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Has the internet reduced or increased general racism?
Astropuyo
Member RarePosts: 2,178
A thought as I was coasting around various blogs.
Many do in fact have to do with racial issues, so on.
I've noticed over the years the the internet as a whole is getting a ton more racist.
These various blogs pop up with one sided stories such as..
"White men are more likely to rape...."
or
"Black men are more likely to rape..."
Just to name a few scenarios. So what do you guys think. Has the information era given more grounds for people to expressively racist (not just in those given examples but many more) in the name of "spreading information"?
To be racist and anonymous. Is that power to some folks?
I just find it more and more disturbing (though liberating to read what some people out there really do think) that these hate sites, ignorant blogs on all sides are popping up like wild fire. It's like AOL out there now. EVERYWHERE.
From Mysapce, to facebook, twitter to livejournal these things are like multiplying.
Some I think are jokes, others are bloody disturbing.
Discuss.
Comments
One would hope the increased contact with foreigners has reduced it.
Promoting a level of intrest and understanding between foerigners born out of direct contact.
There is still plenty of racial intolerance about of course and an increased contact with those people who live in racist or racially homogoneous areas.
This is about the most racist board I visit. I think it has a lot to do with being mainly dominated by people of the same nationality, which none of my other favourite forums are.
And while sometimes I find it quite depressing or disappointing, it's hardly so extreme here that I am offended by it.
I don't think the internet made any difference. People that post such things, or put up such websites/blogs, are simply speaking what's on their mind. So instead of speaking in their heads, they are typing it out. There are always people who have these issues. And while they are by far not the majority in today's age, with youtube, blogs, and media reporting everything, their voices are heard a lot louder these days.
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I'd like to know how you see that. I don't see there being much racism on this board at all. Unless you consider criticism of President Obama to be automatically racist.
But to the subject of the thread, I'm not so sure that the interenet does either. It simply brings more people together, whether they are racist or not. True the anonimity allows bigots to spout inflamatory language with out fear of being exposed. But for those who are not racist, the anonimity give people the opportunity learn someone's character without necessarily knowing their ethnicity. When I meet someone online, I don't bother to ask their race before I decide whether or not to converse with them.
Reduced I'd say. There's optimistic and cynical ways to look at it though.
A person discovering a newfound love of flinging around the n-word anonymously on 4chan has made no more of an inroad offline in becoming a true racist, than a once homophobic person befriending a gay guildie, yet doesn't have any gay friends offline.
So how is tolerance or intolerance really measured on the internet regarding racism or any other form of discrimination? Anonymity works both ways, it allows you to feign both good and bad.
That said, I believe we all naturally acclimate and grow more or less tolerant. I just don't think any true wholesale changes occur. Culturally and generationally though, slow acclimation means mucho. The internet will have benefited race relations for our generation. Just nothing on the level of desegregating schools; not that our society any longer needs such a thing.
Disclaimer:Content is not P.C , I tell it how it is. I am unbiased as they come in these manners.
If you cannot handle no P.C by all means skip this post.-
To an extent I want to agree with you Mardy.
Alot are just speaking their mind.
I'm talking mainly hate sites and sites that tend to pull bullshit out, one sided news.
"White man rapes horse"
Meanwhile..
"Black man rapes horse" is on another. Yet both sides are claiming in general their "race" does not do it.
Activism is one thing. But to me and my own agenda (we all have one) I've personally noticed these one sided battlegrounds popping up. What is even sadder is these people have subscribers who adhere to the same stupid one sided stories as though one "race" (really we're the same genome) is worse than the other.
Case in point. I recently was reading this guys site where he claims though some seriously disfigured numbers more whites molest than blacks, never ever taking the WHO's data on rape of children in Africa to spread his agenda. Or the fact that many are of age at 12 or so, thusly using "whities ethics" in his attack site to side that white folk molest children more so.
(Just one case) When in the end it pretty much equals out.
I don't find it alarming so much as amusing personally.
A very good point mate.
I think the internet has reduced racism. Its hard to be racist when you cannot identify others. Right now I think there is an over-sensitivity to race related issues, and certain people who think they can call racism because they belong to a group just to serve their purpose.
I would guess it depends on whether you are one of the races usually faced with racism or not. If one belongs to a race that is generally in the majority, they won't be able to tell and probably would say "Yes, racism is lower", because they aren't the ones usually receiving the slights, and aren't perceptive enough to pick them up in the first place. A innocent comment may be all they see, but to the other race it's an insult.
I doubt a race not directly affected negatively can truly answer whether it has been reduced. I'm sure if you asked the Russians and Chechnyans this question, one would say "yes" and the other would say "no". Same with an Israeli and a Palestinian in a chat room. A hungry man generally has a different perspective on how good a certain food tastes than a fully well-fed person.
The majority race in most countries usually say there's no racial problem in the first place to begin with, or if one exists its very, very minor. And it's extremely difficult for the minority race to say as well sometimes, because they might say yes its lower, then hit five different sites and right away get hit with several racial comments simply because his avatar says "Allah rocks!"
I do think that before and after Obama got elected, a lot of lowlife racist cretins came out of the woodwork and since Obama was a heavy communicator through the internet, who can really say for sure?
"TO MICHAEL!"
I think more than anything it promotes closet racists to come out of their shell. People who normally think racist thoughts are able to freely voice them on the internet. It doesn't increase the number, just sheds light on it.
I can only speak for myself,I have been exposed via the net to more diversity than ever before,other than being on a military bases as a kid.
The more exposure to other cultures the better off we all are and it will over time reduce or eliminate racism...well thats the hope i have.
Trade in material assumptions for spiritual facts and make permanent progress.
From what I've seen from the net and the worldwide media is there's still millions of people who want to be victims in life. There's also alot of people who believe in the government as a provider and protector more than anything else they know.
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In regards to the OP's question I don't know.
But some observations about the internet. It can be used for anonymity. And anonymous people feel freer to post controversial things. Also the internet provides an enormous amount of information. So if you are looking to find racism you will easily find it.
Edit: Sorry didn't see CLWoods post.
Epic responses.
Agreed for the most part on promotion of closet racists.
Alot to think about here.
I'd like to know how you see that. I don't see there being much racism on this board at all. Unless you consider criticism of President Obama to be automatically racist.
You are probably an American then. You can't see it because your peer group all think the same as you. Homogonised. Most likely you are unready to think of people living outside of America at all. Obama lol. He is the same nationality as you.
Instead of Obama, look out for opinions on China, Korea, Russia, Iran, Palestine and god knows where else. They always make for pretty sour and ignorant reading round here.
I'd like to know how you see that. I don't see there being much racism on this board at all. Unless you consider criticism of President Obama to be automatically racist.
You are probably an American then. You can't see it because your peer group all think the same as you. Homogonised. Most likely you are unready to think of people living outside of America at all. Obama lol. He is the same nationality as you.
Instead of Obama, look out for opinions on China, Korea, Russia, Iran, Palestine and god knows where else. They always make for pretty sour and ignorant reading round here.
One must remember though, mocking a nationality is one thing.
The nation (not it's people). Such as N-Korea. It's just a funny society up there.
Just like alot of people make fun of Americans See>:Center of the world, various insults,etc.
Mocking a nation is a favorite past time of all humans. Brits love to mock the french, The French...mock everyone.
Greeks mock the Brits, so on.
There is a vast difference between nation mocking and racism.
Racism is fueled by the persons race and disposition to them.
See>Russia, You think American's have racism towards black folks, check out the darkness that is Russia.
Nation "mocking" is fueled by silly stigma's and rarely about the people, as much their society.
I'm not talking about the mocking Astro.
I'm talking about the racism. The bit where you seriously think one race is better than another and you are prejudiced against people from outside races.
The clear understanding that foreign people, foreign governments, foreign religions, are all intrinsicaly worse than our own. All substandard. All second rate. Many unjust. Many evil. Many malign. All that racist crap.
Quite apart from the either outspoken belief or unspoken belief that America* is best, the envy of the world, the greatest and most successful, the most humane etc. and the placement of foreigners as second class humans that is implicit to this belief, there is peoples attitutdes to countries they deem "enemy". Usually for no reason at all. These "enemy" countries, religions or cultures can do no right. No praise for them is ever given. Anything they do well or right is ignored and only the bad things they do ever recognised. Or their failings. And if there is any doubt, the benfit is never given for them. All that racist crap.
The jokes and the racial stereotypes, I'm not so politically correct I don't enjoy them.
And yes the Russians are very racist too. They have quite a lot of militancy vs immigrants. Most places do to some extent or another. They don't like the British there much either.
(*)insert your own country.