2024-05-13
This is the English translation of a blog previously published in French under the title « Racisme, néoracisme et antiracisme »
It is taken from a talk which I gave on 27th April 2024, at a forum on universalism organized by the Association des Québécois unis contre le racialisme (AQUR or Association of Québécois United against Racialism), held at the Grand Bibliothèque in Montreal.
Sommaire en français Ce blogue est disponible en français : « Racisme, néoracisme et antiracisme »
Influenced by postmodernism and cultural relativism, the post-left rejects universalism and sees the world as a collection of groups, each with its own interests and its own “truth,” often irreconcilable with those of other groups. Thus, the interests and feelings of the group (real or presumed) take precedence over objectivity, leading to an overvaluation of emotion. as well as social censorship of comments deemed “offensive” towards a group perceived as a target of injustice.
During the era of European colonialism, Europeans considered themselves to be the centre of the universe, having a duty to civilize the rest of the world. Today, the post-left continues to place European civilization at the centre of the universe, but that centre is now considered to be rotten and the source of all forms of oppression. This latter attitude is simply the flipside of the first. Both racism and neoracism are Eurocentric. Both are false. Both are harmful.
| Classical European Racism | Neoracism (self-styled “antiracism” of the post-left) |
Antiracism |
|---|---|---|
| Eurocentrism: Europe = the greatest civilization |
Eurocentrism: Europe = source of all evil and oppression |
Universalism |
| Prejudice against certain groups | Prejudice against certain majorities, especially “Whites” | Colour-blindness |
| Tribalism based on pseudoscience | Multi-tribalism based on postmodernism | “Racial” identity: just one of many personal attributes |
| Exaggeration of genetic differences. Hierarchy of “races.” |
Obsession with “racial” identity. Racialization of religious affiliation. |
Only one human “race.” Respect for freedom of conscience. |
| Discrimination against “inferieur” groups | Any inequity is considered resulting from injustice. Positive discrimination. |
Anti-discrimination. Meritocracy. |
According to classical European racism, Europe is the origin of the greatest civilization. This racism constitutes tribalism rationalized by pseudoscience, for example Nazi racial pseudoscience. This racism exaggerates the biological differences between so-called “racial” groups and creates a hierarchical classification of these groups.
For the neoracists of the post-left, who falsely claim to be antiracist, Europe remains the centre of everything, but it is now the origin of all evil, of all oppression. Neoracism promotes prejudice against certain groups considered dominant, especially against the so-called “white” majority. Neoracists are obsessed with racial identity, the importance of which they exaggerate. However, they have no clear definition of either “race” or “racism,” thus allowing religious affiliation to be racialized. For them, any inequity must be the result of injustices and their solution is positive discrimination in favor of “oppressed” or “marginalized” groups.
Finally, an authentic antiracist approach, that is to say universalist, favours colour-blindness in matters of skin colour and considers that the “racial” identity of the individual is only one attribute among many others. The innate aspect of “race” is recognized, but also that all humans belong to the same “race.” Freedom of conscience is respected. Universalist antiracists oppose discrimination and favour meritocracy.
The post-left denies the existence, even the possibility, of anti-White racism, even while practicing it. For the post-left, racism is always a one-way street: it is always white people who are racist and it is always non-white people who are the targets of such racism.
Thus, the post-left refuses to recognize anti-Quebec prejudice, a major theme in Canadian history and an important aspect of opposition to Quebec secularism. After all, Quebecers are just whites!
The post-left also ignores the danger that anti-Zionism may degenerate into anti-Semitism. After all, Jews are just whites.
The post-left also refuses to recognize anti-Black racism and slavery in the Arabo-Muslim world. This is because, according to post-left dogma, non-Whites cannot be racist.
Next blog: A Pandemic of Cowardice