Jargon

[andrewducker]

Several people have said that discriminating against Americans isn't racism. Which seems reasonable in some ways, because Americans aren't a race. But in that case, what is it? Nationalism doesn't seem right, because nationalism is usually being proud of your own country, not against a specific other one. Anyone?

[Poll #161402]

Comments

heh

[josephgrossberg.livejournal.com]

"Americans aren't a race"

Maybe that gives the portion of critics who really are bigoted, more leeway than they deserve.

Re: heh

[andrewducker]

Well they aren't a race any more than the French are a race or the Canadians are a race.

They're a populace, I suppose. Or something else technical. But races are genetically similar (in at least some respects).

Re: heh

[josephgrossberg.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm not denying that Americans aren't a race.

I'm just saying that the fact they aren't lets critics sidestep accusations of racism, a type of bigotry that is almost universally seen as illegitimate.