Ethniclawls

I realize I'm about to start a losing argument, but y'all don't know what privilege is. Having your own transportation isn't a privilege. It's something you bought or was bought for you. Knowing that you have reliable transportation is the privilege. Something you get without having to do anything for it. That is privilege. Knowing you can have a hot meal whenever you want is a privilege. Eating in fancy restaurants is not.

Here are some definitions. Emphasis mine.

1. a right, immunity, or benefit enjoyed only by a person beyond the advantages of most: the privileges of the very rich.
2. a special right, immunity, or exemption granted to persons in authority or office to free them from certain obligations or liabilities: the privilege of a senator to speak in Congress without danger of a libel suit.
3. a grant to an individual, corporation, etc., of a special right or immunity, under certain conditions.
4. the principle or condition of enjoying special rights or immunities.

I don't think I'm terribly privileged in comparison to some people I know. BoB's post was spot-on in my view. My life is not under constant media scrutiny, whereas politician's lives are. Those who inherit wealth and have not necessarily earned it but have received it by virtue of having rich relatives is very privileged, I think. I mean, looking at foa's post a lot of those aren't as appropriate to a Brit as they are to a Yank so I'm not quite sure my life could be compared that way.

I do know from having two parents surviving solely on state benefits and a police pension my father was entitled to (which, incidentally, he didn't know about for quite some time) for a significant portion of my childhood I wouldn't say I've been terribly privileged by the standards of my country. Compared to, say, someone living in eastern europe I'm ridiculously privileged. Having heard stories about Polish immigrants and what life is like for a lot of people in Poland surprised me when people in Britain (myself included) take for granted what we have always had, always expect to have and never imagine things being any other way.

Edit: I meant foa's first post as she posted while I was in the process of typing this post out!

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Originally Posted by rubah

Yeah engineering ethics was last week. we had to read exerpts of ethical issues commonly facing engineers and decide where the lines would be drawn in areas like admiting flaws or accepting professional gifts or services.

You're asian?

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Don't refuse a gift from the mafia. That's not how it works.

Was it that obvious?

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Originally Posted by fire_of_avalon

I realize I'm about to start a losing argument, but y'all don't know what privilege is.

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Yeah, those are privileges...everybody has them, but mostly lazy people use them. So I can just take out all of the self righteous babbling and just say 'lazy people are the best'.

All right. I'm really sick and tired right now, so I'm not all here. At least I'm trying to be.

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Originally Posted by rubah

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Originally Posted by The Ceej

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Originally Posted by rubah

but who was the last politician jailed?

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As far as I know, Don Seigleman. Not aware of anyone since then. He applied for an appeal and requested that he be let out on bond while waiting for said appeal. That leaves the question, "How does he walk with balls that big?"

But on topic, I don't know yet. I don't have time to read all this because I need to leave for work in three minutes. I'll get back to you after work.

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I'm expecting a long, well-thought out post by you within five hours, also some 'wtf was he?' on don seigleman.

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First, Don Seigleman made national news as the former governor of Alabama who was facing charges for crime he committed while in office. He still ran for a second non-consecutive term against present governor, Bob Riley while facing said charges. He lost the election and the trial. If you didn't know this, you haven't been paying attention.

Now, before I get into the rest of this, I'll have to remind you that I'm not all here and that I don't really have a lot of firm opinions on the topic. I'm a white male, but I don't consider myself privileged. I'm poor. I'm trying hard to make life work for me. I have a broken tooth and can't get it fixed because my insurance doesn't cover dental. As a bipolar, I have the whole world looking at me as if I have some kind of mental disorder, though I'm working on a plan to change the way bipolar is viewed in the medical industry. If being a white male was as privileged as they say it is, I believe it would be a lot easier for me, along with a few other white, male bipolars to get bipolar taken off the list of mental illnesses.

No. Being a white male does not make you privileged. Just because the majority in power are white males, doesn't mean all white males have that kind of power. I'm sorry. The logic is flawed there.

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Originally Posted by The Ceej

No. Being a white male does not make you privileged. Just because the majority in power are white males, doesn't mean all white males have that kind of power. I'm sorry. The logic is flawed there.

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I don't think anyone is trying to make the argument that ALL white males are privileged or that ONLY white males are privileged.