Why does discrimination still exist in democratic country's

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Alic2k18's picture
Why does discrimination still exist in democratic country's

Why does racism, ageism, transmisia, homomisia, ableism exist still in democratic country's just asking question

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ʝօɦռ 6IX ɮʀɛɛʐʏ's picture
Because it has nothing to do

Because it has nothing to do with democracy, and everything to do with how people behave.

Terminal Dogma's picture
See above + why not ask if

See above + what do you envisage things would look like with no discrimination? Serious question I have never got a reasonable answer to.

Sheldon's picture
A fair just society in which

A fair just society in which we raise children to respect the rights of the individual and not to hold the pernicious belief that individuals should be judged on the basis of which "group" we perceive they belong to. Though to be fair a society where absolutely no one discriminated does sound a little bit like some sort of dystopian totalitarianism that crushes all dissent. I always think education is the answer here, but of course even the word education can become sinister if it's used to brainwash or indoctrinate people.

Bottom line I think is that the best societies have universal rights, and protect the individual and educate it's citizens about the pointless and pernicious nature of discrimination, It;s an ideal of course, something you constantly work toward rather than an end goal you achieve.

Alic2k18's picture
A place where people don't

A place where people don't judge others by their differences and realise that everyone has something in commom.That is that we are one race and that we are all human no matter what colour our skin is or sexual orientation/gender. Why can't we unite as a race and deal with problems at hand rather than trying to segregate ourselves.

Mutorc S'yriah's picture
Why can't we unite as a race

Why can't we unite as a race and deal with problems at hand?

Biology, mis-education, indoctrination, low intelligence, confirmation bias, 'self' defence, stupidity, fear, in-group parochialism, out-group misanthropy, pain, hunger, hopelessness, plenty more I suppose, just give it some thought.

People who are wise, comfortable, secure, (in themselves), thoughtful, educated, etc., may concur with your hopes of a fair and non-discriminatory society. But you cannot FORCE other people to agree or co-operate. So for the time being we're stuck. The better question, perhaps, is what can we do about the problems which lead to a failure to achieve the utopia ? You'll never stop people from being people.

You know, it sucks, but to be fair minded, and unbiased, and non-discriminatory, one has to put up with the opposite from those who do NOT subscribe.

Maybe it's a bit off-topic, but when I drive on the road, I do my utmost to abide by the rules. But I see many people who do not. There is a tendency to feel like: "If other people do the wrong thing, why shouldn't I also disobey the rules?" But to do so is only to contribute and to maintain the problem.

Worse, I hear our politicians say that we shouldn't take the necessary 'painful' steps to combat global warming, because if we do that, other countries around the world will just keep on polluting, and warming etc., so why should our country put up with the 'pain' of making changes? My view is that we ought to lead by example, (of doing what's needed), even in the face of the failure of others to do the necessary. Otherwise we'd just maintain the problem EVEN MORE, if we don't act with wisdom.

Again, it sucks, but to work on solutions, one has to put up with the opposite from those who do NOT want to, or care to subscribe.

Sky Pilot's picture
Mutorc S'yriah,

Mutorc S'yriah,

"Why can't we unite as a race and deal with problems at hand?"

Do you ever watch zombie movies? They are interesting because the uninfected people spend 98% of their time and effort fighting among themselves instead of trying to unite together to fight the stinking hungry corpses that are trying to eat them. In the typical zombie movie when people meet each other the first thing they try to do is to kill each other. In the meantime the zombies never fight among themselves. They just want to eat the living.

So in effect we are in a real-life zombie movie. Humans hate each other. You may be one of the lucky ones but think about how long you have maintained a loving/friendly/tolerable relationship with another human being? If you are like most people it probably hasn't been that long. People make comments all the time on this forum about how they can't get along with their own family members.

Terminal Dogma's picture
Making judgements is

Making judgements is necessary for society to function.

Sheldon's picture
"Making judgements is

"Making judgements is necessary for society to function."

Judgements don't have to be unjust, and discrimination is defined unjust.

algebe's picture
@Sheldon: discrimination is

@Sheldon: discrimination is defined unjust.

Maybe in recent times that's true, but discrimination is basically the ability to discern differences based on taste, smell, appearance, or other criteria. Discrimination only becomes unjust when it's based on unfair criteria, such as ethnicity or age, and when it's combined with some kind of power to affect people's lives. Racial profiling by cops is an example of unjust discrimination. It happens a lot to my son-in-law because he's Maori.

I think people have the right to discriminate for whatever reasons in their private lives.

Alic2k18's picture
Is it right to judge a person

Is it right to judge a person because they are different ie because their skin colour is different or because of their sexual orientation/gender and if they're physically/mentally disabled. Does your skin colour define what race you are.

Alic2k18's picture
Is it right to judge a person

Is it right to judge a person as inferior if they are different to you

Terminal Dogma's picture
Not all judgements are

Not all judgements are negative if criteria for X are important then judgements need to occur.

Sheldon's picture
Discrimination is unjust by

Discrimination is unjust by definition, and therefore pernicious. To me this infers it is also immoral, as my moral worldview necessarily is tied to the idea of promoting human well being and minimising suffering.

Sapporo's picture
I'm optimistic we're moving

I'm optimistic we're moving in the right direction. But of course, any length of time to reach an ideal society is too long.

Cognostic's picture
@ Sapporo "we're moving in

@ Sapporo "we're moving in the right direction"
I don't think much more can be said on the issue. I personally do not see an end to racism, ageism, transmisia, homomisia, ableism, or any other "ism" you want to put out there. It is human nature to discriminate one thing from another, this from that. We create distinctions, that is what human beings do.

Even in religions like Hinduism where everyone is part of the same god being there are distinctions. In Buddhism there are distinctions. Hegelian dialectics rule supreme when it comes to the nature of the human mind. Any beginning proposition is a THESIS. In negotiating the thesis it's antithesis is formed. From the thesis and its antithesis a new synthases of ideas emerge that reconcile the dependencies. This becomes the new thesis and from it's negotiation ..... and so on and so on and so on.

I don't see a time emerging when we are free of prejudice. Perhaps it is awareness of this fact that can help us move forward. Recognizing our own limitations, biases, and prejudice for what they are is certainly a step towards wisdom. (Assuming the acquisition of wisdom to be a favorable position without a hint of prejudice towards those without the ability to engage in this endeavor.) Even the most benevolent of actions smacks of prejudice to those in disagreement.

Sapporo's picture
I guess discrimination exist

I guess discrimination exist at least in part because of a perceived or actual scarcity of resources leading to people trying to justify why they should have preferential access to them.

Glacier's picture
There's discrimination and

There's discrimination and there's phantom discrimination. Both exist no matter what form of government you have.

MCDennis's picture
what is phantom

what is phantom discrimination?

Nyarlathotep's picture
It's people who hate phantoms

people who hate phantoms :P

Sheldon's picture
Beat me to it. Discrimination

Beat me to it. Discrimination by phantoms?

MCDennis's picture
If for no other reason that

If for no other reason that the majority discriminates against minorities. why? it's human nature

algebe's picture
Democracy breeds its own

Democracy breeds its own prejudices. Go to a candidates' debate and hear the welfare-dependent, work-shy, tax-and-spend socialists on the left railing against the money-loving, elitist, exploitative, greedy conservatives on the right. It's tribalism at its worst. Add a bit of religion into the political mix and you'll see some real fireworks.

If we want to build a prejudice-free society, we should begin by focusing on our freedoms and responsibilities as individuals.

chimp3's picture
Racism demonstrates why we

Racism demonstrates why we need to struggle for the ideals of equality, freedom, equal rights. Democracy is only a tool.

Sheldon's picture
Excellent post. I also think

Excellent post. I also think democracy is something you continually strive for by improving your political structures, it's an ideal rather than something you achieve.

Equal rights and protecting the rights of the individual are essential to any democracy.

Sky Pilot's picture
Sheldon,

Sheldon,

"Equal rights and protecting the rights of the individual are essential to any democracy."

America has never been too concerned about equal rights and the protection of the individual. But then it's not a true democracy but a republic.

Sheldon's picture
It has one advantage in it's

It has one advantage in it's written constitution and the rights that it affords everyone. Enforcing those rights is another matter of course. It's worth remembering that America is still a very young nation by any standards, and I think they haven't made a bad start compared to some older nations.

Terminal Dogma's picture
Prejudice is relative,

Prejudice is relative, compare civil rights movement where people fought for their lives literally to Triggly Puff who goes ape shit over trigger words and micro-aggression.

Terminal Dogma's picture
What does equality mean again

What does equality mean again. Everyone should get same pay, house, car etc?

Randy the Atheist's picture
It has nothing to do with

It has nothing to do with democracy. Its all about our genes. Racism is a side effect of an innate behavior that exists in nearly all animal species and is what prevents a bluejay from trying to mate with a crow.

A bluejay is a member of the crow family and like their cousins, will eat small mammals and sometimes other birds. Both fall under the family name of Corvidae but they will not mate due to their exterior physical differences.

As modern humans, we must work hard to overcome our prehistoric instincts that were shaped across hundreds and hundreds of millions of years.

ʝօɦռ 6IX ɮʀɛɛʐʏ's picture
There's always a biological

There's always a biological determinist here somewhere lol

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