Was Enoch Powell a "racist" ?

In an interview with David Frost.. he said as follows:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LKHAkpv22o&feature=related

FROST "Some people say you are a racialist" (not a typo)

POWELL "First we must define it.. if by that you mean someone who is conscious of the differences in men and nations some of which coincides with difference of race..then we are all racialists ...I would have thought.. but IF by racialist you mean a man who despises a human being because he belongs to another race..or a man who believes that one race is inherrently superior to another......then the answer is emphatically NO"

Clearly.. Powell was not a 'racist'.. his views were not based on 'race' but on social and cultural difference and the potentially negative impact of those differences when brought close together with an established population and culture.

On the evidence.. and his own confession, it would a great disservice to honesty and credibility to call this articulate man 'a racist'...

The only people who could do so, would be doing it in direct contradiction to and denial of, the facts. That, is bigotry of the most pernicious and obscene kind.

I hope no-one here is bold enough to own up to such overt bigotry and obvious denial of what is there for them to see on video.

The question thus is raised.. "Is a person who does NOT believe in the inherrent superiority of any race.. a racist"?

Boaz, do you understand the meaning of the word "sophistry"?

>>On the evidence... it would a great disservice to honesty and credibility to call this articulate man 'a racist'<<

It is important to understand that Powell did not perceive himself as "racialist". But it is the most clichéd of clichés, is it not, to preface your remarks on the topic with "I'm not a racist, but..."

Look more carefully at the definitions Powell puts forward.

On the one hand, he is happy to identify himself as "someone who is conscious of the differences in men and nations some of which coincides with difference of race”

But not as “a man who despises a human being because he belongs to another race..or a man who believes that one race is inherently superior to another”

(You will of course notice that the two definitions are not in any way mutually exclusive.)

What Powell did was to promote the first view as his public face, while protesting that this did not, of course, automatically assume the second.

But when you look more carefully at that second, you start to detect the sophistry.

There is in fact a logical continuity between being “conscious of the differences... which coincide with differences of race”, and believing that “one race is inherently superior to another”.

But let me say again, I don't believe that Powell was aware of the power that he possessed to engender these feelings in others – his was a purely intellectual fear.

By the way, I refuse to be bullied:

>>The only people who could [call Powell racist], would be doing it in direct contradiction to and denial of, the facts. That, is bigotry of the most pernicious and obscene kind. I hope no-one here is bold enough to own up to such overt bigotry<<

Boaz, of course Powell was a racist. He denied it, but as a contemporary of his pointed out in slightly different circumstances, “he would say that, wouldn't he?”

Powell was a racist, and fear-monger, in the image of Oswald Mosley.

Vastly intelligent, but emotionally blind.

Is David Polycarp so short of new ideas that he has to dredge up this tired old stuff? Come on man, get into the new century.

History has made its assessment of Enoch Powell (and Hitler and Moseley) and a selective reference to old footage on UTube is not going to change that.

Now, what contemporary issue can you lead us to tomorrow, David?

Boaz is now looking up the word "sophistry" in his dictionary, to enable him to reply to Pericles.

Polycarp, I dipped in to the other thread on Powell, and more or less dismissed it as another stalking horse for your anti-immigration ethos.

Though I figured, it's a point of view and I guess we all have the right to make those heard - I didn't comment there because yet another turn on this merry go round didn't interest me.

Though when I see you make yet another thread on Powell, I can't help but feel you're overdoing it.

Honestly, post this on the other Powell thread.

You know, the one you already started on this. I mean, come on. If you're going to keep posting threads with only minor variations to the same theme over and over, be a little more subtle about it.

'Enoch Powell.. Much more to be said'

And yet, it all sounds the same.

Gentlemen... (part 1 of 2)

the point to which I wish to draw your attention is not so much whether Powell was a racist.. I don't believe him to be so, that's my opinion..and my opinion is based on the evidence..not arguments from implication or silence.

Powell is way wayyy above the stupid and empty "I'm not a racist, I have many Asian/Muslim/name the race/religion friends.." lament....

His was to own the grand plan.. the big picture.. the sweeping brush stroke of history.

Pericles is logically incorrect in saying:

There is in fact a logical continuity between being “conscious of the differences... which coincide with differences of race”, and believing that “one race is inherently superior to another”.

It certainly does not follow in any way that awareness of difference is directly connected to belief in superiority of one over another.
Mankind has matured enough by now to recognize that 'difference' is just that. Superiority is a relative term.. the more appropriate and accurate term is 'preferred'... this doesn't make a value judgement on 'the other' but simply asserts one's own familiarity with and preference for..one's own. (culture,language, race,tribe) The degree to which each of those bracketed items is held by any individual is a personal thing and cannot thus be projected onto the broader community.

HIS POINT...

Was..that 'uncontrolled' immigration would lead to much racial strife.
..and.. it did.

In this video, the admission by the now defunct multiculturalist leaders that "We didn't realize it would lead to this" (please take the time to actually witness this stark, frank and honest confession)

Of all people who should know exactly what can happen by uncontrolled "immigration" he should.. he is WELSH.. by ancestry..and he was born in Birmingham... a site of horrific race riots later. Obviously, he was able to see the transformation..the change.. bit by bit.. as Birmingham became more ethnicized. His ancestors would know how Pericles ancestors came as Anglo Saxons (?) and took the land.. driving the Celts into the Western corner of England..where even today they prefer to speak Welsh in the presense of English.
(cont)