I'm glad to hear you were guessing about what you said instead of stating what you beliieved to be undisputed fact! Too many people live in their tiny world believing thats the truth about the whole world without ever really knowing what they are talking about. I am glad you are not one of them!Quote:
Originally Posted by bjrn
Bah. I typed a response, and then my browser crashed. Here's a summed up version: I just wanted to clarify that I believe that being part of something that is considered the norm in a given group is often benificial. And I also believe that in western countries in general white males are to a certain extent considered the norm, and there is a slight (unconsious) preference towards white over black people.
I don't trust Hillary at all, as for Obama, I trust him less than I do Hillary. I imagine some are going to go into the voting booth and play russian roullette with their vote.:gth
And yet so many U.S. citizens voted for them. I hope the country elects a wiser Congress this time around.Quote:
Originally Posted by freebird
No sarcasm at all in there, Wright found out that he had a platform and he's gonna use it as much as he can gosh darnit.Quote:
Originally Posted by JMS
Personally I find Obama the least scary of the candidates as the president has little effect on domestic policy compared to foreign. Clinton's foreign policy is scary to me while McCain's is downright terrifying.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bjrn
How does this make me priviliged?
Does fitting in this category automatically make me a Kennedy?
no...
It means I don't qualify for most of the scholarships out there, It means I am priviliged enough to have to work my way through school, with no assistance, while the guy sitting next to me who doesn't appreciate his education is getting a free ride.
It means I have to be careful and think before I open my mouth, because almost anything I say can be used against me, where those poor underpriviliged minorities don't have the same restrictions, and can say whatever they want about me in public, because my "race" makes me the bad guy.
It means if I tell the guy who's calling me names that he's ignorant, I'm only saying that because he's not caucasian.
For those of you out there who think caucasians are not the victims of racism, think again. Not only are we the victims of it, it's government sponsored.
Try having your highschool counselor tell you she can't help you, and that the only thing you did wrong was to be born what you are. (white and male)
How about when she tells you that if you were a minority female with a child she could get you a free ride. Even better, when you fill out those applications and they ask if you're a drug addict, mark yes, you're almost guaranteed to get in.
My parents couldn't help me, I didn't get a penny of assistance, I had to work my way through school, I had to take what classes I could afford, and it has taken me 3 times longer to finish my education because of it.
But I'm the racist, I'm the priviliged one...
And if you think it stops there, think again, Employers are bound by similar rules... Frankly anybody can say or do anything against white males because they are considered the majority, and there is little or no recourse.
The simple fact of this has not escaped minorities, I was a lower level supervisor, and had a Female subordinate refuse to take orders from me because "I'm old enough to be your mother"
When I wrote her up for insubordination, she accused me of discriminating against her because of her age, and I was reprimanded... She didn't have to provide any proof, nor was the evidence of the matter considered... Employers are so scared that the ACLU is going to march in they won't consider the actual facts.
Where does it say it's okay to discriminate against me for the actions of my ancestors?
You weren't a slave, and i never owned slaves, it's time to move on.
It's complicated, and I'm not suggesting you are saying otherwise. I'd hate to be poor white or poor black - not sure either has an advantage over the other. Middleclass/privileged minorities get huge advantages from aff. action programs, and as you say clearly privileged whites get their advantages. What's sad to me is that most of the programs designed to help poor blacks really mostly benefit those that have already succeeded, so rather than helping with justice it just promotes resentment. And racisim is alive and well - I was engaged to a black woman who I was involved with for ten years - broke up for unrelated reasons, but I saw a lot of things that surprised me and a lot of ignorance that surprised me, and I think black man/white woman couple see even more than I did.Quote:
Originally Posted by bjrn
But I'm a white male, and I wouldn't trade that for the advantages of being a minority, so until I feel like my advantages are outweighed by the advantages privileged minorities get I'm not inclined to obsess about it. I was however explicitly denied a promotion because they wanted to promote a minority who they told me wasn't as good as me [I'm glad they were honest but if it's so obvious you need to tell someone you are discriminating against them you probably shouldn't be doing it], and that burned pretty bad, but I just went and got the same promotion somewhere else and compete with that firm now. I suspect similarly talented minorities do the same thing when they are screwed, and in fact I've bonded with a few that have faced the same issue.
On Obama, I think it's fair for him to say Wright is a long term friend but is off the reservation. I think that's honest. And Wright really is being a disloyal jerk to his old friend - he could have just shut up for another month, so I feel bad for Obama. We all have friends that we think are idiots on one thing or another, but Wright seized Obama's moment and that's a pretty bad betrayal. The only good from all this is that McCain is going to win. :D
Just wait folks.
You can bet the farm McCain will pick either a minority or a woman to fill out the ticket, just so It won't be called the election of the white rich old boy vs. the lowly minority woman/black. Its a shame the republicans have already passed on nominating the best man for the number one spot in favor of someone more "electable", now I bet that panderer will pick someone less than the best qualified for the number 2.
Unless of course he can convince Colin Powell to step in, in that case I hope the white house snipers take a shot inside the Lincoln bedroom instead of outside and promote a much better qualified man:)
It's all a penis waving contest anyway...
I say we all vote for Ron Jeremy
Powell would be a home run for sure, and as you say a better no. 1 [perhaps next time!] But I would have thought he would pick Huckabee to shore up his vulnerable right, rather than a minority to shore up his left - he's already got a ton of credibility with moderates, and the liberals that would be impressed by him picking a minority or woman will be voting democrat anyway.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wildtim
Man, Powell would be nice, but I think the guy is just too smart to get into presidential politics.