A tale of two racisms

We all agree that racism is bad, right? Especially when it's happening to us or someone we know or a black guy.

For example, on return from Cambodia Skye and I were treated to a wonderful display institutional inequality from the Chinese customs police as they picked out the only black guy in the line of maybe a thousand people to be searched. Sure, he's black, he stands out. But then I'm pale blue with non-descript (some say greenish) hair and a feral beard, I stand out too (did I mention I was wearing fisherman's pants...). Oh that's right, he's black. My mistake.

You see, I'm getting fired up about this disgraceful attitude of the Chinese customs police. I'm feeling outraged on behalf of the black guy. I was ready to smash the place up and force a new revolution in China.

It should be pointed out that the black guy didn't seemed fussed. After all, a black guy with a Nigerian passport, traveling into Beijing from Phnom Penh is just damn weird. right?

Anyway, my point is that obvious racism against the minority, the little guy, always fires us normal people up (by normal I mean non-KKK or non-Liberals party members). I know it fires me up.

Yet, when the roles are reversed, when the discrimination is against the majority, in particular against the racists, I laugh and joke and make blog posts about it!

On arriving in Phnom Penh, Skye and I bought our visas and made our way to customs. Tragically, there was a bit of queue, the two customs officers had decided to open and fully search everyones bags. Bummer! Just when we thought we would be stuck there for half an hour of so, the grumpiest of all grumpy customers officers looks down the line and makes eye contact with me, then I see a flicker of recognition on his face, and wham, I get the biggest smile in the world, gleaming teeth and sparkling eyes that only Cambodian people can muster, and of course, the waive through. No line, No Search, No problem.

We didn't know why. Was it because he thought I was David Beckham? Skye quickly and in my opinion harshly, ruled that out. No, it wasn't because of my charms and good looks, it was because we were not Chinese!

Every Chinese person had their bags opened and searched, and everyone else got the smile and waive through. I laughed and thought, suck shit, as I got into the tuk tuk.

Does that make me a bad person? maybe. I know it certainly makes me a human being with passions and emotions that at times are out of my control. I know that I favour the 'underdog' and will always side with them.

But who is the underdog? who decides who is in power and who deserves the 'suck shit' laugh and apathy when in need?

Surely all inequality is bad, regardless of the victim.

But then, what is inequality. What's the difference between racism and statistical probability?

I have met at least 6 Nigerians in Beijing. And all 6 have, at some point in the conversation, tried to sell me drugs. I have also been in lots of airports, in and outside of china, and witnessed the amazing array of weird, wonderful and often illegal objects Chinese travelers stuff into their cases.

Maybe the statistics support both groups of customs officers, but does that make it OK?