this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2023
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linuxmasterrace

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The word “Master Race” is clearly equivalent to terms which were used by Nazis and so are today's far right wing and alt-rights.

There are other communities which created similar narratives, especially from the 4chan side, and I think the origin of “PC Master Race” comes from there.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 year ago

This is just cringe. You realize the term “master race” in this context is derived from “PC master race” which in turn was coined as part of the console gamers vs. PC gamers rivalry, i.e. the “console ‘tards” vs. “PC gamer master race”… sigh…

This take is as cringy as gamergate, TBH.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (3 children)

In my experience, if you let a hate group co-opt a term or euphemism, it emboldens them in that usage.

For example, "Oh you did the OK symbol 👌? That's a white supremacy symbol." No it isn't, in most contexts it means OK and in some cultures it represents a butthole.

So by using "master race" for a trivial and humorous concept that a person's choice of OS makes them superior to others, it belittles its xenophobic usage. A person's race or skin colour is (or should be) just as irrelevant as OS choice when it comes to their place in society.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Thank you!!! dilute the hate!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

The inflationary use of these words leads to generalization in common usage and removes taboos from them. Of course, one could argue that this loses its initial "power". However, language changes very slowly and the terminology of the past remains. People will see you as people who see themselves above everyone else because of their operating system.

It also empowers Right Wing People and adopts narratives and disseminates ideas from that movement.

Small side info: In Germany, football clubs that would describe themselves as „master race“ would quickly end up on the list of enemies of the constitution, for the simple reason that it also attracts certain alt-rights, as I can see from this post.

The main problem with your argument is that this is not an e.g. racist insult, but a glorification. People are using faggot for themselves to fight the negativity of the word, but by using the word race, you will always recreate racism.

And while we're on the subject of Nazi words, we can also adopt other terms: how about „Windows concentration camps“? (It’s funny, Isn't it?)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

'race recreates racism' lmao with that attitude racism would always exist everywhere cause races ain't going anywhere

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

You have a very good argument right there, thank you for enriching this discussion!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago

Why do you think this using racist language is a non-issue?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Because?

“Master Race” will still be referring to this kind of “We are over everything, because our race is over everything” narrative.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Which is basicly the Linux community in a nutshell. We all see ourselves as superior

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

Jesus christ. People go out of their way to be offended by the most non-offensive shit these days.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Are you finding issues where there really isn't any?

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Well then let’s just not talk about discrimination. Easy fix

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

We live in a so called attention economy. That makes your rather negligent overuse of the term "discrimination" a problem because it shifts attention to situations where it's easy to argue that discrimination is negligible or doesn't exist at all. That in turn means people are less likely to have any attention left to inform themselves about cases with actual discrimination.

Basically, comments like yours are what I'd make if I wanted to stifle progress and foster structural racism. Heck, maybe you actually are a bad faith actor.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Glad you agree

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

It's "tongue in cheek". What you're implying, is all of the comedy and parodies of nazis, or the KKK throughout history is actually supporting them? No, it's making them smaller, and smaller, and completely laughable.

Perhaps we should rename it to Linux-Care-Bears. You can be Overly-Sensitive-Bear, or Whoosh-Bear.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The origin of pcmr is a video by zero punctation.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Ok, my mistake, but does this change the fact that the term still characterizes structural racism? Also, due to the nature of anonymity, we cannot know much about the motivations of any particular person on the internet. 4chan and alt right are exactly where you least expect them to be.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You realize that Linuxmasterrace is the parody of penguins feeling superior to other right and you fell for it by blowing it out of proportions?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm not familiar with the history of the sub, could you elaborate a bit more please?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

thats imho all there is to it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Fair enough, thanks 🙏

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This reeks of thought policing. If language doesn't contain the "bad words" you can't think about it. I for one will not support a society that strives to become doubleplus good.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Language is more than just what Orwell thought it is.

Language can be harmful to others and recreate structures, which harm others.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I wish you wouldn't use the word "harm". I find that term hateful and hurtful.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Better post this on PCMR as well, I'm sure it will be well received

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I will. I just thought Linux users had a higher moral standard.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

The name is actually poking fun at both the concept of believing in the existence of a master race and the users themselves. It's not because the creators or users of the community actually think they're the master race of OS preference.

Calm down.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Thank you OP, for your important comment! The unthinking use of Nazi vocabulary only unnecessarily reproduces their rhetoric. It's not about language policing, it's about knowledge of history, a sense of appropriateness and style of language. Unfortunately, most people here don't want to deal with this, yet it is an important part of "Never Again." Unfortunately, the U.S. is running blindly into a new fascism, and language in particular is a catalyst. It helps the fascists push the boundaries of what can be said (and maybe done).

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago

I actually agree.. the name does make me uncomfortable :I

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