Read through Riley’s interaction with metalsguy for a great object lesson in why rationality and logic (as defined by whiteness) are poor ways to engage racists and, in general, bigots.

Riley does a masterful job of using both logic and rationality to engage them, but it is ultimately futile because metalsguy’s position isn’t grounded in either logic or rationality (or, shit, facts for that matter).

The faults and issues with dichromatic thinking (either/or) occasionally get passed around. Logic, in the white/western sense, can only operate in this mode of either/or. It is a binary system of truth that only allows true and false propositions. There isn’t room for either nuance or grey areas.

However, human behaviour, interactions, morality, ethics rarely is able to fit neatly into an either/or binary system of truth, unless you make it both prescriptive and normative.

Which, is fine, I suppose if you are white and have the institutional power to enforce it.

But PoC cannot win if we operate in that system nor do we have any reason to. Especially not when there are other systems of (non-white) logic and other ideals of rationality we can be using.

White people always, always forget that they are not the only culture with a tradition of logic and disputation.

And. No. I don’t accept your frameworks for debate, argumentation, or reason.