cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/37489391
this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2025
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I don't know how anyone can say this unironically when the entire history of racism has demonstrated beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is simply not true.
Did you just sleep through history class after getting to the 16th century?
Racism doesn’t require power. It often comes with it, but it doesn’t require it.
I know most of you guys aren’t great with defining basic things, but racism? The very name is a giant clue lol. Race-ism. Race-ism.
The dictionary is a resource whose purpose is to help foster understanding.
It is not a "See? You're wrong!" card to pull out when you don't have an actual counter argument.
You are refusing to think critically about this and it's stunting your ability to actually engage in good faith since you've already made up your mind that you're right and we're wrong.
The dictionary has the literal definition lol. What you’re doing is trying to convince people that the definition is wrong so you can justify using the term to fit your agenda.
Racism has nothing to do with power. It is easier for powerful people and groups to get away with racism, but that doesn’t mean that power is needed for racism to occur.
Answer me this: if a black man is in a restaurant and has a Chinese waiter/server, and the black man says “get over here chink, take a break from eating your neighbours dog and get me a drink” while pulling his eyes to make them “squinty” - is that racist?
What about if in a job interview in a black owned and run business, a white person applies and in the interview the black owners say “fuck off cracker we aren’t hiring any redneck inbred nascar loving hillbilly” - racist or not?
Again: you are refusing to think critically and shutting out arguments rather than listening to them.
I'm not saying the dictionary is wrong; I'm saying the dictionary doesn't offer a complete understanding - something you don't seem to understand as you're treating it like gospel. The dictionary is the beginning, not the end.
You are being willfully obtuse and acting in bad faith.