A "new" definition of racism that I've seen here and there.

[Lobotomy]

This might be a bit hard to explain, so bear with me.

I feel like lately I've seen the word "racist" or the idea of racism applied to something that doesn't quite fit in with what I perceive racism to be. I see this mostly on the internet among conservatives but also among some white people of all political preferences.

It's when a white person accuses a person of color of being a racist for bringing up a racial issue in which white people have an advantage. For example: I once saw an argument in which a black guy brought up the fact that most band-aids are the color of light skin, obviously suggesting that this was due to the idea of white being a "standard" in our society. The guy was then bombarded with accusations of "playing the race card", and of being a racist for insinuating that this was a racial issue at all. "They're just band-aids! You're overreacting to something stupid, so you're obsessed with race. You're a racist!"

I used to frequent a forum with a ton of dumbass neo-cons who would rant about people "playing the race card" if anyone suggested that Obama had to deal with racism.

My point is: I've always thought of racism as discrimination or prejudice against an individual or group for their race. But I see these people using "racism" to describe people simply voicing an opinion on race that they feel demonized by. Does anyone else know what I mean?

[synthesis]

Conservatives have been hijacking leftist rhetoric for decades. I don't think it's something to be particularly concerned about.

[Desperado]

This has been more and more obvious in my area. The "race-card" rhetoric is ridiculous but widespread (if there's anyone with a "race-card" it's whites). It's not a new concept - to accuse feminism, anti-racism and political correctness of being "out of control" in order to launch a new prejudicial attack against the people with truly the least power in society.

This is hidden in the rhetoric you describe. So far as races are discriminated against, denying this and dismissing discussion on it as obsessive or even "racist" is in itself supportive of racism. As leftists we should know this more than any - those that deny the existence of class emphasis or even class itself are among the strongest supporters of the class system.

[Pretty Flaco]

I know what you mean. Someone told me I was being "racist" because I said that blacks and hispanics generally make less money in the US than whites, even if they're doing the same job. But this is a fact, a statistic, a reminder that there is not racial equality in the USA.

Another (even more awful in my opinion) phrase I've heard is "You're white, why should you care?". A guy said something along the lines of this when I said that arabs were discriminated against in an argument I was having with him.

[GX.]

It's just a means used by a privileged group to exclude others from discussion, and ignore anything that conflicts with their account. What you say made me uncomfortable because I don't benefit by it, so I'm going to exercise my privilege by disregarding all of your concerns no matter how legitimate they are. See also the "you're sexist because you hate men" argument.

[JucheDPRK]

It is easier for those with the most unearned advantage to ignore the suffering they are inadvertently benefiting from then to acknowledge that they have rights and privileges that they have not toiled for.
They invent stupid pictures in their heads that poor people and minorities must be lazy and that starvation is something far away and £2 in a collection plate at church is the maximum reasonable amount one can do for those less fortunate. As for systematic and cultural racism they completely close there eyes and shudder at the thought of the media or the bosses having and perpetuating a prejudice against ethnic minorities.

[MattShizzle]

Yes, it's talk out of 1984. If you bring up that racism is a problem you get accused of being racist yourself.

[Jimmie Higgins]

This might be a bit hard to explain, so bear with me.

I feel like lately I've seen the word "racist" or the idea of racism applied to something that doesn't quite fit in with what I perceive racism to be. I see this mostly on the internet among conservatives but also among some white people of all political preferences.

It's when a white person accuses a person of color of being a racist for bringing up a racial issue in which white people have an advantage. For example: I once saw an argument in which a black guy brought up the fact that most band-aids are the color of light skin, obviously suggesting that this was due to the idea of white being a "standard" in our society. The guy was then bombarded with accusations of "playing the race card", and of being a racist for insinuating that this was a racial issue at all. "They're just band-aids! You're overreacting to something stupid, so you're obsessed with race. You're a racist!"

I used to frequent a forum with a ton of dumbass neo-cons who would rant about people "playing the race card" if anyone suggested that Obama had to deal with racism.

My point is: I've always thought of racism as discrimination or prejudice against an individual or group for their race. But I see these people using "racism" to describe people simply voicing an opinion on race that they feel demonized by. Does anyone else know what I mean?

Yes. In the big picture the right-wing in think-tanks, through right-wing radio, and even with some "academics" have been trying to create legitimacy for the idea of "reverse-racism" at least since the early 1990s. The drive to do this is to create a sense of "equivalency" in racism and to divorce the systemic racism that is used by the system to maintain the ruling class status-quo from the common concept of racism in our society.

It also serves to reinforce arguments that the US or other capitalist countries are "level playing fields" as in, waaah, black people/gays have it so much easier because they have a special "card" to play and actually this "card" disrupts the "natural" evenness of the system.

I think confusion between systemic racism and more common bigotry on the Left helps the right promote these arguments. If racism is simply people not liking any group based on race (i.e. bigotry) then the systemic racism of the prisons, hireing and wage inequality, housing inequality, education inequality, can not easily be understood or explained. Even liberals and leftists who hold this view or racism - but acknowledge the racial inequalities present in society - tend to conclude that these inequalities are the result of widespread bigotry among the population, rather than the result of ruling class divide and conquer policies. But historically, restrictive laws and segregation have come before more widespread racist ideas in society - and IMO these top-down methods are what cause more people in society to adopt racist or sexist or homophobic ideas. If racism were "natural" than why would governments pass laws against people associating or marrying people of other races - it would be automatic, like don't marry a slug - that's a "natural" prejudice that needs no legislation. This is why IMO radical ideas of anarchists and Marxists are essential for fighting rascim - not because we have any special secrets or are smarter, but just because we have a clearer view of the mechanics of the system and why oppression is always present in class-systems run by and in the interests of a powerful minority (the rich).

Anyway, complaints about people "using the race card" generally can be translated to, "sit-down and shut-up" and is an attempt to simply silence discussion or recognition of racism in our society. In activism this happens to reds and anarchists as "red-baiting" when liberals say, "you can't talk about class, this is about budget-cuts" or what not. It's an attempt to shut down certain political topics like oppression or class-society that are not acceptable to the ruling class.