Is Boris Johnson racist?

[KenDodd]

YABU = No
YANBU = Yes

Could you also please say how you voted in the election?

Because racism implies some sort of discrimination or treating differently.
It would similarly not be racist to compare a turban or a skull cap to something else.

The burka comment was in sensitive but not racist.
Wearing a burka for religious reasons isn't related to one's race in any way.
If you want to be really technical the majority of Muslims are Asian /Arab ethnically.
So anthropologucally (if that's a word) they are Caucasians. So the same 'race' as BJ

Oh so because he opens his mouth and spouts any old crap out, that's fine?
Fuck all the Muslim women who were getting attacked for wearing a Burkha before he spouted out this shite right. Because it's just what he does?

But actions speak louder than words in my opinion. He said those things true but he has appointed many people of colour to important jobs including party chairman.

I knew someone who spouted all sorts of really offensively racist crap. He still made some exceptions and those exceptions didn't make him magically not racist.

Yes he's racist. You don't have to be racist against every other single race to be racist. You don't have to be racist all the time to still be racist. He's said some clearly racist things. I didn't and wouldn't ever vote for him.

Not all Muslims are Caucasians.

Maybe he has a diverse cabinet but these are the men who have won in the northern seats

mobile.twitter.com/scattermoon/status/1207462181945716739

I'd it not possible his diverse cabinet is deliberate

How did all that Momentum propaganda work out for Labour, OP?

Butchyrestingface

Are you a journo, @KenDodd? I wish!

Do you think BJ is racist? Yes, but 'normal' low level English racist, not Tommy Robinson's followers level.

How did you vote in the election? Lib Dem (super safe Tory seat)

Completely agree @Lightsinotherhouses

And look who he has given a lifetime peerage to.

The semantic arguments about what racism supposedly means are predictable and missing the point about what it actually really means to those people affected.

“Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race“ is a great book if you are open minded and want to understand issues more deeply.

Just because Boris is proud of his own roots and married someone from a different part of the world doesn't mean he isn't generally racist/xenophobic. (Nigel Farage is married to a German woman) I know people with friends from all over who still say racist things and don't equate the people they know and like with "those other people" that they say things about or don't think should be allowed to live here etc etc.

I wouldn't say "oh I'm not voting for BJ because he's racist" when the alternative was JC so your thoughts behind the post are kind of null and void.

He wasn't the only alternative though, you could quite easily not vote for Boris because he's racist and also not vote Labour.

So there was 2 parties to vote for then? Strange I'm sure I saw several parties on my ballot form.

@TheGinGenie

Completely agree. It's the 'some of my best friends are black' argument.

He encourages xenophobia in others. I honestly believe the vast majority now see xenophobia as acceptable.

How can anyone believe he is not racist when he uses terms like "Picaninnies" and "watermelon smiles" and says that black people have lower IQs. Let's face it, he appoints people like Javid because it's politically expedient and helps to get votes, not because he wouldn't rather have a WASP old Etonian in post.

I remember an election some time ago in the US, it was for state governor or something. One candidate was facing child sex abuse charges, I can't remember which party but don't think it matters, lots of voters interviewed said they'd rather a child abuser than a Democrat/Republican and it seemed to make little difference to the result. Maybe in some ways Johnson's racism (and Corbyn's antisemitism) is the same, I was interested to see if people who voted for him DID think he was racist though, maybe they don't?

I think a lot of people don't think he can do anything wrong.
I suppose him pocketing the reporters' phone was just a bit of fun.

If he says and writes this shit, imagine what he's like when there are no cameras around, articles or books to write?

I think it’s a push back the other way sooty

While not excusing them, it is interesting that the same three remarks are always quoted to ‘prove’ Johnson’s racism. People may draw their own conclusions from this. Personally, I am keeping an open mind about him - if he really is a racist then we’ve got (at least) 10 years to find out.