The Racist Left Strikes Again

[Lemur]

What's the difference? Explain how saying all leftists are racists is any different from saying all Black people are (fill in the blank).

You circled around an excellent point: Tribalism is both natural and inevitable. We are social animals, so we need to define who is with us and who is against us. It's ugly and it's primitive, but I dare you to show me a single person who isn't affected by it.

This is why I think racism, as a sin, is overrated. Sure it's bad, but it's exactly the same sort of bad as Brewers versus Cubs fans, or Dems versus Repubs. It's just an expression of tribalism. (As you illustrate, when a poster accuses all liberals or all conservatives of some hideous evil, it sounds remarkably like a racist rant. Just replace "Democrat" or "Republican" with the racial epithet of your choice, and you don't need to change a word.)

Yes, we should all try not to be racist, especially in a country with a history of slavery, segregation, and redlining (in historical order), but we should recognize it for what it is, and we should never pretend one group has a monopoly on hate and/or victimization. Nor should someone being racist mark them as subhuman scum. They're just giving in to a remarkably stupid form of tribalism. Which is bad, but understandable, and forgivable in the long run (as long as they don't kill anybody).

Anyway.