I think Doug's formulation is better. The problem with the word "racism" is not that it's been over-used as much as it's been mis-used. For example, I've seen advocates of the W.J. Wilson "declining significance of race" theory being described as "racist" even though Wilson doesn't deny the existence of institutional racism.
^^^^^ CB: All terms of political criticism are misused by someone. All critical political terms are used in slander somewhere. Surely, you are not claiming that the cases of problems of misuse of the term "racist" are so important such as to justify suspension of the use of the term "racist" in the cases where it is accurately used ?
There are lots of words of political criticism the Left uses that are misused by someone on the Left, but nobody proposes putting these terms on the shelf. It is recognized that the underlying social problem is still greater than the problem of the false accusations in specific instances.
Are you saying that the problem of false accusations of racism is a greater social and political problem than the actual problem of racism ?
In dropping the use of the term "racist" because of "egregious" instances of its misuses, the left falls exactly in step with monopoly media position on this issue. The U.S. monopoly media long ago put a taboo on the use of the term "racist". Their reason was exactly because, in their assessment, the term was being misused too much. How the hell are some of the head racists going to decide on the censoring of the use of the term "racist" in the national discourse ? How has it ever been otherwise.
During one period, most of the U.S. White Left was identified by its focus on the struggle against racism and for equality. White people who were outstanding in the struggle against racism were automatically redbaited , even if they were not red. That U.S. Left would have distinguised itself from the racist monopoly media by taking the opposite position on this question. This period was not uncomplicated by incidents of misuse of the accusation of "racist" or white chauvinist against white reds. There is always a difficult struggle on all issues.