AIBU to agree with Diane Abbott

[Elephantiner]

I cannot stand Diane Abbott, she has a lazy, patronising manner which riles me, but she has said that people visiblybof a different race (e.g. black people) experience a different sort of racism than those who’s race is not visually obvious (travellers, Jewish people etc). She has a point, doesn’t she? Am I missing something here?

Obviously all types of racism are utterly abhorrent.

@ForWittyTealOP Why should I align myself or build solidarity with individuals who deny the existence of racism experienced by Black and Brown communities, simply because many of them live in areas like Hackney? That line of thinking is dismissive and reductive. Do you take me for a fool?

I may not be Black or Brown, but as someone who is visibly mixed race, I face racism based solely on how I look. Are you seriously asking me to centre people who have shown no concern for me or for others who share my experience? Do you genuinely believe your perspective is more important or your life more valuable than mine? The audacity.

I have no interest in aligning with people who discredit my views by labelling them “too flowery” or “too intellectual” just because they don't like your view point. I have no interest in people calling me a racist because I recognise that appearance influences racism. Solidarity isn’t built by making everything about yourself while dismissing other perspective that doesn't align with your world view.

Also have you changed your user name in the thread.

Interesting that you only picked out black people for criticism.

What issues am I conflating?

You seem to be doubling down on the idea that people only care about anti-Semitism? You seem to be implying that Jewish people have somehow infiltrated government and ensured anti-Semitism is the only form of racism allowed to be talked about? Again, a lot of what you're saying is scarily similar to what an anti-Semite would say.

As a white Jew, I can assure you we are also actively and regularly discriminated against. Both by racists and by "anti-racists" who keep telling us we're imagining things and we're actually not discriminated against. It's all in our heads and we're actually perfectly safe, dontcha know!

I think she’s referring to the comments people make about black people and slavery. One poster said black people like playing the victims.

Oh my issue with you isn't that you're "too intellectual" - far from it. My issue is that you think you can hide the racist pea of your argument under a hundred feather mattresses.

If your version of anti racism involves continuing to make racist statements about people who aren't you, crack on. Nobody's going to take you seriously.

And no. I haven't changed my username but nice attempt to discredit what I actually have to say.

Interesting that you’re making things up.

I believe the right honourable lady herself once said white people love playing divide and rule. Could that be deemed racism out of interest?

No one here has denied the racism experienced by black or brown people. That's a fabrication of yours.

What we have said is that DA cannot talk for the experiences of other minorities, or diminish their experiences of racism.

Your bizarre language appears to try to conflate what is a very racist undertone. For this reason I wonder if you are a bot. You think you sound clever by using a thesaurus, by you sound like a racist fool.

Of course you haven't changed your username. This thread has sunk to new levels of deviousness x

Absolutely.

You really thought being patronising and superior is offering an olive branch? Bizarre.

Would you say ‘they like playing the victims’ about any other ethnic group?

The brass neck!

If she can’t see any allyship, why can’t she say that? I see no allyship on this thread, by anyone.

And just because she has a different opinion, that doesn’t make her a bot.

Divide and rule was a successful colonial strategy. Even the encyclopaedia recognises it.

www.britannica.com/topic/divide-and-rule

Then you need to look a bit closer.

Any examples?

No one objected to black people like being victims.

No one objected to the attack on DA’s son.

No one objected to conflation of Muslims with rapists.

The undertones became more obvious after the first few posts. Always ease themselves in gently.

The racism against black people isn’t even an undertone.

Someone did object to the comment about Abbott's son (though I concede it could have been you - being an ally doesn't really encompass that though).

I didn't see the other two comments. But I did see people say they'd spent a lifetime going on marches, writing to their MPs and challenging racism. I myself attempted to explain my view of a non-racist, fair society and how I believe Abbott's comments aren't conducive to creating such a society. It's all in there.

No I'm not referring to that.

Nor is the racism against anyone else! In that sense this is an equal opportunities thread.

All this talk of allyship is disingenuous. @Lavenderflower said herself 'I would never align myself with or attempt to form an alliance with the Jewish community. I think everyone needs to advocate and fight their own battles.'