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Thoughts on White Privilege

NatMorton

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A "white privilege" post on the UK got me thinking about it here in the US. Putting aside whether "white privilege" as defined by the social justice warriors is a real construct, it must be said that politically, it's a really bad tactic.

First off, "privilege" smacks of the "you didn't build this" meme we also heard from the likes of Sen. Warren. A tip, if you're trying to win over people who believe they've had to work for what they have (and most folks do feel this way), don't start off by telling them that their effort has been an illusion and imply all was accomplished with the ease that only special privilege can bestow.

Second, it is critically important for any political message to hit its target audience. Think about this: who is going to be convinced and change their attitude as a result of a good "white privilege" scolding? I'm sure the WP line sells well among the self-styled cultural elites who live in places like Boston or NYC's upper east side, but these are not the people voting for candidates like Trump. They're already voting for the kinds of candidates social justice zealots favor, so the hectoring on them is wasted.

So how about the Trump voters? Let's look at his base. Do you think the one-time factory foreman in the Rust Belt who's now working two part-time, low skill jobs for less money is feeling particularly "privileged" about his skin color? Or maybe the middle class parents whose kid has the wrong skin color for the minority set-aside scholarship and thus must go to a less expensive, less prestigious college, are feeling like they're catching a ride on white coattails? Tell these folks they're "privileged" and I suspect their first reaction would be "up yours." Again, not a winning strategy.

No, I think the "white privilege" campaign isn't about winning hearts and minds but instead serves a very different purpose. It's the same purpose that drives much of progressive policy making. That purpose is to make those who advocate for social justice feel good about themselves, More importantly, to feel superior to those who do not think as they do. Stripped of its euphemisms and social justice jargon, the white privilege argument goes like this "I believe in white privilege. I am enlightened. You do not, so you must be a racist. I am therefore better than you."

Meanwhile, the factors that, you know, actually drive poverty regardless of race -- out-of-wedlock births, low high school graduation rates -- continue to plague the African American community more severely than any other demographic with all too predictable results. Maybe, just maybe, we'd be better focusing on the problems we know exist and that we know will, if addressed, improve the lives of our fellow citizens and then see where we are on "privilege."
 
White Privilege is always a difficult subject. There are a lot of people that don't understand what it refers to or how to combat it. Some people just get angry at the thought and refuse to consider many of the implications.
 
Can you share how you define the term @NatMorton ? TIA
 
White privilege is real, so I can't blame people for wanting to talk about it.

As an approach to winning people over, talking about the underprivilege of various groups might be a more effective tactic, even if it largely comes down to the same thing as white privilege. It's useful to remind folk that the point is to help the disadvantaged, not to make things worse for anyone.
 
I don't see how you can deny colorism and by light skinned people being seen as "better" it naturally gives them an advantage. For centuries in this country the whole system and society favored white people and it's not just something that fades away because other people had to literally fight for their right to belong and finally somewhat won. Yes, those middle-class white parents might feel less than privileged because their kids can't get "minority" scholarships but perhaps they should motivate their child to look for other opportunities and still prestigious colleges and not become resentful and teach that child a victim mentality.
 
You can stop whining about how white privilege isn't real when you give back the monetary value taken from Indigenous Americans and Black Americans by white people in a white supremacist nation.
 

Parrish said:
Can you share how you define the term @NatMorton ? TIA
Click to expand...

According to the NatMorton's of the world, the only possible victims of racism are white people, the only possible victims of religious hatred faux Christians, and the only possible victims of sexism men.

So chances are you get one of his dumbass MAGA bumper stickers about it, except draped as always in a lazily obvious pseudo-intellectual guise.
 
I am white. Never had to feel privileged. Never had to make excuses for my own failures because there weren't any. I certainly don't have to post threads bemoaning what someone said about my whiteness. When people are very insecure about who they are, they find ways of placing blame elsewhere, oh look................ it's "those" folks fault I feel insecure in my white skin. Must be them DEIs, them progressives, them libruls, them feminists, them Globalists.

I mean, come on! Seriously? This is how some people live their lives? Constantly moaning and whining about what they see is a disadvantage to themselves and an advantage for others? But as long as there are insecure white males, there will always be bleating about what "those" folks are getting that I am not getting.

NOW I regret even posting my rebuttal, because I am about to be bombarded with a lot of ............... what do you know? You are Canadian, mind your own business. You must be woke. You are one of those..................... fill in the blanks. Because when THEY hear something that goes against their simple-minded logic, they resort to deflections, whataboutisms, name-calling, and snide remarks.

Watch for them, they are a-comin'
 
People like to pretend that they are heroes of their own story, at least in US culture.
 
'White privilege' doesn't really exist per-se. It's really an artifact of logic. Just like you can't have good unless you have evil. White privilege is the antithesis of races that have been discriminated such as Blacks and Hispanics. So since white privilege doesn't really exist it's very difficult to quantify and to logically frame a scenario around.
 
I lived in the South during the 60's and can tell you there certainly was open white privilege then and now there still is but better hidden. First I am white and went to a segregated school and saw black schools and there was no sperate but equal. When my father retired from the military and moved North, I found there was still segregation, but just better hidden. When we first moved up here I would hear things like, did you know there are blacks moving into town like it was the beginning of the end. Things since the sixties have gotten better, but if you try and tell yourself that there is no longer white privilege, you are only fooling yourself.
 
Parrish said:
Can you share how you define the term @NatMorton ? TIA
Click to expand...

In this context I'm not the one defining it. Here's one from Google search, and I think it's consistent with how most social justice warriors would define it:

White privilege refers to the unearned advantages and benefits that white people receive in a society built upon a foundation of racial inequality. These advantages can be subtle or overt, and they often operate outside of conscious awareness.
Click to expand...

... if you think there's a better definition, let me know what you think it is.
 
Mr Person said:
According to the NatMorton's of the world, the only possible victims of racism are white people, the only possible victims of religious hatred faux Christians, and the only possible victims of sexism men.
Click to expand...
You're lying.
 
Don't tell me, I was mocking rightwing thinking with my comment. I know exactly how THEY think.
 
NatMorton said:
In this context I'm not the one defining it. Here's one from Google search, and I think it's consistent with how most social justice warriors would define it:



... if you think there's a better definition, let me know what you think it is.
Click to expand...
Your thread. You define and defend your post.
NatMorton said:
In this context I'm not the one defining it. Here's one from Google search, and I think it's consistent with how most social justice warriors would define it:



... if you think there's a better definition, let me know what you think it is.
Click to expand...
I didn't ask how "most social justice warriors would define it." I asked how you would as your feathers seemed to be a bit ruffled.
Just an aside, as it is Holy Week, @NatMorton, Jesus was the original "social justice warrior" and for that he was murdered.
 
SNOWFLAKE said:
I am white. Never had to feel privileged. Never had to make excuses for my own failures because there weren't any. I certainly don't have to post threads bemoaning what someone said about my whiteness.
Click to expand...

What about your successes? As a white Canadian, you only have what you have because of white supremacy. Canada wouldn't be a nation without it.
 
Parrish said:
Your thread. You define and defend your post.
Click to expand...
Um, I just gave you a definition. You can either accept it or not. And if you read the OP (carefully, this time), you'd come to see it's not about my definition.

See above, and to me, your opinions on Jesus mean only slightly less than does Jesus himself.
 
How tell people you're triggered without telling them you're triggered.
 
Are you just looking to discuss how the ideal of "white privilege" affects those using it in their campaigns?
 
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