What Makes a Nation "Racist"?

[Thunder]

What classifies a nation as being "racist" or "discriminatory"?

One might say that simply having a lot of racist people in your nation doesn't make the state a racist state...but having actual laws on the books that specifically discriminate against one specific group or provide special treatment to one group over another, makes a state "racist".

The State of Israel, for example, has laws that give special treatment to Jewish citizens over non-Jewish citizens. Saudi Arabia I believe does not allow the building of synagogues or Jews to be citizens of the nation. Are these nations therefore "racist"? I would say so.

And yes, I know that discriminating against a religion and not a race isn't exactly racist, but until someone comes up with a good word for prejudice based on religion, racism is the best word to use.

[DanishDynamite]

Who cares?

Who exactly finds it of interest to establish a scheme of classification whereby one can judge a nation as "racist" or "not racist"?

[CplFerro]

Being white.

[Damien Evans]

This does: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_Restriction_Act_1901

Also known as the White Australia Policy

[CplFerro]

Yes, the Aussies really dropped the ball on that one. Ironic for such a sports-minded country.

[Beerina]

Many European nations, "blessedly" homogenous, look down their noses at the US. Yet when there's too many Turks, Jews, Muslims, look the hell out!

[JJM 777]

until someone comes up with a good word for prejudice based on religion, racism is the best word to use.
"Racism" would be a most misleading word for anything else than racial discrimination.

religious discrimination = inequal treatment of people, based on their religion

religious segregation = equal treatment of people, who have been grouped according to religion, e.g. because these expect different traditions, different weekly day of rest (Friday-Sabbath-Sunday) etc.

racial (or ethnic) discrimination = "racism" = inequal treatment of people, based on their race (or ethnicity)

racial segregation = equal treatment of people, who have been grouped according to race (or ethnicity), e.g. because these expect culturally or linguistically different services etc.

[firecoins]

any country that holds events that include races. Any country that holds the olympics or trials for olympic teams are racist.

[billydkid]

What classifies a nation as being "racist" or "discriminatory"?

One might say that simply having a lot of racist people in your nation doesn't make the state a racist state...but having actual laws on the books that specifically discriminate against one specific group or provide special treatment to one group over another, makes a state "racist".

The State of Israel, for example, has laws that give special treatment to Jewish citizens over non-Jewish citizens. Saudi Arabia I believe does not allow the building of synagogues or Jews to be citizens of the nation. Are these nations therefore "racist"? I would say so.

And yes, I know that discriminating against a religion and not a race isn't exactly racist, but until someone comes up with a good word for prejudice based on religion, racism is the best word to use. Good God, don't bring this up. I got skewered for asking (because I really did not know) if non-Jews had the same citizen rights as Jews in Israel. I still don't know the answer. And I still hold that any just nation gives all its citizens the same rights and does not determine eligibility for citizenship based on religion or ethnicity.