When racism is used to single people out based on our judgement of their groups rather than judging them as individuals, it is detrimental. We have the right to choose our associations for whatever reasons we like, but judging an individual as a member of a collective as superficial as race keeps us from enjoying the full potential of our relationships. Unfortunately, simply expressing preference is not enough for some people, so they look for ways to impose their judgements on others, whether positive or negative. This is where governments step in to take advantage of “racism.”
Using any judgement about a person to justify an act of force against them is wrong. Racism happens to be a very common justification and one of the most vile because it denies people their individuality in the mind of the racist who sees them only as a member of a collective. Our tendency to evaluate people by race provides governments with another opportunity. All we need to do is look at a map of the world to see that the forced collectives formed by governments generally reflect racial groups. What is not so obvious is how governments stoke racism through nationalism.
Historically, racism has been used as motivation for the most catastrophic violent atrocities. All racial judgements are subjective evaluations, but when a judgement of superiority is combined with a government’s belief that it owns everyone in its territory and can engineer society by violence, mass murder is often the result. Whether done by governments or individuals acting on their own, to steal from, assault, or kill someone is to govern them. Widespread violence by individuals or small groups motivated by racism are just as wrong as racist wars or purges, but much easier to deal with than when all of that racism is violently institutionalized in government.
Governments use racism as justification for all kinds of policies that further entrench the practice of evaluating people by race. Some governments do this with policies intended to reverse racism, which tend to have the same disastrous effects as welfare, but targeted to a specific race. The super rich especially appreciate racism because the artificial divides it creates are a convenient distraction from the genuine divides between the super rich and the rest of us. Governments use racism to keep us divided and conquered.
Chapter 8 Section V From FREEDOM! by Adam Kokesh
I am the author of FREEDOM!, a book endorsed (I mean banned) by the US Department of “Justice.” You can get a copy here. I’m running for Not-President in 2020 on the platform of the peaceful, orderly, and responsible dissolution of the United States federal government. You can find out more here. You can find an event near you here. Whoever has the top comment on this post after 24 hours can claim a free signed copy of FREEDOM! by sending me a message with their address.
Racism is terrible, but government getting involved always makes it worse!
Yep, sad but true!
Nice post @adamkokesh! Here's another one on the topic, it's a bit more triggering though. Gay Republican’s Epic Mini-Rant on Sh!thole Countries!
@mickeybeaves
Right, exactly
The government is not simply involved . The government has been instrumental in continuing the system of oppression and division.
This is a great chapter from the book!
Please do, let me know what you think when you are done!
#EndRacisim
Very well thought out, will for sure check out the book!
Please do!
Amen, they try but if we divide, then the responsibility is on us, not the cabal, or the government. If two dogs got into a confrontation, who would be stupid enough to say "it's because one is yellow and the other is grey". Are we dumber than dogs? Love the post, will follow.
Great analogy, thank you for reading, commenting, and supporting!
Thank you for giving me a voice by replying, it is a nice gift.
Very well put, can be such a tough subject!
Yes it can, thanks!
Beep! Beep! This humvee will be patrolling by and assisting new veterans, retirees, and military members here on Steem. @shadow3scalpel will help by upvoting posts from a list of members maintained by @chairborne and responding to any questions replied to this comment.
Institutional racism is defined as racism perpetrated by government entities such as schools, the courts or the military. Unlike the racism perpetrated by individuals, institutional racism has the power to negatively affect the bulk of people belonging to a racial group.
Very well put!
freedom most need all people.
Every man need freedom ..No man cannot lives without freedom..
Yes! #FREEDOM!
Great post man! We're all in this fight together, we must unite to achieve our goal!
Thank you! Yes we are!
Can you please be more specific on the racist issue. can you indicate a case where the government or corporate media pushing/ inflating the racism issue within the US?!
The entire Alt-Right and Antifa situation has been completely pushed by the MSM and they use race as the underlying factor.
Thx upvote
I would add also religion. All of those are means of controlling huge amount of population. It is impossible to count how many wars we encountered in name of religion. Even today we have Syria , Myanmar, Nigeria literally brother kills brother, neighbor kills neighbor , all in name of religion. Dont get me wrong Religions are great for moral codexes it is just that it is easy to control people through religion.
Not necessarily, it really is in the name of the state. Most of these are proxy wars we fight with Russia and China for power play. ISIS was created by our government and use Religion as a tool to corrupt.
When I try to talk about proxy wars people think Im crazy. Most of the wars are actually wars between major powers.
As I said , means for controlling huge amount of population. We have a saying in my country , " Bitno je biti covjek" and the meaning of that is that you need to be Nice to everyone , no matter who he is or what he is. Everything else comes at second place
Wish this was a universal human concept. Mutual Respect And Kindness Towards Everyone No Matter Who They Are. This would solve most of the world's problems today. Bitno je biti covjek well said @iamemir
I agree, typically it's the state twisting people's religion to deceive them & instill fear into their minds. Not to say we would have an absence of false teachings in a stateless society. My contention is that the harm done through such perversions would be greatly, massively reduced to tiny fraction of what it is with a massive coercive state claiming a monopoly on violence.
The thing is that also constituent groups in society frequently use the same governmental divisive "lingo" describe one another. It also creates divisions.
Indeed!
It's about time I go and read that book!
Adam, for years I've seen your work first with Ron Paul and Molyneux and later on YouTube with your show, then I kind of lost track after you were imprisoned for 2nd amendment activism. So great to find you here on this community, feels like a reunion and Im so happy to see you in this powerful, productive stride! Great writing with succinct points, can't wait to get your book! Anarchapulco is gonna kick ass, dude!! God bless :)
This system of division makes it harder for you and me
Peace is a question, the only answer is unity!
100% agree - divide and conquer politics is core to the American empire. Every person, individual, is subsumed in some racial, sexual, religious or other category. As "categories" we have "rights"; as individuals, we are turned into slaves, prisoners. Xenophobia - of which racism is one flavor - will likely always be with us, as with ignorance ... but government is optional.
The matter doesn't matter, it is the spirit of an individual that is reality. We must deal with each individual as an individual. To do otherwise is a crime against ones own self. Unfortunately that internal crime is often the cause of violent externalities. I still think it is a very, very small but loud minority that thinks this way & we'll never be rid of them. So challenging lies everywhere is the duty of those with eyes to see & ears that hear. Even if not for the sake of the one espousing of the deception, in this case racism, then do it for the observer of the debate just may see through the fear & connect with the message of love.
I think this chapter is a bit weak. Seems to me it needs a few more examples to illustrate the arguments made.
Distract and divide is on the agenda of the government. I believe the people want unity!
Hey Adam.
Well put. Our government's involvement only really promotes racist ideologies.
I think we're all on our own scale of good-bad or whatever the hell you want to call it based on individual morality. Categories are dumb.
Thanks for the post :)
Right on! I'm new to following you & did not know your book was banned. Fcking ridiculous though as you said probably was a 'threat' to them. I'd like a copy. Where can I get one?
I can aoprecaite what you're doing here. Too long has the political system been in a black & white train of thought and by that I'm not referring to racism actually but to the two party system. I'd love to see it boil down to three candidates or two from somnetin besides republican/ Democrat. We need a real change!
Great post, every man need freedom.