Racism is a result of poor psychological functioning

It seems to me that these days anyone who is on the political Right is automatically assumed to be a racist

Well as a leftie I certainly don't assume that, I can assure you.

People are all so very different and it usually depends on whether said right wing individual actually knows, by often working in, or attending the same gyms, other events and activities, in multi-cultural situations, that give a wider perspective.

People marching at the weekend were quick to point out that black peoples and people of colour were there, so hey why are they racists?
Well, because the goal posts have moved, and those congratulating themselves on not being racist towards block people or people of colour and in many cases against anti semitism, have found a new target, Muslims.
These people are ‘not like us’ they ‘don’t share the same values’ and are trying to impose Sharia law on the UK. All racist statements, yet oft repeated by those who say they are not racist. Well, they are.
There is even the familiar racist trope that was once aimed at black men, ‘they don’t respect women and will rape our women.’
Thing is you can’t cherry pick who you are racist against, you don’t get brownie points for saying you are against antisemitism whilst at one and the same time being racist against Muslims.

GoodAfternoonTea

Yes, but like anything does one have to like people or food from elsewhere? I worked in an office with a lady from a European country and she kept telling us what is was like in her country and how they did things, brought in food from her country for us to try and was quite unhappy because I have a plain palette and knew I could not digest her offerings etc. I was never rude and minded my own business. But, I did feel under pressure to 'like' what she was introducing into my office setting. Are we not allowed to be comfortable with what we are used to if we do not create bad feeling?

I can remember when our Indian next door neighbours invited us for dinner and DH said he couldn't wait for one of her curries, we could often smell her delicious cooking!
When we went she'd cooked something French because she said she wasn't sure if we'd enjoy curry. 😁
It was very enjoyable and DH enjoyed it, of course, but we moved house then and never got to sample her curry.

Allira

GoodAfternoonTea

Yes, but like anything does one have to like people or food from elsewhere? I worked in an office with a lady from a European country and she kept telling us what is was like in her country and how they did things, brought in food from her country for us to try and was quite unhappy because I have a plain palette and knew I could not digest her offerings etc. I was never rude and minded my own business. But, I did feel under pressure to 'like' what she was introducing into my office setting. Are we not allowed to be comfortable with what we are used to if we do not create bad feeling?

I can remember when our Indian next door neighbours invited us for dinner and DH said he couldn't wait for one of her curries, we could often smell her delicious cooking!
When we went she'd cooked something French because she said she wasn't sure if we'd enjoy curry. 😁
It was very enjoyable and DH enjoyed it, of course, but we moved house then and never got to sample her curry.

I'm not a fan of Chinese food since I had a bad experience with it on two occasions. So I am very wary if anyone suggests going for Chinese food.

No, one doesn't have to like it but it is good to experience different cuisines.

You could still like the person but how not to hurt her feelings?

I agree Willow3. It is easier to be worried that a group of people are a threat to you if you don’t mix with them.

In the sixties, my uncle had very racist views. My sister and I as teenagers, used to cringe when he went on one of his regular, lengthy racist rants. He lived in a white area of the Home Counties and I doubt he knew many people who weren’t white.

Later, one of his sons married a Malaysian woman. He converted to Islam in order to marry. My uncle came to like her and absolutely adored his mixed race grandchildren. He happily visited Malaysia several times and mixed with her extended Muslim family, welcoming them warmly on their occasional visits to England.

The Muslims were no longer seen as “other” but as family.

Babs03
We are very friendly with my daughter’s Hindu neighbours. Thats exactly what they say about Muslims.
The last area I lived in had a high population of South Africans.
That’s what they said about the Zimbabweans.
It’s the same the whole world over.

Hmm, indeed so, but it doesn't mean we have to accept it, does it?

Probably those South Africans, if they just knew Mrs X from Zimbabwe, kind neighbour, would feel the same as in mostlyharmless's family.

mostlyharmless

I agree Willow3. It is easier to be worried that a group of people are a threat to you if you don’t mix with them.

In the sixties, my uncle had very racist views. My sister and I as teenagers, used to cringe when he went on one of his regular, lengthy racist rants. He lived in a white area of the Home Counties and I doubt he knew many people who weren’t white.

Later, one of his sons married a Malaysian woman. He converted to Islam in order to marry. My uncle came to like her and absolutely adored his mixed race grandchildren. He happily visited Malaysia several times and mixed with her extended Muslim family, welcoming them warmly on their occasional visits to England.

The Muslims were no longer seen as “other” but as family.

I remember hearing about someone who was horrified when her son married an English woman - the family was Welsh.
Then her other son married a woman from the Far East.

The problem is that the lines between concern that successive governments are not dealing effectively and quickly with illegal immigration and the fact that we do need immigrants in this country are becoming blurred.

We must all know immigrants, every one of us - the ones who came here legally, work here and integrate. Some of us are descended from immigrants who came here and integrated. Some reading this are immigrants or have immigrant members of family.

But how many of us know any who came here illegally or overstayed their visa? Or do we even know whether or not they are here illegally if they are your kindly corner shopkeeper, window cleaner etc? We probably don't know in fact.

It's fear of the unknown of any kind, which the majority of people have, which is fuelling much of the present concerns.
However, fear of the unknown is a normal human emotion which has always served us well as a survival mechanism over millennia, but which needs to be overcome with reassurance and knowledge.

I'd like to ask the naysayers to harmony, to meet B at my gym whose family were from the Yoruba Tribe of Nigeria. Tall, articulate, knowledgeable.

She works in a School atm, co-ordinating pastoral care, but wants to work in our local hospice, but the money isn't enough.

We had a right laugh and sharing. its happens all the time to me.

Sure, I had just one nasty moment when an arrogant man from Eastern Europe accused me of being racist because I asked him not to use his mobile near me (they are banned but it does happen, and it was very loud) but I took it to the deputy manager who poured oil on troubled waters.

I'd said, "this isn't Costa, you know as a joke.....

Babs03

WW2
That is such an interesting read, and does explain a lot. Especially the need to belong to and identify with a group when feeling insecure or anxious.

I think that explains why people from racially abused groups ally themselves to what I consider racist groups.

Neither do I, Wyllow3 racism is found across the board regardless of political leanings. It is being used by some politicians on the right, however, to garner support by giving easy answers, which are inherently racist, to genuine problems. You only have to listen to TR and Musk to know that.

As a member of the "elite" (Thank you Ronib for my elevation, I don't know what I have done to deserve this!). I lived and worked in a multicultural city for most of my life, I ran educational programmes for refugees, ESOL courses for men and women who wanted to improve their English, basic skills courses for people who for some reason had missed out on their education and access courses for adults to enter university courses or professions who had failed to get the qualifications they required. Many of the students came from extremely disadvantaged backgrounds and were a total mix of every ethnic group that lived in that city.
However, I've heard more racist views in the past 20 years from people living in this rural, almost totally white part of the UK, than I did living in the city for the previous 50+ years despite some of the people never having spoken to anyone from a different ethnic group! The racist behaviour towards the two dentists who took on the local NHS practice was appalling, including racist posts on the local website. Reform did quite well in our local elections.

apologies to Ronib it seems it was oreo who elevated me to the Elite as a result of my flag waving comment, not Ronib.

Babs03

Oreo

Flag waving nonsense! …you see right there that the elite and those in protective bubbles just don’t understand that when people are pushed to their limit they do become angry and show that they want something to be done about it, in this case immigration both legal and illegal.The flag waving is far from nonsense and must be taken seriously.

I take it you are aware that TR and his cronies have been hauled up for being openly antisemitic in the past and denied the Holocaust? The swastika tattoos are a bit of a give away. And that they and others like them are behind the recent ‘flagging’ in the UK.
I would be very confused if I thought you are not against all this.

I think there’s a lot of confusion generally on this thread.
Of course I’m against TR and his cronies and I can’t see that anyone has supported him/them.
What I can easily understand tho is that the majority of people there waving flags were there to show the government how sick and tired they are of being not listened to by successive number ten occupants and of rampant immigration.
The government itself knows there’s a huge problem so can no longer pretend not to hear.
This isn’t really about the OP but is the result of government ignoring concerns for years and years.
Most of us know people from many other countries and they may or may not be delightful on an individual basis but the fact is that once immigration gets out of control that causes many problems.

foxie48

apologies to Ronib it seems it was oreo who elevated me to the Elite as a result of my flag waving comment, not Ronib.

No, you were only one of those in a protective bubble 😜

Racism has always been around and was one of the inspirations for ‘till death us do part’ and ‘rising damp’ nowadays these comedies come with a warning that the programme is dated and so could depict outdated attitudes to race and women etc.
But back then racism was mocked in such comedies and racists ‘skinheads’ met in dark dingy pubs, complete with bother boots and knuckle dusters, ready to give someone who was black, Irish, or a person of colour a kicking. It was not, however, despite Enoch Powell’s efforts, mainstream politics.
Now it is, and gaining in popularity here and across Europe as well as in the US.
Dark days I’m afraid.

Here in the UK I would say racism is still far less than other European countries or the US.

Thats why I feel making connections on a small scale is significant, you and I cant change political decisions in a big way (although we can engage in politics, if that way inclined), but we can make the most of any bridge building activities that come our way.

Oreo

Here in the UK I would say racism is still far less than other European countries or the US.

It could well be but is increasing. Being lower down the league table of country’s with racist populations doesn’t really put the ‘Great’ back in front of Britain.

NotSpaghetti

Meant to say, open up the "comments" section at the bottom of the article.
Those are fascinating too!

Interesting. Thank you.

This bit resonates and seems quite Biblical, to me. In my view, racism is an aberration, not an innate human trait. It’s also worth remembering that the very concept of race is baseless. There is no genetic or biological basis for dividing the human race into distinct “races”

There are just groups of human beings, all of whom came from Africa originally, who developed slightly different physical characteristics over time as they travelled to, and adapted to, different climates and environments.

Babs03

Oreo

Here in the UK I would say racism is still far less than other European countries or the US.

It could well be but is increasing. Being lower down the league table of country’s with racist populations doesn’t really put the ‘Great’ back in front of Britain.

There is very likely less racism now than back in the 1950s or 1960s in the UK.
Being lower down the league table on racism is an excellent place to be.

Anyone remember the film 'South Pacific' and the song 'You've got to be carefully taught?

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught'

Maremia

Anyone remember the film 'South Pacific' and the song 'You've got to be carefully taught?

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught'

I remember that song and it rings true. Education is the way forward. I think younger people now are much less likely to be racist.
These days many go to school with people with different backgrounds and form friendships as my children and more so my grandchildren have.

We can only hope as time goes on that racism and every other ism fades away.

Farage is not offering a solution he can deliver. He's simply telling deluded people what they want to hear.

Grantanow

Farage is not offering a solution he can deliver. He's simply telling deluded people what they want to hear.

I would replace deluded with politically lost and feeling totally let down by successive governments

Wyllow3

I'd like to ask the naysayers to harmony, to meet B at my gym whose family were from the Yoruba Tribe of Nigeria. Tall, articulate, knowledgeable.

She works in a School atm, co-ordinating pastoral care, but wants to work in our local hospice, but the money isn't enough.

We had a right laugh and sharing. its happens all the time to me.

Sure, I had just one nasty moment when an arrogant man from Eastern Europe accused me of being racist because I asked him not to use his mobile near me (they are banned but it does happen, and it was very loud) but I took it to the deputy manager who poured oil on troubled waters.

I'd said, "this isn't Costa, you know as a joke.....

Why the need to mention that the man was from Eastern Europe. Just saying 🤷‍♀️
His nationality wasn’t at all relevant to the rudeness