So I have one now. Thanks to Lil' Fingers for aiding me in consultation.
That was pretty stupid given that I leave for Europe in less than 24 hours.
But game stop had it, I wanted it, so I got it.
I'll be uber frugal when I get back.
9.18.2008
I won a debate against a black republican!!!!
I am so proud of myself.
Here is what he wrote (which I disected into 5 points):
What have I started! I think we need a conference call so we can have at it. It would be fun! I really enjoy doing this especially in the tasteful and educated manner we have conducted ourselves.
Couple things on taxing the wealthy, keeping well benefited jobs at home, and healthcare. I am sure most of us have taken some kind of Economics and/or accounting class.
1. You have to be careful anytime you mess with the wealthy corporations balance sheet. They will find ways to stay profitable. For example, you guys work at XYZ_Corp. When XYZ_Corp has to pay higher taxes it will ripple down. Jobs will be cost, raises will go down, and the price of XYZ_Corp's product will go up. This ripple effect of Obama's tax plan could affect the middle class and the poor more than the tax breaks we might get.
2. In a nut shell when the rich are happy the poor are happy.
3. Every time the government messes with the free market it backfires. Clinton wanted every American to be able to afford a house, and pressed Fannie and Freddie to give loans to those that didn't previously qualify. Times were good, but those subprime loans which only made up only 8-12% of all loans and the Fed's lowering of interest rates during the early Bush years are crumpling the economy now.
4. When products are American made by well paid and benefited American workers, the poor will not be able to shop at Wal Mart, and having a $100 extra dollars a pay check will not help them.
5. Also, all Americans are compassionate on health care, but can you tell a small business with a gross profit of $300K to give all its workers premium health care? They will fail. Do you want government run health care? I had it in the Navy. I saw people die of Cancer because it took them 3 months to see a specialist. I know many Canadians that come here when they have major health issues. Serioulsy, talk to a Canadian about their gread federal health care system. Not saying either side can fix it, but just like drugs that cure you there can be harmful side effects. Anyway, the poor have always had it bad and that is a depressing fact or life. Better ways to make helath care affordable would be to get rid of frivoulous lawsuits. Doctors make mistakes, period, but you shouldn't be able to sue them for milions of follars everytime they do. Make the 12 million illegal immigrants that way down our clinics, nurseries, emergency rooms get registered and pay taxes. And force people who chose to be unhealthy to pay higher health care. In Japan everybody's waist size is measured to determine their insurance rates. I am one of those fat Americans that have to go the doctor often and take medication. Why should pay the same as a helthy person that takes cares of themselves.
Best Regards,
Black Republican
Here is what he wrote (which I disected into 5 points):
What have I started! I think we need a conference call so we can have at it. It would be fun! I really enjoy doing this especially in the tasteful and educated manner we have conducted ourselves.
Couple things on taxing the wealthy, keeping well benefited jobs at home, and healthcare. I am sure most of us have taken some kind of Economics and/or accounting class.
1. You have to be careful anytime you mess with the wealthy corporations balance sheet. They will find ways to stay profitable. For example, you guys work at XYZ_Corp. When XYZ_Corp has to pay higher taxes it will ripple down. Jobs will be cost, raises will go down, and the price of XYZ_Corp's product will go up. This ripple effect of Obama's tax plan could affect the middle class and the poor more than the tax breaks we might get.
2. In a nut shell when the rich are happy the poor are happy.
3. Every time the government messes with the free market it backfires. Clinton wanted every American to be able to afford a house, and pressed Fannie and Freddie to give loans to those that didn't previously qualify. Times were good, but those subprime loans which only made up only 8-12% of all loans and the Fed's lowering of interest rates during the early Bush years are crumpling the economy now.
4. When products are American made by well paid and benefited American workers, the poor will not be able to shop at Wal Mart, and having a $100 extra dollars a pay check will not help them.
5. Also, all Americans are compassionate on health care, but can you tell a small business with a gross profit of $300K to give all its workers premium health care? They will fail. Do you want government run health care? I had it in the Navy. I saw people die of Cancer because it took them 3 months to see a specialist. I know many Canadians that come here when they have major health issues. Serioulsy, talk to a Canadian about their gread federal health care system. Not saying either side can fix it, but just like drugs that cure you there can be harmful side effects. Anyway, the poor have always had it bad and that is a depressing fact or life. Better ways to make helath care affordable would be to get rid of frivoulous lawsuits. Doctors make mistakes, period, but you shouldn't be able to sue them for milions of follars everytime they do. Make the 12 million illegal immigrants that way down our clinics, nurseries, emergency rooms get registered and pay taxes. And force people who chose to be unhealthy to pay higher health care. In Japan everybody's waist size is measured to determine their insurance rates. I am one of those fat Americans that have to go the doctor often and take medication. Why should pay the same as a helthy person that takes cares of themselves.
Best Regards,
Black Republican
My Rebuttle:
I also enjoy debates. It was
1. Using Yahoo Finance, I researched the stock price of XYZ_Corp from 1992 (Clinton Era, when taxes were higher) through 2008. As Obama has stated that his tax plan is similar to Clinton's in the way that taxes would increase for certain demographics, I thought it'd be interesting to see how the XYZ_Corp stock price fluctuated between the Clinton era and GW Bush era. Surely, if taxes rise and company's lose out; then your theory holds.
January 1993: $16.21
Peak during Clinton era (Nov 98): $60.12
December 01: $40.01
Increase in stock price of approximately 150%
January 2002: $30.37
Peak During Bush era: $60.87 (2007)
Sept 08: $52.66
Increase in stock price of approximately 73%
And given that this is a consumer product, it benefits us most when the middle class has more disposable income to afford consumer products. Given that the majority of Americans fall into the middle class....Obama's tax plan would be beneficial to drive volume of our sales.
2. When rich are happy poor are happy. That is the republican viewpoint on economics. However, I do not hold the same view point. As a rich person, I can come up with wonderful business ideas; however, if the poor do not have disposable income to enjoy my product...I end up poor as well. Right now there are factors other than taxes that impact the poor more greatly than increased taxes would effect the rich. Need an example? I invite you to watch the following Video.
3. I greatly respect Alan Greenspan, a republican (who sometimes leaned independent) set economic policy during Clinton years. I encourage you to research the facts around the mortgage/credit crisis. Hopefully we can agree on a couple of factors that have caused this credit/ mortgage crisis. Speculatory residential investment purchases in 2000-2005 drove the value of property up (one source indicated that 40% of home purchases in 2006 represented investment properties rather than primary residential). It appeared to builders that there was a large demand. Hence building boomed. Laws of economics show that when supply outweighs demand, prices fall.
Thus...when demand waivered....prices dropped dramatically. This represents true capitalism. Also, Subprime Mortgages are a phenomenon of the Bush era. Subprime Mortgages represent a clever capitalists idea to get rich by giving folks what they want. While I'm not for socialism, I do expect that the government's oversight of certain industries and practices aims to protect the greater good of the people. Perhaps if regulation wasn't the key, the increased oversight should have been. Creative destruction is a key element to capitalism; however, it's intersection with the American dream has proven to be disastrous.
My lunch break is running out, so I'll resort to emotional / non-fact based arguments for the remaining points...
4. I see your point. Keeping American's healthy and well paid is costly. However, it seems unpatriotic to auction off our assets (both financial and resources) to other countries to keep prices down. Perhaps a new set of ideas (aka Change) could come up with a new way to determine the most cost effective way to leverage our resources. Another point on the concept of auctioning off our assets. We no longer live in a USA-confined economy. On one hand, we have a hot-head POTUS hopeful and a VP hopeful whose foreign policy experience rests on the basis that she can see Russia from
land in her state. Diplomacy is so essential given that we now live in a global economic environment. I simply don't trust the McCain/Palin + potential cabinet & foreign policy advisors in regards to diplomacy.
5. I expect that American government would study healthcare systems in other countries and learn. Again, it seems rather unpatriotic to look at my low-income family members and tell them that I refuse to allow my taxes to help them...errruhhh...live.
Lastly...even if I weren't GUNG-HO Obama, McCain's voting record stands against the essence of what I believe in. To better educate myself on McCain's voting record I visited On The Issues. I then had a bit fun with his positions as seen below...
-McCain Opposed Equal Pay Bill for Women, Said They ?Need Education and Training? Instead. (Women, except Sarah Palin, are generally pretty stupid. They just need to get smarter if they want equal pay).
-McCain Voted Against Increasing Benefits For Children With Special Needs In The Social Security Act. (I'd like to hear Palin's take on this).
-McCain has voted consistently against women?s health, and he supports overturning the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Roe v. Wade. (I LOVE it when men get to dictate what I do with my body! I mean, it was the act of him dictating (pun intended) me that got me preggers in the first place!)
-McCain opposed spending $100 million to prevent unintended and teen pregnancies. (Two Words: Bristol Palin.)
-McCain Voted Against Providing Tax Credits to Small Businesses That Offer Health Insurance To Employees. (Ehhh, you?re not worth saving until you're big business.)
-Voted NO on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors. (Because you know, a low-income mother has the time and money to hire a private tutor).
-Voted NO to protect workers? overtime rights. (Slaves didn?t get paid overtime, neither should you).
-Voted NO on background checks at gun shows. (I want my gun and I want it NOW!)
-Voted YES on loosening license & background checks at gun shows. (If you want a gun, it totally makes no sense to have restrictions. I love it when unstable people get guns, it makes for interesting news?like Va Tech).
-McCain Opposed Extending Coverage To Uninsured Children. (This is the alternative to the pro-life position. The uninsured child might not get enough coverage to erruhh?....live).
-YES on limiting death penalty appeals (because the legal system is fair and innocent are NEVER executed).
-McCain opposed requiring insurance coverage of prescription birth control. (After I take my Viagra, which is covered, I'm going to go populate Alaska).
Have a fantastic day,
SunFresh
1. Using Yahoo Finance, I researched the stock price of XYZ_Corp from 1992 (Clinton Era, when taxes were higher) through 2008. As Obama has stated that his tax plan is similar to Clinton's in the way that taxes would increase for certain demographics, I thought it'd be interesting to see how the XYZ_Corp stock price fluctuated between the Clinton era and GW Bush era. Surely, if taxes rise and company's lose out; then your theory holds.
January 1993: $16.21
Peak during Clinton era (Nov 98): $60.12
December 01: $40.01
Increase in stock price of approximately 150%
January 2002: $30.37
Peak During Bush era: $60.87 (2007)
Sept 08: $52.66
Increase in stock price of approximately 73%
And given that this is a consumer product, it benefits us most when the middle class has more disposable income to afford consumer products. Given that the majority of Americans fall into the middle class....Obama's tax plan would be beneficial to drive volume of our sales.
2. When rich are happy poor are happy. That is the republican viewpoint on economics. However, I do not hold the same view point. As a rich person, I can come up with wonderful business ideas; however, if the poor do not have disposable income to enjoy my product...I end up poor as well. Right now there are factors other than taxes that impact the poor more greatly than increased taxes would effect the rich. Need an example? I invite you to watch the following Video.
3. I greatly respect Alan Greenspan, a republican (who sometimes leaned independent) set economic policy during Clinton years. I encourage you to research the facts around the mortgage/credit crisis. Hopefully we can agree on a couple of factors that have caused this credit/ mortgage crisis. Speculatory residential investment purchases in 2000-2005 drove the value of property up (one source indicated that 40% of home purchases in 2006 represented investment properties rather than primary residential). It appeared to builders that there was a large demand. Hence building boomed. Laws of economics show that when supply outweighs demand, prices fall.
Thus...when demand waivered....prices dropped dramatically. This represents true capitalism. Also, Subprime Mortgages are a phenomenon of the Bush era. Subprime Mortgages represent a clever capitalists idea to get rich by giving folks what they want. While I'm not for socialism, I do expect that the government's oversight of certain industries and practices aims to protect the greater good of the people. Perhaps if regulation wasn't the key, the increased oversight should have been. Creative destruction is a key element to capitalism; however, it's intersection with the American dream has proven to be disastrous.
My lunch break is running out, so I'll resort to emotional / non-fact based arguments for the remaining points...
4. I see your point. Keeping American's healthy and well paid is costly. However, it seems unpatriotic to auction off our assets (both financial and resources) to other countries to keep prices down. Perhaps a new set of ideas (aka Change) could come up with a new way to determine the most cost effective way to leverage our resources. Another point on the concept of auctioning off our assets. We no longer live in a USA-confined economy. On one hand, we have a hot-head POTUS hopeful and a VP hopeful whose foreign policy experience rests on the basis that she can see Russia from
land in her state. Diplomacy is so essential given that we now live in a global economic environment. I simply don't trust the McCain/Palin + potential cabinet & foreign policy advisors in regards to diplomacy.
5. I expect that American government would study healthcare systems in other countries and learn. Again, it seems rather unpatriotic to look at my low-income family members and tell them that I refuse to allow my taxes to help them...errruhhh...live.
Lastly...even if I weren't GUNG-HO Obama, McCain's voting record stands against the essence of what I believe in. To better educate myself on McCain's voting record I visited On The Issues. I then had a bit fun with his positions as seen below...
-McCain Opposed Equal Pay Bill for Women, Said They ?Need Education and Training? Instead. (Women, except Sarah Palin, are generally pretty stupid. They just need to get smarter if they want equal pay).
-McCain Voted Against Increasing Benefits For Children With Special Needs In The Social Security Act. (I'd like to hear Palin's take on this).
-McCain has voted consistently against women?s health, and he supports overturning the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Roe v. Wade. (I LOVE it when men get to dictate what I do with my body! I mean, it was the act of him dictating (pun intended) me that got me preggers in the first place!)
-McCain opposed spending $100 million to prevent unintended and teen pregnancies. (Two Words: Bristol Palin.)
-McCain Voted Against Providing Tax Credits to Small Businesses That Offer Health Insurance To Employees. (Ehhh, you?re not worth saving until you're big business.)
-Voted NO on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors. (Because you know, a low-income mother has the time and money to hire a private tutor).
-Voted NO to protect workers? overtime rights. (Slaves didn?t get paid overtime, neither should you).
-Voted NO on background checks at gun shows. (I want my gun and I want it NOW!)
-Voted YES on loosening license & background checks at gun shows. (If you want a gun, it totally makes no sense to have restrictions. I love it when unstable people get guns, it makes for interesting news?like Va Tech).
-McCain Opposed Extending Coverage To Uninsured Children. (This is the alternative to the pro-life position. The uninsured child might not get enough coverage to erruhh?....live).
-YES on limiting death penalty appeals (because the legal system is fair and innocent are NEVER executed).
-McCain opposed requiring insurance coverage of prescription birth control. (After I take my Viagra, which is covered, I'm going to go populate Alaska).
Have a fantastic day,
SunFresh
His Response (In 2 seperate e-mails)
1. I know everything about the mortgage/credit crisis and Bush had nothing to do with it. Note that I did not assert that Bush had anything to do with the mortgage/credit crisis
2. SunFresh has had the best comeback yet. If you have time read my paper on the subprime mortgage crisis. I love the subject.
2. SunFresh has had the best comeback yet. If you have time read my paper on the subprime mortgage crisis. I love the subject.
9.17.2008
BBBS
Are any of the readers/commenters/lurkers also Big Brothers or Big Sisters? I have an interview today and I'm very excited about the prospect of becoming a Big Sister. If you have a Little Sister/Brother, what are some activities that you have done with them in the past? If you're not one and have time, would you consider joining? If not, would you consider donating to the Obama campaign? (lol, okay the last thing had nothing to do with BBBS!)
What your girlfriends think...
So many moons ago I agreed to go a date with this one guy, we'll call him Java. I wasn't completely attracted to him; however, he cleaned up nicely and his conversation was engaging. He was perhaps the first guy that I went on a date with after I broke up with THE EX. We had a really nice time; however, I was still in love with the EX and once I realized this I more less cut-off communication with Java.
I ran into Java when I was out with a few girlfriends. He approached and said something to the effect of, "Hello stranger." My girls beckoned for an explanation. I told them that we went out on a date. They giggled, looking at him being less than 6 feet tall, and a bit of this that and the other. Because I valued their opinions a bit way too much, I joined in on the giggling.
Fast forward current times. Well, Java found me on facebook. He's rather aggressive...or rather assertive. I've been hanging out with him a little bit. Nothing too heavy or nothing to write-home about; however, I will say that I genuinely enjoy his company. And to think, I had let the girls that are still single and continue to be single to influence my perception of him. He wasn't the physical prototype per se; however, WHO THE FUCK IS?
I'm glad that I met him second time around when I am no longer dealing with that group of women. I've grown a lot and learned a lot from that experience (which I will say time and time again). I do have a mind of my own; however, I admit to insecurities at times. Sure I want to walk down the street with a man that people sit back and think, "wow they're an attractive couple." I think they played into that insecurity. I suppose that I fell into the trap of being an insecure single woman instead of a secure single woman. I choose the later.
Really it only matters that I find the person attractive. And for me, attraction prevails only after I see a person's inner spirit. I don't care that he's a little shorter than the desired standard, 'talks white,' or dresses in button ups and khakis all the time...he stimulates my brain and makes me feel beautiful.
I ran into Java when I was out with a few girlfriends. He approached and said something to the effect of, "Hello stranger." My girls beckoned for an explanation. I told them that we went out on a date. They giggled, looking at him being less than 6 feet tall, and a bit of this that and the other. Because I valued their opinions a bit way too much, I joined in on the giggling.
Fast forward current times. Well, Java found me on facebook. He's rather aggressive...or rather assertive. I've been hanging out with him a little bit. Nothing too heavy or nothing to write-home about; however, I will say that I genuinely enjoy his company. And to think, I had let the girls that are still single and continue to be single to influence my perception of him. He wasn't the physical prototype per se; however, WHO THE FUCK IS?
I'm glad that I met him second time around when I am no longer dealing with that group of women. I've grown a lot and learned a lot from that experience (which I will say time and time again). I do have a mind of my own; however, I admit to insecurities at times. Sure I want to walk down the street with a man that people sit back and think, "wow they're an attractive couple." I think they played into that insecurity. I suppose that I fell into the trap of being an insecure single woman instead of a secure single woman. I choose the later.
Really it only matters that I find the person attractive. And for me, attraction prevails only after I see a person's inner spirit. I don't care that he's a little shorter than the desired standard, 'talks white,' or dresses in button ups and khakis all the time...he stimulates my brain and makes me feel beautiful.
Catholics - How are you coping with this election?
I recently read a painful article in which a Catholic was denied communion due to his support of Obama.
These actions underscore my apprehension toward Catholicsm. It appears to the one popular sect of Christianity that is furthest from the foundation of Christianity principles: LOVE.
That is simply my opinion, and I realize my opinion could be offensive. But after reading something like this...I just shake my head.
These actions underscore my apprehension toward Catholicsm. It appears to the one popular sect of Christianity that is furthest from the foundation of Christianity principles: LOVE.
That is simply my opinion, and I realize my opinion could be offensive. But after reading something like this...I just shake my head.
Confession re: Patriotism
I'm headed out to Ireland and Spain in less than 72 hours. I'm ashamed to claim that I am American right now. I'm aiming to pick up an Irish accent so that when I get to Spain, people will not be able to detect that I'm American. I'm not comfortable with it right now. Not only that, but I'm vetting Europe to see if I could realistically live there for a short period of time in the event that McCain/Palin win. Next year, I'll visit England and Italy to see what I think of those locations.
*note that I'm being a bit sarcastic and extreme; however, these are random thoughts of mine*
Is that bad?
*note that I'm being a bit sarcastic and extreme; however, these are random thoughts of mine*
Is that bad?
Just say no...or maybe not?
I had dinner last night with one of my friends who I love because she is so atypical. She's traveled the world, she marches to the beat of her own drum, is gorgeous, and has a very diverse social circle. In a nutshell, the second you think you have her pegged, she surprises you with something new.
So last night she was casually telling me a story. As a part of the story she casually revelas that she's done lines of coke.
Had she said weed, I wouldn't have flinched. But the only white powdered substances that I've ever seen are sugar, salt and flour. She said it so casually that I had to interrupt her and ask her more about her 'recreational coke' use.
I passed no judgement cuz to each their own. I just hope she's safe about it. She's by no means a drug addict, she said it's just something that if it's there and somebody offers, she won't necessarily say no. I just found it fascinating.
Do you use white-substance drugs? Do you have friends that do so? It's so foreign to me. As ignorant as it may sound, I imagine coke to be some hollywood white person drug. (and perhaps the drug of choice for the Browns/Houston household).
So last night she was casually telling me a story. As a part of the story she casually revelas that she's done lines of coke.
Had she said weed, I wouldn't have flinched. But the only white powdered substances that I've ever seen are sugar, salt and flour. She said it so casually that I had to interrupt her and ask her more about her 'recreational coke' use.
I passed no judgement cuz to each their own. I just hope she's safe about it. She's by no means a drug addict, she said it's just something that if it's there and somebody offers, she won't necessarily say no. I just found it fascinating.
Do you use white-substance drugs? Do you have friends that do so? It's so foreign to me. As ignorant as it may sound, I imagine coke to be some hollywood white person drug. (and perhaps the drug of choice for the Browns/Houston household).
9.16.2008
BAP
So on one of my favorite discussion boards the holier than thou converter posted a subject title called, "Have you "renounced the hidden things of shame" in your life: Have you "renounced the hidden things of shame" in your life— the things that your sense of honor or pride will not allow to come into the light? You can easily hide them. Is there a thought in your heart about anyone that you would not like to be brought into the light? Then renounce it as soon as it comes to mind— renounce everything in its entirety until there is no hidden dishonesty or craftiness about you at all. Envy, jealousy, and strife don’t necessarily arise from your old nature of sin, but from the flesh which was used for these kinds of things in the past (see Romans 6:19 and 1 Peter 4:1-3 ). You must maintain continual watchfulness so that nothing arises in your life that would cause you shame.
My response?
I couldn't support this assertion in practice...because a lot of people feel shame due to societal standards and not because of their love and relationship with God.
I don't fall in line with the typical BAP that roams the streets of Atlanta. If I suppressed my thoughts, reactions and actions to be more in line with what I consider to be these BAPs...I wouldn't be me. And I love me. (not that I don't love BAPs).
When I read other's blogs and their reservations to just live life...I realize, I'm no BAP. And I'm SO okay with that.
My response?
I couldn't support this assertion in practice...because a lot of people feel shame due to societal standards and not because of their love and relationship with God.
I don't fall in line with the typical BAP that roams the streets of Atlanta. If I suppressed my thoughts, reactions and actions to be more in line with what I consider to be these BAPs...I wouldn't be me. And I love me. (not that I don't love BAPs).
When I read other's blogs and their reservations to just live life...I realize, I'm no BAP. And I'm SO okay with that.
9.15.2008
A game for any readers/lurkers/commenters...
From where did I obtain the following points:
- a sudden, severe rise in unemployment
- Although the times appear on the surface to be a prosperous time, income was unevenly distributed
- wealthy made large profits, but more and more Americans spent more than they earned,
- U.S. stock market downturn, which ruined thousands of investors and destroyed confidence in the economy
- businesses and banks closed their doors, people lost their jobs, homes, and savings
- While businesses showed remarkable gains in productivity, workers got a relatively small share of the wealth this produced....At the same time, cuts were made in the top income-tax rates
A) A CNN article published on September 15, 2008 describing the current economic environment
B) Encarta encyclopedia article on the Great Depression
C) Huffington Post article cynically comparing the Great Depression to the current economic environment
D) My ass
- a sudden, severe rise in unemployment
- Although the times appear on the surface to be a prosperous time, income was unevenly distributed
- wealthy made large profits, but more and more Americans spent more than they earned,
- U.S. stock market downturn, which ruined thousands of investors and destroyed confidence in the economy
- businesses and banks closed their doors, people lost their jobs, homes, and savings
- While businesses showed remarkable gains in productivity, workers got a relatively small share of the wealth this produced....At the same time, cuts were made in the top income-tax rates
A) A CNN article published on September 15, 2008 describing the current economic environment
B) Encarta encyclopedia article on the Great Depression
C) Huffington Post article cynically comparing the Great Depression to the current economic environment
D) My ass
9.14.2008
Tim Wise on White Privilege
*As many of you who direct link to this article, I'm surprised that there are no comments*
This is Your Nation on White Privilege
By Tim Wise
9/13/08
For those who still can’t grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.
White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because “every family has challenges,” even as black and Latino families with similar “challenges” are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.
White privilege is when you can call yourself a “fuckin’ redneck,” like Bristol Palin’s boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll “kick their fuckin' ass,” and talk about how you like to “shoot shit” for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.
White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.
White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don’t all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you’re “untested.”
White privilege is being able to say that you support the words “under God” in the pledge of allegiance because “if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it’s good enough for me,” and not be immediately disqualified from holding office--since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the “under God” part wasn’t added until the 1950s--while if you're black and believe in reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school, requires it), you are a dangerous and mushy liberal who isn't fit to safeguard American institutions.
White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you.
White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto is “Alaska first,” and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she’s being disrespectful.
White privilege is being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do--like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor--and people think you’re being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college and the fact that she lives close to Russia--you’re somehow being mean, or even sexist.
White privilege is being able to convince white women who don’t even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because suddenly your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same white women, and made them give your party a “second look.”
White privilege is being able to fire people who didn’t support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.
White privilege is when you can take nearly twenty-four hours to get to a hospital after beginning to leak amniotic fluid, and still be viewed as a great mom whose commitment to her children is unquestionable, and whose "next door neighbor" qualities make her ready to be VP, while if you're a black candidate for president and you let your children be interviewed for a few seconds on TV, you're irresponsibly exploiting them.
White privilege is being able to give a 36 minute speech in which you talk about lipstick and make fun of your opponent, while laying out no substantive policy positions on any issue at all, and still manage to be considered a legitimate candidate, while a black person who gives an hour speech the week before, in which he lays out specific policy proposals on several issues, is still criticized for being too vague about what he would do if elected.
White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God’s punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you’re just a good church-going Christian, but if you’re black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you’re an extremist who probably hates America.
White privilege is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a “trick question,” while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O’Reilly means you’re dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.
White privilege is being able to go to a prestigious prep school, then to Yale and then Harvard Business school, and yet, still be seen as just an average guy (George W. Bush) while being black, going to a prestigious prep school, then Occidental College, then Columbia, and then to Harvard Law, makes you "uppity," and a snob who probably looks down on regular folks.
White privilege is being able to graduate near the bottom of your college class (McCain), or graduate with a C average from Yale (W.) and that's OK, and you're cut out to be president, but if you're black and you graduate near the top of your class from Harvard Law, you can't be trusted to make good decisions in office.
White privilege is being able to dump your first wife after she's disfigured in a car crash so you can take up with a multi-millionaire beauty queen (who you go on to call the c-word in public) and still be thought of as a man of strong family values, while if you're black and married for nearly twenty years to the same woman, your family is viewed as un-American and your gestures of affection for each other are called "terrorist fist bumps."
White privilege is when you can develop a pain-killer addiction, having obtained your drug of choice illegally like Cindy McCain, go on to beat that addiction, and everyone praises you for being so strong, while being a black guy who smoked pot a few times in college and never became an addict means people will wonder if perhaps you still get high, and even ask whether or not you ever sold drugs.
White privilege is being able to sing a song about bombing Iran and still be viewed as a sober and rational statesman, with the maturity to be president, while being black and suggesting that the U.S. should speak with other nations, even when we have disagreements with them, makes you "dangerously naive and immature."
White privilege is being able to say that you hate "gooks" and "will always hate them," and yet, you aren't a racist because, ya know, you were a POW so you're entitled to your hatred, while being black and insisting that black anger about racism is understandable, given the history of your country, makes you a dangerous bigot.
White privilege is being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism and an absent father is apparently among the "lesser adversities" faced by other politicians, as Sarah Palin explained in her convention speech.
And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because a lot of white voters aren’t sure about that whole “change” thing. Ya know, it’s just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.
White privilege is, in short, the problem.
This is Your Nation on White Privilege
By Tim Wise
9/13/08
For those who still can’t grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.
White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because “every family has challenges,” even as black and Latino families with similar “challenges” are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.
White privilege is when you can call yourself a “fuckin’ redneck,” like Bristol Palin’s boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll “kick their fuckin' ass,” and talk about how you like to “shoot shit” for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.
White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.
White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don’t all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you’re “untested.”
White privilege is being able to say that you support the words “under God” in the pledge of allegiance because “if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it’s good enough for me,” and not be immediately disqualified from holding office--since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the “under God” part wasn’t added until the 1950s--while if you're black and believe in reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school, requires it), you are a dangerous and mushy liberal who isn't fit to safeguard American institutions.
White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you.
White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto is “Alaska first,” and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she’s being disrespectful.
White privilege is being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do--like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor--and people think you’re being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college and the fact that she lives close to Russia--you’re somehow being mean, or even sexist.
White privilege is being able to convince white women who don’t even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because suddenly your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same white women, and made them give your party a “second look.”
White privilege is being able to fire people who didn’t support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.
White privilege is when you can take nearly twenty-four hours to get to a hospital after beginning to leak amniotic fluid, and still be viewed as a great mom whose commitment to her children is unquestionable, and whose "next door neighbor" qualities make her ready to be VP, while if you're a black candidate for president and you let your children be interviewed for a few seconds on TV, you're irresponsibly exploiting them.
White privilege is being able to give a 36 minute speech in which you talk about lipstick and make fun of your opponent, while laying out no substantive policy positions on any issue at all, and still manage to be considered a legitimate candidate, while a black person who gives an hour speech the week before, in which he lays out specific policy proposals on several issues, is still criticized for being too vague about what he would do if elected.
White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God’s punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you’re just a good church-going Christian, but if you’re black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you’re an extremist who probably hates America.
White privilege is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a “trick question,” while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O’Reilly means you’re dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.
White privilege is being able to go to a prestigious prep school, then to Yale and then Harvard Business school, and yet, still be seen as just an average guy (George W. Bush) while being black, going to a prestigious prep school, then Occidental College, then Columbia, and then to Harvard Law, makes you "uppity," and a snob who probably looks down on regular folks.
White privilege is being able to graduate near the bottom of your college class (McCain), or graduate with a C average from Yale (W.) and that's OK, and you're cut out to be president, but if you're black and you graduate near the top of your class from Harvard Law, you can't be trusted to make good decisions in office.
White privilege is being able to dump your first wife after she's disfigured in a car crash so you can take up with a multi-millionaire beauty queen (who you go on to call the c-word in public) and still be thought of as a man of strong family values, while if you're black and married for nearly twenty years to the same woman, your family is viewed as un-American and your gestures of affection for each other are called "terrorist fist bumps."
White privilege is when you can develop a pain-killer addiction, having obtained your drug of choice illegally like Cindy McCain, go on to beat that addiction, and everyone praises you for being so strong, while being a black guy who smoked pot a few times in college and never became an addict means people will wonder if perhaps you still get high, and even ask whether or not you ever sold drugs.
White privilege is being able to sing a song about bombing Iran and still be viewed as a sober and rational statesman, with the maturity to be president, while being black and suggesting that the U.S. should speak with other nations, even when we have disagreements with them, makes you "dangerously naive and immature."
White privilege is being able to say that you hate "gooks" and "will always hate them," and yet, you aren't a racist because, ya know, you were a POW so you're entitled to your hatred, while being black and insisting that black anger about racism is understandable, given the history of your country, makes you a dangerous bigot.
White privilege is being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism and an absent father is apparently among the "lesser adversities" faced by other politicians, as Sarah Palin explained in her convention speech.
And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because a lot of white voters aren’t sure about that whole “change” thing. Ya know, it’s just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.
White privilege is, in short, the problem.
Bush / Palin supporter.
This is what I imagine every McCain / Palin supporter to look like.
This pains me. I'm going to go donate.
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