Systemic Racism, A Myth Nurtured

The biggest challenge some in the main stream media pose to us all isn’t their abdication of any ethical and moral standards of journalism. For the most part, many of us have had a rude awakening as to the depths some in the main stream media will plunge to maintain a narrative and not break rank with their peers. After all, it would be ill advised for those who live in glass houses to cast stones. Lie after lie is published. Lie after lie is disseminated far and wide. Often later rather than sooner, apart for those who apply rudimentary deductive skills, these lies fall apart like a house of cards. Usually however, the damage is already done. Recently, the Russia Bounty hoax story imploded after months of being pushed by some politicians and many in the main stream media establishment as true. It turned out to be a true lie. More importantly, a convenient lie. A lie that arose as plans to pull American troops from Afghanistan were ramping up. A lie which like a gremlin inhabited the pages of the New York Times and other main stream media outlets who claimed that Afghani war lords had placed bounties on American soldiers at the behest of the Kremlin. In spite of claims by several outlets of independently verifying this story, basic scrutiny showed that the story was verifiably false. There were no Afghan bounties and there were no orders from the Kremlin. This was a fabrication that served a purpose and served it well. Commenting on this lie, Glenn Greenwald notes that some in the American main stream media often launder lies seemingly at the behest of those in the American intelligence apparatus. There is an often quoted maxim that states if you repeat a lie long enough it becomes the perceived reality. This is a craft that some in the main stream media have mastered well. They have turned deception into an art form. 

Obfuscation, which seems to be a preferred tool of some in the establishment media, is often the harbinger of a lie well told. Anonymous sources and more recently sources “familiar with the thinking” of the main stream media’s latest haunt are the deferment when stories published beggar one’s belief.

Keli.

Lies about politics and politicians are always easy to expose because the facts speak for themselves. Either something happened or it didn’t. Obfuscation, which seems to be a preferred tool of some in the establishment media, is often the harbinger of a lie well told. Anonymous sources and more recently sources “familiar with the thinking” of the main stream media’s latest haunt are the deferment when stories published beggar one’s belief. This brand of witchcraft practised must be particularly powerful because even Scripture suggests that the Devil himself cannot read our minds. He can only make inferences as to our thought processes. This however doesn’t seem to be a point of concern to those who consume works that are bedevilled by ideology rather than reason and truth. Activism often being masqueraded as hard hitting journalism. Separating the truth from lies becomes more difficult when some in the main stream media and other establishment types turn their attention to abstract concepts. Ideas that encompass everything and nothing at the same time. Ideas that have proven to be convenient yet powerful tools in manipulating the general public’s perception. Ideas such as systemic racism.

The word systemic however has proven to be a potent adjective when coupled to the noun racism because it implies order and planning. Like a bad omen, a combination of the two words has given birth to a demon child with the appearance of innocence yet malign intent at heart.

Keli.

In spite of attempts to modify and adapt the word to suit various purposes, Racism is a word that has a concrete meaning. Discrimination based on skin colour or ethnicity. A terrible evil that most would decry. The word systemic however has proven to be a potent adjective when coupled to the noun racism because it implies order and planning. Like a bad omen, a combination of the two words has given birth to a demon child with the appearance of innocence yet malign intent at heart. Racism that is systemic is racism that has been integrated into the processes and procedures of governance and service delivery in particular to always disfavour certain racial groups while advancing the interests and needs of others. I’m willing to wager that most would be against this and would call for the tearing down of any institutions where systemic racism is present. Literally and otherwise. Some in the main stream media, global corporations, politicians and even religious leaders have also joined the fray to champion the rights of the oppressed and fight for their freedoms. Of course, the invisible yet ever present elephant in the room is that all seem to be fighting for perceived systemic racism but not actual systemic racism. We are yet to have definitive proof of any major institution, government or otherwise, in the western world that has put systems in place to specifically discriminate against racial minorities. Be it the police, banking and financial institutions, restaurant services etc.

As many prostituted their emotions some in the main stream media houses pounced on and took advantage of a people genuinely confused and angry.

Keli.

The death of George Floyd in America last year pulled into focus the perceived issue of systemic racism. There was an air of expectation that we would all simply march to the steady drum beat of claims of systemic racism and join arms with movements which rioted, looted and destroyed neighbourhoods in the name of racial justice. What was missing from most media circuits was an honest analysis of the events that unfolded. Media houses readily poured fuel on a situation that was already volatile. This, I believe, they did through their wilful inaccurate reporting. As many prostituted their emotions some in the main stream media houses pounced on and took advantage of a people genuinely confused and angry. In my opinion, partly as a result of the skewed media coverage, rioters torched down entire neighbourhoods for months in the wake of Floyd’s death leaving behind a slew of bodies. One of these bodies was that of David Dorn, a retired police officer killed in the hands of rioters as they looted a store he was trying to protect in the city of St. Louis.

Recently, there has been an outcry against purported white supremacy in America. Outcry that in similar fashion to the myth of systemic racism isn’t based on any hard data or evidence. White supremacy has been blamed for a rise in anti-Asian American violence and hate crimes in America. Unsurprisingly, in 2020 in the City of New York, the NYPD’s crime analysis found that approximately 50% of all crimes committed against Asian Americans were committed by suspects who are ethnically black in spite of being only 24% of the City’s population. In contrast, only 10% of suspects who committed anti-Asian American crimes are ethnically caucasian. People of caucasian descent make up 36% of the population of the City of New York. 

In the forward of the report, the chairman of the commission notes that, using data from the Cabinet Office’s Race and Disparity unit, there have been many instances of success amongst those in minority communities, however, these have largely been ignored by members of the main stream media.

Keli.

Earlier this year, the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities issued a report based on investigations they had carried out on the issue of perceived systemic racism in the UK. In the forward of the report, the chairman of the commission notes that, using data from the Cabinet Office’s Race and Disparity unit, there have been many instances of success amongst those in minority communities, however, these have largely been ignored by members of the main stream media. In relation to the CCP virus pandemic, many in the main stream media have suggested that the virus has adversely affected racial minorities in the UK and in the US more than any other ethnicities due to deep seated systemic racism. The Commission again found that the increased risk from death by the CCP Virus in the UK amongst racial minorities was due to an increased risk of exposure as they primarily dwell in urban areas. These are higher risk areas due to various other factors. The commission also noted that if it were indeed true that systemic racism was a major challenge faced by black and south asian minorities in the UK, this would have been reflected in overall mortality figures over their life-course. To the contrary, the data indicates that black and asian minorities have had lower mortality rates from all cases across the board. 

Perception and reality aren’t always the same thing. More often than not, perception is used to create an illusion of reality.

Keli.

The term systemic racism is and has always been a political weapon. A tool that has been effective and effectively used to divide and conquer. A term that has been accruing a body count and used to distract from the failures of those governing. A myth that has been carefully nurtured yet has never been able to develop beyond infancy. It never will. Perception and reality aren’t always the same thing. More often than not, perception is used to create an illusion of reality. In a similar vein, the current inhabitant of the White House has made repeated claims that White Supremacy is the greatest threat that America faces today. This has been lapped up by obsequious media houses despite no data showing that this is the case. In a time past, systemic racism and white supremacy were indeed part of reality. In today’s world, these are unproven myths. The sad reality is, they don’t have to be true or proven to be true. They just need to be perceived as true.

*Image credit by order of appearance: Image par pendleburyannette de Pixabay; Image par Jazella de Pixabay