Actually, it’s the old “racism,” as you all know, but anyway:
To begin with, Starkey wasn’t talking about black culture in general, but, as he was anxious to point out, a “particular form” of black culture, i.e. “the violent, destructive, nihilistic, gangster culture” associated with Jamaican gangs and American rap music.
Had he been talking about these qualities as if they were synonymous with African-Caribbean culture per se, or condemning that culture in its totality, then he would have been guilty of racism. But he wasn’t. He was quite specifically condemning a sub-culture associated with a small minority of people of African-Caribbean heritage. (…)
In addition, Starkey wasn’t linking this sub-culture to people of just one skin colour, but condemning working class white people – “Chavs,” as he put it – who embraced it as well. (…)
No doubt there’ll be people who take issue with this analysis. They’ll point out that Starkey’s “body language” and his “tone” were somehow racist.
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PS: this guy is gay. Should get interesting…
At least in Toronto, we do not have a problem with “black violence” or even “Caribbean violence” so much as a problem with “Jamaican violence.”
Ask any Trinidadian or Bahamian what they think of their fellow “Caribbeans” in Jamaica and settle in for a VERY long, expletive filled rant.
PS: there are 1200+ comments. Be sure to read them.
