Just happened to see a disgusting video frothing with racism by a popular atheist You Tuber. It was deservedly decimated by Martin Hughes and P Z Myers wrote a post about it too (of course that’s how I came to know about the video).
While watching that video, I had a déjà vu feeling. So I tried substituting in parts of the transcript the word Dalit for black.
The video is in the format of a group of blacks questioning the You tuber.
Admit it, you hate blacksDalits !
If I hate anything about
BlackDalit culture, it’s that it’s such a victim culture. Almost a victim cult — “Our Lady of Perpetual Victimization.” Every unfairness that exists in your life is the fault ofwhiteupper caste people or society stacked against you. You might as well tattoo, “It’s because I’mblackDalit, isn’t it?” to your fucking forehead.
When asked about pushing out blacksDalits out of slums to make city beautiful
What would I rather have — a
slumAmbedkar colony filled with thugs who would probablyshootrob me as soon as look at me, or shops, cafe’s, restaurants, and apartments?
“What are you going to do about systematic racism casteism ?”
[
RacismCasteism againstblackDalit people] is not my problem in the first place. What are [the people in the video I’m responding to (Dalits)] going to do to end discrimination against atheists? Right, you ain’t gonna do shit, because it’s not your problem and you don’t give a shit
Yes, I have heard these sentiments from some upper caste “Hindu atheists” in India. Have also heard somewhat similar things from some ex Christians and ex Muslims too. I also know atheists who believe Dalits and black Africans are less “brainy” and it is due to their “genes”.
Yes, atheists can be racist and casteist too, and when they are like that, they are much more toxic.
Considering how much racism and misogyny persists among American racists, it’s hardly surprising that casteism would survive in the Indian atheist community. What’s missing in both cases is humanist morality.
Amazing Atheist was inevitably going to cross that boundary: being cruder than the next fellow is what he does, and that always escalates.
and the sad fact is such racist/casteist people are popular and the popularity is at least partially due to such bigoted positions.
Wonderful comparison, Arun. 🙂 I mean obviously the content of these asshats is gross, but you’ve made your point wonderfully.
Thank you Shiv ❤️
I have always wondered. What is it that makes some a particular caste? Being born to parents of X caste means you are that caste, I guess, but is there some marker other than e.g. poverty = untoucheable? What would happen for example if someone simply lied about their caste, and their parents couldn’t be reached for confirmation?
In rural societies most people will know all the families of the village and it’s difficult to hide your family of birth which in turn determines your caste. In big towns and cities it may be possible to hide. Your name or the names of your parents or the street in which you were born all can be used to guess your caste.