What is white privilege?

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Soldato
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Ummm, trailer-park trash, rednecks, yahoos, plenty of classist tropes in the states dude.
Its literaly the place the term 'white trash' comes from. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_trash

How you read past "White people in the US never really had a lower class because in their history of slavery it was always seen as black people. Whereas in Britain we do have a lower class, which is 99% white." In that post is beyond me.
 
Soldato
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Its literaly the place the term 'white trash' comes from. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_trash

How you read past "White people in the US never really had a lower class because in their history of slavery it was always seen as black people. Whereas in Britain we do have a lower class, which is 99% white." In that post is beyond me.

You have to know what a double wide is and no it is not an American ass in this context. :D
 
Associate
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You do realise 'I don't see race.' is one of the identifying arguments from 'I'm not racist but....' types?

It's a lazy and dishonest take on life. For example, my last boss was a Muslim, of course I considered his race when I suggested to meet for a coffee rather than a beer. That's just being a considerate human being. Just as you wouldn't ask your mate in a wheelchair to come mountain climbing or your vegetarian mate to come to a rib house.

I think you may have misunderstood - I was trying to provide a short and accurate definition of the phrase. The idea behind white privilege is that white people don't have to think about race as white is the 'default'. Not that they shouldn't have to think about it.
 
Caporegime
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I think you may have misunderstood - I was trying to provide a short and accurate definition of the phrase. The idea behind white privilege is that white people don't have to think about race as white is the 'default'. Not that they shouldn't have to think about it.

Do you think in this country, day to day, most non-whites have to think about race?
 
Soldato
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I think you may have misunderstood - I was trying to provide a short and accurate definition of the phrase. The idea behind white privilege is that white people don't have to think about race as white is the 'default'. Not that they shouldn't have to think about it.

Apologies, on re-reading I did misinterpret your post originally.
 
Caporegime
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I think you may have misunderstood - I was trying to provide a short and accurate definition of the phrase. The idea behind white privilege is that white people don't have to think about race as white is the 'default'. Not that they shouldn't have to think about it.

Similarly with colourblindness, people mistake that position for literally never seeing race, of course people who purport to be colour blind see race, they just don’t make a big deal about it and endeavour to treat people equally. Doesn’t mean they need be completely insensitive etc..

Generally it’s a good liberal position to take, unlike some of the group identity obsessed “woke” types today.
 
Soldato
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White privilege in the UK, no. Here we suffer with class privilege. Working class white people have no privilege...

I don't know where the phrase comes from but it is used a lot in the US. As with most things in life, the UK would do well to pay a lot less attention to the US, and get on with dealing with its own issues.

P.S Non-white here, and never felt anyone in any situation i've encountered in the UK has had an upper hand over me because of their race.
 
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As an ugly white person, I would rather be a good looking black person. TBH I come from a fat ugly family who have achieved nothing... Absolutely would trade my white privilege for some brains or good looks as a black person.
 
Caporegime
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"If you have your children in a school and they talk about equity, white privilege, systemic racism, take them out of the class." - Dr. Jordan Peterson
 
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Caporegime
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White privelige is being able to ask this question sincerely.

Also this thread made me realise that very few of us know what race/nationality any other members belong to.

We might converse with someone for hours without knowing, or caring, because it is irrelevant, and yet, in the big wide world out there, not on a forum, it does make a difference to peoples lives, for better or for worse.

I picture Rotty as a 40 year old white guy who is going slightly bald, But he could be a 27 year old GIANT BLACK MAN. @Rotty ? :p
 
Caporegime
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White privelige is being able to ask this question sincerely.

Also this thread made me realise that very few of us know what race/nationality any other members belong to.

We might converse with someone for hours without knowing, or caring, because it is irrelevant, and yet, in the big wide world out there, not on a forum, it does make a difference to peoples lives, for better or for worse.

It’s not clear it does have a particularly big impact tbh...

If anything wealth/class perhaps have more of an impact.
 
Man of Honour
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Similarly with colourblindness, people mistake that position for literally never seeing race, of course people who purport to be colour blind see race, they just don’t make a big deal about it and endeavour to treat people equally. Doesn’t mean they need be completely insensitive etc..

Generally it’s a good liberal position to take, unlike some of the group identity obsessed “woke” types today.

I generally agree, but I take issue with the wording. Nobody sees race because race is an idea, not a materially real thing. Race is "real" only in the sense that it's a widely shared pretence. If nobody believed in it, it would cease to exist. I think it's telling that the only counter anyone could provide was that of religion, not race. Sure, if I know someone is a muslim I won't offer them a beer. That has nothing to do with their "race". If I know that someone is a vegan, I won't offer them meat. That also has nothing to do with their "race".

I see variations in the amount of suntan a person has. I see slight variations in some facial features. What I don't see (and don't believe in) is the idea that the whole spectrum of human skin colour is two discrete groups and that blatantly inaccurate descriptions of how much suntan a person has is a valid way of describing who they are and what their life is like in every way, that it is their identity and whatever collection of stereotypes is fashionable at the moment applies to them. That's just the currently fashionable way of expressing the idea that "they're all the same". Adding the word "identity" to the end of that phrase doesn't change the meaning at all. It's completely racist.

On a related note, the pretence that the spectrum of human skin colour is two discrete groups inevitably leads to racial purity beliefs. That is already common, with people being deemed "not black enough". Anyone whose skin colour is anything paler than dark brown should also be opposed to currently fashionable racism because if they're not being targetted now they will be soon.

You can tell how far the idea of equality has been corrupted when people can publically and explicitly state that not being racist is an "identifying argument" of being racist and be taken seriously rather than be met with dismissive incredulity.

Some people (hopefully still many people) are egalitarian enough to not "see" race to such an extent that they overlook differences in skin colour. A random example from my life. Due to the job I have and the place I live in, almost all of the employees there are "white". One of the employees (I'll call him Bob because that's not his real name) has skin that's medium brown, so people who believe in race consider him to be "black" (and some of them consider him to be "not black enough", of course). Nobody cares because we don't believe in race. He's Bob, not "black man". One day someone had the idea (for charity fundraising) of the staff bringing in baby photos and having customers try to match baby photos to the staff member. Bob said it would be easy for customers to match his baby photo to him. None of the other staff realised why until he pointed it out. I think that's a good thing, not a bad thing. I'd rather see people as people rather than believing in race. Race is a silly idea that doesn't match reality.
 
Soldato
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Also this thread made me realise that very few of us know what race/nationality any other members belong

A lot of people on here have assumed that I'm a straight white guy.

They were wrong, and those very invested in that tend to be the 'anti-racist' types.

Why should any of it be relevant?

I want to be judged by who I am rather than what I am.
 
Don
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I picture Rotty as a 40 year old white guy who is going slightly bald, But he could be a 27 year old GIANT BLACK MAN. @Rotty ? :p

right then

I am a 54 year old very bald white guy from a very poor background, never had anything as a child, council house upbringing etc

have done well through hard work, now here's the bit that hasn't been public so far, rug been pulled from under me this year, due to a medical condition I have had since birth that I was unaware of,
6 weeks ago I had very major surgery, I now have part of my heart from a pig :eek: I had my aortic valve replaced, a triple bypass, blood clots removed from my heart and the place they form closed off

bet you wished you hadn't asked now :p

time for a re evaluation of my life :D what I have always done though is treat everyone as I find them and try to always see the best in everyone :)
 
Caporegime
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On the internet i judge people by their age. Age usually works because it will help you to understand that they will have a smilar reference point to the world through shared culture and events.
 
Soldato
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Do you think in this country, day to day, most non-whites have to think about race?

It really doesn’t even come into my mind unless I am being racially abused which to be fair is pretty rare. Oddly enough I worked in Scotland for 10 years, never once was I ever abused for being Chinese but I got loads of stick for being born in England :eek::p
 
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