5 ms·

This response has to be the most aggressive misreading of privilege I've encountered in a while. Privilege IS NOT a system where everyone in a group gets better

This response has to be the most aggressive misreading of privilege I've encountered in a while. Privilege IS NOT a system where everyone in a group gets better outcomes than another group. It IS NOT a system in which everyone in a group even receives all of the benefits of privilege. Yet it does describe systematic power imbalances that cause the majority of members in a group to receive benefits or the lack of oppression. In any case, anec-data is not useful for argumentation.

downerending 7y ago
When discussing universal statements, counterexamples are arguably useful. More importantly, though, I think we're all dealt a huge hand of cards--many at birth, some later--some beneficial, some deleterious. In a form of social bikeshedding, we tend to concentrate on things like race and gender because they're obvious. It's far from clear, though, that they constitute more than a tiny fraction of the cards that matter. Denouncing someone because of their race, gender, etc., seems pointless and cruel. I prefer to deal with each person as an individual.
- komali2 7y ago
  > It's far from clear, though, that they constitute more than a tiny fraction of the cards that matter. This isn't true. Take any intersection and add minority status and you'll see increased poverty, reduced college attendance, increased arrest rate etc. There may be other cards but none so universally an issue as the continued disadvantages faced by POC in the USA. Sure other issues exist, but saying that while people are discussing racism is the equivalent of walking into a San Jose city council meeting and asking "what have YOU done for the city of Hollister today?" > I prefer to deal with each person as an individual. As is the only rational way to go about interpersonal interactions. You aren't America, you aren't Every Hiring Manager, you aren't Every Cop.
  - downerending 7y ago
    This data appears to refute that assertion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ethnic_groups_in_the_United_States_by_household_income https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ethnic_groups_in_the_U... I have little doubt that being poor leads to lots of other problems. (Source: was poor growing up, relative to most here) It's a far greater leap to say that being (for example) black is hugely more important than being poor, being ugly, being short, being aspy, being disabled, having mental health issues or parents with mental health issues, etc. Beyond that, even to the degree that one is a minority, it's not clear that the well-intended actions taken on their behalf are actually even helpful. If you haven't read Sowell's book Cosmic Justice, it's well worth a look on this topic.

downerending 7y ago

When discussing universal statements, counterexamples are arguably useful. More importantly, though, I think we're all dealt a huge hand of cards--many at birth, some later--some beneficial, some deleterious. In a form of social bikeshedding, we tend to concentrate on things like race and gender because they're obvious. It's far from clear, though, that they constitute more than a tiny fraction of the cards that matter. Denouncing someone because of their race, gender, etc., seems pointless and cruel. I prefer to deal with each person as an individual.

komali2 7y ago
> It's far from clear, though, that they constitute more than a tiny fraction of the cards that matter. This isn't true. Take any intersection and add minority status and you'll see increased poverty, reduced college attendance, increased arrest rate etc. There may be other cards but none so universally an issue as the continued disadvantages faced by POC in the USA. Sure other issues exist, but saying that while people are discussing racism is the equivalent of walking into a San Jose city council meeting and asking "what have YOU done for the city of Hollister today?" > I prefer to deal with each person as an individual. As is the only rational way to go about interpersonal interactions. You aren't America, you aren't Every Hiring Manager, you aren't Every Cop.
- downerending 7y ago
  This data appears to refute that assertion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ethnic_groups_in_the_United_States_by_household_income https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ethnic_groups_in_the_U... I have little doubt that being poor leads to lots of other problems. (Source: was poor growing up, relative to most here) It's a far greater leap to say that being (for example) black is hugely more important than being poor, being ugly, being short, being aspy, being disabled, having mental health issues or parents with mental health issues, etc. Beyond that, even to the degree that one is a minority, it's not clear that the well-intended actions taken on their behalf are actually even helpful. If you haven't read Sowell's book Cosmic Justice, it's well worth a look on this topic.