Who's responsible for solving the USA's toxic political culture and racism?

This is a question I often ask myself when I find myself in the uber-liberal technology corners of the internet and social media. I spend my time on the Fediverse, so I don’t get this from Facebook and Twitter/X (only because I rarely go there), but I assume it’s similar there.

I understand the “all white people are racist” response to racial prejudice and privilege, and there is a lot of truth to it. It is similar to the “all men are rapists” statements we were challenged with by radical feminists in the 1970s, which forced many men to challenge and reflect on our sexist behaviour and misogyny.

However, it’s clear that the English-speaking internet, news, and social media are heavily dominated by the USA and the UK to a lesser extent. Our news media buys into this, and it is hard for us to avoid. It means small countries and cultures like New Zealand are forced to respond to and cope with the issues from the USA and UK. As if we are involved in some way in creating the toxic parts of their cultures we liberals are appalled by.

It doesn’t help that there are too many white people in New Zealand who are very eager to import toxic attitudes from overseas. Transphobia, libertarian conspiracy theories, pandemic paranoia and general all-around hatred are sad examples of this. That’s not to say we don’t have plenty of local prejudice — we do, and it stinks. I have some of these weird ideas in my family, and it’s not fun.

We have a different history and social makeup here, which creates different issues to solve. When it comes to racism, the deep issues we have are largely the ones missing from the debates in the USA and UK. Namely, the consequences of us being a colonial settler culture that has never come to terms with Indigenous culture and rights. The theft of land and destruction of Indigenous Māori culture has caused immense harm, and it is a constant struggle for Māori to get justice and be accepted as having a valid voice in our society and how it runs. In fact, many of the opponent forces come from Western philosophical traditions, particularly ideas that privilege the freedom of the individual against a culture that puts the group (whānau/extended family, hapū/clan, iwi/tribe) at the centre.

Add to this the cultural superiority the local white colonial culture imposes on non-white immigrants, especially Asian and Pacifika, and we have our unique problems. Racism is racism, and many white people across the world think we are superior to non-white people. (Personally, I can’t see what’s so special about us white folks. We all have the opportunity to learn from each other and become better people as a result.)

I understand it must be shit to be the victim of the toxic online culture, whatever its source. I don’t think people immersed in the US-centric culture understand the cultural and political hegemony it imposes on the rest of the world. For example, people in New Zealand shouldn’t have to care so much about the outcome of the US presidential elections, but we are forced to because of the impact the USA has on us, and the other small countries of the world.

I spend more time than I should online as an observer of USA and UK culture and net politics yet rarely comment on it. Partly, this is because I don’t have a personal involvement in it. Who in the large and powerful countries around the world cares about what people in a small South Pacific island country think about the state of the world? Or want to hear views informed by a different history? It seems risky to raise your head with a differently informed opinion that isn’t the approved and acceptable ‘party line’ or cultural norm. I think the general absence of non-native English-speaking Europeans in online cultural debates originating in the USA is also an indication of how many of us have learnt it is safer to keep out of the way for fear of being accused of not caring, misunderstanding the true problem, or even being part of the problem.

Despite that, we’re happy to help in our own way, we can learn from your struggles, and we do have skin in the game, but can’t do it for you.