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The big problem w/'countering extremism' framing is that it profoundly (& dangerously) mistakes the nature of racism: 'extremists' arent picking up their ideas & attitudes from obscure 8chan sites, but from a deep, rich vein w/in our collective intellectual, cultural, social life
We need to start from the position that we are all vulnerable to racist thinking & actions because of this heritage & its ongoing resonances & effects. We wont be able to tackle racism if we so underestimate & misunderstand its sources, roots & what continues to give it sustenanc
It's really not a good idea to start from a position that the 'mainsteam' right, liberals, the left, libertarians or whatever are somehow on one side , untainted by racist thinking or actions, with the 'far right' (or 'far left') the onyl ones contaminated by it. This is wishful,
naive, and frankly ignorant thinking. If you don't know abt the racism in your tradition or movement frankly you don't know your movement or you're being dishonest. It is a nice story to think racism isn't at the heart of our history and who we are, but it's a story that prevents
us from spotting the dangers, understanding what is plain in front of us. Of course there are some who are principally motivated by racism, & they are ofc much much worse. But their relatively greater success recently proves the breadth & depth of the ideas theyre tapping into
