This past week the Southern Poverty Law Center posted an article in their Hatewatch section entitled Close encounters of the racist kind
The modern far right is crisscrossed with pseudo-scientific research into lost Aryan super-civilizations, biblical giants, ancient astronauts and the occasional inter-dimensional alien.
I should stop here and allow the reader to read the SPLC article and make up their own mind to avoid the inevitable name-calling and other nonsense my comments might draw; however that would be out of character.
First, I covered racism in one of my podcasts in 2009 (please listen to the end if you have yet to watch it.)
I completely agree with SPLC characterization of some theories being racist. I don’t have any hesitation to call it what it really is or to point it out when I see it. I also believe some people today support their racist ideology with the discredited theories of the past.
ON THE OTHER HAND – I do see problems with their broad generalizations.
First, not every person reading or researching the discredited theories of the past realizes or identifies with the underlying racism. While my great-grandfather’s theory proclaims an ancient advanced civilization ruled by white people, if you missed the one sentence where it is written in the beginning of his books, you may not recognize the racist content. Sure, there are other passages deemed racist; however unless you are a northern Australian bushman, James didn’t say nasty things about you or your ancestors. (see James Churchward, Mu, and Australia)
Grouping everyone who believes in ancient civilizations as a Nazi is like claiming everyone who voted for Donald Trump to be a Nazi or everyone who voted for Hillary Clinton to be a Communist. All three broad generalizations are equally distasteful (and I personally do not care to read any ad hominem attacks or hear your opinion concerning either candidate or their supporters.)
Second, holding historic figures up to today’s politically correct values and standards is a large load of male cow manure.
It also appears to be a vehicle to denounce and rewrite history. These people were products of their generation and held beliefs according to their upbringing and current societal norms; to discard them from history because of a self-righteous attitude stinks of elitist social theories. While we may object to aspects of people’s beliefs, I do not believe we should erase them from memory; there are other contributions to society and civilization they made while living within the system they were born into. If one day, some of the elitist theories are no longer in vogue and subject to the whims of self-righteous individuals, will it be OK to delete those people from history?
In summary – ANY person making decisions or statements based on someone’s skin color is racist. PERIOD
PS Does the SPLC have articles on organizations and people denigrating Caucasians or is that not considered hate?
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