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The lack of having been discriminated against is by definition not a "privilege". What's wrong isn't the lack of discrimination, but the idea that lack of discr

The lack of having been discriminated against is by definition not a "privilege". What's wrong isn't the lack of discrimination, but the idea that lack of discrimination should be called a "privledge" rather than a "norm". It attacks people for not having hardship, namely turning something that's good int o something that's bad. The use of the term "white privledge" fundamentally applies that to make things "equal" we must discriminate against white people as much as we discriminate (as a society) against non-white people. Namely, bring people doing well down to the level of someone doing badly, rather than elevating the people doing poorly up to the level of "normal". It's a fundamentally bad phase to use.

a_shovel 5y ago
Each sentence, though individually false, comes together to produce an overall point that is also false. A lack of a disadvantage others have is a privilege. The point of calling it a privilege is to emphasize that white people benefit from racism against other groups even when they don't do anything racist themselves. Benefitting knowingly from discrimination against others while doing nothing to end it is complicity. The term "privilege" is not an attack on white people, it is an attack on racism. It absolutely does not imply that we should bring down white people or be racist to them. Privilege will end when discrimination against non-white people ends. At least set up a monthly donation to an anti-racism organization, or something like that.
- akomtu 5y ago
  The 'privilege' is just a trick to divide you and make you fight each other. If it was't black vs white, it would be a 'privilege' based on subtle shades of skin, hair, eyes or even height. Anything works to distract masses from the fact that the only real privilege is hereditary wealth. Having the right family name is The Privilege. It's unbelievable that the relatively smart people fail to see this elephant in the room and instead fall for that shallow and self contradictory "anti-racism" doctrine.
  - a_shovel 5y ago
    Hereditary wealth is, indeed, probably the greatest privilege, but it does nobody any good to pretend that it's the only one.
  - fleddr 5y ago
    Finally somebody gets it. The world is a global capitalistic classist system, not a racist one. That's how the cards get sorted.
colinmhayes 5y ago
> the idea that lack of discrimination should be called a "privledge" rather than a "norm". But the lack of discrimination isn't the norm. It would definitely be nice if it was, but that's not the case. White people experiencing better general overall treatment by society compared to those in the same situation who are black is just a fact. Complaining that it causes reverse discrimination doesn't make that untrue.
- mlindner 5y ago
  My point is it SHOULD be a norm, and trying to push the other direction, as the phrase does, is doing things backwards. We should be "norming" the idea that discrimination is bad. Rather than saying that discrimination is normal and thus everyone should be equally (which isn't really possible) discriminated against.

a_shovel 5y ago

Each sentence, though individually false, comes together to produce an overall point that is also false. A lack of a disadvantage others have is a privilege. The point of calling it a privilege is to emphasize that white people benefit from racism against other groups even when they don't do anything racist themselves. Benefitting knowingly from discrimination against others while doing nothing to end it is complicity. The term "privilege" is not an attack on white people, it is an attack on racism. It absolutely does not imply that we should bring down white people or be racist to them. Privilege will end when discrimination against non-white people ends. At least set up a monthly donation to an anti-racism organization, or something like that.

akomtu 5y ago
The 'privilege' is just a trick to divide you and make you fight each other. If it was't black vs white, it would be a 'privilege' based on subtle shades of skin, hair, eyes or even height. Anything works to distract masses from the fact that the only real privilege is hereditary wealth. Having the right family name is The Privilege. It's unbelievable that the relatively smart people fail to see this elephant in the room and instead fall for that shallow and self contradictory "anti-racism" doctrine.
- a_shovel 5y ago
  Hereditary wealth is, indeed, probably the greatest privilege, but it does nobody any good to pretend that it's the only one.
- fleddr 5y ago
  Finally somebody gets it. The world is a global capitalistic classist system, not a racist one. That's how the cards get sorted.

colinmhayes 5y ago

> the idea that lack of discrimination should be called a "privledge" rather than a "norm". But the lack of discrimination isn't the norm. It would definitely be nice if it was, but that's not the case. White people experiencing better general overall treatment by society compared to those in the same situation who are black is just a fact. Complaining that it causes reverse discrimination doesn't make that untrue.

mlindner 5y ago
My point is it SHOULD be a norm, and trying to push the other direction, as the phrase does, is doing things backwards. We should be "norming" the idea that discrimination is bad. Rather than saying that discrimination is normal and thus everyone should be equally (which isn't really possible) discriminated against.