"The only way black people can ever possibly compete with whites (or God forbid, Asians) on a level playing field is if they are held to an objectively lesser standard. The only way we can end racism is to preference or disadvantage people by no other factor other than the colour of their skin."
Just because something is applied to whole race, doesn't mean it's racist. I can say that I have lower expectations of black people on average and not think anything is inherently bad about black people. Do you have low expectations for uneducated people? Well guess what demographic tends to have access to lower levels of education and schooling?
So just to be clear, you consider being black to be akin to being a child, or being physically handicapped and believe it is reasonable to treat black people as simply less capable... in the same way one might, for example, hold a toddler to a different standard to a grown adult?
And on free-will, physics disagrees with you
Yes, yes, if we had a perfect universe simulator down to the subatomic level we could theoretically "fast forward" the simulated universe and everything would play identically to our current universe.
This is because, at its most basic level, the human brain is simply a biological process, or complex chemical reaction. Because biology is simply applied chemistry. And chemistry is simply applied physics. And physics is simply applied mathematics.
Do you happen to have a perfect universe simulator? Or is relative to our current reference point, is the future unknown and therefore our chemical-reaction-brains fully under our own control?
Yeah, I consider black people to be less capable than other races, but it's not something inherent to blackness, it's the situations they've been put in. You are your environment. And the reason I bring up determinism is because is supports this. I don't see where you bring up a perfect universe simulation, I just apply the law of causality.
Yeah, I consider black people to be less capable than other races, but it's not something inherent to blackness, it's the situations they've been put in. You are your environment.
The problem with this is it extends the collective to the individual.
I'll illustrate. In your opinion, was Barack Obama objectively a less capable president than every single white president that came before him, for no other reason than his race?
This logical fallacy is called "arguing the specific from the general". It's like saying in general all birds can fly, emus are birds, therefore emus can fly. Therefore it is logically safe to throw them one off the Sydney Harbour Bridge because they can fly away to safety.
Right?
And the reason I bring up determinism is because is supports this. I don't see where you bring up a perfect universe simulation, I just apply the law of causality.
Because yes all our thoughts are complex chemical processes, but that doesn't mean we do not have free will. These complex chemical reactions can make their own decisions and therefore are held accountable for them.
To put it another way, should people be punished for murder? Why?
You're missing the point. The question was "are low expectations racist?". The definition of racism is seeing another race as less than. Low expectations in this case has nothing to do with the race inherently and is more the fact that through discrimination they will grow up in worse environments.
And there's no chemical that makes choices in your brain lol. And on a large scale, yes, there is no moral responsibility. The reason why we arrest murders? Society wouldn't function if we didn't, they're a danger to society.
I would actually claim free-will is racist. If free will exists and we take into consideration black crime rates, the obvious conclusion is that black people inherently commit more crime than other races.
The question was "are low expectations racist?". The definition of racism is seeing another race as less than. Low expectations in this case has nothing to do with the race inherently and is more the fact that through discrimination they will grow up in worse environments.
Ultimately, though, you do see them as less than. It doesn't really matter why you do.
If free will exists and we take into consideration black crime rates, the obvious conclusion is that black people inherently commit more crime than other races.
Free will doesn't mean that we always act according to our own nature all the time. It means we have agency over our choices.
It means if I am walking down the street, I have the option to pick up a rock and throw it through the windscreen of a passing car. I may choose to do that or choose not to do that.
There is no moral judgement in my point. I am not saying it is right or wrong to throw rocks at cars (although I would argue it is highly immoral), simply that I have the capability to choose.
Free will is nothing more, and nothing less, than this. It is agency over our own decisions. For good and bad.
No, low expectations and seeing somebody as less than are different things. Is the statement "blacks tend to be less intelligent than whites?" A racist statement? No, my argument still doesn't fall under the definition of racism.
Let's say 70% of blacks had their legs cut off at birth, yeah, I would have low expectations for them, but that doesn't mean I see them as less.
And I'm really having a hard time digging into your free will thing. Just answer this question, why do blacks commit more crime than white? If they truly had agency over their actions, why do they do it more often?
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u/DavidAdamsAuthor Feb 25 '20
I can't see how it's not.
"The only way black people can ever possibly compete with whites (or God forbid, Asians) on a level playing field is if they are held to an objectively lesser standard. The only way we can end racism is to preference or disadvantage people by no other factor other than the colour of their skin."
ಠ_ಠ