Reasonable Discussion: Privilege

[1032004]

16 minutes ago, Scouts Honor said:

"slavery is only bad when it happens in America"

Who said that?  This discussion is about America however  

[1032004]

15 hours ago, mspart said:

But what happened after that Rassling?  

AI overview

The sharp decline in marriage among Black Americans began in the mid-1960s, with marriage rates dropping from roughly 61% in 1960 to 32% by 2008. This shift was driven by structural factors, including economic disparities, high male incarceration rates, and welfare policies that disincentivized marriage, rather than a total "giving up" on the institution.

The mid 60s was when the Great Society came about.   Which influenced the disincentivizing of marriage through the welfare policies which had a harmful impact on the boys who had no father and they turned to gangs and crime and were incarcerated for this.   The welfare state kept many of them down in economic distress so all hope left.   Great Society indeed. 

mspart

If welfare disincentived marriage, couldn’t the father still live together with the mother?  I don’t see why that would cause actual single-parent homes.

[JimmySpeaks]

1 minute ago, 1032004 said:

If welfare disincentived marriage, couldn’t the father still live together with the mother?  I don’t see why that would cause actual single-parent homes.

Not if he wanted to get paid too. 

[wrestlingguy]

16 hours ago, Rassling said:

My  career before I retired  involved selling to the pharmaceutical industry and I spent alot of time calling on accounts in the 5 boroughs. 

Don't let RV know you are retired. He thinks people that retire are weak and lazy.

[WrestlingRasta]

1 hour ago, wrestlingguy said:

Don't let RV know you are retired. He thinks people that retire are weak and lazy.

You are insinuation that Rassling gives two rat's asses about what RV thinks of him....

[wrestlingguy]

10 minutes ago, WrestlingRasta said:

You are insinuation that Rassling gives two rat's asses about what RV thinks of him....

They are fellow rock enthusiasts. 

[WrestlingRasta]

3 minutes ago, wrestlingguy said:

They are fellow rock enthusiasts. 

Now you're insinuation RV, with his 87 jobs, 24 papers, ample time to spend with family, while also find ways to spend all day every day on a message board.......is a truthful guy.  

[Rassling]

2 hours ago, wrestlingguy said:

Don't let RV know you are retired. He thinks people that retire are weak and lazy.

ha, far from it. I retired early from a successful career and now I enjoy giving back. I have no issue with RV. He takes no crap and gives it right back. I also don’t thinks he’s this way among friends and family. Do I agree with him, no way. However as a fellow rock hound I am fascinated that he chose geology as a career! 

[red viking]

2 hours ago, WrestlingRasta said:

Now you're insinuation RV, with his 87 jobs, 24 papers, ample time to spend with family, while also find ways to spend all day every day on a message board.......is a truthful guy.  

When you feel the need to exaggerate like that, u blow all your credibility. 

[red viking]

1 hour ago, Rassling said:

ha, far from it. I retired early from a successful career and now I enjoy giving back. I have no issue with RV. He takes no crap and gives it right back. I also don’t thinks he’s this way among friends and family. Do I agree with him, no way. However as a fellow rock hound I am fascinated that he chose geology as a career! 

Yah, love geology. That's why 2 of my jobs are related to that. Rocks aren't my specific specialty though. 

Edited April 10 by red viking

[red viking]

2 hours ago, WrestlingRasta said:

Now you're insinuation RV, with his 87 jobs, 24 papers, ample time to spend with family, while also find ways to spend all day every day on a message board.......is a truthful guy.  

It's not tough to have a 40h per week job plus two pt jobs where I pretty much decide my own hours and I enjoy them. 

One is somewhat physical and typically outdoors, so nice change of pace from my primary desk/ computer geology related work. 

Edited April 10 by red viking

[ThreePointTakedown]

This is where your argument falls down. You know this is the truth. But to admit there is privilege means you need to take stock of yours. And I'll bet you never have. You've concocted this story that YOUR work ethic and nothing else is responsible for your success. Not where you were born or who you were born to or the few minor luxuries(that really would be luxuries to families just a few miles away) you had growing up could ever have aided in the ascension to your current status. 

You fight against the idea of feeling guilty of something you had no responsibility for. I disagree. You benefited from the products of rigged game. So you do bear the burden of how you use the security you have gained by it. This is where you say, "the world isn't fair" That's a lazy person's way of getting out of having to address the fact that it’s true but that we should all be working toward a more fair world. Today doesn’t need to be unfair. Maybe back in the savanna. But not now that we have enough to provide for everyone's basic needs. AND WE DO. We just don't want 'those people' enjoying the benefits of our luck. To do this, all we must do is conveniently forget that luck played the largest role in our success and that gets us out of the responsibility that comes with great power

[Lipdrag]

On 4/10/2026 at 3:10 PM, red viking said:

When you feel the need to exaggerate like that, u blow all your credibility. 

110%

[Bigbrog]

I'll ask this again, SO WHAT??  People are born into different circumstances, people are born of different races, etc....everyone knows this, but why do I need to "recognize it", or "admit it", or whatever the reason people seem to bring it up??  What does it do?  How does it "improve" things...or what is going to improve by saying/"recognizing" I was born into a different situation than another person?  Am I supposed to say, "oh you poor thing", or "man you suck for having more than me"?  Why??

[headshuck]

When you feel the need to exaggerate like that, u blow all your credibility. 

110%

[Rassling]

37 minutes ago, Bigbrog said:

I'll ask this again, SO WHAT??  People are born into different circumstances, people are born of different races, etc....everyone knows this, but why do I need to "recognize it", or "admit it", or whatever the reason people seem to bring it up??  What does it do?  How does it "improve" things...or what is going to improve by saying/"recognizing" I was born into a different situation than another person?  Am I supposed to say, "oh you poor thing", or "man you suck for having more than me"?  Why??

I agree I’m sick of hearing it from both sides however, history IS important for just about any controversial subject matter so we don’t make the same mistake again. This issue has been used time and time again to divide which is why I try and steer clear of it. Lets face it the thread was created to cause division just like media who uses it to divide divide divide. It appears the poster just like the destructive media accomplished its goal. 

[ThreePointTakedown]

1 hour ago, Bigbrog said:

I'll ask this again, SO WHAT??  People are born into different circumstances, people are born of different races, etc....everyone knows this, but why do I need to "recognize it", or "admit it", or whatever the reason people seem to bring it up??  What does it do?  How does it "improve" things...or what is going to improve by saying/"recognizing" I was born into a different situation than another person?  Am I supposed to say, "oh you poor thing", or "man you suck for having more than me"?  Why??

NOT a DIFFERENT situation a more PRIVILEGED situation. Recognizing or admitting this means the 'personal choice' thought stopper that conservatives love to toss around is now moot. We have not choice of the situation we are born into. Admitting that some situations were purposefully made harder to escape IS the thing we can acknowledge and work to correct. Will this mean fewer resources for the 'privileged' classes for a bit? Perhaps. But this, to me, is an easy sacrifice to ensure that the bottom rung of our ladder if brought up to a minimal level of health and dignity. 

Some would say this is a hand out. I would say those people are greedy, heartless, and cruel. 

Bringing us all up to a base line level of health, education, and dignity makes us all better. It will make our economy better. It will make our culture more diverse by allowing a larger portion to more actively contribute to it. Rather than simply working to survive. 

 

If you disagree that this would happen please enlighten us as to why? 

But if there is a chance that this could happen why would we not want to work towards this future?

[1032004]

2 hours ago, Bigbrog said:

I'll ask this again, SO WHAT??  People are born into different circumstances, people are born of different races, etc....everyone knows this, but why do I need to "recognize it", or "admit it", or whatever the reason people seem to bring it up??  What does it do?  How does it "improve" things...or what is going to improve by saying/"recognizing" I was born into a different situation than another person?  Am I supposed to say, "oh you poor thing", or "man you suck for having more than me"?  Why??

Because I’d argue that “recognizing” privilege is why affirmative action was created.  I’m okay with dialing back affirmative action as in some cases it did go overboard, but it’s funny that a prevailing opinion of the right these days seems to be that “white men are being discriminated against!” which couldn’t be further from the truth.

[Caveira]

26 minutes ago, 1032004 said:

Because I’d argue that “recognizing” privilege is why affirmative action was created.  I’m okay with dialing back affirmative action as in some cases it did go overboard, but it’s funny that a prevailing opinion of the right these days seems to be that “white men are being discriminated against!” which couldn’t be further from the truth.

nah.  I’ll just take your $$$

[braves121]

3 minutes ago, Caveira said:

nah.  I’ll just take your $$$

Did you even watch the video? He said none of those things dude 

[Bigbrog]

4 hours ago, Rassling said:

I agree I’m sick of hearing it from both sides however, history IS important for just about any controversial subject matter so we don’t make the same mistake again. This issue has been used time and time again to divide which is why I try and steer clear of it. Lets face it the thread was created to cause division just like media who uses it to divide divide divide. It appears the poster just like the destructive media accomplished its goal. 

I completely agree with the need to understand history.  I have not heard anyone on here deny any of the bad things that have happened in our history.  However, to me the whole "privilege" narrative serves no purpose other than like you said, divide divide divide.   So that is my long way of saying I agree with what you said.  Ha

[Bigbrog]

3 hours ago, ThreePointTakedown said:

 

NOT a DIFFERENT situation a more PRIVILEGED situation. Recognizing or admitting this means the 'personal choice' thought stopper that conservatives love to toss around is now moot. We have not choice of the situation we are born into. Admitting that some situations were purposefully made harder to escape IS the thing we can acknowledge and work to correct. Will this mean fewer resources for the 'privileged' classes for a bit? Perhaps. But this, to me, is an easy sacrifice to ensure that the bottom rung of our ladder if brought up to a minimal level of health and dignity. 

Some would say this is a hand out. I would say those people are greedy, heartless, and cruel. 

Bringing us all up to a base line level of health, education, and dignity makes us all better. It will make our economy better. It will make our culture more diverse by allowing a larger portion to more actively contribute to it. Rather than simply working to survive. 

 

If you disagree that this would happen please enlighten us as to why? 

But if there is a chance that this could happen why would we not want to work towards this future?

This ought to be fun....again, so what?  You call it whatever you want, it doesn't matter...nothing changes the facts of life.  There will NEVER be a time where everyone is born into the exact same "privilege", as you put it...still not sure what that is except people are born into different situation every single day since the time of first man and that will never stop.  Even if they are I can 100% guarantee you won't get the same outcomes just as Rasta indicated.  It is absolutely amazing that you are in support of trying to control every single person's situation that they are born into and to make it "even"...you seriously believe that is even possible?? LOL

As for the comment about "fewer resources for the privileged classes", again you can't be serious?  You truly want to "hold someone back" simply for being born into a situation they had no control over being born into??  Seriously??  You are admitting that you are all for oppressing a group of people so, in theory, another group of people can "get caught up"???  That is going to make our culture better??  Holy crap man/ma'am/they...are you even comprehending the things you are writing?

[mspart]

There is nothing to gain by recognizing anything.   Have the Indians been given any land that the white man stole because someone recognizes that we are now on stolen land?   No.   

Actions are what do something.   Treat people with respect.   You can get to know them and their background etc,  but that doesn't have much to do with their work ethic or aptitude.   Respect their abilities.  Respect them as a person.   And that is all that is needed.   I've worked with countless people that I don't know anything about, but we were able to work well together because we each respected the other.   

mspart

[ThreePointTakedown]

16 hours ago, Bigbrog said:

This ought to be fun....again, so what?  You call it whatever you want, it doesn't matter...nothing changes the facts of life.  There will NEVER be a time where everyone is born into the exact same "privilege", as you put it...still not sure what that is except people are born into different situation every single day since the time of first man and that will never stop.  Even if they are I can 100% guarantee you won't get the same outcomes just as Rasta indicated.  It is absolutely amazing that you are in support of trying to control every single person's situation that they are born into and to make it "even"...you seriously believe that is even possible?? LOL

As for the comment about "fewer resources for the privileged classes", again you can't be serious?  You truly want to "hold someone back" simply for being born into a situation they had no control over being born into??  Seriously??  You are admitting that you are all for oppressing a group of people so, in theory, another group of people can "get caught up"???  That is going to make our culture better??  Holy crap man/ma'am/they...are you even comprehending the things you are writing?

Did I say the goal was to ensure EVERYONE is born into the same situation and circumstances or to attain the same outcomes? I did not. So please go back and rewrite that as if you actually read the assignment. 

[Bigbrog]

1 hour ago, ThreePointTakedown said:

Did I say the goal was to ensure EVERYONE is born into the same situation and circumstances or to attain the same outcomes? I did not. So please go back and rewrite that as if you actually read the assignment. 

So you have nothing...as expected.