President Trump: The NEW one and only politics thread

Everyone on this board should read JD's post to start their mornings before posting on this thread. Eloquent, honest, thoughtful, my heartiest congratulations and appreciation.

 

It'll take several generations -- perhaps the grandkids, or great-grandkids, of millennials -- until the white privilege America as we know it dies off for good and those unjust systems start to become just.

 

Yeah, yeah, yeah ... the "white privilege" conversation is little more than a rhetorical dance involving two groups of people -- white elites and non-white elites -- who are similarly situated socio-economically. The means to a decent life -- finish school and wait until you're married before having kids -- are and long have been there for the taking for all.

 

Well, you just shot that theory to hell with that post.

I will say this -- we as a society get a little better with each generation. You wouldn't necessarily know it by the current two steps back, but we do.

My grandmother was a racist, although I didn't really notice it much as a child. If she encountered a black family on the downtown sidewalk, she would get on the other side.

My father was not nearly as overt. But I know it bothered him to see a mixed couple. He would say so.

I am not nearly as overt. I realize that a person's self-worth should not be determined by their pigmentation. And although it took a while, I realize that I will never be able to truly understand what others have gone through in terms of inequality. I have lived too privileged a life, not silver-spoon but comfortably middle-class.

My daughter, I believe, is pretty close to being color-blind. I fully suspect her daughter will be completely.

 

Maybe it depends on what each viewer comes away with, I did not see these as puff pieces and have always thought of him as the person we know today, of course updated with all the cases of real crime that he overlooked. I don't remember that.

 

Not going to get a lot of likes when you drop a turd like this in the punch bowl.

 

I passed this post but this sentence made me come back. "They're afraid to be labeled discriminatory". Now to be clear I am not speaking for liberals here. The issue is not what label you want to put on someone-I got over that in my senior year of high school, and don't understand the need for it-but the fact is those types of law are DISCRIMINATORY. I have used the example of the young girl Jazz who was born "male". You are goddam right I don't want her to have to use the mens room. She is not male. I don't even know where those laws originated. I would like to though if anyone can find the origin of it. For me the reason for a law helps me decide if it is legit or not. So at least for this liberal I have no fear of being uncool, I do fear people losing their civil rights. (I am also not wealthy or clearly, academic and am no way referring to what ever article you put up)

 

A few thoughts:

Abandoning identity politics, which by definition is a series of appeals to narrow segments, in favor of election strategies that engage larger swathes of people on primarily economic issues that affect all races and genders is just common sense. It's flat wrong to suggest you're "dropping important social issues" by correctly focusing your political messaging to win elections.

Also, the somewhat narrow and angry way in which the word "privilege" has been appropriated in recent years has become counterproductive and ultimately divisive. There are many, many, many ways privilege is accorded in this world. People who are born into wealthy families in the right city or town in the United States and who are male, tall, attractive, healthy, intelligent and physically strong have probably hit the jackpot in terms of what our society values at this moment in time.

Everyone else has something real and demonstrable to complain about in terms of being treated fairly relative to others. Fat people, ugly people, disabled people, unhealthy people, stupid people, short people and destitute people all face discrimination and disadvantages.

So, to me, the way the word "privilege" has been (over) used in political discourse in recent years is without utility, a tired piece of passive aggressive verbal weaponry. Awareness and empathy are qualities that should be instilled in all of us by the time we get to grade school.

 

Nobody 'round here wants me as a columnist [/crossthread] so fuck 'em ...

 

I haven't answered yet...

 

Joe Biden kicks off his 2020 campaign with an op-ed in the Atlantic.

 

What nonsense. At risk of working oop's corners, you're just making up bullshit now. I defy you to show me an example of anyone here ever suggesting they were "OK" with the Rich pardon.

The Rich pardon was smarmy as hell. But that doesn't make this one stink any less.