White Privilege
- Thread starter Alex.J
- Start date
Der Lindwurm
Premium Member
Somehow, the only people I ever seem to hear discussing white privilege are.... privileged white people.
I think what people talk about when they babble idly of the evils of white privilege (while having no plans whatsoever to relinquish any of the privileges they enjoy themselves) does actually exist, but it's inaccurately named since it involves far more than just race. I would actually say it's not even primarily a matter of race and is more a matter of culture, values, and social class. Not all whites are part of the dominant cultural group in the USA (or in other countries where the situation is similar) that has always held the political power to enshrine its own values into law at the expense of other groups, and one does not necessarily have to be white to be part of this group (one might make the argument that it is necessary to at least act white by adhering to traditionally "white" values, however).
Basically, the politically and economically dominant group has created a system that rewards people for living their way and valuing the things they do, which often coincides with being born into situations where they will have the connections and resources to succeed, and often coincides with being born to well-off, educated white parents. People who are not white are less likely to be born into a situation where they have the same advantages and more likely to belong to a cultural group whose values conflict with the system, and they thus tend to be considered morally inferior, unreliable, untrustworthy, etc. because of their relative failure to prosper socially and especially materially (which shows just how profoundly the prosperity gospel has influenced American culture - it endures even as society becomes increasingly post-Christian).
I also wonder if the people who bemoan white privilege have ever stopped to think about how some of the things they hold very near and dear, like feminism and LGBT rights, would ever have come as far as they have if well-off, educated, privileged (and generally white) people, the driving force behind both, hadn't been powerful enough to push for these causes as forcefully as they did. Both causes might not have been nearly as much of a priority for minority groups.
In any case, when I hear about white privelege, I think of it more as contemporary American bourgeoisie privilege.
>_>
My sincerest apologies if I wasn't supposed to take this seriously and was supposed do things like ask Sandman about his summer home in the Hamptons instead.
I think what people talk about when they babble idly of the evils of white privilege (while having no plans whatsoever to relinquish any of the privileges they enjoy themselves) does actually exist, but it's inaccurately named since it involves far more than just race. I would actually say it's not even primarily a matter of race and is more a matter of culture, values, and social class. Not all whites are part of the dominant cultural group in the USA (or in other countries where the situation is similar) that has always held the political power to enshrine its own values into law at the expense of other groups, and one does not necessarily have to be white to be part of this group (one might make the argument that it is necessary to at least act white by adhering to traditionally "white" values, however).
Basically, the politically and economically dominant group has created a system that rewards people for living their way and valuing the things they do, which often coincides with being born into situations where they will have the connections and resources to succeed, and often coincides with being born to well-off, educated white parents. People who are not white are less likely to be born into a situation where they have the same advantages and more likely to belong to a cultural group whose values conflict with the system, and they thus tend to be considered morally inferior, unreliable, untrustworthy, etc. because of their relative failure to prosper socially and especially materially (which shows just how profoundly the prosperity gospel has influenced American culture - it endures even as society becomes increasingly post-Christian).
I also wonder if the people who bemoan white privilege have ever stopped to think about how some of the things they hold very near and dear, like feminism and LGBT rights, would ever have come as far as they have if well-off, educated, privileged (and generally white) people, the driving force behind both, hadn't been powerful enough to push for these causes as forcefully as they did. Both causes might not have been nearly as much of a priority for minority groups.
In any case, when I hear about white privelege, I think of it more as contemporary American bourgeoisie privilege.
>_>
My sincerest apologies if I wasn't supposed to take this seriously and was supposed do things like ask Sandman about his summer home in the Hamptons instead.
Last edited:
CaptainHook
[05] Battler
I believe privilege has far more to do with money and social status than it does race, although race does play a part. Example: Obama had far more privilege than I did growing up, being able to attend elite colleges and whatnot.
And conversely, poor white trash isn't exactly doing that well financially.
The solution, IMO, lies not in government measures but in the perception of the minds of the people. We need to raise a new generation of people that actually does give everyone the benefit of doubt, whatever color they are. Though of course such a thing is easier said than done. The past 5 decades in America since Martin Luther King have seen an attempt to change the hearts and minds of the people with 'diversity' acceptance programs.
I think people's perception of race in general is changing, but it's happening much slower than we want it too. I've seen first hand how police officers make assumptions about race and mistreat black people.
That being said, affirmative action needs to be canned. A black person with a lower GPA can be accepted into an elite school than what a white person is required to have. This is unfair for both parties. Hard working white's get denied, slacking blacks get accepted and leaves the black person with a 2.5 GPA pretty unprepared for not only the better college, but also in the real job world.
Though I have to be completely honest here about my own prejudices. When I see a person (black or white) dressed like a wannabe gangster, talk in incomprehensible ebonics, and walk around with a huge chip on their shoulder, it's like my mind automatically puts them in my mental trash bin and I pretty much stop listening. It just so happens that more of these types of people happen to be black than white. This is all about culture. If you were raised around certain types of people, you're going to end up that way (mostly).
The biggest reason why blacks don't achieve as much as whites goes all the way back to slavery. After a few generations of systematic slavery, it became a self-perpetuating self fulfilling prophecy of an underclass culture IE Black culture. Enslaving any group of people leads to the destruction of their intellect. I hate to be devils advocate here but it's true. Once the ball starts rolling, it creates generation after generation of stupidity and ignorance.
It doesn't stop until desperate measures are put in place, which is what affirmative action tried to do, but failed IMO.
We need something better than affirmative action, we need people to become more accepting of people who are different in general.
And conversely, poor white trash isn't exactly doing that well financially.
The solution, IMO, lies not in government measures but in the perception of the minds of the people. We need to raise a new generation of people that actually does give everyone the benefit of doubt, whatever color they are. Though of course such a thing is easier said than done. The past 5 decades in America since Martin Luther King have seen an attempt to change the hearts and minds of the people with 'diversity' acceptance programs.
I think people's perception of race in general is changing, but it's happening much slower than we want it too. I've seen first hand how police officers make assumptions about race and mistreat black people.
That being said, affirmative action needs to be canned. A black person with a lower GPA can be accepted into an elite school than what a white person is required to have. This is unfair for both parties. Hard working white's get denied, slacking blacks get accepted and leaves the black person with a 2.5 GPA pretty unprepared for not only the better college, but also in the real job world.
Though I have to be completely honest here about my own prejudices. When I see a person (black or white) dressed like a wannabe gangster, talk in incomprehensible ebonics, and walk around with a huge chip on their shoulder, it's like my mind automatically puts them in my mental trash bin and I pretty much stop listening. It just so happens that more of these types of people happen to be black than white. This is all about culture. If you were raised around certain types of people, you're going to end up that way (mostly).
The biggest reason why blacks don't achieve as much as whites goes all the way back to slavery. After a few generations of systematic slavery, it became a self-perpetuating self fulfilling prophecy of an underclass culture IE Black culture. Enslaving any group of people leads to the destruction of their intellect. I hate to be devils advocate here but it's true. Once the ball starts rolling, it creates generation after generation of stupidity and ignorance.
It doesn't stop until desperate measures are put in place, which is what affirmative action tried to do, but failed IMO.
We need something better than affirmative action, we need people to become more accepting of people who are different in general.
fukou_da_man
[11] Champion
Lol did you just call every black guy since slavery stupid?
