Northern European's latent racism

[Bereta_Eder]

Mercator,
we are not talking about hatred, xenophobic crimes against immigrants in northern europe. nor against gypsies or albanians immigrants in Greece.

we are talking about the latent racism of white northern europeans to those who are not like them and have no reason (imaginery or otherwise) to have racist feelings towards them. that is except for not being "white" and "superior" like them.

[Bereta_Eder]

Originally posted by Mercator

the same principle as: the whiter, the better. (like their former colonial masters have - meaning they perhaps inherited the same lack of civility their former masters were characterised with)

[August Borms]

Originally posted by paiktis22
Assur, you are again throwing stones to cover your hands.

even if all of what this artcile says is true (which it isn't, it is ommiting serious aspects which I will tell you about later on)
this doesn't change the northern european white latent racism in any way.

Perhaps, but tell me, where do you get this idea from that northern europeans are more latent racist than southern europeans? What do you base this on? All surveys show that southern europeans can be just as, or even more racist/xenophobic than northern europeans. Is it because northern europeans are white(r)? Or what?

now some quick pointers about the article
1. two albanians beat with stones and metal bars some young greeks and sent them to the hospital. one of them barely escaped being thrown into a coma and were all horribly disfigured, bones crushed etc. that happened in a very small and closed society and thus the ultimatum. I don't justify it and that was the xenophobic nmayor I was talking about but on the other hand I don't like ommissions

2. Roma, or Gypsies. In the suburb of Zefiri the neighborhoods of gypsies are the number one spot for illegal trafficing of heroin and other drugs. These are criminals which are heavily armed and use their own families as protection. that's a place where cops fear to trend.

1. And was anyone punished for this racist act?

2. Bravo. I speak about a racist act committed against the Roma and you start about crimes committed by Roma. If you lived in north Belgium you could become chairman of the Vlaams Blok

[Bereta_Eder]

Originally posted by Assur


Perhaps, but tell me, where do you get this idea from that northern europeans are more latent racist than southern europeans? What do you base this on? All surveys show that southern europeans can be just as, or even more racist/xenophobic than northern europeans. Is it because northern europeans are white(r)? Or what?

It's because they use it as a basis for racism which uniquely belongs to them.
Also make the distinction between xenophobia and racism (which is white)

1. And was anyone punished for this racist act?

I can't really tell you what was the punishment of officials, the info was obliterated under the voices of protest from all political parties and NGOs for days on TV and radio.

2. Bravo. I speak about a racist act committed against the Roma and you start about crimes committed by Roma. If you lived in north Belgium you could become chairman of the Vlaams Blok

No, you brought forth an article which very freely talks about pogrom of gypsies. I will not ratify such slander by answering it.
I know Zefyri (where the bulk of the gypsies are) and I also know the mutlistore buildings that were built just for them, before they decided that nature is where they prefere to live.

and a small note: you are sligthly uneducated on the subject if you refere to all gypsies as "Roma". They don't. They have many distinctions of self - determination.

About Vlaams Blok, yes a spendit flander fruit. I've seen their beautiful cross sign on many walls in Flanders.


interesting that you take as granted that white racism in Nothern europe exists though. I never heard you deny it. Just say that "hey look you are as baaaad as us "

make the distinction between immigration, xenophobia on one hand and white racism on a personal level on the other

[Mercator]

Originally posted by paiktis22
Mercator,
we are not talking about hatred, xenophobic crimes against immigrants in northern europe. nor against gypsies or albanians immigrants in Greece.

we are talking about the latent racism of white northern europeans to those who are not like them and have no reason (imaginery or otherwise) to have racist feelings towards them. that is except for not being "white" and "superior" like them.

I don´t really see the difference. Except that the crimes are simply the expressions of the more "active" types, so to speak. Just like many men may be sexist, but only some go as far as to actually rape/abuse women.

Perhaps Northern Europeans feel so "superior", as you put it, because white people are native to NE and coloured people are not. Whereas Souther Europe has had longer ties with coloured people. Those NE racists feel the others to be intruders, taking their jobs etc. etc.

[Bereta_Eder]

Mercator,
let me put it like this:

is there a fear for a southern european to wander the streets of germany or flanders or even some scandinavian neighboors at night because of his skin color?

yes there is.

why? because of his skin color.

Is there a danger for a north european to wander the streets of greece or italy or portugal at night?

no, at least not because of his skin color.

these are of course extreme paradigms but they do underline the form of latent racism of white northern europeans I'm talking about (which can be expressed by other subtler non violent ways or comments) - in contrast with southern europeans who seem more tolerant.

as to why they are moretolerant maybe you are right in thinking that they are exposed to many other races far longer than the northern europeans and are more cosmopolitan.


but I think it's because of a hazy "white" - "superior" mentality the northern europeans have and the southern europeans are delivered from.


and please note that I'm talking about a subconscious latent racism towards those who are not "from their part of the woods" that does not exist in all of the norhern european countries.

[Mercator]

Hmmm yes, I see...

[orange]

This is a little off-topic, but it fits and I thought I'd share it...

Last night just after reading this thread, there was a knock at my door. I wasn't expecting anyone, so I went to answer it.

Now, I'm in college, and this dorm is set up differently than most. The doors open to the outside, and then there is a door on the inside that opens to a quad of 3 other rooms. So if I open my door right now, I'm on a balcony, and I can go to the stairs to go down to the 1st floor and walk out of the building (imagine a motel)

It's around 11 o'clock in the evening. So I get up, go to the door, look out the peeper, and standing at my door is a tall black male with a dark baseball cap on. From what I could tell, he looked between 35 and 40. My first reaction was - open the door. Then for a split second I was scared, I thought about the possibility that this person was going to harm me. It literally was just a quick flash in my head, but of course, I opened the door. The man apologized very politely, as he was looking for his son who lived in the room beneath mine (he got the right room, wrong floor) so I directed him to that room, he apologized for disturbing me to which I said no problem at all, and he walked away.

I sat down in my chair, and instantly thought to myself - how awful for me to think that about someone, especially someone who came off as a very nice, friendly person. Someone just looking for his son.

Now I thought, where did my fear stem from. Was it the fact that he was black, would I have flashed the same thought if it were a white man of the same size and stature? Was it his age relative to the normal college aged student? Would I have reacted the same if it were his son who was at my door (meaning, would I have reacted differently based on a younger person of the same physical makeup) Or was it just the combination of the hour of night and the unexpectedness of a visitor.

I honestly can't say. Suppose he was someone who planned on doing me physical harm...would I have been justified in not answering the door? Or would that be prejudice based on factors which the person had no control over, a man, simply looking for his son...maybe coming to visit him.

Well, it certainly provoked a lot of thought in my head. I wish I knew the answers to the questions I asked myself

[orange]

boy I post all that and no one responds

bump

[Mercator]

Originally posted by orange
boy I post all that and no one responds

People have to get some sleep too.

I might have experienced the same thing really... But that kind of depends on what he looked like. I might have felt the same when a white man had been standing there.

[Mihai]

orange - You have that feeling because you know, based on police statistics, that blacks are more likely to be criminals. It is a stereotip and a prejudice, but it is in subconscious.

I think I would have the same reaction if there were a gypsy at my door altought I try not to judge people after appearances.

[orange]

Originally posted by Mihai
orange - You have that feeling because you know, based on police statistics, that blacks are more likely to be criminals. It is a stereotip and a prejudice, but it is in subconscious.

Yes, I suppose you're right. Wish I could get rid of it though

[mactbone]

Orange, not sure about you, but I think it would depend more on his clothing, and hwo he kept himself. I think I'd overlook race and concentrate on appearances, like if the person wore a business suit, or nicer clothes.

[Mihai]

Originally posted by orange
Yes, I suppose you're right. Wish I could get rid of it though

You can not fear anymore everytime when a blak person ring at your door. All you have to do is to move in an all black district.

[orange]

Originally posted by MacTBone
Orange, not sure about you, but I think it would depend more on his clothing, and hwo he kept himself. I think I'd overlook race and concentrate on appearances, like if the person wore a business suit, or nicer clothes.

Well, that's not entirely fair either. This guy certainly wasn't dressed up, jeans sweatshirt cap. But he was completely nice and just got the wrong room.

Likewise, a person in a business suit could be trying to gain your trust in order to get his foot in the door.