...Racism?

Question

Do you think racism is a form of jelousy?

Answer 1

Racism sucks. All shapes and forms of it. Especially homophobia

Answer 2

Racism is a learned behavior. The notion that poorer Caucasians are basically the most racist is no longer true. Many upper class and educated people hide their racism very well. They have nothing to be jealous about. Old fears and taught prejudices add to the continuing battle of the races.

Answer 3

The roots and causes of racism are many fold. Frankly, I agree with the civil rights attorney William Kunstler who opined that we are all racist, it's just to varying degrees (an opinion which mirrors Freud's opinion on sexual preference, namely that we're all bisexual, with varying degrees of heterosexual or homosexual tendencies). That's an uncomfortable notion for many people, but I believe it's the closest to the truth.

I think what you're referring to is a more contemporary racist attitude among certain ill-informed people (i.e. the "angry white male" who wrongly believes that affirmative action programs, etc. are responsible for his lot in life). In that case, yes, they may be jealous because they are working under the mistaken assumption that they are being denied opportunities based on their race.

In fact, if these individuals really cared to know the truth, they would see that the same people who are oppressing them (i.e. businesses, government agencies, etc.) are the exact same institutions which discriminated against racial minorities in the past.

Unfortunately, most people are, as William Golding observed, "content to warm their hands at the fires of their own prejudices" rather than do the often uncomfortable work of challenging their own assumptions.

Answer 4

It's more a form of idiocy. If I use a racial slur against someone, it dang sure ain't because I'm jealous of them. It's because I'm mad at them.
Our racism started after slavery. The white guys where bigots, thinking they were better than the blacks. It's when the blacks started hating the whites (and justly so) that rasicm started. It got worse during deseggregation. Suddenly the blacks could do what the whites could and that made the whites mad. Then the whites became racist. "Free black folks walking about? Let's be brave and cover our faces with white sheets and kill em". Sounds like them Al-Queda cowards in a way.
But no, it has nothing to do with jealousy. Just hate.

Answer 5

Not usually. I think it is a sign of self-hate. Same with homophobia. you reject your inner-self which gets projected onto others. Ignorance is also a factor. It can be a form of jealousy if a particular race is more prosperous, such as the Jews in pre-war Germany.

Answer 6

It might be in many cases since most who engage in racism are of less than average intelligence.

Mostly, it is based in ignorance and fear and a lack of humanity.

Answer 7

Eye opening question. This is something I have never considered before.
I have always thought it was a form of ignorance, myself.
I would have to agree that this is a possibility.

Answer 8

I tend to think it's more a form of misunderstanding. A racist person hates someone of another race because they feel it's a threat to the "purity" of their own race.

It's all just stupid, really. There is only one race that needs to acknowledged anymore....the Human Race.

Answer 9

It can be stirred by jealousy, yes.
Like with antisemitism. A lot of hatred for the Jews stems from people being jealous of their achievements as a people in light of constant persecution.
It can also come from fear of the unknown about a group of people.

Answer 10

I think it is a form of fear