Is a Culturalist the Same as a Racist?

[Dr Grump]

I've never considered myself a racist. A culturalist yes, but not a racist. Is there a difference?

To kick it off, this is the way I see it.
A racist is somebody who will judge a person negatively purely on their race. No matter how hard they work or whatever they achieve in life to make the planet a better place, a racist will hate them for the colour of their skin or ethnicity.

However a culturalist is different in my opinion. For example, since this is an American board I'll use an American example. I can't stand black hip hop culture. If some dude walks down the street with his ghettoblaster (showing my age here) banging out rap on his shoulder and talking about "niggas' and 'ho's' and 'yo fuck yo' BS. He and I ain't gonna get along. Some white dude doing exactly the same thing? We ain't gonna get along either. Is this racist? Is it acceptable to think like this?

Some black dude comes up to me and starts talking about how Bruce Springsteen is the greatest song writer of his generation ( ), or about soccer etc, we're gonna get on fine.

 

[jillian]

I think there is a difference between being attuned to your roots (culturist) and hating others who don't share those roots (racist). I also don't think there's anything wrong with saying certain things about other cultures make you uncomfortable so long as you don't think they should be discriminated against because of those differences.

As for Bruce being the greatest songwriter of his generation, well...that's just a given.

 

[Dr Grump]

Yeah, that is how I feel...

 

[jillian]

Lol. No surprise there. I thought it was an interesting question

 

[Wingsofwind]

I've never considered myself a racist. A culturalist yes, but not a racist. Is there a difference?

To kick it off, this is the way I see it.
A racist is somebody who will judge a person negatively purely on their race. No matter how hard they work or whatever they achieve in life to make the planet a better place, a racist will hate them for the colour of their skin or ethnicity.

However a culturalist is different in my opinion. For example, since this is an American board I'll use an American example. I can't stand black hip hop culture. If some dude walks down the street with his ghettoblaster (showing my age here) banging out rap on his shoulder and talking about "niggas' and 'ho's' and 'yo fuck yo' BS. He and I ain't gonna get along. Some white dude doing exactly the same thing? We ain't gonna get along either. Is this racist? Is it acceptable to think like this?

Some black dude comes up to me and starts talking about how Bruce Springsteen is the greatest song writer of his generation ( ), or about soccer etc, we're gonna get on fine.

Agree

 

[Baruch Menachem]

I will have a sever disagreement about Bruce Springsteen. I found him a colossal bore.

But as to the main question, Race is not a matter of choice.

Culture is a set of behavioral norms. They are all a matter of personal choice by the parties involved. Some behaviors are easy to deal with, some are weird but understandable in context, and some are just plain wrong

 

[Ernie S.]

I will have a sever disagreement about Bruce Springsteen. I found him a colossal bore.

But as to the main question, Race is not a matter of choice.

Culture is a set of behavioral norms. They are all a matter of personal choice by the parties involved. Some behaviors are easy to deal with, some are weird but understandable in context, and some are just plain wrong

Yup! gotta agree on Springsteen. I'm gonna have big problems with the ghetto blaster and the Springsteen fan and if the 2 of them compared notes, I'd come off racist.

I don't much give a crap what music you like as long as I don't have to hear it when I'm sitting at a stop light. That goes for The Allman Brothers or Eric Clapton, though I do tend to turn up Bob Seger....
It's the cultural crap I have the biggest problem with. Facial piercings or tattoos, pants down at mid thigh, all while bitching that they can't find a job piss me off.

 

[William Joyce]

Some black dude comes up to me and starts talking about how Bruce Springsteen is the greatest song writer of his generation ( ), or about soccer etc, we're gonna get on fine.

But no "black dude" is ever going to do this. That's because race is a template for culture -- the two are inextricably intertwined.

Oh, I'm sure you can find ONE black person who feels that way about Bruce (who isn't actually Jewish, jillian, fyi). But by and large, you won't. The patterns are real.

Yours is a common comment. I hear it all the time. "I don't judge by color." "I don't care what a man's race is, it's how HE is." "But I hate rap." Etc. It's all very well-intentioned. And it may be prima facie true. But it ignores the larger and more awkward reality: that race isn't just a random thing, and the qualities attached are observable in pattern and genetically inherent.

Ask jillian if she's willing to open Israel to anyone, regardless of race or ethnicity, who proclaims themselves "culturally Jewish." Shit, for all that, I could make such a claim: I love to argue. I love to be a contrarian. I'm a lawyer. So, let me into Israel.

But who's buying that?

 

[Dr Grump]

Some black dude comes up to me and starts talking about how Bruce Springsteen is the greatest song writer of his generation ( ), or about soccer etc, we're gonna get on fine.

But no "black dude" is ever going to do this. That's because race is a template for culture -- the two are inextricably intertwined.

Oh, I'm sure you can find ONE black person who feels that way about Bruce (who isn't actually Jewish, jillian, fyi). But by and large, you won't. The patterns are real.

Yours is a common comment. I hear it all the time. "I don't judge by color." "I don't care what a man's race is, it's how HE is." "But I hate rap." Etc. It's all very well-intentioned. And it may be prima facie true. But it ignores the larger and more awkward reality: that race isn't just a random thing, and the qualities attached are observable in pattern and genetically inherent.

Ask jillian if she's willing to open Israel to anyone, regardless of race or ethnicity, who proclaims themselves "culturally Jewish." Shit, for all that, I could make such a claim: I love to argue. I love to be a contrarian. I'm a lawyer. So, let me into Israel.

But who's buying that?

Yes, WJ, we all know that Springsteen isn't Jewish - he's Italian/Dutch from memory...And I disagree about black people liking him. One of his sidekicks is black.

I am uncomfortable in most other cultures, bar my own, but do like aspects of various cultures.

And if you think there is no difference between different black people, then go visit Angola and then compare them to black people living in the US. Go talk to a white Englishman and white Frenchman or a white German - then tell me they are the same. They are not....

 

[Dr Grump]

Yup! gotta agree on Springsteen. I'm gonna have big problems with the ghetto blaster and the Springsteen fan and if the 2 of them compared notes, I'd come off racist.

I don't much give a crap what music you like as long as I don't have to hear it when I'm sitting at a stop light. That goes for The Allman Brothers or Eric Clapton, though I do tend to turn up Bob Seger....
It's the cultural crap I have the biggest problem with. Facial piercings or tattoos, pants down at mid thigh, all while bitching that they can't find a job piss me off.

I can't believe you don't like Bruce but like Bob. Bob is OK, but he's like a Springsteen Lite IMO...

 

[Tank]

Different Cultures were not handed out, different cultures evolved with different races.

 

[manifold]

How would you feel about the ghetto blasting negro moving in next door to you?

 

[Tank]

What is the N word you never want to call a black person?


Neigbor

 

[Dr Grump]

I'd be pissed off and any ghetto/stereo blasting neighbour....

 

[California Girl]

For the record, I gonna agree with the liberals here.... The Boss.... well, he really is The Boss.

 

[bucs90]

No, it's OK to hate a culture, as all cultures are NOT equal. I hate hip hop culture with every bone in my body, it's done nothing but bad for our society.

I also hate Islamic extremism culture, skinhead culture, etc. Any culture that promotes violence and the hatred of another race....I hate. And hip hop does that by promoting drug related violence and a general dislike or at worst hatred of the white race.

 

[Mini 14]

No idea on the cultural-ism or racism, but....

Thunder Road is one of the greatest songs ever.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KngiJUNdsu0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KngiJUNdsu0[/ame]