Scott Adams knew full well he was taking a stick to a hornet’s nest when he went off on a rant that many people believe was racist. But as my colleague at PJM Lincoln Brown pointed out, Adams is a satirist of the first order, and telling white people to “Get the hell away from black people” may have been intended as a humorous, over-the-top observation of the state of race relations today.
The context of the rant was a Rasmussen poll that showed only 53% of black respondents agreed with the statement “It’s OK to be white.” And while 76% think the statement “Black people can be racist, too” is true, 27% of black respondents believe it’s not true. Adams then referred to blacks as a “hate group,” and the finger-pointing morality police took over.
Scott Adams finally says the quiet part out loud.
"The best advice I can give to white people is get the hell away from Black people."
I wonder what all the newspapers that still carry Dilbert think of this?pic.twitter.com/VCC7azoJcI
— ⚖️THEE Powerful Mel Ankoly 🇺🇦 #ForThePeople (@Mel_Ankoly) February 23, 2023
The left trying to explain these attitudes away may be exactly what Adams was parodying.
JFC, this is what they are using to claim Black people hate white people.
The phrase "It's okay to be white" is racist.
I'm white and would say no to that question.https://t.co/6mPNo38kJc
— ⚖️THEE Powerful Mel Ankoly 🇺🇦 #ForThePeople (@Mel_Ankoly) February 23, 2023
If you tried to do that, you would be a moronic imbecile. When only 53% of black people agree with the statement “It’s OK to be white,” just who are the “racists”? The guilt-ridden, strutting moralist who thinks all white people are racist feels a need to show how morally superior he is to other white people and the 53% of black people who agree with him.
Related: Scott Adams Says White People Should ‘Get the Hell Away From Black People’
As for Adams, the day after his rant went viral, he offered a simple explanation.
A lot of people are angry at me today but I haven't yet heard anyone disagree. I make two main points:
1. Treat everyone as an individual (no discrimination).
2. Avoid any group that doesn't respect you.
Does anyone think that is bad advice?
— Scott Adams (@ScottAdamsSays) February 25, 2023
Treating everyone as an individual would mean the death of the Democratic Party. That’s certainly implied in the over-the-top hysteria coming from the left.
And, of course, black activists would be out of their jobs if we all treated everyone as individuals. How can you be a special pleader if you view the world through an individualistic lens rather than a racial one?
As expected, Scott Adams is going to lose some income from his syndicated “Dilbert” cartoon. In their editorial explaining why they are canceling the cartoon, the Cleveland Plain Dealer wants everyone to know that they’ve decided this isn’t part of “cancel culture.” Really. For sure. Cross our hearts and hope to die.
No, this is a decision based on the principles of this news organization and the community we serve. We are not a home for those who espouse racism. We certainly do not want to provide them with financial support.
Adams’ reprehensible statements come during Black History Month, when The Plain Dealer has been publishing stories about the work being performed by so many to overcome the damage done by racist decisions and policy.
I will only note this once: Nobody has yet explained what’s racist about Adams’s rant. We are told it’s racist. We are informed by those who determine these things that it’s racist. An internet check might find the word “racist” to be the most popular word on the net over the last 24 hours.
But why? Have we become so inured to the casual smear of the word “racist” that we just accept it as gospel when someone is accused?
The answer is, of course, no. And it’s now gotten to the point where the left doesn’t have to explain using the smear on an enemy. It’s become a code word for “attack,” and regardless of what was said, how it was said, or in what context it was said, the smear is applied by the lock-step left-wing knowing they can do it with impunity.
All charges of “racism” are not bogus. That’s why it behooves those who look to employ the term as a political attack to be cognizant of the need to be absolutely clear about why something is “racist.” Simply using the term as an attack word can no longer suffice.
Unless you believe context and clarity are themselves racist, in which case you are hopeless.
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