Quote:
Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield
1. I think for a lot of Bernie Bros, nothing is much worse than the status quo. He attracts a lot of gig economy people and low skilled workers. Things can't get much worse for them. They're basically eeking out a miserable existence and waiting to die.
2. I don't think they believe they'll personally come through it fine. I think they've nothing to lose.
Where does "privilege" end, by the way? If I'm more attractive than someone else, am I privileged? If I'm smarter? If I was born with more family money?
Suppose I'm athletically talented where another is not and that gets me a college scholarship. I'm privileged versus those without my talents, no? They'll know struggle of a kind I will not.
Should the Victoria's Secret model be reminded she's privileged not to be a "big boned" girl who'll never know the feeling of being able to have men fall at her feet? Should the kid with the off charts IQ who skips grades and aces the SATs without trying be deemed privileged relative to the kid who has to work to get As?
Are better dancers privileged over those of us who've no rhythm? If I've a square jaw, am I privileged over men with softer features that women don't find as enticing?
Are the clear-skinned privileged over those who endure acne in adolescence? Is having a seven inch penis versus the poor cat with a four incher? Is being born of a gender with which you identify - through none of your own doing - a privilege?
This idea of privilege runs into Harrison Bergeron territory quite quickly. The word is necessarily such a broad catch-all it effectively has no meaning, a sloppy concept that stands for the proposition that anyone enjoying power or status relative to anyone else should feel some shame, or has acquired some form of unearned advantage which should be remedied.
We can discuss inequalities and discrimination without using such lousy and amorphous concepts. And we should. "Privilege" is what grandma told you: "Life isn't fair. Deal with it." I see no reason to turn the notion into a cudgel to be used against those who received a lucky roll of the dice. Life is arbitrary and cruel. We should remedy structural discrimination because we can do that. We can try to control actors among us who set up that sort of unfair system. But we should not suggest everyone who's been fortunate due to Mother Nature's generosity should feel a level of guilt about it. To the extent this "privilege" concept does that, and it does, it is asinine.
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For once, you’re not thinking remotely big enough about how bad things can get.
I’m also not sure you’ve got the demographics of the Bros right either. Plenty of the outspoken ones have trust funds.
