Progressives have long been keen to redefine words to suit their agenda. The words “liberal” and “tolerant” actually used to represent good things until the left coopted their meaning to mean leftwing and supportive of the left’s agenda, respectively. The United States has made tremendous progress in race relations over the last several decades. So much so, that one of the worst things you can be labeled nowadays is a racist. Here is the Webster’s definition of racism:
Racism: a belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
Merriam-Webster on-line dictionary
That seems like a pretty decent and straight forward definition. In addition to the superiority of a particular race, I would add that it could include the belief in the inherent inferiority of one particular race. And herein lies the problem for the modern progressives. By this simple definition, their belief in Critical Race Theory and the evil of Whiteness makes them sound like virulent racists. Sure, they might complain that Whiteness is a state of mind and not a race. But the fact they choose to identify the “bad” people by skin color kind of gives away the game.
Progressives absolutely crave a feeling of moral superiority. It is essential to their psyche. The thought they might not be the most kind, virtuous, intellectual, and tolerant people on the planet is unbearable to them. So this definition of racism that would tend to associate them with a negative trait just can’t stand. So the progressives want a new definition of racism.
Racism: The marginalization and/or oppression of people of color based on a socially constructed racial hierarchy that privileges white people.
-Anti-Defamation League
That is the ADL definition. There are other variations, but they all boil down to the idea that white people, because of their position of privilege, are the only one’s who can actually be racists. Get it? It’s not just the hate and bigotry, which the left has in spades. Racism now also requires “systems of power” that are only available to whites. So progressives can continue to spew vile prejudice as much as they like, and never have to worry about being accused of racism. Problem solved!!!
This new definition does lead to some awkward conclusions, though. Jews, for instance, are essentially white as far as the progressives are concerned. So by this new definition, anti-Semitism can never be fueled by racism. Here is Whoopi on the subject:
So…… the Nazis literally tried to exterminate an entire society of people they believed were from an inferior race. But according to Whoopi Goldberg, the Holocaust “isn’t about race.” Why not? “It just isn’t” she helpfully clarified. Welcome to the Newspeak of the modern left.
