Is this racist?

[GHook93]

I can't make my mind up about this.

Say you are working in a tractor store and someone of a different ethnic background comes in to buy something and they cop a superior attitude.

If you sell them the inferior tractor because their attitude annoyed you are you being racist?

No because you are basing you're resentment on the person because of their attitude not their race. I do it a bunch. Usually happens with the little guys (who I don't care if I really win the business or not), but when they become self-righteous I double their minimums and raise their price!

since when do you sell tractors?

 

[Ravi]

I respectfully disagree.

(see Post # 6).

It is possibly racist. If the hyper-aggrieved attitude is in reaction to people of different ethnic backgrounds, I'd call it racist.

So in your opinion, acting from a perceived feeling of inferiority is racist?

I find that had to accept as I normally define racism as acting from a perceived feeling of superiority.

 

[Jeremy]

Then you can't make a racial judgement on this particular instance...

Historical beliefs by a person play into whether a present tense situation is or isn't racist... You know, whether there is or isn't an underlying racial bias...

Not knowing the history makes this just a poor decision by the salesperson, as the commission for the higher model is now lost because they don't like people with a 'tude...

I would suggest this person find a line of work that doesn't involve retail transactions or take a course on how to deal with difficult customers...

Fair enough, you gave your opinion. And though it is besides the point, sometimes the inferior product is actually more expensive.

Can you give me an example of this?

Socialism v. free market Capitolism. Socialism is inferior and VASTLY more expensive.

 

[Ravi]

Then you can't make a racial judgement on this particular instance...

Historical beliefs by a person play into whether a present tense situation is or isn't racist... You know, whether there is or isn't an underlying racial bias...

Not knowing the history makes this just a poor decision by the salesperson, as the commission for the higher model is now lost because they don't like people with a 'tude...

I would suggest this person find a line of work that doesn't involve retail transactions or take a course on how to deal with difficult customers...

Fair enough, you gave your opinion. And though it is besides the point, sometimes the inferior product is actually more expensive.

Can you give me an example of this?

Take laundry detergent. Read Consumer Reports ratings and you'll find (at least in their opinion) that the most expensive detergent is inferior to Tide.

Then there is the entire Mac vs. PC debate...Macs are much more expensive...but are they actually better?

 

[boedicca]

I respectfully disagree.

(see Post # 6).

It is possibly racist. If the hyper-aggrieved attitude is in reaction to people of different ethnic backgrounds, I'd call it racist.

So in your opinion, acting from a perceived feeling of inferiority is racist?

I find that had to accept as I normally define racism as acting from a perceived feeling of superiority.

Acting based on an any attitude which attributes negative motives, qualities etc. towards someone who is different with scant evidence is bigotry. Just because the salesperson "feels" inferior is not a justification for him acting like a peeved bigot.

 

[Immanuel]

Lower feature.

There is a history of not liking people that cop a superior attitude by the salesperson.

Is there a history of not liking people of a different ethnic background by the salesperson?

I don't know. All I know is that this person doesn't like being treated like an inferior being.

Do you? I can tell you that I don't, which is why I refused to vote for John Kerry or John McCain.

Immie

 

[Ravi]

I respectfully disagree.

(see Post # 6).

It is possibly racist. If the hyper-aggrieved attitude is in reaction to people of different ethnic backgrounds, I'd call it racist.

So in your opinion, acting from a perceived feeling of inferiority is racist?

I find that had to accept as I normally define racism as acting from a perceived feeling of superiority.

Acting based on an any attitude which attributes negative motives, qualities etc. towards someone who is different with scant evidence is bigotry. Just because the salesperson "feels" inferior is not a justification for him acting like a peeved bigot.

Okay, your opinion is noted. I am still not convinced either way.

 

[Ravi]

Is there a history of not liking people of a different ethnic background by the salesperson?

I don't know. All I know is that this person doesn't like being treated like an inferior being.

Do you? I can tell you that I don't, which is why I refused to vote for John Kerry or John McCain.

Immie

No, I don't either.

Is your refusing to vote for McCain or Kerry bigoted?

 

[GHook93]

When I worked in the mortgage business I ALWAYS shot a higher rate with higher fees to the Indians, Asians and Latinos, since bargained the least, asked the least questions and, especially the Asians, were the most gratiful just to get the deal done. This had nothing to do with skin color because Blacks along with Whites always bargained hard and haggle on every point. It also had nothing to with educational background, because the majority of Asians and Indians I did loans for where highly educated and made a ton of money.

Was my approach of ALWAYS giving higher fees and rates to Indians, Asians and Latinos for the exact same loans, then I would for Blacks and Whites?

 

[Immanuel]

I don't know. All I know is that this person doesn't like being treated like an inferior being.

Do you? I can tell you that I don't, which is why I refused to vote for John Kerry or John McCain.

Immie

No, I don't either.

Is your refusing to vote for McCain or Kerry bigoted?

No, I don't think so unless, of course, you call disliking arrogant assholes bigoted.

If either one of them were black, Hispanic, Native American, Semitic or Asian and held the same attitudes they now hold, I would dislike them just as much as I do as caucasian.

Immie

 

[Dr.House]

Fair enough, you gave your opinion. And though it is besides the point, sometimes the inferior product is actually more expensive.

Can you give me an example of this?

Take laundry detergent. Read Consumer Reports ratings and you'll find (at least in their opinion) that the most expensive detergent is inferior to Tide.

Then there is the entire Mac vs. PC debate...Macs are much more expensive...but are they actually better?

You're talking of an "opinion" of inferiority... IOW, someone has an opinion regarding the effectiveness of the product (detergent or computer)...

Before you were talking of a "lower feature" model of tractors...

I guess the next question would be are you trying to portray the salesperson as doing something that would screw the customer over somehow while NOT screwing him/herself over....

Either way, racism cannot be etermined without knowing the history and underlying bias of the salesperson...

 

[Dr.House]

What's the answer if the salseperson were David Duke?

What's the answer if the salesperson were Sheila Jackson Lee?

What's the answer if the salesperson were Mother Theresa?


In all three caes the salesperson could claim their actions were based on dislike of people with an attitude, but in the first two cases the historical reference of racial bias would either consiously or subconsiously skew that claim....

 

[Tank]

IS THIS RACIST?

 

[Jeremy]

Is this racist?

 

[Zoom-boing]

IS THIS RACIST?

Looks like Lloyd Bridges.

 

[Zoom-boing]

I can't make my mind up about this.

Say you are working in a tractor store and someone of a different ethnic background comes in to buy something and they cop a superior attitude.

If you sell them the inferior tractor because their attitude annoyed you are you being racist?

No. You reacted to their attitude towards you, rather than their ethnicity or race. Assholes are assholes, regardless.

Why would you sell them an inferior product? The snubbier they were the more I'd try and sell 'em the whole damn store.

 

[Tank]

IS THIS RACIST?

 

[Yurt]

the proper analogy that ravi is trying to get across (sherrod) would be

persons car breaks down...takes the car to a mechanic to get it fixed, the mechanic thinks of nothing but the persons race and how [insert ethnic group] people's cars break down all the time, and the mechanic doesn't like the superior attitude so, instead of fully helping him fix his car, he sends him on to one of his own kind and doesn't help him until the person comes back and says...that mechanic you sent me to did not fix my car, i'm desperate, can you help....

now...is the above racist?

 

[Ravi]

Do you? I can tell you that I don't, which is why I refused to vote for John Kerry or John McCain.

Immie

No, I don't either.

Is your refusing to vote for McCain or Kerry bigoted?

No, I don't think so unless, of course, you call disliking arrogant assholes bigoted.

If either one of them were black, Hispanic, Native American, Semitic or Asian and held the same attitudes they now hold, I would dislike them just as much as I do as caucasian.

Immie

Yeah...I agree with you there. Which is why I can't answer my own question in the OP.

 

[Ravi]

Can you give me an example of this?

Take laundry detergent. Read Consumer Reports ratings and you'll find (at least in their opinion) that the most expensive detergent is inferior to Tide.

Then there is the entire Mac vs. PC debate...Macs are much more expensive...but are they actually better?

You're talking of an "opinion" of inferiority... IOW, someone has an opinion regarding the effectiveness of the product (detergent or computer)...

Before you were talking of a "lower feature" model of tractors...

I guess the next question would be are you trying to portray the salesperson as doing something that would screw the customer over somehow while NOT screwing him/herself over....

Either way, racism cannot be etermined without knowing the history and underlying bias of the salesperson...

You're right...I shouldn't have let you lead me on into saying lower feature when I meant inferior.