Boris Johnson's Racism

After quitting as Foreign Secretary he's decided it would be a good idea to issue some racist remarks in the right-wing paper The Daily Telegraph. I assume (being a right-wing privileged Tory) that he is a racist, but he didn't have to publish the fact in the national press. So he must be doing it for political reasons, namely boosting his popularity with the xenophobic section of the public so he can make a bid for Prime Minister. It doesn't really get any lower than that. Far from being a "lovable buffoon" he is a nasty piece of work who'll do and say anything for the sake of power.

Tory minister vents anger at Boris Johnson as burka comments row splits the party - follow all the updates

 

Meh, I think Burkha wearers look like scary ninjas........does that make me a racist too?

 

Yes.

 

No !

 

Lol...even though Islam isn't a race.

 

Yeah some people don't seem to get that. I don't find those comments racist at all. Observations, nothing in it. I guess people will find something in it. Letterbox.

 

I'm tired of people who believe there's nothing offensive in these views. The typical attitude of "I'm not racist, but...". I wish these people would wake up to reality.

 

Perhaps the views to which you refer to are offensive at least & a number of others, though not neccessarily racist?

I know I sometimes get a lil bit offended by certain views, I just don't play the race card.

 

Just because there's an underling suggestion everybody can clearly see, still doesn't necessarily mean that the comments themselves were racist.

What's racist about letterboxes? And bank robbers. You could use the same line on any culture, really. But letter box? Is this minority known to be mail men or something?

 

I can't say I'm surprised people here are being apologists for Boris Johnson, but to me it's very disappointing that on a supposedly free-minded online community people are defending rather than condemning him.

 

You're doing the same thing here. Being right of center does not make someone a racist. Please stop judging people according to their political party (or religion, country of origin, race, etc.) and judge them instead by their character.

 

Well either he is a racist, or he is pretending to be one for political gain. Neither of which covers him in glory.

 

You will get a dose of reality when Boris becomes PM

 

= "Be afraid, be very afraid"

 

i think "racist" has become the word for "person who doesn't agree with me" lately.

i'm not saying this guy isn't racist, i really don't know. i didn't read the article in question, and i've never heard of boris johnson or a letter box.

 

The use of the word racism in this context has been adressed and explained several times on here already.
The far majority of burka wearing muslims (which is a tiny minority in the first place) is from middle eastern descent/has an arabic background and thus has a specific ethnic background. When the practice of wearing a burka gets adequately criticized no discrimination is in order. When it is deliberately accompanied by denigrating comments or plain simple insults or the agenda for criticizing these people is bigger than just the dislike for the burka it is very useful to make that clear. In some cases it is clearly joined by or coming from ethnic discrimination which is a form of racism. It is especially sad when a populist politician goes this route.

 

To be fair: the word racism does get overused and also abused. Why not use a term like ethnic or cultural etc. etc. discrimination?

 

How is about ethinicity when you see two sisters from the same family, one is in traditional clothing, the other is dressed like e every other western girl, muffin top, belly ring, letting it all hang out


Ethinicity my arse

 

Ohhh the burka, letter box, lol. Mail slots. I get it I get it.

 

In the rare case of two pasty redhaired british sisters it is obviously not about ethnicity.