07-20-2004, 10:39 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-20-2004, 10:46 PM by Peace in Ireland.)
Correctamundo Danny Boy. Anthropologists tried to classify people into races. They usually ended up with four or five, each having their own specific traits and what not. They were usually Caucasian(White), Negroid(Black), Amerind(American Indians/Latinos), and Malay(Asians). But all that logic crap got in the way and serious scientists gave it up. As far as racism goes in relation to the Arab (muslim) and Jew (secular and religious) conflict, people on both sides hold too steadfastly to the idea that a persons race determins his enemy status. Since Jews mainly breed with Jews and Muslims with Muslims, it is an obvious outcome that ideological lines run in tandem with racial lines. A more progressive means of debate would not be to attack the other side on racial grounds with ideology as a secondary point, but to realize that humans are the products of their envirenment and thus, a debate on purely idealistic grounds would be far more desireable. Not convinced a Jew could be persuaded to agree with the Muslim argument (or vise versa)? Take a look at American race relations. In a country where the only free people used to be Whites, there are now countless Whites who agree and support the positions of the old "enemy." Many Whites now admire W.E.B. DuBois, Malcom X, Dr. Martin Luther King, Cesar Chaves, and so forth.
It also helps to look at yourself from an outsider's prospective. An Irish Catholic living in Boston probably doesn't see the slightest difference between the Jews in the middle east and the Muslims (except for those delicious latkas the Jews have. Simply... delicious.) Imagine if both Jews and Muslims approached the issue from an Irish-Catholic standpoint. They would see no inherant racial difference and thus, would be able to negotiate amongst each other as simply humans, not Jews and Muslims.
Anywho, think about it. Another good book to check out regarding the fluidity and utter rediculousness of race is "White By Law" by Ian F. Haney-Lopez. Shaba-daba-doo, I'm out.