>>> Rob Schaap <rws at comserver.canberra.edu.au> 06/07/99 02:42AM >>
Accusations of 'liar' and 'racist' never serve a purpose down the pub (other than to spill a little blood), and I can't see how they're supposed to substantiate or enhance anything here, either.
(((((((((((
Charles: The trouble with trying to categorize the use of the term "racist" as out of bounds or unfair in debate is that it overgenerally relieves whites of the critique of racism. White people cannot absolve themselves of racism to such a general degree as to silence people of color from criticism racism. Racism is rampant in the U.S., and what is needed is not less use of the terms "racism" and "racist" , but more. This silencing of the criticism "racist" is one of the pernicious effects of Reaganism, and the doctrine or lie of plausible denial of racism.
"Racism" cannot be equated with the term "liar" as an unusable, unthinking insult, in left terminology. The criticism of racist is as important to left speech as the criticisms sexist or capitalist or imperialist. The terms "racism" and "racist" should be rolling off left tongues like "exploitative" and "oppressive".
In other words, the political rhetoric of the left has gone backwards from the 60's and 70's on these issues.
Charles Brown
End Racism