[Dragaera] Does house discrimination=racism?

[Howard Brazee]

Scott wrote:

>I'd agree that "racism" between Houses doesn't fall under what we'd
>ordinarily consider "racism" to mean in our world. (Paresh might disagree,
>though.) You might say that racisim occurs among the citizens of the Empire
>when they believe the stereotype of a House is all that there is to it and
>forget that the individuals are people with their own skills, abilities, and
>beliefs. 
>
And this occurs whether or not the perceived stereotypes have factual bases.

>There are enough examples of courageous Tekla, for instance, that
>it could be considered racist to dismiss all Tekla as useless cowards,
>despite the fact that Tekla ARE timid by nature as a general rule. The
>waters are muddied even further when social class gets mixed in with House.
>Tekla are dismissed as much because of their peasant status as because of
>their innate natures. Jhegalla are primarily merchants, a social class which
>is considered lower than bandits on the ladder of "honorable" professions.
>(The bandit is at least honest about robbing you blind.) After awhile, you
>can start getting confused about just what you're being discrminating
>about...
>  
>
In the U.K., class is much bigger than in the U.S.  - unless we broaden 
our definition of class to include Catholics or Jews or Blacks.

>Discrimination against Easterners is clearly racism, but unlike our world,
>Easterners and Dragaerans are truly separate species. We generally accept
>racism to mean "discrimination and/or hatred based upon cultural, religious
>or cosmetic differences". A Muslim, a bushman, and a WASP are all still men.
>You get past racist beliefs when you look past the differences to the
>commonality.
>  
>
So how does this exclude those of separate species?    We don't have 
"people" of separate species here, but there were times when popular 
thought was that other races were lower species.

People of separate species have different cultural, religious, or 
cosmetic differences.   But as with race, it is easy to recognize them, 
stereotype them, and discriminate against them.

>What do you do when the other race is truly someone that you have nothing in
>common with? Is it unwarranted racism  for a Dragaeran to refuse to
>acknowledge that a Serioli or a Cat-centaur is his equal or is deserving of
>the same rights, priveleges, and considerations as himself simply because
>they are both sentient beings? Especially in a semi-feudal state like the
>Dragaeran Empire where discrimination between Houses is considered the
>normal state of affairs?
>
>  
>
But we have something in common, even with our pets.

Racists usually use the same arguments you used above.

>I'd be curious to see what Morollan and company think of the Greenaireans
>and Elde Islanders in this regard.
>  
>