U.S. Army lectured soldiers on dangers of ‘white privilege’

[CaptFun]

I wonder if, for balance, the 664,928 dead on the Union Side of the Civil War (privileged to die to free the slaves) are given any mention. Some of these were white.

Or would that unplug the rather naked class warfare rhetoric so obviously foisted upon the captive audiences (of all colors) in our military?

 

[exnihilo]

I wonder if, for balance, the 664,928 dead on the Union Side of the Civil War (privileged to die to free the slaves) are given any mention. Some of these were white.

The Union soldiers were mostly White. But they hardly died to free slaves. Lincoln made it clear he didn’t intend to end slavery and he certainly wasn’t waging war to do so. There were draft riots in the North where they attacked and killed Blacks. Lincoln’s proclamation freed slaves only in territories not under control of the Union Army. Had the soldiers wanted to free slaves they could have returned home to do so. Slavery was only made unconstitutional by a vote that included the southern states.

 

[ialsop]

Are you serious?

The history of the phrase “anti-racist is a code word for anti-white” is instructive. It originates with a nasty character named Robert Whitaker, who penned a screed known as “the Mantra,” from which the “anti-racist…” line is taken.

He runs a cesspool of a website called the White Genocide Project. I won’t link to it here.

His followers delight in posting this phrase, and others from “the Mantra,” all over the internet.

I’m saddened to see it here. I really am.

SO you can link it to a nasty group.

But do you have any actual reason that it’s false?

 

[ialsop]

Thanks. I agree that the military is not necessarily a bad thing. Certainly defensive war creates a legitimate need for the military. And the military can act better or worse. Christianity certainly had a positive impact on war.

You are committing the genetic fallacy. Just because someone may have invented a phrase, though I wouldn’t concede that point because I’ve not heard of the man you mention, doesn’t invalidate the idea. Lots of other groups insist certain phrases are code words. While I think that can be too broadly applied I wouldn’t dismiss it as having no truth. Why can’t the same be true here?

As a kid I had the misfortune of listening to a racism ‘expert’. I asked this woman if Blacks could be racist. She told me no, only Whites could be. So I can absolutely tell you that some folks do think of anti-racism as being anti-white since they think only Whites can be racist.

Absolutely agree on the military.

And the second reply too. Absolutely right. Obviously real racism exists. But I am tired of “professionals” and “intellectuals” telling me that I am somehow racist because I am a white?

The OLD stereotype was that whites are all rich imperialists who don’t care for the poor.

The NEW stereotype, even more hurtful to me, is that whites are just dumb UNLESS they are infatuated with a different culture. It’s a “white” thing to not understand rap music. It’s a “white” thing not to be street smart. It’s a “white” thing not to understand suffering or comprehend racial politics. Whites are just dumb. According to my generation.

 

[exnihilo]

The NEW stereotype, even more hurtful to me, is that whites are just dumb UNLESS they are infatuated with a different culture. It’s a “white” thing to not understand rap music. It’s a “white” thing not to be street smart. It’s a “white” thing not to understand suffering or comprehend racial politics. Whites are just dumb. According to my generation.

Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said “When you’re white, you don’t know what it’s like to be living in a ghetto. You don’t know what it’s like to be poor.” When a leading politician can say something so incredibly racist and so obviously false as this with no condemnation then Whites truly face serious discrimination.

The thing is the whole world wants to come to our societies because we offer the most respect for persons and opportunities regardless of condition. They want to leave their people behind to be with us. In the post Christian world foolish folks imagine the rest of the world is like Christian society. It isn’t. And they might not learn the lesson but their children will.

 

[ialsop]

Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders said “When you’re white, you don’t know what it’s like to be living in a ghetto. You don’t know what it’s like to be poor.” When a leading politician can say something so incredibly racist and so obviously false as this with no condemnation then Whites truly face serious discrimination.

The thing is the whole world wants to come to our societies because we offer the most respect for persons and opportunities regardless of condition. They want to leave their people behind to be with us. In the post Christian world foolish folks imagine the rest of the world is like Christian society. It isn’t. And they might not learn the lesson but their children will.

PRECISELY. Good post.

Don’t worry though, loyal citizen, the diversity police are coming to save you from your own skin

 

[estesbob]

The Union soldiers were mostly White. But they hardly died to free slaves. Lincoln made it clear he didn’t intend to end slavery and he certainly wasn’t waging war to do so. There were draft riots in the North where they attacked and killed Blacks. Lincoln’s proclamation freed slaves only in territories not under control of the Union Army. Had the soldiers wanted to free slaves they could have returned home to do so. Slavery was only made unconstitutional by a vote that included the southern states.

The north Went to war to preserve the union. The South left the union over one reason and one reason only-slavery Lincoln freed the slaves only in the rebelling states because he had no power to free them anywhere else. He freed them under the doctrine they were contrabands of war as they were helping the southern war effort. And the slavess freed themselves anytime the Union Army got close

 

[ChristianDude]

If you are a white, I’d be worried. Society continues to turn against you.

If you are nonwhite, I’d still be worried. Only more racial tension and misunderstanding can follow.

I’m mixed, though I’m half white; I guess that means I should be somewhat worried.

 

[abucs]

I’m mixed, though I’m half white; I guess that means I should be somewhat worried.

I guess you’re only half priviledged?

When people replace God with equality then they need reasons to explain why the world is not how their ideology dictates it should be.

It’s all the white males fault apparently. If we could only bring them down we would have more equality.

If we could only bring down the rich 1930’s German Jews there would be more equality.

Yeah right.

 

[ChristianDude]

I guess you’re only half priviledged?

When people replace God with equality then they need reasons to explain why the world is not how their ideology dictates it should be.

It’s all the white males fault apparently. If we could only bring them down we would have more equality.

If we could only bring down the rich 1930’s German Jews there would be more equality.

Yeah right.

Well the problem is I’m half East Asian, which is the “model minority”, so I’m probably viewed as being just as privileged as a full white or full East Asian. Regardless, all of this is nonsense.

 

[SuperLuigi]

If you are a white, I’d be worried. Society continues to turn against you.

If you are nonwhite, I’d still be worried. Only more racial tension and misunderstanding can follow.

:clapping:

 

[SuperLuigi]

I wonder if, for balance, the 664,928 dead on the Union Side of the Civil War (privileged to die to free the slaves) are given any mention. Some of these were white.

Or would that unplug the rather naked class warfare rhetoric so obviously foisted upon the captive audiences (of all colors) in our military?

What this boils down to a lot of the time is getting votes for the Democratic Party in some fashion getting a check in the mail from DC, and/or trying to look good in front of or impression people who are different looking.

It’s often not about some kind of perceived higher principle or idealism.

 

[Son_of_Niall]

Washington Times:

The truth of this story is shaky in that it comes from the right-wing “Judicial Watch” and the Washington Times.
But even if true, I can’t see the problem with it. White Americans do live in a privileged society compared to African-Americans. We need to see more of this.

 

[Inisfallen]

SO you can link it to a nasty group.

But do you have any actual reason that it’s false?

Seriously?

Do you actually think that white people are oppressed in the United States?

Take a deep breath. Look around you. Look at the United States Senate. Look at the House of Representatives. Look at the CEOs and board members of just about every company in the Fortune 500.

This particular persecution fantasy is delusional.

And the “anti-racist is a code word for anti-white” slogan may not exactly be “arbeit macht frei,” but it’s outright racist. You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it.

And to couch one’s racism in weaselly, deniable words is cowardly.

 

[Sarcelle]

If you are a white, I’d be worried. Society continues to turn against you.

If you are nonwhite, I’d still be worried. Only more racial tension and misunderstanding can follow.

I am not white and I am worried about the backlash.

 

[Sarcelle]

The truth of this story is shaky in that it comes from the right-wing “Judicial Watch” and the Washington Times.
But even if true, I can’t see the problem with it. White Americans do live in a privileged society compared to African-Americans. We need to see more of this.

We are neglecting to take into account social class here. I know many white people from a poor working class background and many African-Americans who can easily afford trips around the world and very expensive private schools for their kids.

 

[ChristianDude]

Seriously?

Do you actually think that white people are oppressed in the United States?

Take a deep breath. Look around you. Look at the United States Senate. Look at the House of Representatives. Look at the CEOs and board members of just about every company in the Fortune 500.

This particular persecution fantasy is delusional.

And the “anti-racist is a code word for anti-white” slogan may not exactly be “arbeit macht frei,” but it’s outright racist. You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it.

And to couch one’s racism in weaselly, deniable words is cowardly.

As a non-white person I disagree. It may often be employed by racist people, but that doesn’t make it any less accurate. When people say they want more “diversity”, what they really mean is less white, straight, males. People who claim to be “anti-racist” hardly, if ever, mention crimes from minorities against whites, such as the murders of Christopher Newsom and Channon Christian, the Wichita Massacre, or the beating of Matthew Boorujuy. Of course to be fair, it’s not like they’ve likely heard of those incidents, because the media doesn’t want to report such occurrences since they are part of the same crowd; I guess it’s more comfortable to keep your head in the sand.

 

[Inisfallen]

We are neglecting to take into account social class here. I know many white people from a poor working class background and many African-Americans who can easily afford trips around the world and very expensive private schools for their kids.

1. Income and social class aren’t the same thing.
2. So what? What’s your point? The fact that some African-Americans have achieved higher incomes proves nothing.

 

[Inisfallen]

It may often be employed by racist people, but that doesn’t make it any less accurate.

If someone uses the slogan of an avowedly racist movement or group, they ought not to be surprised if people believe that they are themselves racist.

Until proven otherwise, I believe that anyone uses this slogan is a racist. Just like I assume that anyone wearing a Klan outfit is a racist, or reciting the “14 words” slogan is a racist (what do you think of that one, by the way? Is it possible that someone using that slogan is not a racist?).

 

[exnihilo]

Seriously?

Do you actually think that white people are oppressed in the United States?

Take a deep breath. Look around you. Look at the United States Senate. Look at the House of Representatives. Look at the CEOs and board members of just about every company in the Fortune 500.

This particular persecution fantasy is delusional.

I imagine you disclaim racial thinking and yet you seem to be saying because I am White, and many people in power are White, that I have power. I have power because other like me have power. If however I applied such logic to other groups I imagine I would be a racist.

Obviously it is true that lots of White men have authority. But I think a better guide to who or what group has power is to look at who you can’t insult. In Nazi Germany you couldn’t insult the Nazi Party or Hitler. In Soviet Russia you couldn’t insult communism or its leaders. In the US you can’t insult Blacks, Asians, Mexicans, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, women, homosexuals or transgendered people. But you can insult White people, men and Christians. Judged that way Whites certainly don’t have power. It is certainly odd that the men in authority don’t represent who has the power. But it is a reality.