[quote-519253-anna_grin]

fact is, fax is, this site typifies that western power imbalance whether we like to admit it or not. founded by the English, overtaken by Americans, and largely ignorant of what that means and the responsibility we have to ensure balance.

i love it here but I’ve seen too many examples of racism and ignorance and have personally spoken to black poets who are loath to get involved because the space is too white. that’s not their problem, it’s ours.

With the internet
Everyone
is anonymous
if they want to be
it's the same
on this site
one can pretend to be
anything
It's  
all inclusive
no matter the color
of anyone's skin
One can write
from the viewpoint
from any class
or culture
or skin
it just depends
on how good you are
at walking
in some one else's shoes
to me there should not be
a black space or a white space
this site is a space for all
Who ever you are
or what ever you pretend to be

So i find these words
Strange

fact is, fax is, this site typifies that western power imbalance whether we like to admit it or not. founded by the English, overtaken by Americans, and largely ignorant of what that means and the responsibility we have to ensure balance.

we have to ensure balance.

But we already have
balance.
on this site
We have
all different types
of mentality here
and we all argue bitch and whine
in the forums
nobody is
Excluded
unless they are out of line
then it's up to the moderators
to put them back
in line

Because it was
founded by the English, overtaken by Americans, and largely ignorant of what that means and the responsibility we have to ensure balance.


largely ignorant of what that means we have to ensure balance.
Could you explain these words
iam a little confused

lepperochan said:
[ . . . ]
Like I say, this isn't america it's an open site
[ . . . ]


I typically ignore your baiting; but, what, exactly, is that supposed to mean?

boys you’re saying we already have balance. im saying we do not. why can’t we admit we are imperfect, that du is not what it was in days of yore and is not unblemished by the cancers of the wider internet.

a and lep if yous could keep it above the belt

anna_grin said:boys you’re saying we already have balance. im saying we do not. why can’t we admit we are imperfect, that du is not what it was in days of yore and is not unblemished by the cancers of the wider internet.


I interpret "days of yore" as pre 2020 when the ugly side of Murica became vocal here.


anna_grin said:
a and lep if yous could keep it above the belt

As if you have to ask her!

just a friendly reminder j on a fair and equitable basis 👻

We have a place to share what we made,
share a pic, etc,
maybe just a place
to share some BAME

yeah good idea that one, rabbit, i guess i thought a competition would be better for engagement cos everyone likes to throw their hat in the ring and everyone enjoys winning . but that’s a damn good idea

anna_grin said:[ . . . ]

a and lep if yous could keep it above the belt

I've learned, particularly on this site ( and even in this thread ) that racism extends waaaay beyond skin color to country. There have been plenty of references to America/Americans on this site by ( particularly ) the British and an Irishman ( in particular ).

I don't hit below the belt; I prefer intellect. I'd simply like clarification on what he means, exactly, by that statement. I mean is he saying that America is more racist than Ireland or England? You and I have already had that conversation ( in regards to the differences of America/British racism ).

I am not angry. I am not upset. It's kinda par for the course.  I'm merely seeking clarification.

im holding my hands out the way and not getting involved is all am saying here 😅

i think you’re probably thinking bout nationalism there which it doesn’t really do well to conflate with racism to be perfectly honest. that gets all kinds of worms out the ground. i mean we can talk about it no problem but we gotta know what it is we’re talking about

i make the odd jab at the Americans, the Irish, the Germans myself - it is an inextricable part of British humour and provided we also poke fun at ourselves seems mostly harmless.  beans on toast. what the hell are we doing with beans on toast ?

it gets nasty when someone really and truly believes their nation is superior. i wanna say I’m not seeing that as of now ... what I’m seeing is people viewing this site as an oasis , perhaps with rosy glasses of yesteryear, and not the metropolis underground im seeing

like: in a visualisation i see it as it began as a small little bunker out in the woods, everybody sharing their tinned raviolis and bantering about everything and nothing, and then more people rocked up and it got very crowded and we built outwards - new tunnels, new networks,  new neighbours.  i wanna hold up a big welcome banner to anyone who might, with reason, i feel, think their voice is not as heard as it could be in the town hall.

anna_grin said:im holding my hands out the way and not getting involved is all am saying here 😅

LMAO!

i think you’re probably thinking bout nationalism there which it doesn’t really do well to conflate with racism to be perfectly honest. that gets all kinds of worms out the ground. i mean we can talk about it no problem but we gotta know what it is we’re talking about

To me, racism is also a form of prejudiced bias based on country, i.e. - nationalism. Having been raised in England, I am very well-aware of what exists toward Americans. Not by all, thank goodness. But, by a great many ( I won't even say majority ), as I was not exposed to the majority of British peoples.

Racism is based in superiority; and the British are known for their superior disposition ( particularly among the Australian aboriginals as well as Native Americans ), amonst many more positive things, I will add. Tea being one.

i make the odd jab at the Americans, the Irish, the Germans myself - it is an inextricable part of British humour and provided we also poke fun at ourselves seems mostly harmless.  beans on toast. what the hell are we doing with beans on toast ?

it gets nasty when someone really and truly believes their nation is superior. i wanna say I’m not seeing that as of now ... what I’m seeing is people viewing this site as an oasis , perhaps with rosy glasses of yesteryear, and not the metropolis underground im seeing

like: in a visualisation i see it as it began as a small little bunker out in the woods, everybody sharing their tinned raviolis and bantering about everything and nothing, and then more people rocked up and it got very crowded and we built outwards - new tunnels, new networks,  new neighbours.  i wanna hold up a big welcome banner to anyone who might, with reason, i feel, think their voice is not as heard as it could be in the town hall.

I've actually experienced nationalism on this site. But, as I've said, it's par for the course and doesn't cause an imbalance ( on my part ). I am mainly curious as to how Craic was equating America, i.e. - this is not America, it's a FREE site, with this BAME discussion.

I was perplexed when reading that.

ahh i still think you shouldn't mix the two up sorry sorry its a case of not all racism is nationalism and not all nationalism is racism while they do play off each other i admit x

anna_grin said:ahh i still think you shouldn't mix the two up sorry sorry its a case of not all racism is nationalism and not all nationalism is racism while they do play off each other i admit x

So do you understand why he said it?

Ahavati said:

So do you understand why he said it?

nah not fully, and he can explain himself he's a big boy, but i wouldn't class it as racist, maybe a touch anti-american

anna_grin said:

nah not fully, and he can explain himself he's a big boy, but i wouldn't class it as racist, maybe a touch anti-american

I wasn't inferring that you answer for him, I was merely asking for your opinion.  He'll answer; that's a given. I am attempting to ascertain if what he said is the norm for this type of discussion ( from a British perspective ). You didn't seem perplexed by the comparision between this site and America.

goddamit a sorry for not being perfect lol

i think a big chunk of our users here are american, actually, so a comparison makes sense from that perspective.

and from over here, a britty brit brit, we see a few valid reasons to dislike america as a country, yet that ought not to spill over into hate towards americans. they were born without consent like everyone else.

i still see a problem with equating anti-americanism with racism, i appreciate that might not be what you were going for, but it just rings a bit hollow to call "american" a race, at this point in america's history, anyway.  native american is a whole different thing and i know you're very knowledgeable on that.

hope that explains a lil bit