Quote:
Originally Posted by Tyrone Slothrop
He understands all of that. He doesn't have a word that indicates systemic discrimination, and he uses the word "racist" to mean, as you say, only systemic discrimination combined with specific intent.
If Sebby wanted to talk about racism in the sense that the rest of us use the word, he would find a word to describe it. He doesn't want to do that, so he doesn't, and using the word the way he wants to lets him redirect the conversations, on his terms, to what he prefers to talk about.
"I don't know what you mean by 'glory'," Alice said.
Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. "Of course you don't- till I tell you. I meant 'there's a nice knock-down argument for you!'"
"But 'glory' doesn't mean 'a nice knock-down argument'," Alice objected.
"When I use a word," Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, "it means just what I choose it to mean- neither more nor less."
"The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things."
"The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master-that's all."
Alice was too much puzzled to say anything; so after a minute Humpty Dumpty began again. "They've a temper some of them- particularly verbs: they're the proudest- adjectives you can do anything with, but not verbs- however, I can manage the whole lot of them! Impenetrability! That's what I say!"
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A system may be racist. A person may be racist. That a person lives within a system that is racist does not automatically make him a racist. That a person does not actively combat racism within the system does not make him racist. If a person works to perpetuate racism in the system, he is a racist. However, if in a two party system, a person is faced with the choice of voting for a party which stands for the policies he holds most important, but also stands for racist policies, or a party with a platform that stands in opposition to all policies he holds most important, but works against racism, and he votes for the former, he is not necessarily a racist. He's the recipient of a miserable forced choice.
Is that concept too complex for you, or is this your your intentional obtuseness shtick at work?
