The Racist left think that black people should not appear on food packaging

[Mountain Man]

I agree that the companies themselves aren't leftist. The voices demanding the changes I would call leftist.

It amazes me that companies are so quick to respond to complaints even if they don't represent a majority point of view, and even if the complaint itself lacks merit. At a TV station I worked for, we had a segment on the morning show called "Ed's Useless Trivia" which was a fun, lighthearted bit about obscure facts and information. One day a teacher called in to the station hotline hotline with the following argument: "Trivia is knowledge, and by calling the segment 'useless trivia', we are teaching kids that knowledge is useless." It's a stupid argument, but next thing you know, the station manager ordered that the segment be retitled "Ed's Trivia".

[Darth Ovious]

Ok, thank you.


Do you draw a distinction between leftist and liberal?

Yes, I would. I don't think what the far leftists are doing have anything to do with classical liberalism. Once again I have a British slant on that remember. I didn't grow up in a country where we had the vicious Democrat party from the late 1800's to early 1900's amongst our history.

[Cow Poke]

Yes, I would. I don't think what the far leftists are doing have anything to do with classical liberalism. Once again I have a British slant on that remember. I didn't grow up in a country where we had the vicious Democrat party from the late 1800's to early 1900's amongst our history.

The far left just seems to be about anarchy and mayhem. The farther left you go, the more anarchy you see.
The liberals are having a real hard time with this, because they need to distance themselves from that, yet not make enemies of them.

[Darth Ovious]

It amazes me that companies are so quick to respond to complaints even if they don't represent a majority point of view, and even if the complaint itself lacks merit. At a TV station I worked for, we had a segment on the morning show called "Ed's Useless Trivia" which was a fun, lighthearted bit about obscure facts and information. One day a teacher called in to the station hotline hotline with the following argument: "Trivia is knowledge, and by calling the segment 'useless trivia', we are teaching kids that knowledge is useless." It's a stupid argument, but next thing you know, the station manager ordered that the segment be retitled "Ed's Trivia".

Yep, its usually got to do with money and money comes from a good company image. A good company image can be easily destroyed by vindictive activists which will use lies to make companies look bad.

[Darth Ovious]

The far left just seems to be about anarchy and mayhem. The farther left you go, the more anarchy you see.
The liberals are having a real hard time with this, because they need to distance themselves from that, yet not make enemies of them.

I agree with this sentiment really. We are talking about Anarcho-Communists after all and they don't actually believe in things like government, police or court systems. They have a unrealistic utopian idea of we can all hold hands under the rainbow while signing Kumbaya. OK I'll be more serious, they believe that people can live in communities where they can do their own without the use of the afore mentioned. I do consider it be an unrealistic ideal though.

[Leonhard]

I'm surprised by this ---- what if it's a family owned and operated business that just happened to have been started by a white guy? It's racist automatically because....

I'd have to understand this... one 'white' guy starts a sauce company with a brand of 'Uncle Ben' a cheery image of a black man. He then has a family that continues it?

[Cow Poke]

I'd have to understand this... one 'white' guy starts a sauce company with a brand of 'Uncle Ben' a cheery image of a black man. He then has a family that continues it?

Now, if he had started a company brand DISPARAGING a black man, I'd have a problem with that, and with any family that continued it.
Do we know that there was racist intent in the beginning of this company?
Shouldn't THAT be the question?

[Leonhard]

Now, if he had started a company brand DISPARAGING a black man, I'd have a problem with that, and with any family that continued it.
Do we know that there was racist intent in the beginning of this company?
Shouldn't THAT be the question?

It would be racist if they in they used African American cultural symbols, images, etc, and used that to brand and benefit themselves without the money going back into those communities. It doesn't have to be a disparaging symbol in order for it to be bad. As long as the group in power gets to benefit from, or represent the minority (for the majority's group benefit), it is a case of racism.

Now in this case I think it is so minor and insignificant than I'm honestly surprised that people here are outraged over it.

But it is still a case of racism.

[Cow Poke]

It would be racist if they in they used African American cultural symbols, images, etc, and used that to brand and benefit themselves without the money going back into those communities. It doesn't have to be a disparaging symbol in order for it to be bad. As long as the group in power gets to benefit from, or represent the minority (for the majority's group benefit), it is a case of racism.

Now in this case I think it is so minor and insignificant than I'm honestly surprised that people here are outraged over it.

But it is still a case of racism.

I think there's an awful lot of assumin' going on there. PLUS, judging a culture of many years ago by the standards of today.

And, for the record, I can't really remember the last time I was "outraged".


OH WAIT, yes I do ---- it was back in the early 70's when I was working a mutual aid call, checking out a warehouse at 3 AM, and the idiot local police officer shot at ME thinking I was the burglar!
Yeah, I was outraged.

[Leonhard]

I think there's an awful lot of assumin' going on there. PLUS, judging a culture of many years ago by the standards of today.

I'm confused. I haven't asserted that what they've been doing is racist. I think I've carefully qualified that it might be racist if such, and such and such. I didn't say that the board of directors, or the stock owners were mainly white. They might be, they might not be. Might be a proud family enterprise started by "Uncle Ben", I don't know and honestly I don't care. All I argued is that it wouldn't be racist of them to remove the image, and explain that it would be racist for white people to appropriate black culture and benefit from it.

And, for the record, I can't really remember the last time I was "outraged".

Oh come on Cow Poke, this thread is all about outrage over what people here consider something too PC.

[Cow Poke]

I'm confused.

Me too, maybe.

I haven't asserted that what they've been doing is racist. I think I've carefully qualified that it might be racist if such, and such and such. I didn't say that the board of directors, or the stock owners were mainly white. They might be, they might not be. Might be a proud family enterprise started by "Uncle Ben", I don't know and honestly I don't care. All I argued is that it wouldn't be racist of them to remove the image, and explain that it would be racist for white people to appropriate black culture and benefit from it.

I'll have to look back, cause it sure looked like you were basing "it's racist" on whether or not it was all white people on the board, or in the family, or....

Oh come on Cow Poke, this thread is all about outrage over what people here consider something too PC.

"Outrage" is like the word "Awesome", Leon ---- both words get thrown around devoid of their actual meaning.
I'm a very calm kind of guy - I simply don't get "outraged" over stupidity. Nor do I think french fries are "awesome".

[Leonhard]

I'll have to look back, cause it sure looked like you were basing "it's racist" on whether or not it was all white people on the board, or in the family, or....

If the board of directors are mainly white and if the stock owners are mainly white, I don't see why it wouldn't be an instance of racism. I don't think its a super important instance of racism, it's a mere logo on a glass jar of bad sauce. However it would still be an ethnic majority benifitting of images and symbols of minority groups, without those groups accruing the benefits.

And that would be racist.

Again, if the board of the directors were mainly white and if the stock owners were mainly white and if the founding of the company was by white people, etc...

"Outrage" is like the word "Awesome", Leon ---- both words get thrown around devoid of their actual meaning.

So you're okay with it?

I honestly don't get what the deal is, or what exactly is under threat here? It's a private company making a decision about it's own branding in light of the current zeitgeist. Isn't that supposed to be perfectly okay?

[Cow Poke]

If the board of directors are mainly white and if the stock owners are mainly white, I don't see why it wouldn't be an instance of racism.....

I'm gonna withdraw, Leon, cause I just don't see that. Again, my finance board at the Church is ALL WHITE, yet we fund the nearly ALL MINORITY local mission.

"Racism" isn't about who you are - it's about the intent of your heart, what you do.

[Cow Poke]

So you're okay with it?

Because I don't get "outraged" is no indicator that I'm OK with something. I'm more of a doer than an emoter.

[Leonhard]

I'm gonna withdraw, Leon, cause I just don't see that. Again, my finance board at the Church is ALL WHITE, yet we fund the nearly ALL MINORITY local mission.

"Racism" isn't about who you are - it's about the intent of your heart, what you do.

Yes but that mission isn't something you sell and make money from. It's not a product, and... well at any rate I won't spend this much energy trying to explain how the possible actions of something is.

Racism is mostly about what people do, and you should take a systematic view of it, not an individual heart-of-the-heart view of it. Racism is a system which a persons actions either supports and perpetuates, or works against.