The Best Explanation of White Privilege?

[xbuzzerx]

To expect white people to do something about racism is absolutely fair, as we must expect all people to fight it. But to expect white people to do something about this illusory white privilege is to ask another drowning man to hold still so you can climb out of the water on his shoulders. It's laughable, and it just will never work.

White privilege is not 'illusory' and despite the semantic response you made to several people telling you some examples of what it is in society, it does exist. Whether it's higher convictions, harsher sentences for the same crimes, to people devaluing a neighborhood or housing values on vague bases of "it's dangerous.." from the skin color of the people living there, to whatever else. These things happen. If you personally are uncomfortable with the term 'white privilege' that's beside the point.

 

[ixthrock]

it's just like the people outthere that are privileged to be straight. that's another way of looking at it.

...and they are privileged to be straight, in comparison to...what, exactly? My miserable, second-class gay as hell ass? Fuck Gay Pride! I'ma celebrate Gay Dejectedness! 'cause it's just unfair. Why oh why could I not have been born straight, so I could access that privilege?

It wasn't so much important that Nietzsche said "God is dead," but that he looked at a couple of options for handling this depressing news. One was wallowing in misery, another was - moving on, finding something new to inspire, to 'replace' god.

not that i've read much, just regurgitating discussions from philosophy 101

Slavery is an ugly part of our american history.

History is the past as seen through the eyes of the present (putting aside, for now, discussions about how publishing houses for history textbooks get swallowed up into conglomerate mega-corporations)

Let's not lose track, however, that we are living history. Time marches on, and our behavior will be evaluated and re-evaluated. Gay people still cannot have recognized marriages in all states - including my own. Another hurdle to cross; how will the history bools of the future record it? I was thrust into the vanguard of civil rights activism when I got fired for being a homo in '91 by a national chain; I was a part of history. It's not fair that in the fifties we had to look for sex in public toilets, in secret. Straight guys will never know what that's like - oops, waitaminnit, nvm, haha. They're still IN those fucking toilets. Making their OWN history (as it were).

"straight privilege" - it's an institution. it's just history.

so is today.

 

[franklinP]

We all know that racial discrimination exist all over the world. White privilege simply means these people are treated well ( americans or canadians for example) compared to those who are having brown or black skins ( asian, africans for example or any race belonging to third world coutries)

 

[MisterMajestic]

I don't have a white parent, can you show me some receipts as to where I said that? I must have been on something. .

Maybe 3 or 4yrs ago you talked about your Parents in one of the many tired-throw-away Race threads in this forum. You never said one was Black or White and you didnt say they were both Black. You talked about your own skin color, I thought one of your parents had to be White.

I should have asked you to go into details about your Parents like you just did instead of assuming...

 

[bankside]

We all know that racial discrimination exist all over the world. White privilege simply means these people are treated well ( americans or canadians for example) compared to those who are having brown or black skins ( asian, africans for example or any race belonging to third world coutries)

So the half of Toronto that is not white, they have white privilege because they are Canadian? Or they are not Canadian?

 

[Rolyo85]

So the half of Toronto that is not white, they have white privilege because they are Canadian? Or they are not Canadian?

= trolling

 

[bankside]

The assumption that a Canadian is white or that white Canadians are the "real Canadians," or "you know what I mean nudge nudge wink wink... You know...not immigrants...Canadians" are just ways to marginalise my fellow citizens, to whom I feel a certain responsibility. I say we have an inclusive society. We do. I am responsible to stand up for it when people's assumptions get the better of them. To challenge those assumtions with a satirical barb is not trolling.

 

[xbuzzerx]

So the half of Toronto that is not white, they have white privilege because they are Canadian? Or they are not Canadian?

The assumption that a Canadian is white or that white Canadians are the "real Canadians," or "you know what I mean nudge nudge wink wink... You know...not immigrants...Canadians" are just ways to marginalise my fellow citizens, to whom I feel a certain responsibility. I say we have an inclusive society. We do. I am responsible to stand up for it when people's assumptions get the better of them. To challenge those assumtions with a satirical barb is not trolling.

Bankside unfortunately for you I have been to Canada, as the guest of white Canadians, and I heard how many of them spoke about your Native population. I would say in general it sounded as bad or worse than you typically heard people here speak about Mexicans 15 or 20 or so years ago, back during the height of things like Prop 187 and anti-immigrant sentiment. It has always been thus far a pleasant surprise to me that the Canadians on JUB seem to be an inordinately worldly, metropolitan bunch who largely don't share the sort of prejudices that I personally found to be fairly widespread and common when I visited Canada.

What white privilege is in your society is that people don't look at you and assume you're a criminal, a panhandler, or live off social services or government welfare to your tribe due to your American Indian appearance.

 

[blackbeltninja]

That's actually incorrect, since whatever position the white Americans were born into, if they were born in America, it IS the result of slave labor.

I don't like it when some people here cry racism for bullshit, but historic revisionism is not sexy.

Well... how far back do you go? Slavery existed globally for millenia, from BC times through the AD1800s, in most major civilisations.

Extrapolating thus, we're almost ALL benefiting from slave labour.

-d-

 

[bankside]

Well... how far back do you go? Slavery existed globally for millenia, from BC times through the AD1800s, in most major civilisations.

Extrapolating thus, we're almost ALL benefiting from slave labour.

-d-

Well that was my point. Slavery is long gone. The descendants of dead slave owners and the descendants of dead slaves all have inherited the country that slavery built.

Where racism continues to exist, we all share an obligation to fight it as human beings, regardless of colour; there is no special obligation to fight racism based on the colour of someone's dead ancestors.

And "equality" and "the full enjoyment of one's citizenship" are not, and must not, ever be construed as privileges. It is philosophically and politically a very poor idea, that would only perpetuate, or even introduce, inequality.

 

[kayman23]

You are missing the point that walking around a park minding your own business is not a privilege, it is a right. If white people experience a happy day at the park, that is not privilege, that is normal. If an ethnic minority person is harassed by racist police, we would not fix the problem by removing white "privilege" and harassing the white people too. Privilege is an empty concept. An intellectual dead end. And it is itself a racist idea.

There you go, proving without a doubt you are a pseudo-intellectual. Nobody would that be ignorant of socioeconomic realities and facts and make such an indiscernible statement.

Of course, the only exception is if you have an agenda... *cough*

 

[bankside]

It is a little boring to have people question my motives when they have nothing to bring against my ideas. But sure, I'll bite. My motives are to support effective campaigns against racism, and to promote equality. When I see an idea that misses the target or even makes things worse, I call it.

 

[kayman23]

I don't have a white parent, can you show me some receipts as to where I said that? I must have been on something.

I'm not breaking down my lineage but both my parents are mixed, Mom's father is from Ireland, Dad's mother is Native American.


However both of them have a parent that is 100% black which in America makes them black. To America, the census, the general public, I have two black parents. I am black. Neither of them were afforded white privilege. I think you know that.



Now lets not derail too much here.

DigitalFudge, girl. I smell an agenda at work by some members on here trying to go there while trying to derail your thread.

Let me put on my rose-colored shades and start reading this hoes...

 

[kayman23]

It is a little boring to have people question my motives when they have nothing to bring against my ideas. But sure, I'll bite. My motives are to support effective campaigns against racism, and to promote equality. When I see an idea that misses the target or even makes things worse, I call it.

I can sum it up quite simply to you.

You are trying to pretend like white privilege is a non-factor in our everyday lives. I see your ass...

There, is that simple enough for you...?

 

[bankside]

Ahh. Yes, half sentences and gif bombing with gifs that are "sassy."

Yes, you've changed my mind with the power of your argument. I see now.

 

[Rolyo85]

Well... how far back do you go? Slavery existed globally for millenia, from BC times through the AD1800s, in most major civilisations.

Extrapolating thus, we're almost ALL benefiting from slave labour.

-d-

Correct. All the western civilization is a result of slave labor and the exploitation of less developed cultures. Not saying it to accuse anyone of anything, as a wait guy I've benefited as much as anyone else. But it's a fact.

 

[xbuzzerx]

Well that was my point. Slavery is long gone. The descendants of dead slave owners and the descendants of dead slaves all have inherited the country that slavery built.

Where racism continues to exist, we all share an obligation to fight it as human beings, regardless of colour; there is no special obligation to fight racism based on the colour of someone's dead ancestors.

And "equality" and "the full enjoyment of one's citizenship" are not, and must not, ever be construed as privileges. It is philosophically and politically a very poor idea, that would only perpetuate, or even introduce, inequality.

It is a little boring to have people question my motives when they have nothing to bring against my ideas. But sure, I'll bite. My motives are to support effective campaigns against racism, and to promote equality. When I see an idea that misses the target or even makes things worse, I call it.

Actually you're off on some separate discussion with yourself about anally tracing whether or not people directly are connected to someone who owned slaves or whatever else.

I've given you multiple examples of how white privilege in white socities goes way beyond that and you're just sitting there saying "no one can bring anything to my points." As far as I'm concerned your point is a semantic one, you're saying white privilege doesn't exist, only racism does. THe fact that racism exists in white societies in such a way that nonwhites experience it in many ways and degrees whites never will is precisely what the term white privilege means.

 

[Benvolio]

Any benefit from slavery was burned up in the Civil War, and more than compensated by the subsequent welfare, crime, affirmative action, food stamps, housing, child care, scholarships, etc, etc.
African Americans do have a legitimate complaint about the flood of immigrants pushing them aside. But the slavery card is about milked dry. No one alive or his parents have ever been a slave or owned one. Not sure if there are any grand children of slaves living. Three of my great grand fathers and six of their brothers fought to end slavery but none of our family ever owned one. 400,000 norther soldiers died to end it.
Attempts to make living Americans feel guilt or debt to African Americans falls on deaf ears for good reason.

 

[kayman23]

Ahh. Yes, half sentences and gif bombing with gifs that are "sassy."

Yes, you've changed my mind with the power of your argument. I see now.

You must have me confused with someone else whom cannot debate because I can and have. I have proven my point plenty of times even against you...

Nevertheless, if I wanted to convince you then my approach would be much different, but it is not

Let me reiterate myself, I don't give a flying fuck about your opinion because you cannot defend it rather create a non sequitur about some bullshit. Let's look at your omission of white privilege's existence. Then your trite, "but if we harrass white people too then it wouldn't make the world a better place". Your opinion is as pointless to this discussion as another hole in a human being's head.

So carry on because if you care to counter my claims then I will be entertained, but in the meanwhile...

Many people on this site like yourself want to pretend like white privilege doesn't exist....

 

[bankside]

Correct. All the [STRIKE]western[/STRIKE] civilization is a result of slave labor and the exploitation of less developed cultures which have traded places every few centuries since before humans could walk upright, in an incredible tangle of injustice and despair lived through by everyone's shared ancestors. Not saying it to accuse anyone of anything, as a wait guy I've benefited as much as literally anyone else. But it's a fact.

Correction.