layman wrote:@Tainari88 its not an especially original observation but I am trying to distance myself from the #alllivesmatter foolishness while still being critical of anti racist strategy.
The trump phenomenon is an example of a dangerous reactionary phenomenon that can happen if the wrong strategy is used.
I used to argue with this stuff years ago with pod on immigration.
aggression is dangerous even when it has good intentions. Aggressively pushing what is badly termed "pc culture" has proven counter productive but they are doubling down on it.
The idea that the American police have made no progress is both dangerous and incorrect. They may still be very bad but there have been a lot of initiatives and improvements to complaint procedures, training etc. Like racism in general, people are just more aware and connected now so everything is more visible.
If people think things are not improving then they give in to dispair and extremism. Imo the situation in sexism, racism and all these things is generally improving in the mainstream at the same time as some backwards steps in counter culture ie the alt right etc. We can recognise both these things and tackle them more effectively.
Then again "things gradually improving" doesn't sound great down a megaphone when your trying to make a point.
How long are people going to have to wait before things change for something better?
In history how do things change for the better by sitting on your ass waiting for the perfect circumstances?
Have you ever read anything professional and well researched about changing people's bad habits? I have.
I was interested in changing habits that I had that were holding me back in life from progressing in life.
One of the most important strategies they teach you in that is to stop making excuses and to stop procrastinating and to take action. Take action NOW. Don't wait for the perfect conditions because the conditions will never be ideal.
When will it be the perfect time to end racism and to change and improve the lives of people who are continually denied any real power in a system designed to serve only a small group? When is that going to become magically open to change? Never. They need to be pressured into it by so many people (the majority of the society that doesn't live high off of the hog. 60% of the USA's families make 60k a year or less. If you realize how many of them wind up paying more than a quarter of that income in federal, state, county and city taxes? And the rents and costs of living are very high? They are not the small elite making a great living and in conformity with the state of affairs going on currently. You throw in CoVid lockdown and lack of universal coverage for all in health care? High dentist bills and out of control credit card and student debt? You got hopelessness.
People in order to change the society need to be activated into it. They need to take action to end the racism and the lack of being able to live an "American style of life". They don't ask for the moon. They ask for normal shit. Health care and education and housing and retirement and being able to save 10% of their salaries for 50 years. That is it. That is all they ask for.
You know this layman. If you are a person with bad habits that are negative for your long term health? What do you need to stop doing? Making bad excuses to avoid doing what needs to get done to change your bad habits that are dragging you down. You can hear all day that in order to stop racist problems you need to get people to acknowledge what is racism and racist thinking, and racist behavior and how the system works and how to change it. By not operating with it and by acknowledging the wrong doing and why instead of this being solved long ago in terms of not having Black people getting killed by these televised incidents? Consistently....but by having zero tolerance for absues of power.
It is like the Roman Catholic Church with the child molestation clergy. You aren't going to solve the damn problem by denying and denying and shuffling those pedophiles from parish to parish and from country to country. You need to openly confront them. Not accept their excuses, and ex communicate them and then prosecute them in a court of law through a government agency. Pay the law suits and then anyone new coming into the institution? You read them what will happen if you are molesting children in the Roman Catholic church.
If you do that? You are guaranteed a serious improvement and resolution of changing it for the better. If you don't cope with it? Sweep it under the rug and avoid it and say, "Slow and gradually". That shit doesn't work layman.
I know you understand me? Lol. I really hate child molesters. No one would want me dealing with them if I was a judge. I have zero tolerance for that shit. I hate it.