M.Ted - That is correct. Political parties and our modern election process are a similar divide and conquer tactic. Even the presently fashionable forms of anti-racist rhetoric (as well as the pro-racist garbage) that we are constantly exposed to in the entertainment media, and which frequently exacerbates the current racial divisions in society is a similar divide and conquer tactic...because it causes more fear and paranoia, additonal hatred, and extreme polarization of different groups against each other, and it ends up driving those groups farther apart than ever.

The O.J. Simpson trial was a classic case of that, an utter travesty of racist knee-jerk nonsense, posing as anti-racism, and overturning justice and sanity in the process.

The only leaders I've seen who have thrown much useful light on the matter are some spiritual teachers (like Gandhi, for example, or Jesus, or Buddha) who played no favourites, encouraged no "victim" psychology in people, and meet everyone on a completely level basis.

You either see the whole human race as one united family, and refuse to be sucked into playing favorites, or you contribute to the problem.

Moving back to the origins of this thread, I have had some friends who were either moderate or extreme bigots at one time or another. They were not bigoted because they were bad people, but rather because they were working with partial information, or faulty information. They got that information (or didn't get it) from: their parents, their peer group, the media, books, and various life experiences along the way.

It didn't necessarily stop me from being friends with them, as long as it wasn't the only thing they ever talked about. If someone is a 24-hour bigot, I will avoid him, because that is just too abrasive for me. If he is a mostly okay person, who occasionally shows a bigoted side over some issue...well, I can live with that.

If I was already "perfect", of course...or thought I was...then maybe I couldn't...

The world can get pretty narrow when one is perfect.

- LH