Which is more racist

[OccamsRazor]

I noticed something in another thread which I considered very offensive. I will not note who made the statement but it raises a question.

Why would someone say:

Americans, who I consider sub-human

When they would never say:

Black people, who I consider sub-human

Is one of these statements more racist than the other? Or is it simply that it is considered socially taboo to generalise about and insult one group but not another?

[achilles12604]

Both statements are wrong and for the same reason. I happen to have a really good idea who wrote this since I debated this individual before and they used these statements then as well. Why he hasn't been removed is beyond me, but what ever.

[McCulloch]

Both statements are bigoted and offensive. One, based on the idea of race, is racist. The other based on national citizenship is technically not. It is, however, moronic to indicate that somehow national citizenship somehow affects one's place in the biological taxonomy.

[OccamsRazor]

The other based on national citizenship is technically not.

Ah yes...good point. I think that 'bigoted' was rather the term I meant. However my point still stands.

[harvey1]

Why would someone say:

Americans, who I consider sub-human

O.Razor, I wouldn't even dignify such blather with a response.

[sue]

Have to agree with Harvey1 and McCulloch. Both statements are laden with bigotry. When presented with an offensive statement, the only thing we can do is control, or not give, a response.

But also, I feel that the verb choice in the phrase "take offense" is an appropriate one. I have seen many people make off-the-cuff remarks or even shock-value jokes without any real malice behind them. A pattern is one thing, a single incident is another.

[c2u]

Both are equally bad things to say. However, this statement:

OccamsRazor: Americans, who I consider sub-human

Is not being racist at all, this statement is just insults Americans. It is not racial in anyway.

But the statement

Black people, who I consider sub-human

Is very racial.

OccamsRazor

Is one of these statements more racist than the other?

No, because only one of the statements is a racial statement. When someone says that 'Americans, who I considers to be sub-human'- is in fact an offensive statement and not a racial one.

[OccamsRazor]

Is not being racist at all, this statement is just insults Americans. It is not racial in anyway.

No, you are right. As I said earlier in the thread. The word I should have chosen was 'bigoted' rather than 'racist'.

[OccamsRazor]

O.Razor, I wouldn't even dignify such blather with a response.

No, you are correct, I shouldn't. My main issue is rather that there are many people who do not see the connection between the two statements.

In my experience someone may never make a derisive comment about black people but may think nothing of anti-semetism and even less about abuse of a nation's citizens.

This all strikes me that such people do not understand why such bigotry is wrong. They simply do not deride certain groups because it is currently unfashionable to do so.