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In a message dated 5/10/2002 7:02:24 PM Central Daylight Time,
Scott Chase <ecphoric@hotmail.com> writes:
> When I think of what "white power" groups stand for "racism" probably fits
> the bill, though bigotry or prejudice could be better words if one thinks
in
> terms of racial lines being blurry and artificial. Nonetheless the hate
> groups stand for "white supremacy" which is based on the mythos of a
"white
> race" and as far as that goes they are indeed racist groups.
>
> If one were to review the history of civil rights in the "deep south" of
the
> United States they would probably think that, at least in this case,
> "racism" applies however artificial racial constructs are. The racists are
> setting the defining lines, so they are racist, whether "race" *per se*
> actually exists.
Good point, Scott.
Similarly, people can be considered as Satanists regardless whether
or not a Satan really exists.
The book chapter "Evolutionary Contagion in Mental Software"
that I announced previously has some material on the
evolutionary contagion of racist ideologies, including "white
supremacy," "Aryan supremacy," and anti-Semitism. Shortly
after I announced the chapter to the memetics list, my
computer receiving blank emails every minute for several
hours (an email bomb.) I don't know if it was from the Aryan
Supremacist, the Enraged Academic, or just a computer
executing a self-replicating mistake. Luckily, email bombs
are not as dangerous as snail mail bombs!
--Aaron Lynch
http://www.thoughtcontagion.com
> As for legislation, one probably cannot legislate racism out of existence
of
> people's minds, but at least laws should pertain to overt behavior that
> crosses some line of intolerance and violence towards others.
>
> A possible problem that could arise with laws or censure against
> anti-Semitism (reasonable laws should be in place BTW given the horrid
> history of hatred towards Jewish people) is when these laws go so far as
to
> be used as a weapon against those who are critical of Israeli policy.
> Anti-semitism is hatred of Jewish people and should be censured and laws
> should be in place to deal with overt actions taken against Jewish people
> based on anti-Semitic bigotry.
>
> Anti-Semitism is not rational criticism of Isreali politics or not being
> supportive enough of Israel against its detractors. That's a crucial
> distinction. I wouldn't call Chomsky an anti-Semite, even if he's more
> critical of Israel than I could be. *I* can read Sharon's autobiography
and
> actually have some empathy for the guy in places, misgivings aside. He is
a
> fellow hawk after all, unlike Chomsky, though I'd side with Chomsky on
some
> criticisms of Israeli policies.
>
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