EMMYCH'S PROFILE

author=Dyhalto
Yeah, that's where you could argue for a private option. I'd argue that private interest would eventually override the public system, but meh. We're a thousand steps from ever having to debate this.

can confirm, up here in canada that is what happens. We have a fully funded healthcare system, but neoliberal interests have been paring down how much money goes into the system and pushing for a split model for ages. There's already instances of it, like if you require medication that is only sorta covered, and if you have an ageing parent that needs assistance to stay living semi-independently, well, good luck accessing the publicly funded home care! There's not even close to enough.

And then the governments that fuck up the system start saying it is inherently flawed (RATHER THAN INTENTIONALLY DEFUNDED) and we start having the "is privatization good????" debate.

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.

author=Red_Nova
I like the idea of having multiple protagonists fighting each other as much, if not more, than fighting the big bad guy. Better yet, drop the big bad guy entirely and just take control of multiple protagonists trying to accomplish their goals while preventing each other from accomplishing theirs. Everyone's the protagonist and the antagonist at the same time.

yes

My heart breaks for all the kids who are honest to goodness terrified by this. It's weird to think about, but there are a lot of kids out there who DON'T remember the Bush years super clearly, and have only been politically aware in times where progress has been being made. Having to watch them learn that sometimes we move backwards is pretty heart wrenching.

I dunno. I'm up in Canada and I don't share a lot of my fellow citizen's desire to giggle about this one. Mostly I feel very somber for the folks in my varying communities south of the border whose lives are going to change for the worse now.

(Like, forget Trump: the republicans have been very clear that they plan on repealing shit like same-gender marriage. I don't care Too Much about marriage, but damn that victory meant a lot to friends of mine south of the border and I don't know what the hell I'm gonna say to them when they inevitably look at me and say "well I can't get married anymore!" It's just painful and sad to think about, I want to give a lot of people hugs and pretend like it's gonna be okay.)

@QZ: i don't have consistent nicknames for my peeps but I do insult them a lot, especially if they're the ones that got a lot of my negative character traits poured into them. One fella I lovingly call a scrub near constantly because he, like myself, is a biggo scrub

anyway i'm just thinking about how GROSS AND SICK I FEEL because i have had the flu for a week and i had to work while ill today and augh i am ready for bed