A Few Tips In Case You Find Yourself In A Mandatory "Anti-Racism" Struggle Session

The Manhattan Contrarian ^ | 28 July 2020 | Francis Menton

[Rummyfan]

Lenin, Stalin, and the other creeps who created the Soviet system of totalitarianism in the early twentieth century, were far from the brightest maniacs ever to play at the game of evil dictator; but they did make a few effective innovations that enabled their rule to last much longer than it otherwise might have. One thing they figured out early on was that the best way to stifle all potential dissent was to require subjects to vow adherence to the regime and/or the party line in some form every day. Failure to articulate the required expression of loyalty on any given day, or even to express it with less than the mandated degree of enthusiasm, would get you marked as a troublemaker. You could then be deprived of your job, of deprived of all food, or you could even get sent off to the Gulag.

Subsequent versions of this practice have been used by regimes in places such as China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Cuba, Venezuela, and of course North Korea. The Maoist “struggle session” — where the designated victim of the day is forced to humiliate himself and confess to various crimes he did not commit — was a particularly obnoxious yet widespread form of the art.

I bring up this subject today because reports have been reaching me from various young people that a nasty form of this totalitarian orthodoxy enforcement is now spreading like a cancer here on our shores. The new innovation consists of “anti-racism” or “diversity” training sessions, which many employers are recently requiring their employees to attend periodically. The sponsors of the sessions that I have been made aware of are large corporations and universities. I’m given to believe that there has quickly arisen a class of professional “trainers” who make a living running these things.

[rktman]

Hostile work environment claim should be invoked.

[Rummyfan]

My first tip is, it is a mistake ever to make a declaratory statement of any kind, even “yes,” “no,” or “I understand.” So, if asked to assent to something, or to say something, what do you do? The answer is, always respond with a question. Also, there is no need for the question that you pose to have anything to do with the question that has been posed to you. In fact, the less related your question is to the thing you are being asked to concede, the better. You can also try to ask a question even if no question has been posed to you. The point here would be to try to divert the “trainer” off his or her prepared outline or script, and onto something that challenges their assumptions.

Here are a few questions I have come up with if you want to have some fun:

Are you a racist? (If no,) How do you know that? What facts do you base that on? (If yes,) So why don’t you stop being a racist?

Can you provide us with a complete list of all words and terminology that are now deemed racist and/or disrespectful so that we can stop using those words going forward? If you can’t give a complete list, how about 20 (or 30 or 40) examples?

Do all black lives matter? (Note: Don’t make the mistake of using the phrase “all lives matter,” even in a question. That will get you branded as a “racist.” The question of whether all black lives matter will be a new one on them.). Do the lives of approximately 6500 black men murdered by other black men each year matter more or less than the the lives of the far smaller number of blacks killed by police each year (under 300), let alone the number of unarmed black men killed by police each year (which is around 20 or fewer, although you can’t get a precise figure because the Washington Post data base only includes deaths by shooting)?

How do you explain the fact that Nigerian-Americans and Ghanaian-Americans have higher household median income than native-born white Americans?

Does the NBA — where average salaries are multiple millions per year and active players are about 75% black — have an obligation to make itself “look more like America”? If not, why not?

[hanamizu]

I for one am looking forward to standing on chairs or tables, with a dunce cap and signs around my neck, listing my sins...actually I’m retired, so I may get a pass.

[Cecily]

Another FReeper suggested that religious beliefs be invoked, i.e., as a Christian, all lives matter and hatred, anger and malice are sins. Let them browbeat you over your religious faith if they dare.

[cgbg]

Thanks for posting.

My approach (and I have been through a couple) was to play dumb.

So, it is a variation on the asking questions approach, except the purpose is to act stupid.

“I don’t understand what you said.”

“Please explain—this is confusing.”

Act baffled.

Pretend you are in a grad student seminar on Topology or Nuclear Physics.

and the professor is speaking in German!

Strain to listen, and then repeat:

“I am still confused. What are you saying?”

“What am I supposed to say?”

“What am I supposed to do?”

“When is this supposed to happen?”

“One more time, so what are we doing here?”

[Hambone 1934]

I went to one of these in my 20’s and again in my 30’s....I sat there writing furiously...They must have thought I was taking notes..I was getting ideas for articles against them....No body checked..Good thing...

I always found it funny that the white person standing there telling me not to be racist was a white racist...After you tell me that all whites are racist and you’re white,there really is no reason for me to listen....

[Jewbacca]

I had yo go to one as a contractor at a major military aircraft manufacturer in the USA. (I actually work for a company that makes certain systems.)

I just channeled my IDF prisoner training.

I became completely the grey man. I was not late. I was not early. I sat on the side middle to the front. I read the material. I daydreamed while looking attentive. I spoke briefly when called upon. General open ended meh answers

I did play up the language thing. My English became marketedly worse than it is, to make myself annoying, and thus causing the proctor, who just spent hours saying we must be patient with those whose native language is different than ours — to become impatient and call in someone else.

[ealgeone]

I like what you did there.

[Vermont Lt]

I have been saying for weeks that people need to look at the cultural revolution in the mid sixties to see the template for this.

BLM is the Red Guard, made up of the young 16-20 year old “red babies.” The purists in these movements have been raised in Rodney King land. They really believe that the cops and establishment are racist.

Soon, the proletariat will step up to destroy the “capitalists” and the establishment. Watch, if Biden wins, they will turn on him before the Inauguration or shortly after. If Trump wins, they will challenge him right away. And by challenge him, I mean violence, rioting, a real attacks.

When the suburbs get involved, watch out. I think it will die out when it’s cold and rainy.

[Hambone 1934]

Robin Diangelo of white fragility fame is a liar..She put out all these groups she was giving money to and the WASHINGTON FREE BEACON,started asking these groups if she really gave money to them...SHE SCRUBBED THE LIST FROM HER PAGE....

Sooo,she charges people $30-40,000 dollars to show people how to pretend you aren’t racist ,when you really are racist......JUST LIKE HER....

[rktman]

Nice job! 😀

[Blood of Tyrants]

Why is George Foster’s life more valuable that the black police officers who were killed during the riots?

[Leaning Right]

Perhaps this Russian joke from the Brezhnev era applies:

Foreign reporter: What is your opinion on farm collectivization?
Soviet citizen: I agree with the policy of the party.

Foreign reporter: What is your opinion on the steel production goals?
Soviet citizen: I agree with the policy of the party.

Foreign reporter: Don’t you have any opinions of your own?
Soviet citizen: Yes. But I don’t agree with them.

[grcuster]

I don’t believe they will allow Christians to use their faith as a defense or a 1st amendment protected right. Unfortunately, Christians will also be targeted.

[mewzilla]

My suggestion: There’s only one race. Human.

[a fool in paradise]

>>How about: Can you define what you mean by black?

If you are even thinking about voting for Trump you can’t be black. Also if you vote for Trump you are automatically a racist. These are what famous democrats have been saying including the White Democrat presidential contender.

[Blood of Tyrants]

So, which race is superior?

Should any race be singled out for persecution? Why or why not?

If whites are guilty for slavery, what about the black Muslims who sold them into slavery?

What about the black slave owners? Are they guilty, too?

[Nothingburger]

One lesson I wish I had learned earlier:

There are times when it pays to act dumb and clueless.

If I was stuck in one of these sessions, I would sit in the least conspicuous part of the room, try to appear like I was following the presentation attentively, but really daydream about the upcoming weekend.

If, God forbid, I got called on, my ace in the hole might be the fact that I stutter occasionally. I usually have it pretty well under control, but on the rare occasions I get seriously flustered it can be a problem.

But hey, no props to the instructor for picking on a poor disabled guy.