Racism and Logic

A recent survey shows that since 1970 Brits have accepted homosexuality, contraception, gender equality, premarital sex (remember that?). But sadly when it comes to racism we haven't moved on, and racists will justify their opinions any way they can. There's no such a thing as racism, and I'm not a racist, and you don't belong to a race and...

A drunk solicitor on train who told a woman she didn’t belong in first class – or this country, claims “I’m not a racist. Now she’s going to say I’ve insulted her.” Calls her “you and your f***ing son”. How can he think he’s not a racist? Because he genuinely thinks people like her “don’t belong in this country”. In his mind, he’s not a racist, he’s right.

The Irish were enslaved along with Africans? They were indentured servants, and 19th century Americans treated them as an underclass, but they were not slaves. The whole point of this distorted history is to justify prejudice against black people. Look, the Irish were slaves, and they don’t moan about it, therefore black lives DON’T matter.

Saying you’re English is racist, says Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen.

Racists lost the argument over immigration, which is why they always have to present current immigration as somehow new and unprecedented. eg: "Yes, but this time it's the numbers"; "Yes, but this time they've got the wrong religion"; "Yes, but these ones aren't rich enough". (Daniel Trilling)

Weird how racists try and pretend there is no such word as "racist". Like a burglar insisting "burglar" isn't a word. (J-P. Janson De Couët ‏@jpjanson)

How odd folks are: "I'm not a racist because, although I targeted you on the basis of your colouring/ethnicity, you're not a distinct race." (Alex Andreou ‏@sturdyAlex)

Some of the things racists say:
I’m not a racist because I’m not a bad person, some of my best friends are black, why are you so angry?, there’s no such thing as race, I’m colour-blind. (everydayfeminism.com)

Historians want to deprive white Europeans of their home!

There were no black people in Europe until recently, therefore there shouldn’t be any here now. They should all go away again. (A small number of people of African descent have lived here since the Romans.)

OK so there were black people in Roman Britain - but they were a tiny minority and therefore they don’t count!

I’m not going to stop having racist ideas or saying racist things or doing racist actions, but you can’t call me “racist” because it’s just as bad as racism.

It's racist to have a black presenter talking about lack of diversity on Radio 4.

There’s no such thing as a “race”, so I can’t be racist.

The term 'racism' has no power any more.

You don’t understand our French/Danish sense of humour. We make fun of everybody. We’re making fun of the racists, really.

Racist. So overused it has lost all meaning. (Katie Hopkins)

Freedom of movement causes xenophobia.

Britain is racist because of the immigrants. (UKIP councillor Trevor Shonk)

Yes, I called Michelle Obama an ape in heels but that wasn’t racist.

The father of one of Stephen Lawrence’s killers is shown the video of his son making outrageously racist remarks. He continues saying “My son isn’t a racist. I know him better than you do. He wouldn’t say a thing like that.”

You’re the racist for talking about race (or racism).

If we all stopped talking about racism it would go away (“Hopefully, this isn’t your approach to fixing a leaky roof, changing a flat tire, or working out relationship problems”, someone commented.)

Racism doesn't exist because it has never happened to me or anybody I know.

Anyone who objects to racism is a snob who doesn’t understand the working class.

My ancestors didn’t make their way to this great country to have immigrants come in and take their jobs. (Donald Trump)


I’m not anti-Semitic, I'm anti Zionist; not racist but anti-immigration; not racist or misogynist but anti political correctness; not a racist but a proud nationalist.

There aren’t any anti-Semites. Saying and doing anti-Semitic things doesn’t make you an anti-Semite.

The Jews aren’t the only Semites, so I’m not an anti-Semite.

Anti-Semitism isn’t racism because Jews are white.


And if there IS such a thing as racism, white people are the real victims.

More illogic here.

Technophobia 5

BACK IN THE 80S
When computers arrived in offices, some staff tapped keyboards as if under duress: hunched, peering, grim expression. And companies didn’t think you needed an expert on the premises – help desks were manned by one ignorant youngster. The unemployed were sent on inappropriate programming courses because those in charge thought you had to programme a computer in order to use it.

Them: Why would I want to send a file from one computer to another?
Me: So that you don’t have to retype it.
Them: But we have people to do that.

They moaned that they couldn't turn off spell checker, and the mouse was terribly slow. If you showed them how to fix it, they’d snap “But I don’t want to do that!” If you showed them how to do something the quick way, they whinged. They couldn’t see why they should want to do things faster. The way they first learned it WAS the way.

Me: If you open the menus, they’ll show you the keyboard shortcuts.
Third Party: Shut up! Shut up! She doesn’t need to know that!!!!!

Now they're complaining about Linked-In’s endless emails – which you can turn off. If you tell them that, they say “I quite like it really!” Do they mean “But I have to have something to complain about”? Or perhaps it’s OK to use computers and the internet as long as we moan about them the whole time.

Since computers entered our lives, non-geeks have become much better at following instructions. Back then, they’d never read a knitting pattern, followed a recipe, sewed a dress, knocked together a rabbit-hutch. And they were officer class. THEY gave the orders, and the geeks showing them how to use one of these newfangled computer thingies were way down the pecking order. And they couldn’t, as usual, show off their superior education and creativity. They had to do it the computer’s way or it wouldn’t work. They were quite resentful that they had to clear their OWN cache, tidy their OWN desktops and find their OWN files. “Housekeeping”? They’d always had people to do such tasks for them. Society has become less hierarchical since then, fortunately.

At parties in the late 80s:
Fellow guest: And what do you do?
Me: I work at a computer magazine.
Fellow guest: [terrified look] I’m afraid I know nothing about computers!
Me: Oh, I just put in the jokes!
Fellow guest: [puzzled expression] How can you make jokes about computers?

He said “these are your cursor buttons” and I didn’t know what a cursor was! (Did she ask? No!)

RSI
No-one ever worried about the poor old manual typist getting RSI. What happened to all that fuss over glare from VDU screens? Employers were supposed to supply non-reflective desks, and free eye tests, and special computer glasses... They installed blinds for windows, and in some cases these got stuck in the "down" position and were never raised again, because nobody knew how to work them.

Newbies all put up the "legs" on their keyboards, and rested their wrists on the desk, risking carpal tunnel syndrome. If the legs were necessary, why don’t laptop keyboards slope? (Because then you couldn’t shut the lid. Doesn’t seem to bother anybody.)

Some bright spark invented protective wear for pregnant computer users (a light chain-mail tabard).

But the RSI flap did some good – it hastened the provision of comfortable working conditions. Adjustable chairs (the technology improved), wrist wrests, enough desk space. Employers had got away with providing terrible conditions for years. Laptops seem a step backwards. People use them awkwardly, sitting on the wrong kind of chair, at the wrong kind of table. And NONE of them can touch-type properly!

TIPS
If you want to review a book on Goodreads, you have to rate it first. As they don't tell you.

You can type your shopping list into your phone! As a memo! (Bins post-its.)

And for the last time: Edit/Preferences/Spelling and Grammar.

More here, and links to the rest.