Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Observation of the Day

Possibily one of the worst and most misunderstood phrases to enter the policitical lexicon in recent years is the instituionalised-ism, and the following observation illustrates why.
"The Police are institutionally racist" - The Left accepts it as a truism they've known for years. Old Whitey in the police is a nasty bigoted git who hates anyone who isn't just like him. The Right is outraged arguing you cannot condemn the entire contents of the apple cart as rotten just because there are a few rotten apples in it.

"The BBC is institutionally leftist" - The Right accepts it as a truism. Auntie is fall of lefties pushing a lefty world view. The Left is outraged arguing you cannot condemn the entire contents of the apple cart as rotten just because there are a few rotten apples in it.
If only Macpherson had used the term groupthink instead the absurdity above wouldn't have happened.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

People seem to have forgotton what the term "institutional racism" meant when it was coined. It was exactly the opposite of "a few rotten apples". It meant that, even if the individuals in an institution thought they were not being racist and had no intention to be, it was still possible for the organisation's actions to have a racist effect.

Bob Piper said...

Anonymous... spot on. You beat me to it.

dizzy said...

I don't disgaree with either of you. The term I think is unfortunate, and anon's analysis, if you replace "racist" with "lefist" is equally applicable. The same as it would if you replaced it with "bananaist".

Newmania said...

Dizzy that is a pile of maggoty worm ridden emerded manuring 'apples '. The BBC is leftist and I can quote you numerous interchanges between the Guardian the Labour Party and the BBC which prove it as much as you can....in fact I `m going to... The Police are not racist in any sense at all


�Posted this AM on dale
Septiscle - Your claim that the attitude of the left towards the BBC is not motivated by the fact it is in agreement but by the purity of its regard for impartiality is chortle-some delusion that I cannot believe you intend to be taken entirely seriously......

( have a look at the rest of that on Dale if you want the full facts )�


BBC staff join the Labour Party and write left wing books. Promotion in the BBC is difficult if you are against the prevailing Ho` gressive view but the Police do not join racist organisations or express otherwise racist views , promotion is difficult unless you hold ....errrm BBC views . The supposed racism of the Police is less than would be commensurate with the crime level among racial groups. . In fact the PC brigade having identified blacks as victims are unwilling to criticise them at all. When you meet Policemen they are not racists. They are more like new Labour Social workers actually but if you ever meet a BBC employee who is not a lefty I `ll buy you a decent haircut. I am yet to .
There is no equivalence and whatever instritutionallly was supposed to be in fact it refers to the prevailing outlook of the institution which is set by the powerful in it and the intake to it ,ie, the bleeding obvious

dizzy said...

Errr. I havn't said that it isn't. I think the BBC is institutionally leftist in within the scope of what Macpherson meant when he talked of instittutional racism.

My point was the term fails to express what is really being talked about, which is "groupthink"

Sunscreen said...

furthermore, the left doesn't see lefties in the BBC as 'rotten apples'

dizzy said...

it was a bloody analogy for christ sake.

flashgordonnz said...

I think you will find that the Apple and Pear Marketing Board is, indeed, institutionally bananaist.