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Saturday, September 30. 2017The real white privilegeI've been meaning to write this post for a long time. I'd grant that there exists something akin to "white privilege" in the USA, as in all of the western world. It happens to be more like "cultural privilege" than anything to do with skin tone. I am talking about individual qualities which are most in demand and most effective in western cultures. The markings of cultural privilege are most easily internalized by upbringing, and secondarily by good examples (eg coaches, relatives) and formal education. Good socialization. Wealth is only incidentally associated, not causal, because lots of rich kids are complete a-holes. The western world (except for England) has no caste system, but it has an informal cultural caste system and everybody is aware of it. It has nothing to do with IQ or where you grew up or went to college, but it has to do with how you comport yourself, how properly and grammatically you speak and write, manners and grace, dress, good humor, level of sophistication, being a good dinner companion, playing sports, staying out of trouble with the law, being able to discuss books, and other sorts of things that some people sum up as "presentable." As a reader notes, other less superficial traits often come under the "whiteness" umbrella:
I think "whiteness" is a shorthand for those who are culturally advantaged, adapted to a dominant if not elite culture, because in my life experience you can easily find people of all colors, ethnicities, and wealth who lack those qualities, and those who possess those qualities. It is indeed a handicap in life to lack them. Obama got to where he got by the combination of skin tone, a natural grace, and his cultural privilege. It can be a winning combination. Interestingly, Pres. Trump is culturally disadvantaged, or so it seems, and has a strange, alien, orange skin tone. He must be from some alien planet like Queens, NY, who landed in Washington like Mr. Bean. At the bottom of this, I think the "whiteness" thing is an attempted slo-mo imitation of Mao's cultural revolution with little to do with race or ethnicity.
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As I read this post I tried to envision Maxine Waters reacting to it. Not pretty.
Great post with one recommendation...
I really think "privilege" is an inappropriate term. "Advantage" is much better. The reason for the distinction is that privilege is rooted in private law and implies different rules or standards. It implies unfairness and is the opposite of rule egalitarianism. Being born to educated parents in a good community is not text book privilege, it is an advantage. Honestly, I think privilege is one of those words progressives are intentionally co-opting and undermining (like freedom and equality) for rhetorical reasons. You know it is an advantage; the rest of us know it is an advantage, but the Left calls it privilege as though it is bestowed from on high and unfair. So, it's use in this context is tongue and check.
tongue and check. Sounds like dinner at an English restaurant.
First: they took over the schools and began indoctrination against the US and the Constitution, etc.
Second: they took over the primary religion (Protestantism) and closed most of the facilities, or installed one of their own "thought leaders" and destroyed the ideals. Third: they destroyed the working man Fourth: they re-educated the woman and began a "woman's collective/mafia/union" Demanding that all jobs be first filled by females--they have destroyed a system of meritocracy which served so well to expand and make better this nation. Fifth: Now they are demanding that even young babies are taught that they are neither male or female--what purpose does this serve? (See above and figure it out for yourself) Sixth: Through the process of uneven trade negotiation contracts they have lessened our ability to be influential in the world of business. Seventh: They have indebted every young person who chose to go to college. Such indebetedness making it impossible for them to ever participate in the real estate market. Eighth: Any time we protest we are called names and made to feel ashamed, i.e. "white privilege", or "anti semitism", or "homophobic", etc. This tactic has worked well for them and furthers the weakening of the dominant culture group. Ninth: When finally the oppressed people of "white privilege" vote so overwhelmingly against the "thought leaders", the "agents of change", elect a president that reflects their interest. The voice of the "thought leaders" wreaks havoc on the office of the president, organizes violent mobs to attack and intimidate, and make it impossible for a congress to function for fear of their lives. Do you see all of this and still wonder what has been going on for the last 35 years? If so, I suggest you spend a few minutes on Google and look up Marxism for a starter. Sheesh ! QUOTE: Ninth: When finally the oppressed people of "white privilege" vote so overwhelmingly against the "thought leaders", the "agents of change", elect a president that reflects their interest. But according to the Moocher: QUOTE: American women who cast their votes for President Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election “voted against their own voice” and “just like the thing you’re told to like.” Stupid silly racist white women! Oh my God, next thing you know they'll be calling us deplorable!
"It has nothing to do with IQ...."
WRONG! How "intelligent" is it for an individual or group of individuals, to dismiss and reject an entire set of traits and values proven by study after study (or even mere observation!) to be so advantageous ! Yet,those very traits are rejected by Bell Curve far-enders as "acting white," even though these traits aren't exclusive to whites nor are they hard to acquire. So, stop trying to avoid the impact of evolution. There is a reason, Sub-Sahara Africa is a FUBAR-ed shambles while Northern Europe is so successful! After all, SCIENCE! "WRONG! How "intelligent" is it for an individual or group of individuals, to dismiss and reject an entire set of traits and values proven by study after study (or even mere observation!) to be so advantageous ! "
Intelligence is not the same as :"Wisdom.": Calvin Coolidge had it right. "Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. " You can call it "work ethic" but it is not IQ. bingo! Doing "dumb" things, i.e. making bad decisions, doesn't necessarily mean you're dumb (although you may be). It often means you are lacking in either wisdom or discipline.
It is not Privilege. It is Commitment by any definition - and a willingness to manifest this commitment with actions that invest in the idea of community as a way of improving the chances of survival and ultimately, as a way of achieving prosperity - if not for oneself, then for one's children.
It is in many ways a uniquely American sentiment, the idea that mutual cooperation must be undertaken to benefit all. The native Americans manifested it in their lives, and the American Settlers adopted it through necessity in order to survive frontier existence. And yet it is the opposite of Socialism. Tell me please if the following constitutes "white privilege"?
I once worked in several large higher end hotels in a large west coast city dominated by the unions. My experience with the "black" employees was thus: 1. A young "African/American" woman who was hired as a housekeeper got mad when I asked her to do something and slammed me across the side of my face with a clipboard. 2.I explained to one of our maintenance men (large African/American male) that because construction was still going on we had to deal with the constant dust on the lobby floor. I asked him to sweep the floor again and to try to keep the dust down. When I asked him if he had any suggestion as to how else we could keep the lobby floor clean--he slapped me in the face. On both occasions--I was told that I had to get along with the unions or loose my job. FYI I never showed any impact nor did I respond in anger. I just politely (as politely as always) requested that they do as asked. I did not (could not) file a complaint because I was management. Some white privilege that was ! The News Junkie: The western world (except for England) has no caste system
All of Europe emerged from feudal societies. Some still have hereditary monarchies, including not just the United Kingdom, but Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and Luxembourg. The News Junkie: The markings of cultural privilege are most easily internalized by upbringing, and secondarily by good examples (eg coaches, relatives) and formal education. Good socialization. QUOTE: Black senator describes facing unfair scrutiny by police Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina -- who is the only African-American Republican in U.S. Senate -- delivered an emotional floor speech Wednesday about the unfair police scrutiny he has faced over his life because he is a black man. "In the course of one year, I've been stopped seven times by law enforcement," Scott said. "Not four, not five, not six, but seven times in one year as an elected official." I agree that Scott was unfairly treated by the police and that it is inexcusable (here I assume and expect that there were no aggravating circumstances), but he doesn't seem to have let it stop him from doing anything.
There is racism towards blacks, jews, and now college classes teach the problems of whiteness. It is all ugly. There's nothing remotely good to say about any of it, but in the end in this country, it doesn't have to stop you unless you want it to. African-Americans are arrested at a lower rate than one would predict given their much higher rate of violent crime - 4x the violent crime of Hispanics and Native Americans. 400%. 4x as many funerals for black parents.
Being hassled and scrutinised sucks, sure. But it just doesn't compare to getting arrested. AA's are arrested less often per crime committed. So whatever else their problem is, it's not the police - at least, not any more than any other people in the country. Blacks and whites smoke marijuana at similar rates, yet blacks are 3.7 times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession.
While black defendants represent about 35% of drug arrests, 46% of those convicted of drug crimes are black. Blacks were incarcerated for convicted felony offenses 51% of the time while whites convicted of felonies were incarcerated 38% of the time. If one is smart, one does not get arrested for marijuana possession.
I don't think the police are cutting whites any slack. They want to make a case given probable cause. Maybe blacks tote more reefer around with them or are more prone to be open about their use? Any stats on that? Most large jurisdictions have fines for simple possession of less than an ounce. Misdemeanor. Same as an alcohol offense. Smoking down the road, leaving roaches in the ashtray. Using stupidly and illogically will get your buttocks in a bind. Same thing with alcohol. A councilman (Black) in a large Georgia city is trying to pass legislation to even further reduce penalties for simple possession and I applaud his efforts. Maybe our Black Brethern should move to Maine, Colorado, California, Oregon, or Washington until full decriminalization is realized. So goes the West Coast, so goes the nation. I think you are wrong with this one, and I am one that sometimes agrees with you, much as I hate to admit it. But, not often. Anyway, stats are like a good prostitute. If you work it right, they will do anything your want them to. As with anything else in this argument about the police and blacks, if you commit the crime, you should expect to face consequences if you are nabbed. Gotta to be smart to play the game. Being dumb about things you should be smart about is part of "not acting white." Don't threaten the police or point guns at them. It does not make for a good outcome. Being dumb about things you should be smart about is part of "not acting white." If you can't learn the simple things, life is gonna be a bastard, in so many ways. Maybe blacks should take up acting white. Ain't gonna change the melanin content of their dermis. Now them white boys that try to act Black, that is stupid. red Blacks and whites smoke marijuana at similar rates
While surveys, a.k.a. self-reporting, may show that, actual drug tests tell another story. Race and Drug Arrests: Another Big Lie. QUOTE: As I said earlier, the idea that blacks don’t use illegal drugs much more often than whites comes from surveys. But when you ask people if they take illegal drugs do they tell the truth? Some studies point the other way.As it turns out, there is scholarly literature on this. Researchers ask people if they have taken drugs and then take urine or hair samples to find out. And almost every time, blacks are a lot more likely than whites to say they haven’t taken drugs but the test then proves they were lying. A 2005 study in the Journal of Urban Health, for example, found that blacks were ten times more likely than whites to lie about cocaine. Hispanics were five times more likely. When it came to marijuana, not one of the 109 whites in the sample lied, but one in eight of the 191 blacks lied. A 2008 study of Vietnam-era veterans in the journal Addictive Behaviors found that blacks were more than 20 times more likely than whites to lie about cocaine, and twice as likely to lie about marijuana. A 2003 report also in Addictive Behaviors surveyed 290 black men who were being treated for high blood pressure. Only 48 admitted they were using illegal drugs but urine tests found that 131 of them were. Forty-five percent were taking drugs but only 19 percent admitted it. This behavior goes back a long way. In 1994, more than 20 years ago, a large study of young people, aged nine to 20, found that blacks were six times more likely than whites to claim they didn’t use cocaine–but have it show up in a urine test. The Journal of Urban Health article I quoted earlier says this, and I quote: “the results replicate and extend a growing body of research suggesting that African Americans underreport substance use on surveys.” Underreport is a nice way of saying that they lie about it. QUOTE: One 2001 study found that when people arrested for various crimes were asked about drug use and then tested, whites were more likely than blacks to lie about crack cocaine–but less likely to lie about marijuana or methamphetamines. Consider drug freakouts that end up in the emergency room.QUOTE: Every year, the US Department of Health and Human Services tells us how many people went to the emergency room because they took an illegal drug and got sick or went crazy. Since the government tabulates these numbers by race, we can calculate rates. Blacks are 3-1/2 times more likely than whites to go to the emergency room because they took an illegal drug. They are 2.8 times more likely than whites to end up in the ER because of marijuana, and seven times more likely because they took cocaine. If you have a drug freakout and need help ASAP, you will go to the emergency room. Drug freakouts in emergency rooms are much more likely to be blacks.It doesn’t seem likely that blacks just freak out more when they take drugs, but if that’s the case, that would help explain high arrest rates, too: People who are so high they have to go the ER are probably doing things that attract the attention of the police. Some people might say that white people with drug problems go to fancy private clinics instead of the ER. Doesn’t’ work that way. You go to detox for weeks at a time, by appointment. If you just show up blithering they’ll send you to the ER. Blacks were incarcerated for convicted felony offenses 51% of the time while whites convicted of felonies were incarcerated 38% of the time.
In all states, blacks are incarcerated at a greater rate than whites. Nationwide, blacks are incarcerated at a rate 5.1 times that of whites. From The Color of Justice: Racial and Ethnic Disparity in State Prisons. QUOTE: African Americans are incarcerated in state prisons at a rate that is 5.1 times the imprisonment of whites. In five states (Iowa, Minnesota, New Jersey, Vermont, and Wisconsin), the disparity is more than 10 to 1. Let us look at state variation black/white incarceration rates. We took data from Table 1. Incarceration rates per 100,000 by race, by black (male and female) incarceration rate. Here are the ten states with the greatest disparities between Black and White incarceration rates.States exhibit substantial variation in the range of racial disparity, from a black/white ratio of 12.2:1 in New Jersey to 2.4:1 in Hawaii. QUOTE: State Black/White Incarceration Rate Most of those states vote Democrat. Following are the states with the lowest disparities between Black and White incarceration rates. New Jersey 12.1 Wisconsin 11.5 Iowa 11.1 Minnesota 11.0 Vermont 10.5 Connecticut 9.4 Pennsylvania 8.9 Illinois 8.8 California 8.8 Nebraska 8.4 QUOTE: State Black/White Incarceration Rate Most of the states with the least disparity between Black and White incarceration rates voted Republican. Most of the states with the greatest disparity between Black and White incarceration rates voted Democrat. Doesn't quite fit the progressive narrative, does it?Arkansas 3.8 Tennessee 3.7 Florida 3.6 West Virginia 3.5 Wyoming 3.5 Alabama 3.3 Kentucky 3.3 Georgia 3.2 Mississippi 3.0 Hawaii 2.4 Gringo: When it came to marijuana, not one of the 109 whites in the sample lied, but one in eight of the 191 blacks lied.
Which means 7 out of 8 blacks were in concordance, and is therefore insufficient to explain the 3.7:1 ratio of arrests. mudbug: There's nothing remotely good to say about any of it, but in the end in this country, it doesn't have to stop you unless you want it to.
Not always. But it does represent an unequal playing field. And it doesn't just include being stopped by police, but discrimination is found in all walks of life. mudbug: African-Americans are arrested at a lower rate than one would predict given their much higher rate of violent crime If you are poor and minority, you will be more likely to be charged and jailed for the more serious offense. The second quote should be attributed to Assistant Village Idiot.
I don't know if you changed the subject from "arrested" to "charged" and "convicted" because you are being devious or because you aren't reading closely. Once in the legal system, African-Americans do get worse lawyers, longer sentences, and less sympathy from parole boards. However, fewer are arrested, and charges are more often dropped before arraignment - largely because other black people are afraid to give information to the police or be witnesses.
The police are closer to fairness than anyone else in this equation - even though some are assholes. Assistant Village Idiot: Once in the legal system, African-Americans do get worse lawyers, longer sentences, and less sympathy from parole boards.
We are in agreement on that point. Some of the difference may be due to being generally poorer. Assistant Village Idiot: However, fewer are arrested Here's an overview: Blacks more likely to be arrested, get longer sentences. We'd be happy to look at your statistics, but it apparently doesn't apply to marijuana possession, as noted above.
#7.3.1.1.1
Zachriel
on
2017-10-03 09:24
(Reply)
At the bottom of this, I think the "whiteness" thing is an attempted slo-mo imitation of Mao's cultural revolution with little to do with race or ethnicity.
I marvel at the historical ignorance -- real, feigned, or self-imposed -- by such a vast swath of the mainstream media over this very issue. I'm 64. I'm not a history major, though I am a history buff; my degree is in computer science, and IT has been my lifelong profession. But even I'm quite aware of the Chinese cultural revolution and the techniques used. Between Antifa and the intolerant Left (particularly the ever-expanding semantics of "alt-right", "white privilege", and "white supremacy"), I just find myself shaking my head to watch it recreated here in the US. A privilege is a benefit you are granted. So the claim is that whites are granted benefits that blacks aren't. So really this is all about blacks as victims of the evil white man.
Re unfair police scrutiny. Fair is one of those vague and ambiguous words with no objective meaning. White privilege is simply superior genetics, more evolution.
It is more insidious than you think. My take is that the “ elites”(and celebs) who cheerlead for (as in “non judgmental”) the antisocial, self defeating, and self destructive behavior of the less advantaged, eschew those same behaviors for themselves and for their families, behind closed doors. (I believe Charles Murray has made a similar observation) It is not altruism to enable the self destructive. It is not altruism to do for others what they can do for themselves, if they never accomplish anything useful or productive. Providing them with excuses and justification, derails their growth and maturation. Honest to God, I don't know what motivates these people. It is not just myopic; it is venal, and probably self serving.
"I think "whiteness" is a shorthand for those who are culturally advantaged, adapted to a dominant if not elite culture, because in my life experience you can easily find people of all colors, ethnicities, and wealth who lack those qualities, and those who possess those qualities. It is indeed a handicap in life to lack them."
I think the word "adaptive" is key, with the understanding that what is effective in one environment may not be under a different set of conditions. In the past, the strategies/ behaviors that have been successful and adaptive would have survived and become dominant by attrition, assuming failed behaviors would not be perpetuated. I don't see why behaviors can't be subject to selection pressure. Dear Mr News Junkie:
If I interpret your analysis correctly, I think you're - pardon the French - full of shit. The traits or manners you describe have nothing to do with race and everything to do with values. I think you actually started to indicate that, but then you fell back into the trap of implying that blacks are lacking in the values that whites possess because they (the blacks) are black. There are many blacks with great values just as there are many whites with poor values. Statistically, they seem to have a lot to do with race, and in other countries besides America. Perhaps they shouldn't have anything to do with race; perhaps there is no inherent reason they are found less often in black culture. But "acting white" as an insult is a real thing.
The problem to some extent is peer pressure. Blacks, in America, consider themselves to be "one tribe" and everyone else is an outsider. They see their pride and respect in all tribe members acting the same. Don't show them up by reading shakespeare or being good at math. Play the game or we will shun/shame you. Don't forget it's us against the whites/hispanics/jews/Asians/etc. They have their secret handshake/bump/thingy and their own language and their own version of virtue signaling. The bizarre names they give their children is to acknowledge and amplify their animosity and unity against the whites. Success, to them is not being good at your job but getting free stuff and being antagonistic against whitey or the man. This is why they always, always fight the police and of course pay the price.
I don't disagree (sorry for the double negative), but correlation isn't causation. My point is that blacks are CAPABLE of adopting the same values and acting in a civilized manner.
The claims about "whiteness" come from the black subculture, amplified by SJWs and the media. It is that subculture which shuns and/or harasses black children who are studious or who "act white".
Of course "There are many blacks with great values just as there are many whites with poor values." I don't get why you believe that News Junkie said otherwise. Biologically there is a white/Asian/Jewish advantage/privilege. Statistically each of those races have higher IQs then Blacks and other racial groups. Socially there is an advantage as most whites were brought up with a "protestant" work ethic. Taught from birth to adult to learn, work hard, don't blame others for your problems, take responsibility for your success, this is not as common in black and other non-white/Asian communities. I was reading before the first grade (I'm so old they didn't have pre-school or kindergarten back then) and by the time I was 12 I had read all or part of 12,000 books (in fact some of them I read two or three times). I believe an individuals success or lack of it can be directly related to their reading habits. For the most part that is the "white privilege".
The NAACP, black churches and organizations have done a poor job of improving black education, upbringing and work ethic. There is today in the black community a sense of entitlement; welfare, affirmative action and the many other efforts to make it "easy" for minorities to succeed without even trying has hurt young minorities and minority families. This is "black-disadvantage", this sense of "I deserve free stuff because someone I don't even know was a slave a century and a half ago". You forgot the advantages of ego: Some guy on the Internet just claimed to have read "all or part" of at least seven or eight books every day from the age of six.
Whatever white privilege is, Asian Americans have more of it than whites, on average. Higher income, higher marriage rates, lower incarceration rates etc.
It's actually pretty simple to figure in my experience. I grew up with alot of Asian and white kids with high IQ and good upbringing. The Asian kids had a little more discipline and work ethic, and have been rewarded accordingly. My kids are growing up with alot of black and mixed race kids. School is 44% white. In our experience, having married parents trumps race as a predictor for the kids success in school and for which kids hang out together. The kids with single moms tend to do poorly. It's troubling to me how single motherhood hasn't just been destigmatized, but it's actually lionized in the entertainment media. Watch any stupid reality show and every single mom is quick to brag about it and seems to expect praise. It happens through no fault of the mom occasionally, but its nothing to be celebrated. A culture that accepts it, along with cussing, being late, poor impulse control, poor speaking skills, is simply not going to be very successful. "Privilege" is a term used by the Takers to justify their taking from the Makers. Has nothing to do with race.
So much well said here. I cannot improve on what has been written. I agree with most, don't want to disagree with any.
As once was said, "Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition." Thank you very much for the ammo. This is powerful stuff and I will not have to reload quite so often in my quest against our current cultural revolution. If we lose this war, and I don't think we will, I would like to be the fly on the wall when the SS comes for the useful idiots. As Gomer used to say, "Surprise, surprise, surprise!" Kudos to all you Farmers, Just Another White Boy red |