PRESIDENT TRUMP

Yeah, I'm with SnowOwl on this one about that story. Even back then there were people who didn't treat black people that way when they had the power. It's almost like there exist decent people even in the worst parts of history or something. Just assuming that this was an issue to the old guy is pretty presumptuous. For all your brother knew, the old guy could have been one who fought for equality or someone who just stayed quiet and lived their life without trampling over others.

Granted, there's probably old white people who did feel that disjoint of time changing things for them, but it's likely they found other areas in which to exert the power that they lost when equality came around... or they just stayed as they were and are racists even today who would gladly hit a person just because of their skin colour. I mean, the KKK and such do still exist and I'm pretty sure they still do shit, even thought it's probably kept better under wraps nowdays.

bahleted

The best part of it so far is Team Trump's statement on the matter. it is glorious in its Trumpitude.



'Fuck you American intelligence community! What do you idiots know anyway?'

author=Housekeeping
And, I do agree that the idea of privilege as being tied to ethnicity needs to be dialed back a bit and attributed more to economic circumstances.

The word you're looking for is classism! A pretty obscure fella you probably haven't heard of wrote a lot about it back in the day. He wrote a manifesto and everything, I think his name was Karl?????
(because tone doesn't carry through text: I'm not making fun, just being cheeky)

...but yes. I think a thing that trips a lot of people up/overwhelms them is the fact that privilege is actually a SUPER huge topic and there are a lot of points of places where the privilege/oppression duality can exist. In my experience, it's less useful to focus on individual identities ("I am a straight white male but I'm poor and disabled where do I fit???") and more on systemic issues ("We live in a country that unfairly prioritizes men and masculinity in ways that does damage to people of all genders; how does that affect my life and how can I change it?"). It creates a better sense of community and allyship, and is oftentimes less difficult to parse. It also shifts the focus off of "so I'm Privileged: what do I do now????", which, tbh, is a really frustrating conversation to have with someone (been on both sides!! It is frustrating from all angles).

If you take some time to read some legit discourse/social science literature instead of people screaming at each other on the internet via blogs or forum posts, you'll find heaps of evidence that literally no one is ever saying all straight white men or whatever are individually SHITTY AND BAD AND THE WORST AND PRIVILEGE!!!!!!!! Instead, you'll find people examining patterns that benefit some and oppress others, and who are working to change that.

Obviously people still get their feathers ruffled if you say something ~radical~ like "hey did you know poor people get treated unfairly and are exploited by the upper classes?", especially if they benefit from that exploitation. At that point, you just get into the habit of separating people who choose to be willfully ignorant of observable patterns studied by people far more intelligent and educated and experienced than they are from people who see the same thing as you, but may have alternate opinions about what it all means. One of these people you can have a constructive discussion with, the other you can't (and for the people you can't: that's when you bust out the memes or straight up walk away because u love urself and don't want to waste your time).

Really tho, I would encourage anyone and everyone who comes across discourse about stuff like privilege and goes "eeeghghhh IB" to check out some introductory social science materials! There's a lot out there that's super accessible for peeps who aren't, um, as intense as someone like I am is. It's just good info to have, and buffs up your critical thinking skills.

Intersectionality.

...No, it boils down to a kyriarcy. The patriarchy is only one part of the kyriarchy. At least from my understanding.

author=SnowOwl
I read it, don't you worry about that.
You went from calling it classism in the first few rows to progressively more and more talking about the ol' Patriarchy™.

But you apparently failed to notice that "classism" was specifically a response to Housekeeping's post.

As for what this has to do with racism and sexism, is your mental image of "upper class" a white man or a black woman?

author=CAVE_DOG_IS_BACK
the lengths some people here will go to be scared of a boogeyman is incredible

I couldn't agree more! I doubt you and me are thinking of the same boogeyman though.

author=CAVE_DOG_IS_BACK
the reason the theory of intersectionality was created was actually to address the feeling that focusing solely on viewing feminist issues through the lens of gender was not enough, but that also other factors, primarily class and race, had to be considered.

Or in clearer terms, it wasn't the males that were to blame for every wrongdoing ever done, it was the white straight male specifically.

author=SnowOwl
Or in clearer terms, it wasn't the males that were to blame for every wrongdoing ever done, it was the white straight male specifically.

as in, "a practical solution that helps a white upper class woman but does not serve to address the issues faced by a black woman in Harlem is inadequate."

you're doing the thing where you just quote someone and change the text so that now they sound ridiculous, except, you are doing it in your head.

author=harmonic

author=CAVE_DOG_IS_BACK
the lengths some people here will go to be scared of a boogeyman is incredible

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt here and assume you meant "all" people instead of "some." Scapegoating and fear mongering is a standard issue tool in political/cultural warfare. The scapegoating thing was pretty good and weak for a while during the 1980's and some of the 90's, but boy has it made a comeback. Gotta blame someone, anyone, but self.

mm, no, i'm talking about the two people in this thread who actually need to enter therapy for their persecution complexes.