Quote Originally Posted by Askthepizzaguy View Post

That said, Vuk, your obvious contempt for "leftists" is the same kind of prejudice that racists feel toward everyone of a different race, so you might not want to feel too superior to mister Barry. It's the same kind of condemnation of an entire group of people, indiscriminately, except it is political instead of racial.

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

If there's no difference, and there isn't, then maybe you should keep your prejudices on a tighter leash.
First of all, I did not say that all leftists were racist (though I do believe that most are). The leftist political thought is dominated by racist people though, and thus the racist left. That is not the same as saying that all Leftists are racists though. I am willing to judge each person, even a leftist, by his own actions. As a group though, they are predominantly racist.

And yes, there is a fundamental difference between racial and political discrimination. There is nothing wrong with discrimination, or thinking that one thing is better than another. Nor is there anything wrong with prejudice and making initial judgments based on someone's group affiliation. It just needs to be done wisely. For example: I buy a cheap power tool from a brand X and it breaks down in a day. Everyone I have talked to who has bought that tool has had the same experience. I buy another with the same result. Finally I have enough and get a Milwaukee, and it lasts for many years. From there on in, I do not waste my time and give that other brand a chance, and instead just buy Milwaukee. It does not mean that I will not get a lemon Milwaukee or a brand X that is excellent, but that the odds are not in my favor to waste my time or money giving brand X tools a chance. Surely it is wise to just stick with Milwaukee in this case?

As far as the difference between racial, political/ideological/cultural discrimination, it is a difference of choice. A person has no choice in the race they are, any more than their height, and it has no more bearing on their actions than their height. The danger with associating race with behavior is, that despite what statistical correlations you may find, race has no bearing on behavior, and you are going to be unfairly associating people of behaviors they don't want to be associated with.
Judging people based on their politics, ideology, and culture on the other hand is different, because that DOES have a direct influence on their behaviors, and it IS something they can choose, and they are willingly associating themselves with something that they are willing to be associated with (and probably do not have a problem being associated with).
There is nothing wrong with considering some behaviors and world views to be intolerable (cannibalism, Nazism, etc), and disliking those who commit the act or believe in the view. Discrimination against behaviors and ideologies is not only acceptable, but necessary for any society.

So yes, there is an enormous difference between racial and political discrimination. Everyone is and should be guilty of the latter, and no one should be of the former.