Hope you are keeping your CV fitness up then

 

[Moody]

.... I think any claim that Australia is a racist country is simply laughable.

The country might not be racist, but the people are. Just ask the first inhabitants if you are unsure.

 

[Tropic]

The country might not be racist, but the people are. Just ask the first inhabitants if you are unsure.

Oh dear... and as a proud larrakia man I feel sorry for your white guilt. But I have many fine people I call friends whom I respect on the basis of their humanity, not their cultural heritage or the colour of their skin. Life is a rainbow Moody. Open your eyes and let the sunshine in! Peace.

 

[Moody]

Oh dear... and as a proud larrakia man I feel sorry for your white guilt. But I have many fine people I call friends whom I respect on the basis of their humanity, not their cultural heritage or the colour of their skin. Life is a rainbow Moody. Open your eyes and let the sunshine in! Peace.

Guilt? Not so much. I am not a DFO .... I am one of ScoMo's Deportables.

Glad you show respect to your friends - when you show respect for all and ask them if Australians are racist you may have to revise your opinion. Or you could keep chasing rainbows.

 

[JackMiles]

Sweeping generalisations are calling Australians racist without understanding what goes on in the world. So if your friends/associates are well travelled then they travel with their eyes closed and only see what they want to see.

P.S. I travel a lot and experience racism quite often. This is not an opinion it is fact.

I didn't say anything about whether my friends etc have views on the levels of racism in Aus V ROW. You said Lefties don't travel, I said in my experience they do, more so than Righties, and more so with their eyes open.
And as dajop touched on, you seem to be saying that we can only be self-critical about the level of racism in Aus if we accept that Aus is one of the worst in the world for racism.
You say you experience racism quite often - doesn't sound like you enjoy it none too much. But never mind, if the countries where that's happened are not the worst in the world, they're off the hook and you can grin and bear it.

 

[amaroo]

For the ones that don't recognise it....

 

[get me outta here]

An Italian friend who apparently has lived in Aus for at least 50 years has not taken out citizenship blames the outbreak in Italy on the refugees. I quietly told him that if he keeps saying that out loud people may ‘confuse’ him with a Neo naz_.

 

[Sabot]

An Italian friend who apparently has lived in Aus for at least 50 years has not taken out citizenship blames the outbreak in Italy on the refugees. I quietly told him that if he keeps saying that out loud people may ‘confuse’ him with a Neo naz_.

Good post, very relevant.

 

[dajop]

An Italian friend who apparently has lived in Aus for at least 50 years has not taken out citizenship blames the outbreak in Italy on the refugees. I quietly told him that if he keeps saying that out loud people may ‘confuse’ him with a Neo naz_.

I was speaking to an Italian colleague on a conference call last night, she is based in the “Red Zone”. She suggested that basically the problem is/was that people just ignoring the advice to self isolate, and still carrying on with social and work interactions as normals, impossible to get people to do otherwise.

Would I be racist to say “now there’s a surprise, who would have thought”?

 

[Sabot]

I was speaking to an Italian colleague on a conference call last night, she is based in the “Red Zone”. She suggested that basically the problem is/was that people just ignoring the advice to self isolate, and still carrying on with social and work interactions as normals, impossible to get people to do otherwise.

Would I be racist to say “now there’s a surprise, who would have thought”?

Everything is racist.

 

[burmans]

I was speaking to an Italian colleague on a conference call last night, she is based in the “Red Zone”. She suggested that basically the problem is/was that people just ignoring the advice to self isolate, and still carrying on with social and work interactions as normals, impossible to get people to do otherwise.

Would I be racist to say “now there’s a surprise, who would have thought”?

well yes, making a generalisation based on race is pretty much the definition of racism but then generalisations exist because they generally have some truth as applied to a population (as opposed to individuals).

 

[Tropic]

Just who exactly are these racist Australians...

In 2018, 30% of Australia's 29.4m residents were born overseas: approximately 13.5% of whom were from England, 9% from mainland China, 8% from India, 7.7% from NZ, 3.7 from the Philippines and 3.4% from Vietnam.

Australia has the world's eighth-largest population of overseas born residents, a higher proportion than in any other nation with a population of over 10 million. Most immigrants are skilled, but the immigration quota includes categories for family reunion and refugees.

 

[moa999]

And racism is often used as a shield against a statement of fact that people don't like.

The Chinese ambassador suggested it when we banned China travel.
Now that the ban extends to China, South Korea, Iran and Italy (all countries with very different ethic backgrounds, but similar large outbreaks of covid-19) that's a much more difficult thesis.

 

[Moody]

Just who exactly are these racist Australians...

In 2018, 30% of Australia's 29.4m residents were born overseas: approximately 13.5% of whom were from England, 9% from mainland China, 8% from India, 7.7% from NZ, 3.7 from the Philippines and 3.4% from Vietnam.

Australia has the world's eighth-largest population of overseas born residents, a higher proportion than in any other nation with a population of over 10 million. Most immigrants are skilled, but the immigration quota includes categories for family reunion and refugees.

You have answered your own question, you just don't realise it.

The premise of your argument is that Multiculturalism <> Racism, whereas one can not exist without the other. Indeed the most racist group tends to be second last "wave" against the current one. It is akin to shutting the door behind you, and is simply selfishness that finds a home in our naturally racist tendencies.

That's really what this hoarding business is about - insecure people hoarding a product that is by no means in short supply, whilst their neighbours are rationing every sheet or using their shower as a make-shift bidet.

This thread should be called "Selfish stupidity and Covid-19"