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White Privilege, White Entitlement and the 2008 Election

Submitted by BuzzFlash on Sat, 09/13/2008 - 3:44pm.

A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION
by Tim Wise

For those who still can’t grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.

White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because "every family has challenges," even as black and Latino families with similar "challenges" are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.

White privilege is when you can call yourself a "fuckin’ redneck," like Bristol Palin’s boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll "kick their fuckin' ass," and talk about how you like to "shoot shit" for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.

White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.

White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don’t all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you’re "untested."

White privilege is being able to say that you support the words "under God" in the pledge of allegiance because "if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it’s good enough for me," and not be immediately disqualified from holding office--since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the "under God" part wasn’t added until the 1950s--while believing that reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because, ya know, the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school requires it), is a dangerous and silly idea only supported by mushy liberals.

White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you. White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto was "Alaska first," and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she’s being disrespectful.

White privilege is being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do--like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor--and people think you’re being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college--you’re somehow being mean, or even sexist.

White privilege is being able to convince white women who don’t even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same white women, and made them give your party a "second look."

White privilege is being able to fire people who didn’t support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.

White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God’s punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you’re just a good church-going Christian, but if you’re black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you’re an extremist who probably hates America.

White privilege is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a "trick question," while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O’Reilly means you’re dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.

White privilege is being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism is, as Sarah Palin has referred to it, a "light" burden.

And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren’t sure about that whole "change" thing. Ya know, it’s just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.

White privilege is, in short, the problem.

A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION

Tim Wise is the author of White Like Me (Soft Skull, 2005, revised 2008), and of Speaking Treason Fluently, publishing this month, also by Soft Skull.

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Yes indeed

Submitted by CitizenOfTheWorld on Tue, 09/30/2008 - 12:08pm.
I agree with TJAmerican. This doesn't have much to do with being white or otherwise. White people have a guilt feeling about non-white people because of past racial abuses (slavery, discrimination, etc.), much like today's German generation feels guilty about the holocaust, or the Catholics about the inquisition. This is normal. When people you normally identify with have committed crimes you had nothing to do with personally, you have this guilty feeling. But in this case, I think we're talking about class more than skin tone. There are privileged people in all ethnic groups. There's white on white violence as much as black on black violence. What we need is more justice and tolerance in our society, not race-based stereotypes.
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White Privilege in America

Submitted by Onoshobishobi I... on Mon, 09/29/2008 - 5:10pm.

White privilege is when a white chief of police, a white police officer and a white director of social services can ignore evidence that a 4 year old black child is being abused to the point where eventually that child is murdered.

White privilege is when a white chief of police, a white police officer and a white director of social services can ignore evidence that a 2 year old black child is being abused to the point where eventually that child is murdered.

White privilege is when a white chief of police, a white police officer and a white director of social services can ignore evidence that a black child has been raped by a white man diagnosed as having paraphiia and that white man gets away with it.

The real example of white privilege in this is that the chief of police, the police officer and the director of social services mentioned in the above 3 cases were involved in all three cases mentioned that stemmed from 1978 to 2008.

http://taylorspetition.blogspot.com/
http://exposepwc.blogspot.com/
Those two sites will show that these are not just words this is reality.

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BuzzFlash missed the target on this one

Submitted by bbuc on Sun, 09/28/2008 - 9:09am.
BuzzFlash is a diamond in the rough... once in a while some great original stuff comes out of it, but this wasn't one of those times. .....Wise's well meaning essay was more a useful collection of Palinisms than instances of racism or white privilege. I see these points as great examples of why we don't want any more stupid people running our governments or our schools. All sorts of people may be racists, but I suspect in America it is all about class now, more than race. .....In effect, the right wing of American politics has said "we now represent the stupid people, and will do anything, ANYTHING, to get ourselves elected and put our arch-conservative, FDR-America hating policies into place, including using under educated, anti intellectual masses of Americans as tools against themselves, even as we beat down the people who actually want to help these fools get better schools and decent doctors. .....In fact I can almost hear them saying to themselves, "I can't believe these a@@holes fell for it again." .....The good news about racism in America is that although it's still alive and well, it is well on the decline here to the point where we can have a great shot at getting a man elected who happens to be (half) black by such a great number of votes, even in the face of persistent criminal vote fraud and suppression. .....Beating racism now takes a back seat to defeating the fascist type forces of corporatism, greed. ignorance, fear and certainly racism.
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The White Privilege? Well allow me to retort...

Submitted by angryne0 on Mon, 09/22/2008 - 5:02pm.
For those people who don't realize that racism is still alive and well, this is the icing on the cake. Racism is more obvious now. It is done by being "politically correct". We use words like "affirmative action" as a way to redress negative effects of actual or perceived, past or current discrimination. I see this as a complete failure of the system. It's like grading on a curve. I don't subscribe to that school of thought. Excuse me, but when was the last time I illegally crossed a border or worked a vegetable field in the hot sun? When was the last time I worked an 18-hour shift at a factory for minimum wage? I never have and never will. I don't need your pity or sympathy. I don't need your approval. I don't need your pointless representation. I have the same opportunities as everyone else. On the other hand, legislation that is aimed to aid "minority" communities somehow gets overlooked. I complain, bitch, gripe, and moan because I drove a few miles to my local voting booth to cast my vote, yet when the results are tallied in we're stuck with an incompetent idiot for another four years, regardless of who wins. White privilege is the problem because we allow it. Latinos are the largest so-called minority group and we can't even get a Latino candidate for the presidency. What's wrong with that picture? Look at any map: any place in this side of the planet is primarily a Latin-based country - Mexico to Central America to South America back to Cuba and Puerto Rico - you get the point. Yet we blame the white man for our demise. What happened 500 years ago is done. The only legacy the Europeans left was the complete decimation of entire cultures of highly advanced and sophisticated peoples. All the "whites" brought was ultimately disease and death. And that is coming back. Not in the form of the influenza or the plague. The disease now is to slowly take the minority groups and turn them into consumers, consenting to the belief of the American Dream. You know the one. All it takes is MY vote. We are allowing our culture to disappear. I do find irony in the fact that most advertising is now aimed at Spanish-speaking consumers. You won't count my vote but you'll count my dollar. (I forget the source, but someone referred to the United States' paper currency as "slave owner trading cards". Ouch!) Do I think anyone cares if MY vote counts? Who is representing the Latinos on a smaller scale? In our local communities programs are forgotten. Somehow during an election year all the number crunchers remember one thing: there are 44.3 million "Mexicans" in the U.S. Let's get their vote, throw some ethnic-sounding buzzwords at them through TeleMundo... I think you know where I am going with this...
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This is Your Nation on Political Correctness

Submitted by Andrew Orange on Mon, 09/22/2008 - 3:57pm.
This is Your Nation on Political Correctness For those who still can't grasp the concept of political correctness, or who are looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help. Political correctness is when some white guy named Tim Wise (who has made his career based on writing and speaking about American racism) presumes to speak for black people and writes an article about "white privilege" at a historical time in our nation when, for the first time, a black man is a major party candidate for the office of President of the United States. Political correctness is when well-intentioned people send the article to all of their friends on the internet without questioning the facts and examining the claims made in the article. Political correctness is when you can get away with verbally attacking a 17-year old white girl who is pregnant out of wedlock, and turn it into a divisive argument about race, instead of addressing how the system keeps the black community down by replacing fathers with welfare checks, giving economic advantages to households without fathers, and not providing good education and safe neighborhoods. Political correctness is when you ridicule a republican woman's education because she didn't attend Ivy League schools, but ignore prominent democrats' less than stellar performance in college (Al Gore, for example was a "C" student at Harvard, flunked out of divinity school, and dropped out of law school, yet was still the VP under Clinton). Political correctness is when your successful, accomplished wife—who is the epitome of the American dream, who came from a middle class family and has two degrees (from Princeton and Harvard), whose family income is over a million dollars a year—says "For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country" and you call her patriotic. Political correctness is stoking racist sentiment about verbal attacks on community organizers, instead of doing something about the issues that make "community organizers" necessary such as substandard schools, poverty, high crime rates, etc. Political correctness is being able to convince white people who don't even know what you stand for beyond the vague concepts of "hope" and "change" to vote for you because suddenly your presence on the ticket has given them an opportunity to soothe their white guilt, or just to vote for a black man, any black man, because he's black. Political correctness is removing Muslim women wearing headscarves from sitting behind you in a rally, so that you can pander to those who erroneously think you're a Muslim. Political correctness is when you say nothing when your running mate makes racist comments about Indians, saying “You cannot go to a 7-11 or Dunkin Donuts unless you have a slight Indian Accent", or about blacks by describing you as “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.” Political correctness is saying that you are for equality for all, yet hiring a running mate who voted in favor of the federal ban on same-sex marriage. Political correctness is being able to have a mentor and pastor for 20 years who explained the loss of innocent men, women and children on 9/11 as "America's chickens coming home to roost" and said that blacks should sing "God Damn America." Political correctness is being able to get away with being friends with an admitted terrorist, to be involved in a shady real estate deal with a corrupt convicted criminal, and to be friends with a scholar/author who called for Israel to be "wiped off the map." To quote Obama himself "If you remain friends with people up to no good, you are bound to become like them. If you think you're above their influence, you are just fooling yourself. So, choose wisely." Political correctness is deriding Palin's interjection of her religion into politics, but praising Pelosi when she states that Obama is "a leader that God has blessed us with at this time" or Obama when he tells an evangelical crowd that "we can create a Kingdom right here on Earth." Political correctness is when a black candidate is able to sail by throughout the nomination process with immunity from political attacks from fawning journalists who were either star-struck or too afraid of being called a racist, while the white candidates, particularly Hillary Clinton, was subjected to the most intense scrutiny by the media and given hard-hitting questions. Political correctness is when a black millionaire senator and author who graduated from one of the most prestigious colleges in the world, who just held a $28,500 per plate dinner with friends Barbra Streisand and George Clooney during the worst financial crisis since the Depression, is presumed to be "just a regular guy" (he says "I'm a homeboy") while Hillary Clinton, who similarly came from middle class roots, is considered to be an elitist Washington insider snob. Political correctness is when a black candidate is given a pass by the media when he tells the nation on live tv that he is in St. Louis, when he is in fact in Kansas City. Or when he said his uncle helped liberate Auschwitz when no US troops were there at the time. Or when he stated that he had been to "57" states with "one more left to go." Or when he stated that Hugo Chavez came into power in Venezuela as a result of Bush's policies (Chavez came to power during Clinton's term). Or when he stated that 10,000 people had died in the tornado in Kansas in May, when the death toll was 12. When a white candidate makes those same types of mistakes, they are shown over and over and turned into t-shirts and bumper stickers. And finally, political correctness is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 40 percent of the time (including voting to fund the Iraq war, supporting Bush's faith-based initiatives, voting with Bush to give the telecoms immunity from prosecution and continue wiretapping US citizens), when he's been part of a do-nothing US Senate with the lowest approval rating ever for only four years (half of which he's spent campaigning) when he can't pin down exactly what that whole "change" thing means, which, ya know, is REALLY too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, political correctness, which seems to be here to say. Political correctness is, in short, the problem.
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No people

Submitted by myintro2u on Sat, 09/20/2008 - 11:00am.
Come on people. You know who he talking about. Everytime someone speaks on race and the racism that goes on in this world you all automatically think that someone is talking about you. just because you are of the same race don't mean that you have to share the same blame. Quit making yourselves out to be guilty by race. and look at yourselves as individuals. if he is not talking about you dont assume he is. Don't be so F@#$ Naive. THINK!!!
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Now for the commentators:

Submitted by kfreed on Fri, 09/19/2008 - 6:16am.
Don't you people get it? These comments are exactly the kind of RACIAL DIVISION that republicans need on order to win this election. Are you not capable of connecting the dots????????? Keep it up and see were it gets us (ALL of us, nevermind who's got a better tan than whom).
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What's White Privilege Got to Do With It?

Submitted by kfreed on Fri, 09/19/2008 - 6:02am.
Here's a news flash for you: If the democratic candidate were white, the republicans would not diverge from their present tactics in the slightest (as evidenced in the last two elections). It's just that in this election the Republicans haven't got a leg to stand on (nor did they, really, in the last two elections) and so they've decided to stumble through the stupidest campaign ever to have been staged in the history of the nation. Its the result of pure and simple desperation on their part. Not to mention, there's something different happening this time around: the voice of uncommon common sense eminating from a politician for the first time in our adult memories is just too difficult to pass up. Some might say its inspiring even. Obama being black doesn't have much to do with it as far as the McCain camp is concerned. Though certain individuals of the republican persuasion would like to imply to the rest of us that skin pigmentation should somehow matter. You see, one of the things that the Republicans are really good at is setting in motion these little race wars because they know that a divided nation works very much in their favor. Have you ever noticed that the "trickle down" theory when applied to economics genereally spells disaster, but when applied to social/political discourse it's quite the successful strategy for creating strife within the population? And hasn't racism really always (yes, always) been brewed at the top of the socio-political food chain and then force-fed to everybody else? So, why, I ask you... WHY... would you anti up to play the race game when we are seeing for the first time that there might be a chance for us to finally demonstrate some solidarity and possibly begin to get ahead of it, above it, beyond it? Why keep stirring the pot? Thus far, it has been said, "All whites are racist" even against their will as though they somehow can't help themselves (maybe its genetic)... Or... that "whites are only supporting Obama out of some misguided notion of "white guilt." That really doesn't help get those undecided white working class voters on Obama's team, now does it? And honestly, this kind of race baiting really is pissing me off to no end. Particularly as I've spent nearly two years arguing, fighting, yelling, and clawing at the narrowmindedness that would simply dismiss Obama as "black" - nothing more, nothing else. NO! I will not see it all undone by some arrogant jerk citing "white privelege." Obama doesn't do it - what makes you think you're helping his campaign with this crap? Why do you think all those white faces in the crowds at Obama rallies exhibit as much hope and dedication as do the black faces? Maybe you should find another angle. I for one am sick to death of hearing this kind of crap.
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The TRUTH will set us FREE

Submitted by Jian on Wed, 09/17/2008 - 7:25pm.
White privilege seems to have this lure but in the end the folks relegating this so called privilege are making sure not necessarily that it stays with white people but that it stays with them and their friends who happen to be mostly white. Plus there’s this entitlement thing going on which seems to apply only to the privileged! The policies of this current administration are helping maybe 1% of the American population, privileging themselves even more at a serious cost to 99% of the American population of all colors including white. In fact these policies are assuring that the rest of us become dis-entitled to education, to healthcare, to clean air and water and to legal recourse etc. So why are we clinging to these policies and ideals when they are hurting us; what is this almost deadly attraction and how do we end it before it’s too late? I say we start by electing a president such as Obama that will consider the rest of America when implementing policies that will sustain our society and help us regain competitive spirit with an emphasis on spirit. Actions speak louder than words and behind all action resides intention; bravely look within to face your fears and confusion to realize truth and then vote.
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Greedy Opportunists using Racial fear, Terrorism fear

Submitted by keekers on Wed, 09/17/2008 - 7:53am.
Instead of terrorism and alerts to scare the bejasus out of the voters and divide them, use race and keep people unaware they are racist by fogging it up. But the Waffles are pretty blatant.... A photoshopped picture of Obama in a flag print speedo and wielding an ak 47 would not be salacious to this same crowd of thirty year old males. THANK YOU FOR articulating so well. Humans have an infinite capacity for self-deception
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Black Privilege to counter the so called White Privilage crap

Submitted by seedyrom on Tue, 09/16/2008 - 5:31pm.
Take it from a Greek/American who knows life all too well!1 Black privilege is when Obama can snort cocaine when he and his friends could afford it. Black privilege is when Obama would buy pot when he could not afford cocaine. Black privilege is when an angry black man shouts into a microphone that feeds the sound into loud speakers, but no Dem ever called him angry. But Howard Dean was deemed loud and rude when he shouted. The man would have won and Bush would be gone!! You dems choose poorly, I choose Dean! Black privilege is when Michele Obama turns away the poor at a community to save moeny and she gets a bonus for saving the hospital money. And people think she was a great asset to the community. Black privilege is when Obama can pretend he has foreign policy experience but has never had such experience except when he lived overseas with family and vacation travel. Black privilege is when an arrogant man like Obama can disassociate himself with Rev. Wright but he will not denounce known felon domestic terrorist Bill Ayers. Someone he harldy knows but will not denounce him??? Oh my!!! Black privilege is when a man can talk a great circle around a question without ever actually addressing the question and dems clap like they understood, yet scholars and the media still want answers. Black privilege is when Obama make reference to "whites" and not be deemed a racist. Black privilege is when Obama's vice is to continue the debt loading we know the country cannot afford. Free health insurance for all, nice plan, bad idea and even worse timing. Or is he just pandering for votes, Hillary couldn't sell it when Bill was in office and we had the money. Talk about trillion dollar nightmare healthcare, medicare, and medicade looting. And Obama wanted to raise taxes. I guess Obama didn't understand economics afterall.
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Obama can snort cocaine when

Submitted by communityadvocate on Wed, 09/17/2008 - 12:39pm.
>Obama can snort cocaine when he and his friends could afford it. Black privilege is when Obama would buy pot when he could not afford cocaine.<

Oh, but Bush didn't snort coke with his privileged college buddies?

>But Howard Dean was deemed loud and rude when he shouted. The man would have won and Bush would be gone!!<

Dean was sold out by his own. That's right. The republicans made a big deal of Dean yelling into the mike to get him off the ticket because Dean was gaining momentum and a real threat to Bush. Don't blame the Dems, because many of them would have voted for Dean.

>Obama can pretend he has foreign policy experience<

And the current Bush did? And Clinton did? And Regan did? And Palin does? And McCain? Experience Overblown

>Obama can disassociate himself with Rev. Wright but he will not denounce known felon domestic terrorist Bill Ayers. Someone he hardly knows but will not denounce him???<

And this isn't a problem? Bush and the Saudis. Maybe you should read this...The Fact Checker

Black privilege is when a man can talk a great circle around a question without ever actually addressing the question and dems clap like they understood, yet scholars and the media still want answers.<

Do you have some real live specific examples of this, or is something you are regurgitating from your radio talk show hosts?

>Black privilege is when Obama make reference to "whites" and not be deemed a racist.<

Again, can you provide specific examples? Like this? Obama's Uppity

>Or is he just pandering for votes<

Like McCain by putting Palin on the ticket?

>I guess Obama didn't understand economics afterall.<

Bush ran several businesses into the ground, yet he could balance the budget? OBVIOUSLY NOT!!! Bush has put us in a huge deficit and McCain voted with him 90% of the time which means HE HELPED. National Debt Clock
And McCain does has the right stuff? McCain Budget
Maybe you should stop listening to those conservative radio shows and do some real research.

Fight the Smears
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That is SO ridiculous!

Submitted by thatsnoyb on Tue, 09/16/2008 - 3:15pm.
You are making sterotypes! Isn't this what the black community is trying to overcome? 1. "White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your....." Would you like to be stereotyped as being black, pregnant and underage, and you are counting on your welfare check to pay for the expenses of a new family.......................... 2. "White privilege is when you can call yourself a "fuckin’ redneck," like Bristol Palin’s boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll "kick their fuckin' ass," and talk about how you like to "shoot shit" Would you like to be stereotyped as a gang banger who says' if you cross me. I'll shoot YOU"? These are just a couple of examples of stereotyping. Perhaps we need to quit making these quick judgements of other races and start judging people on an individual actions. I am white, but I am not racist. I believe that all people should have the same opprtunity. Don't judge a race by a few people, unless you are willing to be judged the same!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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just to clarify

Submitted by coco loco on Tue, 09/16/2008 - 3:53pm.
dear that's none of your business, i think the point of this piece is clarified by your response. the fact that you zeroed in on cultural stereotypes of black and brown folk in the u.s. while the author never once actually discussed those particular stereotypes kind of makes his point about white privilege. of course, all folks should try to stay clear of stereotypes, but this article is speaking to the privilege some citizens in this nation are privy to by virtue of their skin color (or rather, lack of color). if hillary had been selected as the democratic presi candidate, and had selected a black and/or latino person as her vp/running mate...and said running mate had a preggers teenaged daughter with a boyfriend who loved guns and like to fuck shit up, well...that would just never happen, not in a million years. and that is what white privilege is, dear heart. where as white folk can be half assed and ascend to great power, black/brown folk have to be the very best in the whole universe. where as white folk can get away with questionable antics, black/brown folk have to cover they asses, so to speak. that was also noted in the artcile you responded to (see palin's university and service records as compared to obama's). so, instead of shooting off responses that make you look like you don't know how to think critically about what you've just read, maybe you should work on that white guilt/rage thing you have going on. love, coco loco
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White Privilege

Submitted by Tina on Tue, 09/16/2008 - 11:00am.
Where are these white people that you are refering to? I am not one of them. By the way I think Obama might be one of those folks that get white privileges because he was raised by his white mama! It depends on which group of people you are looking at it's not all white people, its not all black people. However ****it is the frame of mind found in the WHITE PRIVILEGE article that keeps people voting for McCain****. Now that I think of it there is also Black and Folks of Color(not including the color white) Privilege. Wildly painted cars with big wheels and shiny hub caps... oh well he/she just black that their way. Pants/shorts that barely stay on... he just black that his way. Black owned business owner prefers to hire black persons or persons of color and the publish it on their website as well as in their job ad. (That is affirmitive action for you) We have to hire her because she is black, we can not hire the white guy because she will go screaming "DISCRIMINATION, DISCRIMINATION", it doesn't matter that he is a better fit for the job, She's black
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More about Old-White-Guy Privilege

Submitted by Tom Camfield on Mon, 09/15/2008 - 6:24pm.
Rove and his cronies already were working had to identify Obama as Black>Muslim>Someone to be feared>Unpatriotic on Oct. 4, 2007, when what ABC news described as an "eagle-eyed reporter" for an affiliate in Iowa "noticed something missing from Democratic presidential contender Sen. Barack Obama's lapels." No American flag pin--gasp! This immediately became the top controversial story on ABC's "World News with Charles Gibson." Republicans were quick to begin beating the "issue" to death, to reinforce their contention of Obama's lack of patriotism. It hung on in the press and was passed around on the e-mail circuit for many months--and remains a part of Internet lore. So where were all the "eagle-eyed" reporters on the 9/11 anniversary last week? Where in the days following was any even-slight mention of the fact the John McCain wore no sort of lapel pin whatsover during ceremonies at Ground Zero Sept. 11? In a large Associated Press photo by Julie Jacobson that ran in many newspapers, Senators Obama and McCAin stand side by side, heads bowed. Obama wears an American Flag lapel pin. McCain wears nothing on his lapels. I copied the photo from my biggest daily paper in my hometown's area, but can't attach it here. I can't vouch for images from TV coverage, because I didn't watch it (was afraid Snidely Giuliani would show up and begin blathering--and I didn't want to barf).--Tom Camfield in Washington State
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Nobody questioned her intelligence?

Submitted by Grabowskius on Mon, 09/15/2008 - 5:07pm.
I'm uneasy about Palin's candidacy like everyone else. But I'm equally uneasy about the lack of self-awareness on the left about its own biases, which are rooted in that same "white privilege." The fact is, whatever you think of Palin's relevant qualifications (experience, familiarity with foreign/domestic policy, etc.), PLENTY of people have trashed her intelligence on TV and in print, just because she's a grad of the U of Idaho (they usually contrast it disparagingly with Obama's Columbia BA and Harvard JD). Apparently, upper-class liberal white privilege means being allowed to scoff at a politician's Western, state-college education, while simultaneously disparaging white condescension--without irony.
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Something to shoot for, I guess.

Submitted by bettysdad on Wed, 09/17/2008 - 9:41pm.
Would you hope that your kids could have Palin's education? I sure hope you'd wish for something more.
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Doomsaying Critics Take Note

Submitted by fltnsplr on Mon, 09/15/2008 - 3:44pm.
I just wanted to mention something which I've seen happening recently around the country (which is to say on the Internet from people in various places). All too often, somebody who most likely will be voting for Obama/Biden starts caterwauling, "But they're gonna win! We're gonna lose!" Pick yourselves up and remember that what you think about is what you create, eventually. Of course there are no guarantees, but instead of rolling over and handing the assholes the election by treating it as a foregone conclusion, try something different – actually believe that your efforts might make a difference, and watch what happens.
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That's Right

Submitted by communityadvocate on Wed, 09/17/2008 - 3:16pm.
As Dennis Kucinich says, "WAKE UP!"

WAKE UP!!!

Stop whining. Educate yourself. Fight with facts!
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White privilege

Submitted by LeeAnnG on Mon, 09/15/2008 - 3:09pm.

I agree with all the points made by Tim Wise, and it's great to see the specifics. The pass given Palin by the corporate media is, I suppose, to be expected. I do have to admit that there has been more exposure concerning her half-truths, fabrications, and outright lies than I would have thought possible given the treatment of Obama vs McCain over the past months.

I have only one negative comment about this article: "white privilege" is not "when." One can say "white privilege is evidenced when," or "white privilege occurs when," but not "white privilege is when."

Bad or incorrect grammar, spelling,and word usage is so common in responses to articles on blogs, it's impossible to keep up with all of it. When errors occur in articles accepted by BuzzFlash and other wonderful sites, it's irritating. I just read one by Nancy Gregg in the Democratic Underground entitled "That's How it Goes, Sweetie," in which the author made the statement "...your daughter’s current state of affairs isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement of your stance on abstinence-only sex education – nor is a “shotgun wedding” between she and a guy who has publicly stated his disdain for “rug rats” a model to be followed by teenagers..."

When writers don't know the difference between the subject of a sentence and the object (as in "between HER and a guy"), perhaps a little editing is in order.

I know this is nitpicking, but does it seem to anyone else that articles should consist of correct English?

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To Nitpicking

Submitted by cyndra on Thu, 09/18/2008 - 9:48am.
YEP, it is too much to assume that articles will consist of correct English.
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White Privilege? How about Republican Privilege?

Submitted by SmartfulDodger on Mon, 09/15/2008 - 2:54pm.
As an informed voter, I've been consistently offended by this year's Republican campaign, and surprised by the hypocrisy exhibited almost daily. However, I don't think this is an example of racism, or of "white privilege". Jamie Lynn Spears pregnancy was negatively covered by conservative media outlets, war-hero John Kerry's patriotism was called into question in 2004, and religious questions have dogged everyone from JFK to Hillary Clinton. This isn't "white privilege. Instead, I would call this "Republican privilege".
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John McCain - White Privilege & White Entitlement & Legacy

Submitted by EricaCarter on Mon, 09/15/2008 - 2:09pm.
Ted Sampley of the U.S. Veteran Dispatch had this to say about McCain.John Sidney McCain III entered the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland in 1954. Young McCain wanted to become an admiral. He planned to be the “first son and grandson of four star admirals” to achieve such a distinction. But that was not to be. McCain III possessed none of the innate character and discipline traits that helped mold his father and grandfather into great military leaders. His father, John S. “Junior” McCain, and grandfather, John S. McCain, Sr., were famous four-star Admirals in the U.S. Navy. His father commanded U.S. forces in Europe before becoming commander of American forces fighting in Vietnam. His grandfather commanded naval aviation at the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. Both men became highly influential in U.S. Navy operations. At the Academy, aside being known as a “rowdy, raunchy, underachiever” who resented authority, Midshipman McCain became infamous as a leader among his fellow midshipmen for organizing “off-Yard activities” and hard drinking parties. Robert Timberg wrote in his book, The Nightingale’s Song, that “being on liberty with John McCain was like being in a train wreck.” McCain’s grades were “marginal.” He drew so many demerits for breaking curfew and other discipline issues that he graduated fifth from the bottom of the class of 1958. Despite his low “class standing,” and no doubt because of the influence of his family of famous Admirals, McCain was leap-frogged ahead of more qualified applicants and granted a coveted slot to be trained as a navy pilot. He was a bad pilot and lost 5 Military planes costing the Navy many millions. #1 He plunged into Corpus Christi Bay. The Navy ignored that and he graduated. #2 He flew too low over the Iberian Peninsula but was promoted to flight instructor for McCain Airfield in Mississippi. (airfield named after his grandfather) #3 He crashed on his way to Philadelphia to see an Army-Navy game. The Navy deemed it “unavoidable” and assigned him to aircraft carrier USS Forrestal which was bombing Vietnam. #4 On the Forrestal when a rocket inadvertently hit his bomb laden jet, McCain escaped, but the explosions killed 134 sailors; 62 more injured and two missing and presumed dead.. #5 . Lt. Cmdr. John S. McCain III was transferred to another aircraft carrier.. #5 He was later shot down over Vietnam. He ejected and broke both arms. Dr. Phillip Butler,a Naval Academy grad spent 8 yrs as a POW and received 8 medals including 2 purple hearts. He was a POW when McCain broke his arms when he ejected from his plane. The Vietnamese did not break his arms! McCain wasn't tortured for 5 yrs. In 1969, torture stopped. Food and health care increased. Approx. 600 POWs were awarded 2,487 medals. McCain’s's father was Pacific Naval Commander and the wounded McCain was exploited in TV interviews for propaganda purposes. McCain’s heroism is now played up to further his political goals and to cloud the fact that while in the U.S. Naval Academy he broke every regulation and was a poor student. He broke every rule in the regulations but was passed through because of legacy. He received no penalties. He was privileged. With questionable experience to be a heart beat away from commander in chief,Palin is said to have a degree in either communications or journalism which has not been "vetted". I am deemed an elitist in the current atmosphere simply because I want the best brains to run this country. The U.S.issues are many and complex. Think America!!! When manager hire, experience and education are evaluated. Remember the stumbling and stuttering of DUBYA, the mispronounciation of nuclear and the "e" that Quayle wanted on the word potato before a classroom of little kids. What does it mean that we tolerate such low educational achievement from those who aspire to manage this nation and impact our lives.
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McCain - White privilege and white privilege entitlement

Submitted by cyndra on Thu, 09/18/2008 - 9:55am.
Thanks for the education!
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The most comprehensive information on Sarah Palin

Submitted by ds2oo8 on Mon, 09/15/2008 - 12:08am.
How would you like to log on into a single page were you find the most comprehensive information of Sarah Palin??? Please visit: www.dailysource.org/palin In-depth research, audio clips, videos, excerpts, and links to hundreds of articles, including many from newspapers and TV stations in Alaska. It has rare footage, including her telling the ‘08 convention of the Alaska Independence Party, whose aim is to give Alaska a vote on seceding from the U.S., to “keep up the good work.” The level of research is unparalled.
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DC Democrat COMPLICITY w/ Neo-Con agenda is bigger problem...

Submitted by vvvc1 on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 10:33pm.
Tim, your "White privilege" argument has some good points, but you miss the bigger picture: that Nancy Pelosi, Steny Hoyer, Harry Reid, Jay Rockefeller, Dianne Feinstein, and dozens of other "Democratic" "leaders" have been COMPLICIT with the corporate, big-business, Neo-Con "MORE WARS, MORE police-state powers, Looted Treasury" agenda.

This COMPLICITY of the DC Democrats with the Neo-Con agenda - which IS the Right-Wing Republican agenda - means that WHOEVER the Dem. nominee is, it becomes their chore, and their task alone, to bring to America's attention ALL the atrocities, lies, corruption, and abuses of power of the Republicans and Bush-Cheney White House, whether
#1. the original sin of Stolen Election 2000, or
#2. the brown-shirt smear-job (media lynching) of the departing Clinton-Gore staffers accused of "TRASHING!" White House property... WITHOUT A SINGLE PHOTO OF EVIDENCE!;
#3. to gross dereliction of duty (if not worse) before 9-11;
#4.to first obstructing, then WHITEWASHING the 9-11 Commission;
#5. to Lies-to-War;
#6. to letting Osama bin Laden escape Tora Bora,
#7. to outing an entire CIA undercover operation to SMEAR an anti-war critic;
#8. to allowing Iraqi insurgents to loot Baghdad and Iraq's main ammunition complex (al Qaaqa),
#9. to kangaroo courts for female privates accused ONLY of "abuse" - WHILE the White House ASSERTS the "RIGHT" to TORTURE PRISONERS TO DEATH at their sole discretion;
#10. to Ken Lay and massive Enron FRAUD,
#11. to Jack Abramoff BRIBING CONGRESS,
#12. to VP Cheney's Chief of Staff, Lewis "Scooter" Libby PERJURY and OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE, which perjury & obstruction ENABLED
#13. the Bush-Cheney camapaign to STEAL election 2004 in Ohio;
#14. to PURGE-GATE, the turning the US Justice Department into a racketeering and intimdidation enforcement arm of the Republican Party;
#15. to Alberto Gonzales' PERJURY testifying about that scandal;
#16. to AG Mukasey enabling ILLEGAL SURVIELLIANCE and WHITEWSHING purge-gate;
#17. to Cheney CONTINUING TO PROFIT from his HALLIBURTON STOCK OPTIONS, which go up with every billion-dollar NO BID, NO OVERSIGHT CONTRACT he hands to Halliburton;
#18. to the attempted sale of US PORTS to a Dubai, state KNOWN TO HAVE SYMPATHIES with SUNNI FUNDAMENTALIST groups, which in turn have known ties to terrorist groups;
#19. to MASSIVELY FRAUDULENT WAR CONTRACTS;
#20. to GROSS INCOMPETENCE BEFORE Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, & GROSS CORRUPTION in New Orleans & Gulf Coast rebuilding contracts;
#21. to KARL ROVE _SCORNING_ Congressional Subpoenas -

The above of course only a PARTIAL list - we haven't listed Cheney's 2001 "Secret Energy Task Force", the $17 trillion, SEVENTEEN TRILLION DOLLARS of Bush-2 DEFICITS; or the massive "BURROW & SPEND", aka DEFICIT ECONOMICS, of the Neo-Con/Republican Right-Wing, or the reliance on MERCENARIES ("contractors") in the US invasion/occuption of Iraq, a practise that was specifically CONDEMNED - by the signers of the Declaration of Independence against King George III of England!

The DEMOCRAT "leadership" HAS HELPED THE REPUBLICAN PARTY _WHITWASH_ and drive from the front pages EVERY ONE OF THESE MAJOR SCANDALS.... even though Abramoff, Ken Lay, and Scooter Libby CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS ALL INVOLVED CLOSE CONTACT with the Bush-Cheney White House!! Indeed, in doing NOTHING to OVERSEE all the MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR BAILOUTS, and even VP Cheney BUYING HIMSELF A WAR IN GEORGIA (With ONE BILLION US taxpayer dollars) - NANCY PELOSI & her CONGRESS HAVE become the PAYMASTERS of EVERY Republican outrage, scandal, and criminal atrocity!

With the Democrat "leaders" DOING REPUBLICAN WHITEWASHING and CHECK-WRITING FOR THEM, there is NO WAY a Democratic presidential candidate can TAKE ON ALL - or ANY of these issues - without seeming like a quack!

Nancy Pelosi & her clueless, cowering, corrupted DC Democrats could well be THE END OF American DEMOCRACY, and the start of the Iran war and final stages of US economic meltdown & international oil crisis.

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LES WE FORGET...SADDAM, HALABJA & FALLUJAH!

Submitted by josephconrad on Mon, 09/15/2008 - 2:05am.
Here's some vital additions to the LIES BUSH & HIS ZIONIST MURDERS have been telling U.S. Citizens since the IRAQ-IRAN WAR! 22. SADDAM DIDN'T 'GAS' THE KURDS AT HALABJA - IRAN DID! The gas IRAN used was Hydrogen Cyanide in artillery shells it got from - YOU GUESSED IT! - THE U.S. 23. U.S. used Iran's excellent work of murdering 1,000's of KURDS with IRAN POISON GAS (from the U.S.) to IMPUGN, ATTACK (TWICE!) IRAQ & CAPTURE & LYNCH SADDAM HUSSEIN because he had the temerity to Nationalize Iraq's OIL & GAS and seek payment in EUROS rather than INCREASINGLY WORTHLESS DOLLARS! 24. BUSH & ISRAEL are now whipping up World & National Sentiment against...YEP! IRAN! Why? It's Nuclear Program...NOOOOO! It set up a EUROS & OTHER CURRENCY (but not the DOLLAR) BOURSE(sic) REFUSING DOLLARS & HAS NATIONALIZED ITS OIL & GAS! SO, 2 GREAT REASONS IT'S ON THE U.S. 'KILL' LIST! 25. Another reason the U.S. wants to KEEP IRAQ OCCUPIED & TAKE DOWN IRAN is (A) CHEAP OIL FOR THE OLD WEALTHY WHITEBOY ELITE OF THE U.S. AND (B) PIPELINE FROM BASRA DIRECTLY TO ISREAL. WHY? TO ENSURE ISREAL IS SET UP TO PROTECT U.S. INTERESTS & BE THE 'OIL ENFORCER' IN THE MIDDLE EAST! 26. ROVE & the GOP Security Techie in OHIO are going to court before the YEAR IS OUT. The Techi knows ALL OF ROVE'S CRAP & ROVE KNOWS WHAT THE TECHIE DID IN 2004 IN OHIO TO GIVE THE ELECTION TO BUSH - UNDER ROVE'S DETAILED DIRECTION!! THE TECHI HAS 195% INCRIMINATING PAPERWORK WITH ROVE'S SIGNATURE! 27. (THIS ONE DESERVES SEPARATE NOTICE!) OVER 52% OF THE VOTES FOR ELECTION 2008 WILL BE MADE ON E-VOTING MACHINES! THE GOP'S 'OHIO 2004' TECHIE TOLD AND OHIO JOURNALIST - 2000% CONFIDENTIALLY! OBAMA WILL LOSE & MCCAIN & THE CHRISTIAN NAZI RACIST 'EARTH MOTHER' BABE 'USTABE' WILL BECOME VP! MCCAIN WILL DIE & SH'LL TAKE OVER THE PRESIDENCY WITH THE ZIONISTS & THE 'TRILATERALS' DOIN' THE 'HEAVY LIFTING' (THINKING, SPEAKING, WRITING, ANALYZING, ETC.)! THE U.S. IS ALL BUT DOOOMED BECAUSE TOO MANY STUPID JOBLESS/UNDEREMPLOYED WHITES WILL VOTE 'RACIST' INSTEAD OF VOTING 'SMART' FOR THE BILL OF RIGHTS, THE CONSTITUTION & DEMOCRACY BY VOTING 4 OBAMA!
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Winger Privilage not White Privilage

Submitted by Freedem on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 8:52pm.
If it were Condie Rice (or Justice Thomas)and not Sara Palin and Mark Udall and not Barak Obama, but all the other histories, and minds the same as those running, there would be few differences from what we have now in terms of what Mr Wise outlined.

I am not saying that there is not real Racism, Conde Rice would have had a hard time trying to live in Wasilla much less becoming Mayor, but the majority of the points made are certainly not granted to all "whites" but are granted to any of the Gang Of Pirates, most of whom are "white" but not all.

By Framing it as "White Privilege" you provide fodder to the GOP who will be no doubt sending it to all their redneck suckers who will give the GOP slavish support out of fear that they will be losing all the "privileges" they never had and will never get from the list, except as prominent Republicans.

Redneck America is in pain like never before, enough that there is (or certainly was) more support there for Obama than there was for Kerry, or Gore. The MSM and GOP (not redneck America)cranked up every sleazy trick available to divide off all that they could and this does more to assist that then provide light.
If the Gang Of Pirates think that the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat, only a fool would think it bipartisan to accommodate them by acting the part.
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White Privilege

Submitted by Jacques on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 6:56pm.
This article on White Privilege is excellent. I have been fortunate in making my way as I can through life. I have had my small share of barriers but have managed to overcome them. Some were in part due to my being Gay and the people in power being old school heterosexual homophobes. But these were overcome. I really can't imagine the difficulty as a Black man or other ethnic group and the obvious difficulty that must be faced, always disguised in some other "reason". Palin is being givin the white woman free-ride in this case. She's a striving female political neophyte who has garnered the attention of the right-wing elite who have decided to take her under their wing and escort her through the political minefields that face priarily male politicians. Barack has no political force field as Palin is being provided and is facing the constant barrages of racist-classist strongholds across the nation. As should be, Palin must face the very exact same scrutiny as any male political candidate and thus face the same heat. The "lipstick" tag is nothing more than repulsican right-wing diversionary tactics. Palin, in reality is such a lackey, political "good-old-boy" as to make the predecessors she so condemns blush with envy.
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white privilege

Submitted by monk on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 6:53pm.
Funny how this issue has been invisible to white people until one of our own pointed it out. Does anybody here remember Malcolm? He died for speaking this truth. White privilege has been "invisible" to white people because we have never not had it. That any white person would deny its existence today is only a sign that the disease of racism is still thriving in this land. How tragic for all of us.
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White privilege began at Plymouth Rock

Submitted by deepseas on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 5:19pm.
Excellent article!!! Wise puts my scattered thoughts into a cohesive piece that makes sense. It's heartwarming to see all the good comments here that give even more perspective.

'White Privilege' stole this country and raped the Native Americans. Had they respected these highly evolved people and joined forces with them, this could have been a great nation. Native American philosophy is far more simple to understand, and far greater in its scope than Christianity. But more important is for the people to actually live by their philosophy, rather than just hang it as a sign to prove one's goodness.

If White America - those who believe they are privileged - would turn back to the Native Indians, start from scratch and learn what they missed about these great people who are the TRUE LEADERS OF THIS NATION, there may be hope of healing America. Arrogance + Ego = Fear...our great threats. The White Privileged have had fools for teachers.

Ancient Indian Proverb

If the white man wants to live in peace with the Indian, he can live in peace...

Treat all men alike. Give them all the same law. Give them all an even chance to live and grow.

All men were made by the same Great Spirit Chief. They are all brothers. The Earth is the mother of all people, and all people should have equal rights upon it....

Let me be a free man, free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to think and talk and act for myself, and I will obey every law, or submit to the penalty.

Heinmot Tooyalaket ( Chief Joseph), Nez Perce Leader

Native American Philosophy

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Wise nailed it.

Submitted by ElleninBigD on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 3:52pm.
The difference of the black experience and the white has been with us for so many years. To try to ignore it or say it's not that way any more is to either be naive or delusional.
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I find the context insulting.

Submitted by TJAmericanWay on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 3:06pm.
Having been "White" for about a half a century now, I have to say I've not experienced any of the "privilege" outlined in this article. I find it totally insulting that the color of my skin is being used to associate me with individuals of the power hungry elite, whom which I abhor.

I get where this article is going, and it does bring to light a number of injustices, but the motivations have nothing to do with race or color, but are driven by greed, lust for power and control, and an extreme lack of morals and empathy for others. That has NOTHING to do with RACE or COLOR.

Please get off the race thing eh? After all "A-holes come in ALL colors." Peace...
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You don't really need to post anything.

Submitted by bettysdad on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 4:24pm.
We all know what you're about from your screen name.
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Huh?

Submitted by TJAmericanWay on Mon, 09/15/2008 - 9:53am.
Yes, my screen name stands for "Truth, Justice, and The American Way", and that DOES NOT mean the Rethuglican, Neocon, or Facsist way. What is your point, other than to say you think you know my views from your interpretation of my screen name? Are you commenting just to see your name on the "Internets", or do you have an actual comment related to my post? I'd turn your comment around and say "You don't really need to post anything." if you don't have something substantial or of value to add to the discussion.
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It's singular.

Submitted by bettysdad on Wed, 09/17/2008 - 9:33pm.
"Internet," not "internets."
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Imagine how insulting it is to

Submitted by ElleninBigD on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 4:00pm.
have every comment you make, every neighborhood you visit, every church you attend, every house you own be questioned on the basis of your skin color. I'm white too. But imagine if your skin color precluded you from jobs, schools and basic civil liberties. What if every person you associated with over your lifetime were judged because of the color of, not just your skin, but their skin and the motivation for those associations. Sorry, TJ Americanway, but this election has everything to do with skin color. For McCain to accuse Obama of being an elitist is a foul, pornographic joke. McCain is either trying to make Obama out as another Willie Horton or out as an "uppity" nigger (God how I hate that word). It's so obvious. And if you don't believe it, then you believe that Palin is qualifed to be VP and McCain really doesn't want to bring up his POW experience.
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Been there, done that...

Submitted by TJAmericanWay on Mon, 09/15/2008 - 9:44am.
Well let's see, I've been denied jobs because of my race due to Affirmative Action "Equal Opportunity" laws despite being told my qualifications exceeded the qualifications of other applicants. I've lost out on educational opportunities as well due to the same legal mechanics. I've experienced "being questioned" due to my skin color when I've dated across race, and that has come from the members of my date's social network. I've been dismissed and judged not so much due to my skin color, but due to the fact I'm a biker and dress as such by choice. Believe me I may not have experienced the same degree of persecution at the hands of society as many minorities have, but it's been enough that I know first hand how unfair and demeaning judgment based on race can be. I'm not in any way unsympathetic or ignorant to the issues of race in our society, nor am I unaware of how the "racial card" is being played during this election cycle. What I find upsetting is that this type of racially biased article is being promoted here on Buzzflash, a progressive site. I was under the opinion that one of the ideals of the progressive community was to move away from such types of racially biased diatribes and work towards unity across racial divides and focusing on ideals that will bring this country together and return it to it's once great status.

In closing I would also like to add that it's common knowledge that the majority of wealth in this country is controlled by less than 1% of the population. Now granted this 1% is more than probably in majority white males, but that simply doesn't equate to any sort of situation where all "whites" are so well off. I know I'm not, and I'll bet you as a "white person" aren't sitting in the lap of luxury either. We're all in the crap pool that the Rethuglicans have created up to our lower lip, while they race around in speed boats. All of us Americans (other than that 1%) are feeling the results of this failed administration and it's party of thugs, criminals, and liars. I take offense at the way this article focuses on some alleged "white privledge" when in reality the skin color of these elitists has nothing to do with that which motivates them to walk on the backs of others instead of stopping to help them up. I take offense to being lumped in with these despicable excuses for human beings on the basis of my skin color. I believe the same message could have been related without the racial reference to skin color simply by referring to this group of 'people' (and I use the term loosely) in some other way than focusing on their race.
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And the color of your a-hole is....

Submitted by ETS on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 3:49pm.
...pink?
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Yep it is, except...

Submitted by TJAmericanWay on Mon, 09/15/2008 - 10:04am.
I've got a severe case of diarrhea from the stress I feel every time I think of the last 8 years and the idea of another 4 with McSame and Savage Sarah, or how our once great country has been reduced to the state it's in currently. Or how our Constitution and rights have been trampled. Or how our country preemptively attacked a foreign power based on lies and government propaganda. I could go on and on but nature calls...
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White Privilege

Submitted by nortonantivirus on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 1:56pm.
If you're not familiar with Tim Wise, you really need to seek out his writings and recordings. He is never less than exciting and brilliant. Bravo, my friend!
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White Privilege article

Submitted by felinetta on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 1:18pm.
If only the Obama family had Sarah Palin's family problems, the Rovian machine would be celebrating with fireworks. Hell, by now, they'd be saying for certain that the little baby Trig was the Obama daughter's first baby and now another one on the way! Hypocrisy and lying and smearing are just a way of life for them.
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Money changes everything

Submitted by cagey on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 11:53am.
Racism, sexism, and classism have always been part of our culture. If Hillary Clinton were running instead of Sarah Palin, she would be attacked viciously to activate the mysogynist base. If John Edwards were running, he would be attacked for his wealth (remember the $400 haircut?). However, if Colin Powell were running, he would be shown deference. Same with Condi Rice. It's more about the power brokers who run the government and the media and who control vast sums of money deciding who the "outsider of the day" is.
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Exactly...

Submitted by deepseas on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 2:18pm.
...and it is because of racism, sexism and classism that America rose to be the #1 country, and will also be the cause of its downfall. Arrogance and ego = fear, which motivates and perpetuates this failed culture. The power brokers who control the media and education, helped by sellout religious organizations and big business, are the arsonists who ignite the flames and keep society in ignorance. Thank you for this insight, cagey.
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On fire

Submitted by cagey on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 4:20pm.
http://kavithakalyan.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/07/shiva-within-the-sacrificial-fire.htm......another way to look at it.
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Push this essay to the front page of everywhere

Submitted by keekers on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 11:33am.

Translating the White Privilege codetalkers for the rest of us.

Tim Wise decodes the racist speech that dare not say Nigger.

"Humans have an infinite capacity for self-deception"

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Amen

Submitted by deepseas on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 2:24pm.
But 'nigger' comes out as 'uppity'and 'boy' and in so many other ways that are barely disguised from the code designed to hide them. Self-deception is a danger to society at large and leads to a slow, painful process toward extinction.
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White Privelege

Submitted by brunomister on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 9:49am.
more pain, no gain: McCain Dems need to wake up: all too many Americans have been raised to believe that their self esteem is tied to the sad notion that the US is, was and must always be #!, whatever that is. The Repugnikans, led by Karl Roving Goebbels and Norbert Quisling, have worked feverishly to let the darkened of mind believe that while they are on the economic skids, they still are the world's best. Denial is the key symptom of addiction. That's how the dim, all too many of us, can believe that standing up for their masters and oppressors really is carrying on the traditions of those original subversive radicals, the Sons of Liberty. Add onto that: racism. We have succeeded not in making it go away, but in teaching everyone how to be pc about it. It is still there and supports White Privelege. What else is it? Then pour in a liberal amount of imperial thinking. Yes, we are no longer the democracy that the Sons of Liberty envisioned, not the place where all deserve equal justice before the law as John Adams believed, not the country where the Commander in Chief chose to serve without pay, as did George Washington. We are an empire -- a bad one to be sure, but one nonetheless. We do not create a dynamic economy by adding value to raw materials (it is called industry, as in World War II just outproducing the Axis) any more. We capture wealth by economic conquest. First we owned everyone else after WWII because nobody else had any viable economy any more. Then we got so in debt to everyone else that they cannot afford to call in the chips -- yet. All of that creates a class, known as 'conservatives' these days, whose aim is NOT to promote industrial development, which would bring you jobs and buoy up our economy, but to PROTECT what they have greedily garnered from the great money sucking machine that has replaced industry. Nothing grows of its own much economically here any more, so their aim is to siphon off the cream, store it and kee the siphon going. They call it 'finance'. And, as most of them are white (what a surprise!), they are not about to hand over what they have to make things more egalitarian. Don't believe it? Read David Frum's comments in the NY Times about why the Repugnikan base is shrinking. Still don't buy it? Then why does OKR (Oberkommando Repugnikan, including Reichsmarshall McCain) want to EXTEND and MAKE PERMANENT tax cuts only for those who do not need them? Empire leads to financial white privelege in the US. It is good that someone has put a label on our White Privelege disgrace, but nobody should be surprised -- except, of course, that a substantial plurality of us (see 538.com) still think that the Emperor really is wearing some pretty nice clothes. And don't be surprised if educated insight into this American version of imperial aristrocracy moves nobody from the Repugnikan camp. The German saying is right: Dummheit stirbt nie aus, stupidiy never dies out. And to keep it that way, the Roving Goebbels Repugnikans are yet again serving up as much sugar coated byte sounds for the national quick breakfast as their spinning machines can regurgitate. AFter all, for them for 8 years, it has been the breakfast of champions.
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white privilege is a dying breed

Submitted by deepseas on Sun, 09/14/2008 - 2:38pm.
brunomister, excellent comment! The sinister twist in all this is that middle class whites who gained and bought into this 'privilege' are now a dying breed. There is no longer a middle class. Hellooo?

As their middle class quality of life and privilege falls rapidly to the economic collapse of America, they fail to see they are victims of their own egos and arrogance of thinking that they were included in the superiority of the elites.

Indoctrinated through generations of racism and superiority thinking, these people continue to vote for the republican machine that is raping them, front and back. Never realizing they are slaves to the system like the minorities they scoffed at, they will create the worst of the ensuing chaos when the system crumbles. I hope they wake up before its too late (which I fear is already too late) and realize we are all in this together against the power brokers.

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