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Google adds "Black-owned" business attribute to local listings

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Re: Google adds "Black-owned" business attribute to local listings

#71

I’d suggest most of you read this as a longer form examination of policies like this: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_to_Be_an_Antiracist Rather than trying to make tired points in 140 characters.

Most of us understand the "anti-racist" philosophy. We just don't agree with it. BTW, it's the height of passive aggressiveness to use this rhetorical trick of naming things (antifa, anti-racist) in such a way that you use the very name to shame people. I mean, meet my new group: the anti-evil collective. What's that? You're don't agree with us? Well, you're against evil, aren't you? Are you some kind of a demon, or…

I have recently begun calling self-described "anti-s" co-s. Co-racists are almost exactly the same as racists, just with slightly different vocabulary that depends on the existence of classic racists. Co-facists are essentially the same thing (any outgroup must be oppressed and overcome at all costs, is simultaneously weak and super-powerful, etc). Marxist regimes are almost always co-capitalist and co-imperialist (such as the largest explicitly Marxist regime today).

The idea is that the relationship between and "co-" is sort of like "domain/codomain," "sine/cosine," "product/co-product," "vector/co-vector," etc. in math, or "dependency/co-dependency" in psychology. "Co-" cannot exist without , but behaves almost exactly the same.

Re: Google adds "Black-owned" business attribute to local listings

#72
post #57

So Google went accidentally racist again? Because the moment you treat someone different because of things like skin color it's racist, you know. Doesn't matter if it's a preferred or discriminatory treatment because any preferable treatment for one group of people based on race is a discrimination against all other.

Your definition of racism is incorrect. Racism is a hierarchical caste system based on a pseudo-scientific classification of people into races. The dominant form of racism, invented in Europe and exported all over the world via colonization and slavery, is built on the concept of a biologically superior "white" race. This form of racism, also known as white supremacy, is deeply embedded in the societies and instituti…

> And the injustice they continue to endure in the United States today

It appears that despite institutionalized injustice towards African Americans they manage to be better off than Black people anywhere else. How does that happen?

> In the United States specifically, Black people are in a special position, because their very existence as a group is the result of colonization and slavery.

How's that different from Brazil, Haiti or other countries outside of Africa, and what have they done better than the white supremacist US of A?

> if the US finance system won't invest in Black businesses, is for Black people to "invest in themselves", so to speak, by choosing to buy from Back-owned businesses whenever possible

That doesn't make any sense.

Prices are the same for everyone, but if Black businesses are underinvested equity-wise (I don't believe that, but let's assume your claim is correct) and African Americans have any money to spare, it makes more sense to buy shares in Black-owned businesses than for example FAANGs, because that's where you can get extra profit.

It also doesn't make sense for Black consumers to buy from Black businesses just because they're Black-owned. The same logic applies to "Buy Local". You won't be better off economically if you decide based on personal politics (as we know from Free Market economists, free market makes the consumer pay for racist preferences, whether affirmative or negative.)

> So this is primarily about helping Black people support each other, in the absence of US institutions not supporting them appropriately.

The government isn't supposed to support anyone, whether it's Blacks or Wall Street banks. Its role is to protect citizens' constitutional rights.

Re: Google adds "Black-owned" business attribute to local listings

#73
post #70
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By that logic, if they saw a surge of interest in white-owned businesses, it would be justified adding a “white-owned business” label. I think we can say “segregating people based on skin color is wrong in principle,” or “segregating people is acceptable if it benefits those who are disadvantaged,” but I don’t see segregating races based on search interest as a reasonable policy.

“Segregation” means “forced separation,” but you seem to be using it to mean “recognizition of any distinction.”

No, not necessarily.

Neither the dictionary on my desk nor Wikipedia define the term as requiring force.

Re: Google adds "Black-owned" business attribute to local listings

#74

In contrast to most of the comments here, I like this. Earlier this year, I watched the first episode of Trigger Warning with Killer Mike (Netflix). In this episode he tried to spend a few days putting money only into black-owned businesses... It was a hard experience for him, and since then I have tried to be conscious of where my money goes, and if I have the option of selecting a black owned business intend to do…

So, you're saying you're intentionally prioritizing businesses based on the owner's race. By doing so, you're making a statement, that the race of the owners is an important variable since it leads to a different economic outcome. You're denying ecomomic opportunities to other businesses based on their owner's race.

Congratulations, you're perpetuating racism.

Re: Google adds "Black-owned" business attribute to local listings

#75
I’m fully in support of surfacing attributes about groups who are systemically discriminated against (African American, women, LGBTQ, etc.). I also appreciate knowing that some business is local, supporting the poor and those not privileged to have a decent education, the disabled, etc.

But considering how most of the world has turned strongly and violently right wing in the last few years, I’m also concerned about targeted attacks against such places in the light of this information. Yeah, if you won’t visit a place dominated by businesses owned or run by African Americans because of this fact alone, that’s problematic in itself. But if you’re against these groups and want to cause harm, now Google has made it easier for you to find them or inform people who think similarly in other places where they should target.

I don’t know if this move is beneficial or harmful overall at this point in time. I wish this had been done more than a decade ago though.

Re: Google adds "Black-owned" business attribute to local listings

#76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the whole point is for us to fight amongst ourselves and to sow division.

I don't see how Google adding a black-owned business label might encourage a previously non-racist person to now want to 'fight' black people or feel ill will towards black people.

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Re: Google adds "Black-owned" business attribute to local listings

#77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Other races" don't get special labels on their businesses. Putting tags like "Women Owned" de-legitimizes the owner. It makes women owned business seem stigmatized, as if it's unusual or especially notable. It strips them of their dignity.

And white men don't get affirmative action. And how come there's no White History Month? (sarcasm)

Your (sarcasm) explains everything what's wrong with this whole situation. The BLM movement doesn't want equality; they already got that. They want superiority.

Re: Google adds "Black-owned" business attribute to local listings

#78
post #60

I'm seeing many comments calling this initiative "racist", or at least going against the principles of all people being equal, etc. This is incorrect! Racism is a hierarchical caste system based on a pseudo-scientific classification of people into races. The dominant form of racism, invented in Europe and exported all over the world via colonization and slavery, is built on the concept of a biologically superior "whi…

> The dominant form of racism, invented in Europe and exported all over the world via colonization and slavery, is built on the concept of a biologically superior "white" race.

That sounds like bullshit honestly. I haven't seen any evidence that white people specifically have "invented" racism instead of being a position of power for the most part. There's plenty of evidence that racism existed throughout the history in all parts of the worlds and all the races are susceptible to it, it's just white ppl historically ended up being on top for the most part.

To suggest that non-white people are somehow different and could not have possibly be racist or "invent" racism is to deny human nature and perpetuate the myth that the color of your skin makes you special albeit in a negative way in this case, and therefore is racist.

> In the United States specifically, Black people are in a special position, because their very existence as a group is the result of colonization and slavery. Their existence is a physical reminder of the racist origins of the US. And the injustice they continue to endure in the United States today - including of course police violence, but also housing discrimination, discrimination in the workplace, excessive incarceration, restricted voting rights, restricted access to healthcare and education, etc. - are a reminder of the fact that racism is still, today, deeply embedded in US institutions.

I like how readily every measurable statistically significant difference between races is readily attributed to racism without any attempt to explore multiple other possible explanations. Sure, the only possibly reason that the racial minority that that has been historically economically disadvantaged and repressed from advancing over generations has been poorer educated, engaged in more crime and less economically involved today would be racism.

Re: Google adds "Black-owned" business attribute to local listings

#79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you clarify what "elevating" looks like from your perspective? And considering how many immigrants there starting out with literally nothing (one example) how we should pick one race to help but not all terribly disadvantaged people?

America knew exactly how to target Black people with legalized racism during slavery, Jim Crow, redlining, etc. All we have to do now is the exact same targeting, but in a positive direction to correct the centuries of economic warfare and legalized racism that was targeted against Black America. None of this means that no other disadvantaged groups don't have a case either.

"Targeting in a positive direction." My sides.

Re: Google adds "Black-owned" business attribute to local listings

#80

"Anti-racist" strategies bewilder me. Am I now supposed to consider the skin color of the business owner before shopping there? Because I thought making business decisions based on skin color was racist.

> Am I now supposed to consider the skin color of the business owner before shopping there? Yes! You’re getting it!

Why though? Wouldn't that be racist?
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