jonathan18:

 

 

 

Sorry, but I don't believe it's feasible in such a forum to hold a meaningful debate given the nature of many of the posts, especially your own. These posts reek of WMPS (white man's privilege syndrome - a term I just made up. but I'm sure it's in use elsewhere!), whereby there's an inability to understand or acknowledge that one's own viewpoint is so heavily conditioned by one's own relative position in society - gender, race, ethnicity...

 

That you can't see your choice of words demonstrates this is part of the problem. That you can so easily use the binary of "them" and "us" and think that actually means something inherent and that it's shared by others like "us", that you're so comfortable generalising based on what someone looks like or the language they speak... Your language and message isn't that different, I would posit, to the response of other NZers to ethnic minorities in times gone by, eg early Chinese immigrants. Indeed, the wider argument has usually been fairly consistent across the decades - different culture" are ok, but as long as they assimilate, ie become like "us". 

 

My comment re Trump (and similarly with the pro-Brexit vote) was that clearly your views are shared by many in NZ, and this is a potentially powerful block both politically and socially. Clearly, I think you're in the wrong and believe these views are potentially (and in reality already are) so incredibly damaging to society, so dismissing them out of hand isn't really an option (see Trump et al).

 

I'm a firm believer in the value of a "liberal" education in helping people understand this, eg undertaking a much-derided BA or study generally in the social sciences or humanities. I'd put down my uni education in this area as one of the key contributors towards my attitudes and approach to such topics. There's also a growing trend to put employees through cultural awareness training (bring out the nanny state, PC gone mad clichés!), which can I'm sure have some beneficial effect, but I imagine those most in need of "re-education" will be those most opposed to it.

 

New Zealanders like to compare themselves to their cousins across the ditch, and pat ourselves on our collective back for avoiding the hideous and systemic racism that's engrained there; in reality, we're really not that much better, and I have fears that things are only going to get worse...

 

Instead of expressing your outrage would it not be better to contribute some facts/knowledge to the argument/to defend your position?

Simply blaming my argument on as you say "WMPS" does nothing to prove your point, in fact, as above it is just further trivializing the debate. If this form is not appropriate then where is?

I'm happy to hear your opinion if you'll let me?