Everyone comes into this world with advantages and disadvantages.
In the last century, public morality focused on the disadvantaged. Government policy changed dramatically, aiming to help those lacking many obvious advantages. But that focus got fuzzier and fuzzier as the ranks of disadvantaged people remained, even grew larger. Progress was made on several fronts, sure, but not on all — especially not on the ones most targeted.
We even “lost ground.”
Maybe because of this, the political focus shifted to “privilege” — which often merely means “advantaged” and sometimes means a special license granted by custom or law, which is said to be “systemic.”
White males, we are told, have the most of it.
So they must be attacked.
But does “white [heterosexual male] privilege” really exist?
Sure, in some contexts. But so do other “privileges.” Here is a better question: Are there privileges so built in that people try to horn in on them?
When there really was white privilege, “passing for white” was a thing. Now, we see other directions of racial “passing.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, 99 and 44/100ths pure white, for example. If white privilege were really systemic, would she have pretended to be a native American?
If white privilege were significantly at play in the academic world, the issue of Asian students qualifying for (and being accepted into) the country’s most prestigious universities wouldn’t even come up.
And if white people actually enforced their privilege, would the charges against Jussie Smollett for perpetrating a fake racial/ideological hate crime have been dropped?
Seems unlikely.
If the results of focusing on advantage and privilege have been so dismal and dismaying, maybe it’s time for a refocus: on simple justice.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
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7 replies on “Systemic Refocusing”
“if white people actually enforced their privilege, would the charges against Jussie Smollet for perpetrating a fake racial/ideological hate crime have been dropped?”
Actually, that probably explains why the charges were dropped.
How does “enforced white privilege” explain why the charges were dropped against Jussie Smollett?
“If the results of focusing on advantage and privilege have been so dismal and dismaying, maybe it’s time for a refocus: on simple justice.”
Careful there, Paul. Next thing you know, you might start spouting such blatantly racist slogans as “all lives matter” , “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”, “God is not interested merely in the freedom of black men, and brown men, and yellow men; God is interested in the freedom of the whole human race.” (The last two from that white supremacist, MLK, Jr.)
Well said, Ken. Thanks for that bracing dose of reality.
“simple justice” is an artifact not found in nature. we have to make it, and that’s not simple.
Hard to argue with you. Simple justice is wishful thinking. Then, thoughtful justice?
Thoughtful justice is vital to civilization.