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by caminante 160 days ago
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Adam's was reacting to a poll where a majority of black americans took a stance against saying "it's OK to be white."

How is that not a red flag for "hate" against another racial group?

2 comments

The phrase "it's ok to be white" has implicature (by maxim of relevance) and associations (by how the phrase originated and is used in practice) beyond its literal meaning. You can disagree with making that statement without thinking it's not okay to be white.
>used in practice

This has been debunked.

If it was co-opted, then why did 49% of blacks take a neutral to supportive view of the phrase in the poll?

Explain that.

> This has been debunked.

What in particular has been debunked, and by what?

> If it was co-opted, then why [...]

I wouldn't say it was "co-opted" - as far as I'm aware it originated as and still mostly is an alt-right slogan.

> [...] then why did 49% of blacks take a neutral to supportive view of the phrase in the poll? Explain that.

Those unaware of the statement's usage, and those who choose to interpret the poll question as asking only about the statement's direct literal meaning, would likely answer supportive of the statement.

A better-designed poll could separate out those two issues, asking about both the statement's literal meaning and what it implies, but instead it's kind of mushed together dependant on how the respondent chose to interpret the question.

>direct literal meaning

And couldn't that taint the people against the phrase?

You're trying to have it both ways.

> And couldn't that taint the people against the phrase?

In that, you think some people would agree with the phrase when taken with its implicature and connotations, but then object to its far milder literal meaning? Struggling to see what worldview that'd be possible for.

No.

They'd be agnostic of the alleged nefarious meaning just like you're dismissing all those accepting as being unaware.

For your view to be true, you're saying the other 49% of blacks polled are clueless instead of seeing alternative, non nefarious meanings.

It's possible, but I wouldn't take that bet.

When two pigs wrestle, they're both covered in shit. We don't say "pig #2 should be considered clean because he was only responding to pig #1".

It's eminently possible for the original poll and Adams (and the Mercury News for that matter) to all be fanning the flames of racism.

>It's eminently possible for the original poll and Adams (and the Mercury News for that matter) to all be fanning the flames of racism.

I'd even go so far to say that it's highly likely.

>possible

Why equivocate to one side and assume the worst from a poll?

By your reasoning, it's "possible" he was correct.

FWIW, Adams conditioned his language with similar reasoning ... See the "If"

I said "possible" because I don't feel like signing myself up to wade through pig shit to finely arbitrate who is over the line where.
What's the point?

You don't want to arbitrate, but also want to posture with "everyone's shitty here" with a bias that even the poll is biased.

I don't get it.

Yes, everyone engaging in populist racism is basically shitty. I don't think that should be a controversial statement, yet there are lots of people thinking that by pointing to the "other side's" shittiness, this absolves "their team's" shittiness.
I get what you're saying, now.

I agree.