Wednesday, August 07, 2013

White privilege


File:Lange-MigrantMother02.jpg

5 comments:

  1. It's interesting that you post this today. My wife and I just finished The Dust Bowl last night.

    Her education was public schooling (in a "good" district!) and she had never heard of the Dust Bowl. Accordingly, she had never heard about race-less bigotry of the sort that "Okies" faced in California in the early part of the 20th century.

    Maybe this has nothing to do with why you posted this image, but it sprang to mind as soon as I saw it.

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  2. What's the argument? 'White privilege never existed because Oakies' ? This is the sort of incoherency that you would - rightly - attack if it was exhibited elsewhere.

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    1. It's satirical. I left it to the reader to draw his own conclusions. It illustrates how the allegation of white privilege is, at best, a hasty generalization. The allegation is a meaningless abstraction.

      As far as that goes, we could talk about black privilege. Most black Americans are far better off than most black Africans.

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  3. That's what you call "jumping to conclusions", chris.

    Steve hasn't put forth an argument here and neither have I.

    I simply noted that even a "good" public school education omits important history about our own country and fails to fully contextualize "bigotry" and "racism".

    Go ahead and disagree so we can all have a good belly laugh.

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  4. The waters are often muddier than simply "black and white". The first recorded settlers from Europe came to flee difficulties they faced in their home lands. Apparently they brought with them the very sin nature they were fleeing. Native Americans fought among themselves before the Europeans came. Then the Eurpoeans fought with the Native Americans. Africans fought among themselves before Europeans came. Then the Europeans enslaved some of them such that even some of the Africans helped to enslave their fellow Africans who were their enemies. European Americans liked the idea and bought some of the Africans for use in the States.

    I tell you, we just can't get rid of this sin nature on our own. It keeps cropping up in ourselves and our progeny. Hmmm. I guess the Bible is right about this after all. That's my conclusion.

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