White Privilege?

[KnightofChrist]

​By that logic, there is no anti-Christian animus in society since the nation always elects Christians to the presidency.

If I'm not mistaken you've misunderstood. There are and were anti-Catholics in the United States, but that form of bigotry was not so overwhelming and pervasive that Americans did not elected JFK. The same logic here is used for Obama. There are racists in America but that form of bigotry was not so overwhelming and pervasive that Americans did not elected Obama.

[Era Might]

If I'm not mistaken you've misunderstood. There are and were anti-Catholics in the United States, but that form of bigotry was not so overwhelming and pervasive that Americans did not elected JFK. The same logic here is used for Obama. There are racists in America but that form of bigotry was not so overwhelming and pervasive that Americans did not elected Obama.

​No, "white privilege" (or the basic idea of social power structures) does not require either virulent racism/bigotry or bad will. It certainly doesn't require someone to be conservative or liberal... a lot of historical colonialism, for example, has been driven by liberal ideologies.

JFK provides a useful example...whether or not he was elected, he had to know how to play the game so that his Catholicism was not a hindrance to the people who stood in the way of his gaining power. He couldn't go in front of the people who held the money and power and start quoting Papal encyclicals. That's how social structures work, although in politics it's taken as a given, you have to whore yourself out like that.

[KnightofChrist]

​No, "white privilege" (or the basic idea of social power structures) does not require either virulent racism/bigotry or bad will. It certainly doesn't require someone to be conservative or liberal... a lot of historical colonialism, for example, has been driven by liberal ideologies.

JFK provides a useful example...whether or not he was elected, he had to know how to play the game so that his Catholicism was not a hindrance to the people who stood in the way of his gaining power. He couldn't go in front of the people who held the money and power and start quoting Papal encyclicals. That's how social structures work, although in politics it's taken as a given, you have to whore yourself out like that.

​All I was pointing out was that Soc's position seemed to be that racism and bigotry against blacks is not so overwhelming and pervasive that it prevents a black man from becoming President and that your reply seemed to misunderstand that position.

[dominicansoul]

there's only one color that gives you privilege in this world and its green ($$$$$$$$$)

[Era Might]

​All I was pointing out was that Soc's position seemed to be that racism and bigotry against blacks is not so overwhelming and pervasive that it prevents a black man from becoming President and that your reply seemed to misunderstand that position.

Yeah, it took a long, bloody struggle for blacks to topple white supremacy as an institutional fact, and a lot has changed in the world over the last 50 years to make that kind of racism impossible. But apart from that aspect, I don't think a black man becoming president is all that significant, because it holds up the mainstream society as a norm and a standard to aspire to, which will always require submission and docility to the norms of those who hold money and power. You can be black, just don't be too black, or too Catholic, or too [fill in the blank].

[little2add]

Yeah, it took a long, bloody struggle for blacks to topple white supremacy as an institutional fact, and a lot has changed in the world over the last 50 years to make that kind of racism impossible. But apart from that aspect, I don't think a black man becoming president is all that significant, because it holds up the mainstream society as a norm and a standard to aspire to, which will always require submission and docility to the norms of those who hold money and power. You can be black, just don't be too black, or too Catholic, or too [fill in the blank].

​You can be stupid, just don't be too stupid, or too arrogant and conceited, or too [fill in the blank].

[Catlick]

Most white people calling for an end to 'white privilege' should have a good look at South Africa after the Communist terrorist Nelson Mandela took over. Extreme affirmative action plus genocide on white farmers (tolerated by the state) has basically destroyed what used to be decent infrastructure, gov't bureaucracy, etc. The tragic result is that many blacks are worse off under the ANC than under the Apartheid.

[Papist]

Who defines what this "white privilege" is?  What is the criteria? At what point does this "white privilege" become no longer?  Who decides?

[Ice_nine]

Most white people calling for an end to 'white privilege' should have a good look at South Africa after the Communist terrorist Nelson Mandela took over. Extreme affirmative action plus genocide on white farmers (tolerated by the state) has basically destroyed what used to be decent infrastructure, gov't bureaucracy, etc. The tragic result is that many blacks are worse off under the ANC than under the Apartheid.

​lol nice try

 

[little2add]

Most white people calling for an end to 'white privilege' should have a good look at South Africa after the Communist terrorist Nelson Mandela took over. Extreme affirmative action plus genocide on white farmers (tolerated by the state) has basically destroyed what used to be decent infrastructure, gov't bureaucracy, etc. The tragic result is that many blacks are worse off under the ANC than under the Apartheid.

​South Africa's average income during the 1980s was about $5,000 (£3,055) per capita (adjusted for purchasing power so what a US dollar buys there versus in the US), which made it a lower-middle-income country. It had doubled to $10,000 by 2010 and is now closer to upper-middle-income as it approaches £13,000-to-£14,000, which the IMF estimates that it can achieve by the middle of the decade.

the white privilege before apartheid is  or was in no way compatible or even vaguely similar to conditions today.   Not only is the previous posters statements inaccurate,  the comparison between the two societies referenced in this thread is ludicrous. 

[Credo in Deum]

Who defines what this "white privilege" is?  What is the criteria? At what point does this "white privilege" become no longer?  Who decides?

I'm happy someone asked this.  I was getting nervous.  

[Didacus]

​Not really.  "State of mind" dosn't fix many of the things that I questiond about earlier.  It dosn't fix the fact that bandaids look ludicrous on black skin, or that becuase of their size asin woman are often forced to shop in the juniors or even children's sections.  It dosn't change the fact that modern makeup still tends to encourage black women to look lighter-skinned or that hair care is still almost universally geared for the straigh-haired white person who's hair gets oily overnight.

Now, you can say these things don't matter beucase you've never faced a world where finding clothing, medical, hair care and skin care products is difficult.

​I wouldn't really care about those things to be honest.  

 

I always found woman naturally beautiful without make-up to boot. I think my wife put on make-up like 4 times in the last 20 years for example.  

[Didacus]

And how many Asian American CEO's or high ranking officials do you see? There is a very real glass ceiling that they face, I think).

​and how many white CEO do you see in Japan?  

 

Actually I dare any white person to go to Japan or Saudi Arabia and demand equal rights.

[Didacus]

​I wish you read the article I posted. It explained how people can be privileged in one area and not in another. Poor whites still have privileges because of their skin color. That doesn't mean they are more or less privileged than say, an upper class black man.

​wow -- sounds a lot like white privilege exists because they say so and will say anything to prove it.   

 

[Peace]

​and how many white CEO do you see in Japan?  

 

Actually I dare any white person to go to Japan or Saudi Arabia and demand equal rights.

​I do not see many - but the situations are not analogous. Asian Americans academically outperform white Americans. You would therefore expect to see them represented among management in greater numbers than their overall proportion of the population. The same can hardly be said for the small number of white people living in Japan - the vast majority of which cannot even read Japanese at an 8th grade level.