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Richard Weikart on the non-religious racism that anti-racists ignore

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Weikart, the author of Darwinian Racism: How Darwinism Influenced Hitler, Nazism, and White Nationalism writes:

While it is salutary to examine and expose the religious roots of racism, one might get the mistaken impression from this discourse that today’s white nationalists are direct heirs of the Ku Klux Klan, who did indeed (mis)use religion to promote their racist ideology …

So, if the vast majority of scientists reject racism, one might conclude that scientific racism is no longer a problem. Maybe religious racism really is a more important target. However, this conclusion ignores the elephant in the room.

What elephant? Well, how about examining the white nationalist scene today to see what they actually believe? How do they justify their racist ideology? While researching my book, Darwinian Racism, I examined the websites and publications of many neo-Nazi, white nationalist, and alt-right individuals and organizations. What I discovered was that most white nationalists and white supremacists today embrace a social Darwinist version of scientific racism and vehemently oppose Christianity.

Richard Weikart, “Anti-Racists Often Ignore This Non-Religious Source of Racism” at Evolution News (May 10, 2022)

But few would want to discuss that because it would then be necessary to discuss the role Darwinism plays in the development of racist ideologies.

Does it matter? Well,

One of the most virulent pieces of social Darwinist racism I have ever read is the 1896 book Might Is Right by Ragnar Redbeard (a pseudonym), which is currently popular among white supremacists. Indeed, in 2019, shortly before a 19-year-old gunman at the Gilroy Garlic Festival killed three and wounded 17, he recommended on social media that people read Redbeard’s book.

Many white nationalist websites recommend this book, and some even sell it.

Richard Weikart, “Anti-Racists Often Ignore This Non-Religious Source of Racism” at Evolution News (May 10, 2022)

But then, consider this recent story: Well, this is good news for criminal defense lawyers: Psychopathy is an “evolutionary adaptation” Researcher: The results were not conclusive, but they do add to a growing body of research supporting the possibility that psychopathy is not a mental disorder.

Comments
Darwin is the root of eugenics and social Darwinism. Neither have particularly good outcomes when released on society.BobRyan
May 11, 2022
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