Who are the real racists?

In the current climate of overwhelming political correctness and left-liberal indignation it is increasingly hard not to be accused of being a racist. Last week, Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris climate deal (a decision we agree with) was framed in a racial context by the American Civil Liberties Union.

  

In Britain, the ‘racist’ moniker is not hard to come by either. In a recent example, journalist Paul Mason labelled justified criticism of Labour Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott – whose disastrous media performance exposed her staggering incompetence – as racist.

Accusations of racism always come from the same side of the political spectrum: the regressive Left finds moral high ground and political expediency in stamping opponents with the ‘racist’ label. And to be fair, it has often proven an effective way to shut down opposing arguments.

The irony, of course, is that the patronising attitude to minorities espoused by the left is the closest thing to ‘institutional’ racism in mainstream politics today. The premise is that the capable need to protect the incapable, through the institution of government. A poster for the June 2017 election perfectly illustrates this: it claims that only Labour can unlock the potential of black and minority ethnic (“BME”) people. The implication, that BME people are not capable of unlocking their potential themselves, seems completely lost on Labour Head Office.

  

Prejudice against BME people is not inherent in climate politics or justified criticism of black politicians. It is, however, inherent in the view that minorities are victims who can only thrive if given preferential treatment by government. Unlocking potential is about government stepping out of the way. That way everybody gets the chance to prove their worth, with no consideration of creed, sex or colour.

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