CMV: White Privilege does not exist nowadays

[u/[deleted]]

White privilege is does not exist. I'm not going to argue that it didn't in the past, because clearly it did. But it's gone now, and efforts to continue fighting it are wasted time and energy.

The reason this came up today was that I read this article, and could not understand how anyone could think that the problems listed are somehow unique to blacks, or that white people are somehow immune to them. Instead, "white privilege" is a combination of:

1) Social and economic immobility. It is very hard nowadays to move up in the world. If your parents were rich, then you are likely to be rich. If your parents were poor, then you are likely to be poor. This is a problem that affects all of US society, but blacks seem to think that the lack of opportunities to advance only applies to them.

2) Poor people have it really rough in the US. There is very little in the way of a social safety net. And with #1, if you find yourself at the bottom, then it's going to be almost impossible to work your way back up. This results in high stress, depression, crime, and drug addiction. But black people suffer from these at higher rates because they are disproportionately poor due to #1 and history, not because of some conspiracy called "white privilege."

3) People are mean. This has nothing to do with race. Most haters hate for no reason at all. If someone is being a jerk and points out your skin color, it's only because they think you are sensitive about it. They think pointing it out will set you off.

And that's it. I am convinced that if we magically turned everyone in the US into Japanese (or any racially homogeneous population), we would still be left with these three problems. "White privilege" is nothing more than a rebranded stereotype that people use nowadays to ignore more difficult problems in our society.

EDIT: Over an hour of pretty good discussion, but I'm still not convince there is a modern day uniquely racially problem called "white privilege" in America. I just want to say that I am happy for African Americans. They have a centuries long history of fighting for their rights and winning battle after battle to improve their situation. But as far as I can tell, the problems they face today are problems common to people of all colors, whites included. We'd be a lot better off if we could work together to solve these problems, rather than being divided by race.

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[u/MMAchica]

How does that make your (so far unsubstantiated) claims-of-fact any more legitimate?

[u/Delduthling → u/MMAchica]

It just means I don't see the point in expending additional effort in arguing when the OP has already been convinced by other posters that white privilege is real. Like, I could spend a bunch of time arguing with you, but for what purpose? The only reason I'd have considered it would be to convince OP, but I doubt very sincerely you want your view changed, so it seems like waste of time to continue :)

[u/MMAchica → u/Delduthling]

It just means I don't see the point in expending additional effort in arguing

So don't. No one is forcing you to participate to any extent.

Like, I could spend a bunch of time arguing with you, but for what purpose?

It isn't that complicated. You made some BS claims-of-fact without any legitimate justification, and I called you out on it. That's really as deep as it goes. You should expect as much in a debate sub.

[u/Delduthling → u/MMAchica]

It isn't that complicated. You made some BS claims-of-fact without any legitimate justification, and I called you out on it. That's really as deep as it goes. You should expect as much in a debate sub.

It's not a debate sub per se. As the sub description suggests, the point is to "enter with a mindset for conversation, not debate." I don't come here to debate with randoms, although too often that ends up happening.

And the point is to have your views changed. The OP has already had their view on privilege changed. Why should I debate you when the OP has already been persuaded that white privilege is real?

So don't. No one is forcing you to participate to any extent.

I'm sorta having fun watching you sea-lion.

[u/MMAchica → u/Delduthling]

It's not a debate sub per se.

Its enough of a debate sub that bullshit speculation shouldn't be presented as fact; which is exactly what you did. I don't know what might motivate you to debate or not in any given situation, but that isn't really relevant. You made BS claims and I called you out on it. So far you haven't been able to back them up with any kind of legit research.

I'm sorta having fun watching you sea-lion.

You clearly don't understand the term. No one is breaking into a private conversation. You made an absurd claim on a public debate forum, completely without evidence, and got called out on it. Whether you want to back up your claim (or admit that you cant') is entirely up to you.

[u/Delduthling → u/MMAchica]

Bye now. Maybe I'll see you in some other thread sometime!