Serious question from someone in the UK. Is America really that racist or is it exaggerated on the internet? We do have racist pricks but I’ve never seen anything close to a ‘white supremacist’ here, unless I’m just lucky.
Much of the support for Israel is around it being a white ethnostate, not a Jewish haven; and this is the place that banned even verbal support for Palestine Action. You can tell me if you think that’s out of empathic protection of Jewish communities, or racist radicalism.
It can be in pockets, and the problem is when they get organized, they get emboldened enough to make their thoughts known. Especially in rural areas, people will have latent racists tendencies and go their whole lives without acting on it or mentioning it other than with other racist assholes. You can spend your whole life with Uncle Ricky around, and then one day when you’re 30, you find out Uncle Ricky has stored every racist idea ever put online in his head as “facts,” and is 100% in agreement with it all. But he would likely never go the extra step and join a KKK rally or get a swastika tattoo unless a small group of peers really pushed him to do that. White supremacist ideology doesn’t require you to have joined your local KKK chapter or biker gang unless you’re already predisposed to being an active asshole in life already, and that’s the specific way you decide to spend your time. Some people simply do crossfit.
A lot of it is simply tribalism in action, prodded along by fear and polarizing stuff online, and a lack of exposure to external ideas during formative years.
growing up in the 80s and 90s in the uk, I never heard the end of how the (slur for Pakistani people, applied to all people from South Asian countries) are ruining everything, then the Kosovans/Bosnians, Romani people, Muslims… I saw less black/African racism but I didn’t see none.
However, in my home town - which has a cathedral and a mosque - racial tensions got so high there were murders in the streets.
Having lived in the UK as a (white) foreigner… You are not a whole lot better over there. “White supremacy” is a bit of a loaded term with a few different meanings. By your question, I guess you mean people who dress up in nazi cosplay? Those guys are still fairly uncommon everywhere, but the thing is that there is a porous border between your average racist prick and one of those guys. As they feel safer to express their true beliefs, they do so more often, and they want to wear the symbols of their movement. They’re very safe in the USA right now so you see more of them. But in my opinion, “white supremacy” is better used to refer to a culture which values white people more or thinks of them as higher on some kind of natural hierarchy. That is, after all, what the words literally mean. Although it’s a broader definition, I think it’s clearer, because it removes the confusion when the average racist pricks start dressing up in fash drag when someone who lets them gets into power. Explicit racists (as opposed to your normal somewhat prejudiced person who still doesn’t believe racism is good) often talk about “hiding their power level”, i.e. not letting on. What I’m saying is, the UK is similar to the US, just a bit shyer.
A lot of America is truly that racist. Sometimes overt, but often subtle (e.g. "I don’t hate black people, but crime rates don’t lie).
There are pockets that are generally decent, but these are increasingly imperiled by growing external threats from the national government and bigots that feel empowered to act on its behalf.
It’s pretty racist (especially the government), but the US is a big place so the answer to your question may vary greatly, even from people living in the same state.
I’ve met some WS who weren’t outspoken about their beliefs, they were “smart” enough to not talk about their views when there would be obivous consequence, i.e work, family, partner, etc. Insidious blighters!
Now, quite frankly, I don’t know exactly how the UK or the rest of the world sees the US, so answering that is difficult…
Serious question from someone in the UK. Is America really that racist or is it exaggerated on the internet? We do have racist pricks but I’ve never seen anything close to a ‘white supremacist’ here, unless I’m just lucky.
I mean, even the UK just masks it.
Much of the support for Israel is around it being a white ethnostate, not a Jewish haven; and this is the place that banned even verbal support for Palestine Action. You can tell me if you think that’s out of empathic protection of Jewish communities, or racist radicalism.
It can be in pockets, and the problem is when they get organized, they get emboldened enough to make their thoughts known. Especially in rural areas, people will have latent racists tendencies and go their whole lives without acting on it or mentioning it other than with other racist assholes. You can spend your whole life with Uncle Ricky around, and then one day when you’re 30, you find out Uncle Ricky has stored every racist idea ever put online in his head as “facts,” and is 100% in agreement with it all. But he would likely never go the extra step and join a KKK rally or get a swastika tattoo unless a small group of peers really pushed him to do that. White supremacist ideology doesn’t require you to have joined your local KKK chapter or biker gang unless you’re already predisposed to being an active asshole in life already, and that’s the specific way you decide to spend your time. Some people simply do crossfit.
A lot of it is simply tribalism in action, prodded along by fear and polarizing stuff online, and a lack of exposure to external ideas during formative years.
growing up in the 80s and 90s in the uk, I never heard the end of how the (slur for Pakistani people, applied to all people from South Asian countries) are ruining everything, then the Kosovans/Bosnians, Romani people, Muslims… I saw less black/African racism but I didn’t see none.
However, in my home town - which has a cathedral and a mosque - racial tensions got so high there were murders in the streets.
American here. Please don’t visit.
I say that out of love and care for you, not hate. It’s bad here. We’re a dumpster fire.
So sad to hear
Having lived in the UK as a (white) foreigner… You are not a whole lot better over there. “White supremacy” is a bit of a loaded term with a few different meanings. By your question, I guess you mean people who dress up in nazi cosplay? Those guys are still fairly uncommon everywhere, but the thing is that there is a porous border between your average racist prick and one of those guys. As they feel safer to express their true beliefs, they do so more often, and they want to wear the symbols of their movement. They’re very safe in the USA right now so you see more of them. But in my opinion, “white supremacy” is better used to refer to a culture which values white people more or thinks of them as higher on some kind of natural hierarchy. That is, after all, what the words literally mean. Although it’s a broader definition, I think it’s clearer, because it removes the confusion when the average racist pricks start dressing up in fash drag when someone who lets them gets into power. Explicit racists (as opposed to your normal somewhat prejudiced person who still doesn’t believe racism is good) often talk about “hiding their power level”, i.e. not letting on. What I’m saying is, the UK is similar to the US, just a bit shyer.
Different brands of racism, really. Legacy of slavery vs colonialism.
A lot of America is truly that racist. Sometimes overt, but often subtle (e.g. "I don’t hate black people, but crime rates don’t lie).
There are pockets that are generally decent, but these are increasingly imperiled by growing external threats from the national government and bigots that feel empowered to act on its behalf.
It’s pretty racist (especially the government), but the US is a big place so the answer to your question may vary greatly, even from people living in the same state.
I’ve met some WS who weren’t outspoken about their beliefs, they were “smart” enough to not talk about their views when there would be obivous consequence, i.e work, family, partner, etc. Insidious blighters!
Now, quite frankly, I don’t know exactly how the UK or the rest of the world sees the US, so answering that is difficult…
the US is really racist. other countries also have racism, ask any European about Roma people. but Americans made racism their national identity