Comments on: The Spectator: where arrogant privilege meets bigotry http://www.blogistan.co.uk/blog/mt.php/2009/12/08/the_spectator_where_arrogant_privilege_meets_bigotry Politics, tech and media issues from a Muslim perspective Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:32:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Codf1977 http://www.blogistan.co.uk/blog/mt.php/2009/12/08/the_spectator_where_arrogant_privilege_meets_bigotry#comment-19454 Codf1977 Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:05:55 +0000 http://www.blogistan.co.uk/blog/mt.php/2009/12/08/the_spectator_where_arrogant_privilege_meets_bigotry#comment-19454 You said, in relation to Rod Liddle article : "<i> However, it is racist to say that all blacks contribute to this country is crime, "goat curry" and rap. (I’m reliably informed that what he meant was curried goat.) Even if we were only considering music, there is a lot more to the Black contribution to British music than rap, and much of it is more wholesome than rap by a large margin (even if there is a lot of bad stuff too).</i>" At no point in the article did Rod Liddle say or gave the impression that "<i><b>all<b> blacks contribute to this country is .....</i>" it is you that have read it that way. Nor did he say or give the impression that the <b>only</b> Black contribution to British music was rap – again that was you. I have no idea if Rod Liddle is a raciest, however <b>It is not racist</b> to, for example, point out that a given racial group is over represented in crime stats. What <b>is raciest</b> is drawing the conclusion that therefore all in that racial group are criminals . According to the Oxford English Dictionary, racism is : "<i>a belief or ideology that all members of each racial group possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, <b>especially</b> to distinguish it as being either superior or inferior to another racial group or racial groups"</i> [my bold]. The key point is the concussion that one race is superior or inferior to another racial group because of those differences. You said, in relation to Rod Liddle article : “ However, it is racist to say that all blacks contribute to this country is crime, “goat curry” and rap. (I’m reliably informed that what he meant was curried goat.) Even if we were only considering music, there is a lot more to the Black contribution to British music than rap, and much of it is more wholesome than rap by a large margin (even if there is a lot of bad stuff too).”

At no point in the article did Rod Liddle say or gave the impression that “all blacks contribute to this country is …..” it is you that have read it that way. Nor did he say or give the impression that the only Black contribution to British music was rap – again that was you.

I have no idea if Rod Liddle is a raciest, however It is not racist to, for example, point out that a given racial group is over represented in crime stats. What is raciest is drawing the conclusion that therefore all in that racial group are criminals .

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, racism is : “a belief or ideology that all members of each racial group possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially to distinguish it as being either superior or inferior to another racial group or racial groups” [my bold]. The key point is the concussion that one race is superior or inferior to another racial group because of those differences.

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