Is 'white privilege' a thing?

[Potus]

My people are a perfect example of why this notion of privilege is the province of weenies and academics. We've worked our hands to the bone for generations and continue rank below some inner cities in terms of social and economic wellbeing.

Take your complaints about privilege and put them on hold until my people have financial security.

[angus]

I gather that the idea is that, even if you're poor white trash like me (none of my grandparents were even born in this country, and only two of them could speak English when they arrived), you could shave, put on a suit, and pass yourself off as serious when you walk into a bank to withdraw cash.  Or if you wanted to interview a politician or a robber-barron, all you'd have to do is walk in with a pad of paper and a number two pencil sharpened in an electric pencil sharpener (which, incidentally, makes a decent weapon).  My guess is that if you look like Geronimo or Solomon Northup, it's not as easy as that.  Again, I'd call it advantage rather than privilege, but privilege seems to be the politically correct term.

I don't think that "white privilege" means that you aren't still white trash, or that you aren't disadvantaged.  You can still bask in the warm glow of disadvantage and poverty, if you want.  It's just a phrase that some internet folks use when they want to bitch instead of trying to actually add to the GDP, the former being easier and, perhaps for some, more comforting.

Or maybe I'm wrong.  All I know is that the only time I hear the phrase it seems to introduce a discussion that is so wasteful and so misguided that it becomes hard to listen to, so I never really listen to it long enough to learn what the people are bitching about.  It does strike me that those who are actually privileged, in the true sense of the word, to get to propagate such terms, are the only ones who seem to use it.

[Hillary pays minimum wage]

White privilege is a thing

Black privilege is a thing

All races have some sort of privilege; instead, let's just treat each other better than what we would treat ourselves.

Well said Enduro!

[Enduro]

let's just treat each other better than what we would treat ourselves.

that's kinda hard for me.  I'm an asshole by nature, but I'm working on it.  I'll probably live longer if I can learn to be nice to people.  Way off topic.  It doesn't make me any better to be an equal-opportunity asshole, either.  At least in my ethical system it doesn't.  Maybe that's not actually so far off topic.  We do seem to be converging (at least on this forum, although thankfully not in the real world) on a philosophy that it's okay to be an asshole sometimes, so long as you're an equal-opportunity asshole.  I don't really buy it.  I'm willing to admit that an asshole is an asshole, no matter whom is sprayed with the excrement emanating from the puckering orifice, even if I'm the asshole.

Well, that was one of the most interesting responses to my comments.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

I know this might be seen as politically incorrect to some blue avatars here, but white privilige exists. Perhaps it's not the best term to describe the phenomenon whereby whites are more likely to achieve success than their brethren of other colours, but to deny such a gulf exists is a denial of reality.

[NeverAgain]

I would say it starts off as socioeconomic status as blacks tend to be much higher in rates of poverty stemming back to the ghettos before CRA was passed. I think that many people talk of "white privilege" without taking into account what that really means, are whites getting more jobs than blacks? Are colleges bringing in more white students than black? etc.

My point is that it is obvious that there is a problem of racial-based poverty and mass incarceration, but I think the way we fix it is through programs to assist not only the black community, but everyone stricken with these problems. I believe that's the American way.

[ElectionsGuy]

Yes, its certainly a thing, but way overused and overemphasized by the SJW's and militant left. The problem with the amount of dialogue here is that it comes off to a lot of (white) people who aren't already in those groups to put credit in their successes not because of their work or effort but because they were lucky enough to have white skin. That kind of alienation is not going to get people to the white privilege believing side, rather they should talk about in a way that should come off as white people having less 'obstacles' (or whatever word you want to use) instead of their effort meaning less than non-white people.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The term refers to an observable social reality but is not in itself helpful or exactly accurate. Amongst other things it frames matters in the wrong way; the issue is not that the majority is 'privileged' but that certain minorities are disadvantaged and that certain others are discriminated against.

[angus]

The term refers to an observable social reality but is not in itself helpful or exactly accurate. Amongst other things it frames matters in the wrong way; the issue is not that the majority is 'privileged' but that certain minorities are disadvantaged and that certain others are discriminated against.

Well said.  Neither helpful nor accurate, but it does remind us of a harsh reality.

It is not a coincidence that New Mexico and Mississippi have the lowest per-capita domestic products among the states.  Ever walk through a general store in the "Four Corners" region of the American Southwest?  The shelves are mostly empty, and the few items there consist of over-ripe, brown bananas, a few loaves of wonder bread, cigarettes, and lots of Thunderbird.  There is no privilege to be able to shop at Trader Joe's.  There are, however, disadvantages to existing in a food desert.  Safeway, Walmart, and all the rest are free, of course, to come in and build an 80 thousand-square-foot megastore there, if they wanted to.  BMW could locate a dealership there, if they wanted to. Brigham Young University could build a satellite campus there to educate young minds, if they wanted to.  Would they want to?  Sometimes if you build it, they will not come.  It is an unfortunate situation.  The cycle of poverty has nothing to do with any privilege, but much to do with sad history and economic disadvantage.

Nevertheless, "white privilege" is a thing.  It has been a thing for at least seven years.  Once a phenomenon, real or imagined, is given a name, it is given a voice, legs, and wings.  It is as real to modern commentators as the aether was to 18th-century physicists.   It is as real as the gods to the guardians of the temples, and as real as Santa Claus is to the hopeful child on Christmas Eve.

[Hillary pays minimum wage]

The term refers to an observable social reality but is not in itself helpful or exactly accurate. Amongst other things it frames matters in the wrong way; the issue is not that the majority is 'privileged' but that certain minorities are disadvantaged and that certain others are discriminated against.

Well said.  Neither helpful nor accurate, but it does remind us of a harsh reality.

It is not a coincidence that New Mexico and Mississippi have the lowest per-capita domestic products among the states.  Ever walk through a general store in the "Four Corners" region of the American Southwest?  The shelves are mostly empty, and the few items there consist of over-ripe, brown bananas, a few loaves of wonder bread, cigarettes, and lots of Thunderbird.  There is no privilege to be able to shop at Trader Joe's.  There are, however, disadvantages to existing in a food desert.  Safeway, Walmart, and all the rest are free, of course, to come in and build an 80 thousand-square-foot megastore there, if they wanted to.  BMW could locate a dealership there, if they wanted to. Brigham Young University could build a satellite campus there to educate young minds, if they wanted to.  Would they want to?  Sometimes if you build it, they will not come.  It is an unfortunate situation.  The cycle of poverty has nothing to do with any privilege, but much to do with sad history and economic disadvantage.

Nevertheless, "white privilege" is a thing.  It has been a thing for at least seven years.  Once a phenomenon, real or imagined, is given a name, it is given a voice, legs, and wings.  It is as real to modern commentators as the aether was to 18th-century physicists.   It is as real as the gods to the guardians of the temples, and as real as Santa Claus is to the hopeful child on Christmas Eve.

I can't believe whites would cause empty shelves in the southwest.  Perhaps these stores have good that tastes like moldy diarrhea?  I want to change my race now!

[Mr. Reactionary]

White privilege is a thing

Black privilege is a thing

All races have some sort of privilege

This. All groups have some sort of privilege. Like Star Wars fan privilege or right-handed privilege or the ability to watch sports without falling asleep privilege. "Privilege" is almost entirely a correlative analysis, since you don't really have people saying "I shall hire you over the other guy because you are white" to prove causation. It's usually just bare-bones statistics. Like the people who still ignorantly claim that women only make 70% of their male co-workers' salaries because the linear regression they use fails to control for other, non-sexual factors.

[ProgressiveCanadian]

Yes and most non whites would agree.

[Hillary pays minimum wage]

White privilege is a thing

Black privilege is a thing

All races have some sort of privilege

This. All groups have some sort of privilege. Like Star Wars fan privilege or right-handed privilege or the ability to watch sports without falling asleep privilege. "Privilege" is almost entirely a correlative analysis, since you don't really have people saying "I shall hire you over the other guy because you are white" to prove causation. It's usually just bare-bones statistics. Like the people who still ignorantly claim that women only make 70% of their male co-workers' salaries because the linear regression they use fails to control for other, non-sexual factors.

I'll add that it's unfortunate so many liberals try to politicize it as if they're entitled to better privileges.

[Enduro]

White privilege is a thing

Black privilege is a thing

All races have some sort of privilege; instead, let's just treat each other better than what we would treat ourselves.

Well said Enduro!

Thank you!

[Horus]

In the criminal justice system, absolutely. Don't see how anyone can deny that. If you're submitting a resume and your name is Shaniqua, yeah, probably it applies there too.

In other parts of life? No, not really.

[youngohioan216]

Are there some benefits to being white in America? Yes, just as there are benefits to being black in Africa or Asian in Asia. In the end though class/money gives you more advantages than being white or male.

[tallguy23]

All sorts pf privileges exist in society involving skin color, gender, looks, and sexual orientation.

I think the issue is that many people hear the term "white privileged" and think that it's a direct attack on them for being white. It's not, and if someone is using it as an attack, they're wrong.

I understand that as a tall, native born, Caucasian man I enjoy certain privileges that have nothing to do with my intelligence, skills, or work ethic. I'm not going to feel bad or apologize for it (I didn't ask for it), but I should recognize it and try to see things from someone else's perspective.

It's important for every human being to do that.

[RFayette]

In the criminal justice system, absolutely. Don't see how anyone can deny that. If you're submitting a resume and your name is Shaniqua, yeah, probably it applies there too.

In other parts of life? No, not really.

I agree with this.  There is a slight black privilege in college admissions (though admittedly this is offset by lower quality K-12 districts in black areas). 

 

[TNF]

White privilege in action.

[This account no longer in use.]

Of course white privilege is a thing. However, it is much, much less of a thing than it was years ago.

[TheDeadFlagBlues]

White privilege in action.

[RFayette]

White privilege in action.

I didn't even really understand TNF's point here.  Some poor white people doesn't negate the fact that on average, whites have a significantly larger socioeconomic status than blacks.  Unlike many liberals on the forum, I tend  to believe that police brutality is overplayed, but "white privilege" in the sense that the average white person has a better chance at life in the USA than the average black is very real. 

[Thunderbird is the word]

Yes (not a complete and utter moron)

[Vosem]

A thread in which TNF and only TNF brings up the correct answer (which is that, while on average white people in America are better off than black people in America, the suggestion of any sort of universal "white privilege" is completely ludicrous -- and a good example of this is that some of the absolute poorest, most under-privileged communities in the country are monolithically white) is an odd bird indeed.

[angus]

I didn't even really understand TNF's point here.  
 

I don't really understand Deadflag's point.  (What does a lucky horseshoe have to do with anything?)

The point TNF is trying to make, if I understand him correctly, is basically that the view that whites, generically, are somehow "privileged" is wrong, both on a descriptive level and on a moral level.  It is incorrect descriptively because whites do not necessarily have a dominant, socially coherent, ideologically uniform, national culture.  A privileged White Anglo-Saxon Protestant born in an upper middle class family in the northshore suburbs of Boston is fundamentally different from a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant born in a lower class working family in rural Kentucky.  It is morally incorrect because the perceived interchangeability of all white Americans neglects the reality that the privileges accrued to the former are not accrued to the latter.  Incidentally, this would also be true of many non-wasp minority populations.  Too often the talking heads assume that a demographically expansive "Hispanic" population will remain as politically and socially homogeneous as black Americans, but because of their original (and current!) regional and cultural diversity this is not the case.  

I'm not entirely sure I agree with that analysis, but I think it is important to consider.  At least I think that's what he's going for.  Something like that.  

I was just about to post when I noticed that Vosem beat me to it, and did so more succinctly.  Well, conservation of words never really was my long suit.  I'll post anyway.