4 ms·

What does age/race/gender have to do with this?

sebmellen 5y ago
If you replace "middle-aged white man" with "soulless corporate stooge" nearly anywhere this phrase is used, the replacement term will fit. The term "middle-aged white man" is a caricature of the extremely wealthy and powerful, even though (I believe) it is a misleading and inaccurate portrayal.
- yunohn 5y ago
  You say misleading caricature, yet all three of the people named in this article are middle aged white men.
  - ErikVandeWater 5y ago
    Though I also agree it isn't misleading, using anecdotal evidence is not a good way to refute the claim.
  - sebmellen 5y ago
    I say misleading because there are soulless corporate stooges of exactly this kind in every race, gender perhaps less so. If you want to see a more egregious display of government/corporate corruption, you can find that in places like Southeast Asia, Africa (Angola, for example), some countries in South America, etc. But more to the point — in this case specifically — it's just not a very helpful or distinctive description. "Middle-aged white men" own many companies and occupy many government positions in Europe, yes. But using that as a unique descriptor is pointless. Many "middle-aged white men" mine coal for a living or work hard mechanical labor jobs and are destitute. I'm sure that many "middle-aged white men" were the employees cheated out of jobs or higher wages by Booking.com. Say you went to China and observed government corruption. If you said "middle-aged Asian men completed the unsavory deal" in an article on the topic as if it were some shocking revelation, I'm sure most would be confused as to why you thought that descriptor/qualifier was necessary or relevant.
oneplane 5y ago
It is a caricature, but also happens to match the people involved, which ironically reinforces the caricature. One might even call it a trope.
raarts 5y ago
Critical Race Theory or - in other words - anti-white racism is seeping into western culture everywhere. People need to wake up to this. It offer no solutions only deconstruction.

If you replace "middle-aged white man" with "soulless corporate stooge" nearly anywhere this phrase is used, the replacement term will fit. The term "middle-aged white man" is a caricature of the extremely wealthy and powerful, even though (I believe) it is a misleading and inaccurate portrayal.

yunohn 5y ago
You say misleading caricature, yet all three of the people named in this article are middle aged white men.
- ErikVandeWater 5y ago
  Though I also agree it isn't misleading, using anecdotal evidence is not a good way to refute the claim.
- sebmellen 5y ago
  I say misleading because there are soulless corporate stooges of exactly this kind in every race, gender perhaps less so. If you want to see a more egregious display of government/corporate corruption, you can find that in places like Southeast Asia, Africa (Angola, for example), some countries in South America, etc. But more to the point — in this case specifically — it's just not a very helpful or distinctive description. "Middle-aged white men" own many companies and occupy many government positions in Europe, yes. But using that as a unique descriptor is pointless. Many "middle-aged white men" mine coal for a living or work hard mechanical labor jobs and are destitute. I'm sure that many "middle-aged white men" were the employees cheated out of jobs or higher wages by Booking.com. Say you went to China and observed government corruption. If you said "middle-aged Asian men completed the unsavory deal" in an article on the topic as if it were some shocking revelation, I'm sure most would be confused as to why you thought that descriptor/qualifier was necessary or relevant.

oneplane 5y ago

It is a caricature, but also happens to match the people involved, which ironically reinforces the caricature. One might even call it a trope.

raarts 5y ago

Critical Race Theory or - in other words - anti-white racism is seeping into western culture everywhere. People need to wake up to this. It offer no solutions only deconstruction.