system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
CMV: Racism has nothing to do with power or privilege

IMO, claiming that racism only applies to people who have power and privilege for the purpose of debate, judgement, or policy, makes very little sense. To define it as such would completely eliminate some things that are quite racist. For example (depending on the specifics of the definition beyond just p+p), the ethnic violence during the Rwandan revolution (not the genocide) couldn't be called racist on the basis that the Tutsi minority had power and privilege. To claim that the killings were not racist would be completely disrespectful.  To change my view, I ask that you prove that this definition is firstly, beneficial for discussion and secondly, the problem with the simpler "discrimination on the basis of race" that requires changing it in the first place.

To separate my view from some related posts, I'm not arguing that systemic or systematic racism does not exist. I'm also not arguing that no one(edited for clarification) has more power or privilege than others on the basis of race. Im solely arguing that power and privilege have no impact on determining if a statement is racist.
gpt
>"discrimination on the basis of race"

If this is *all* "racism" is, what's the ideology that makes it an "-ism"?

In fact, nearly all dictionaries have a primary definition similar to this:

>a belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race

The only "prejudice" that makes the cut is related to that ideology:

>also : behavior or attitudes that reflect and foster this belief : racial discrimination or prejudice

Another definition that appears in many dictionaries is similar to this:

>the systemic oppression of a racial group to the social, economic, and political advantage of another

So... why is your definition better than that used by nearly all dictionaries?

Answer: it isn't. 

Definitions aren't based on some kind of declaration from on high, logic, or etymology, they're based on *usage* by most people. 

And most people think there's more to "racism" that simple "discrimination on the basis of race". It at least must reflect a racist *ideology* of *racial superiority*. 

Otherwise you get nonsense like measuring average heights of the races being "racist". 

There are several different ways it's more than that, but if that's what you mean, just be more specific and use "racial discrimination" or "racial prejudice" and people will be more likely to know what you're talking about.