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While you have good and valid points, I think some privilege is visible. Members of royalty likely know they are privileged, and in unusual circumstances. In a
by dalke 12y ago
While you have good and valid points, I think some privilege is visible. Members of royalty likely know they are privileged, and in unusual circumstances. In a racially segregated community where white people own things and have money while black people work as the help and are poor then the differences in privilege are pretty visible, and part of the norm.
- Torgo 12y agoThat is a different definition of privilege.
- snowwrestler 12y agoThat's a good point and I agree with you. However I think maybe such visible privilege is a less difficult problem, because it is more visible. In recent western cultures there's a tradition that the most obviously privileged--like royals, national politicians, celebrities, rich CEOs--also have an obligation. In the U.S. that often takes the form of philanthropy (see: Bill Gates); in monarchies it takes the form of public leadership and service. I think the most pernicious and difficult social problems come when people are privileged but don't realize it and/or don't believe that it's true. Thus they feel no particular need to change anything.
- cafard 12y agoThere is also the problem of the highly privileged imagining that their level of privilege extends down to those who resemble them superficially. If the white guy at the grocery counter wishes to lecture me, another white guy, about white privilege, OK. If a member of the Rockefeller family wishes to, I might well resent it.