Is my best friend racist?

A country in such grave decline that to quote a previous poster "Half the population of the world wants to come here". That's roughly 4.5 BILLION people. Is that poster a 'simpleton'?

A country in such grave decline that to quote a previous poster "Half the population of the world wants to come here". That's roughly 4.5 BILLION people. Is that poster a 'simpleton'?

Visited my best friend today for lunch and had a conversation that has left me confused, so thought I'd bring it to the MN table.
We were talking about immigration, refugees and asylum seekers.
My friend says the issue is not the colour of people's skin, but rather their culture.
She has no problem with people who wish to settle here when they embrace the UK culture.
Her attitude is that multicultural societies are almost impossible to implement to everyones satisfaction because different cultures have such widely opposing beliefs and values and she believes it is unrealistic to expect to integrate many different cultures and values without considerable conflict between the different cultures.
Furthermore, she believes it is so difficult to integrate different cultures that people of the same ethnicity will inevitably gravitate towards each other and form their own social groups to the exclusion of other ethnic groups, so the whole idea of integration is pointless anyway.
We just end up with lots of different groups of people isolating themselves from other groups who don't share their ethnicity.
She is firmly of the belief that tensions that people describe as racially motivated actually stem from cultural differences, that she knows no one who has any issue with people of different races when they adopt the culture of the country they choose to migrate to, and that the tension is created by ethnic differences and their cultural differences.

I still say this is racism because racism also includes discriminating against people based on their ethnicity. She called me naive if I believe a truly multicultural society is possible when 'you wouldn't even tolerate a friend who has the same ethnicity as you but doesn't share your values so how do you expect to embrace someone's complete different way of life'.
I explained that the way other people choose to live their lives doesn't affect me. She called me naive again at this point and said when people don't have the same values, when they live according to different social rules, it affects people living in their vicinity who don't live like that.

Im not sure whether to raise the subject with her again, or let it lie because she seemed quite adamant and I'm not sure I could make her see this is still racist.

Now I'm wondering if I don't understand what racism is. Maybe I am naive.

Visited my best friend today for lunch and had a conversation that has left me confused, so thought I'd bring it to the MN table.
We were talking about immigration, refugees and asylum seekers.
My friend says the issue is not the colour of people's skin, but rather their culture.
She has no problem with people who wish to settle here when they embrace the UK culture.
Her attitude is that multicultural societies are almost impossible to implement to everyones satisfaction because different cultures have such widely opposing beliefs and values and she believes it is unrealistic to expect to integrate many different cultures and values without considerable conflict between the different cultures.
Furthermore, she believes it is so difficult to integrate different cultures that people of the same ethnicity will inevitably gravitate towards each other and form their own social groups to the exclusion of other ethnic groups, so the whole idea of integration is pointless anyway.
We just end up with lots of different groups of people isolating themselves from other groups who don't share their ethnicity.
She is firmly of the belief that tensions that people describe as racially motivated actually stem from cultural differences, that she knows no one who has any issue with people of different races when they adopt the culture of the country they choose to migrate to, and that the tension is created by ethnic differences and their cultural differences.

I still say this is racism because racism also includes discriminating against people based on their ethnicity. She called me naive if I believe a truly multicultural society is possible when 'you wouldn't even tolerate a friend who has the same ethnicity as you but doesn't share your values so how do you expect to embrace someone's complete different way of life'.
I explained that the way other people choose to live their lives doesn't affect me. She called me naive again at this point and said when people don't have the same values, when they live according to different social rules, it affects people living in their vicinity who don't live like that.

Im not sure whether to raise the subject with her again, or let it lie because she seemed quite adamant and I'm not sure I could make her see this is still racist.

Now I'm wondering if I don't understand what racism is. Maybe I am naive.

If you've never given this issue any thought until today, I'm afraid you are a simpleton. And people like you are the reason this country is in such grave decline.

Stop referencing a misogynistic and sexually abusive POTUS. Or perhaps you like that about Trump?

Implying that another poster is pro sexual abuse is a bit much. I'm sure there are no personal attack rules.

I see people from all walks of life going about their daily business. I don't see groups of people huddled together excluding others, I don't see people avoiding other people based on their perceived ethnicity.
I have never given other people's ethnicity a thought until lunch today.
Everyone is a little different, no matter who they are or what their culture is. It's what makes the tapestry of life so rich!

If there’s no one else who will listen and take action to protect our society, then some will, perhaps holding their noses as they do so, in the same way many in the US voted for Trump after millions flooded over the southern border.

Thoughtful moderate people are too intelligent to have their heads turned by Reform. And Farage knows that.

You don't understand at all the nuance of my post either of you. Intelligence is something that has passed you by - a reference to Blackadder.

Ah I loved flowery twats. Where comedy existed and people were intelligent enough to understand it, rather than screech racism! Bigotry! Sexism! I’m OFFENDED!!! at any given point.

Well put. I think I’m going to stop engaging with them now.

I've just seen the most recent reply to your post - it's just deliberately snide and insulting, there's no attempt to actually engage in good faith at all so I don't blame you.

It seems mad to me, as there's clearly a growing discontent with immigration levels in the UK and Europe, and trying to shut down discussion or call people racist, Islamophobic etc actually fuels things in the opposite direction. It's probably more effective than door to door campaigning for Reform.

💯 Reform couldn’t wish for a better ambassador than @nomas Calling everyone racist for daring to question whether other cultures are compatible with British culture drives otherwise thoughtful moderate liberals towards them!

Well put. I think I’m going to stop engaging with them now.

I've just seen the most recent reply to your post - it's just deliberately snide and insulting, there's no attempt to actually engage in good faith at all so I don't blame you.

Why do you keep acting like this? We’re discussing multiculturalism, my point is is it a net benefit? My view is, no. Maybe it could have been if we slowed down mass immigration, stopped ghettoisation or were more discerning about who immigrated. Some cultures are just too different and are directly in conflict with western values, I worry for my daughters.

Southport was the fault of racist white men, so why blame it on Muslims?
Racist white men were not behind the Southport attack, you are veering well off into what I will tolerate as acceptable. That is an outright lie and offensive.

Islamaphobic tropes
I refer you to my point about shutting down debate by accusing everyone of isms, phobias and ists.

I’m not going to engage with you any further. Other than being repetitive and constantly attempting to derail a rational discussion, I don’t think you are the slightest bit open or tolerant to other peoples experiences and viewpoints,

Fawlty Towers with the stereotype dumb Irishman and equally dumb Spanish waiter which was deliberate to emphasise the petty bigotry of the small minded English man. Don't get me wrong Flowery Twats and you'll have to sew them back on first are phrases I will take to my grave

But the thing about Fawlty Towers is it poked fun at everyone. Even Basil Fawlty was depicted as someone who lacked self awareness and wasn’t the brightest. Lots of characters on there covering all racial basis’s who weren’t painted in a good light. But I guess some people will pick and choose the bits that meet their narrative….

It is definitely not my opinion. I live in a small village out in the sticks and I'm not aware of anyone in the village I live in who is from a different culture or is a different race to myself.
I have no direct experience of different ethnicities, except what I hear from other people.
My friend lives 40 miles away from me in a town and her experience of living in a busy town are different to mine.

I love going to visit my daughter and her partner who live in Whitechapel. I feel safe there and enjoy the diversity and vibe. @nomas keep strong. x