Australia is a nation of White Privilege

[apparentlydead]

A very interesting, disturbing* and probing short essay from an aboriginal person of some note.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/com...ation-of-white-privilege-20151121-gl4le3.html

Australia is known exclusively as a country of white people. Could you imagine thinking of New Zealand without any idea that Māori people existed, or the US without black people or Native Americans?

My wife and children are very Aboriginal in their appearance. The welcoming faces they receive from other Australians when overseas quickly turn to shock, and replaced by a look we Aboriginal people see all our lives. People look down as we pass them, or slide across in public seats so we can’t sit next to them. Yes, this happens. And we see it, we feel it – and yes it hurts.

Now, of course, this opinion will be pilloried by many because they don't ever do this to black people, so it must be imaginary. What they don't see, do, or feel just can't be happening.

Or some white people will be certain that because they have never felt the curse of white privilege themselves it can't possibly be true.

And, sadly, there will be those who claim that the blacks should harden up and be grateful for what us whities gave them.

As per usual, this will attract the usual suspects of gutter snipes...but just a few pages of reasonable discussion would be nice.

*not disturbing for me, just the reality of what I see on a daily basis.

 

[Bostonian]

It would be good if the term "white people" stopped being used. It's tant amount to the old bigoted view point that "all Asians look the same".

There is no singular "white" mindset. It's a hugely diverse mixture of cultures and experiences.

I went to a private school with a few indigenous lads and without a doubt they were more privileged than the working class kids from the public schools down the bottom of the hill.

The school tie got them into damn good careers and neither looked back in their fields of work.

When the 12,000 Syrian refugees arrive will they be able to use their "white privilege" to much affect?

It's sad that indigenous people are treated like this by a few idiots. But it has nothing to do with privilege, it's to do with the ignorant bigotry of some people.

 

[TropperFarquhar]

We had Aborignal kids at our school like the Cockatoo brothers, and they never had issue with the mentality by white people like the OP has raised.

 

[Demosthenes]

The relationship between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians is a lot more complicated than 'white privilege'.

It is true that broader Australian society does not interact with indigenous culture very well. I'd probably even go so far as to say that the two are fundamentally incompatible in a lot of ways.

 

[Bollox]

Geeez, that Apologists and Self Loathing United Party of Australia gets a good run from the insecure types in here.

 

[apparentlydead]

How remiss of me.

I forgot the other old adage used consistently in these type of threads...

I knew a blackfella once and he never felt this way, so what the * is wrong with the rest of them?

 

[kfc1]

Interesting article, could be a worthwhile discussion.

I would like to add an unmentioned 'black privilege' to those mentioned in the article - the ability to blame anything that happens on the fact that you are black and the other person is not.

Also, I have seen these definitions of privilege around the place before (actually the list is about 20 or so) but some of these don't make much sense:

It doesn’t take long as an Indigenous Australian returning from overseas to be reminded that we are a nation of white privilege. Examples of such privilege include people being able to experience the following:
assume that most of the people you or your children study in history classes and textbooks will be of the same race, gender or sexual orientation as you are

I don't really understand why this is a privilege unless you are focused on race. It's also not surprising if you are a minority in any country that most of the people in its history will not have the same race as you.

assume that your failures will not be attributed to your race or gender; and

Obviously hasn't come across the tumblr-silly people, where white cis-males are exactly this.

• not have to think about your race, gender, sexual orientation or disabilities on a daily basis.

Why do you assume 'white' people do not think about these things on a daily basis?

I understand the venting aspect of the article and certainly it's a good thing to get the message out to others who simply have no concept of what it would be like to be of a minority ethnicity in Australia.

 

[apparentlydead]

There it is.

Fully expected.

 

[kfc1]

There it is.

Fully expected.

Hardly a gutter snipe and has contributed more to this discussion than your post I quoted.

 

[apparentlydead]

Hardly a gutter snipe and has contributed more to this discussion than your post I quoted.

LOL.

Interesting article, could be a worthwhile discussion.

But








and then


blah, blah, blah

kfc normal modus operandi

more blah, blah, blah trolling and then this little beauty...

I understand the venting aspect of the article and certainly it's a good thing to get the message out to others who simply have no concept of what it would be like to be of a minority ethnicity in Australia.

You purport to be an expert on being an ethnic minority in Australia.

Let's hear about your experience.

 

[kfc1]

Not sure why you posted that on SRP if you wanted a circle-jerk rather than a discussion.

You purport to be an expert on being an ethnic minority in Australia.

I did not say this, try again.

 

[apparentlydead]

Not sure why you posted that on SRP if you wanted a circle-jerk rather than a discussion.

There is no discussion when you enter a thread like this.

You don't like the subject matter and furiously obfuscate.

It's your thing.

I did not say this, try again.

You quite clearly stated that you have a greater understanding of being an ethnic minority than most people.

I would like to hear it.

 

[kfc1]

There is no discussion when you enter a thread like this.

You don't like the subject matter and furiously obfuscate.

It's your thing.

I take up a discussion on what I'm interested in discussing. Participate or ignore, I'm not really fussed.

You quite clearly stated that you have a greater understanding of being an ethnic minority than most people.

I would like to hear it.

No I did not, what I said was "I understand the venting aspect of the article" which is not "I have a greater understanding of being an ethnic minority than most people" although the latter may possibly be true given that ethnic minorities comprise well less than 50% of the population.

 

[kfc1]

Perhaps next time you start a thread you can provide a list of which parts of the OP and article we are permitted to discuss? and perhaps what view we should hold on each of those items? Also do you prefer to be jerked with the left or the right hand?

 

[apparentlydead]

I take up a discussion on what I'm interested in discussing. Participate or ignore, I'm not really fussed.

You participate as a troll on indigenous issues and women's issues among others. You have been called out on this on numerous occasions.

You cherry pick, attempt reverse trolls and try and look clever...badly...that is without doubt.

No I did not, what I said was "I understand the venting aspect of the article" which is not "I have a greater understanding of being an ethnic minority than most people" although the latter may possibly be true given that ethnic minorities comprise well less than 50% of the population

That moment when the reversing buzzer reaches its crescendo.

 

[kfc1]

You participate as a troll on indigenous issues and women's issues among others. You have been called out on this on numerous occasions.

You cherry pick, attempt reverse trolls and try and look clever...badly...that is without doubt.

No part of my post (#7) was trolling.

That moment when the reversing buzzer reaches its crescendo.

Yes, I'm backtracking on something I never said

 

[apparentlydead]

No part of my post (#7) was trolling.

It never is.

Yes, I'm backtracking on something I never said

You never do.

 

[WA ROO]

Sad too see this slither it's way from American Colleges to here
Safe spaces for everyone next

 

[smokingjacket]

Very interesting discussion worth having, although I have problems with the term 'privilege' and the way it's used as a blanket for discussion.

Australia is known exclusively as a country of white people. Could you imagine thinking of New Zealand without any idea that Māori people existed, or the US without black people or Native Americans?

I've always felt this has been the lost cause of Australia. Not just closing the gap but a truly Australian culture with pride in our own art, pride about our own history (pre-settlement) and if nothing else, differentiation. Stop trying to be a sunny Britain with better food.
PJK had a crack at it before the Rat turned the cogs in the other direction. Would have been interesting to see what another term of Labor could have done in terms of re-imagining the 'Australian' mainstream.

Two concilliatory points though.
The demographics of Australia and New Zealand are quite different. Maori identifying people make up 15% and growing of NZ population.
Australia doesn't have the global reach of culture that US culture does. We know of Native Americans through Western movies of Hollywood but there's hardly any sitcoms or primetime TV involving Native Americans. It's a bit rough to blame Australians for the cultural myopia of the US.

For me, it starts before the flight home. My daughter is the youngest-ever graduate in the Australian Public Service traineeship program, black or white. She also celebrated her 18th birthday in Paris after negotiating a dollar-for-dollar deal with her mother and I.

Part of why I have problems with the terms privilege. Bostonian raised it before. It sounds like the authors daughter is privileged, in the best possible way. She's smart and has access to the levers of power. Part of the reason why kids who go to private schools go on to greater things is the unquestioned assumption they should be there, talented or not (usually questionable). This privilege stuff, while I think it's well intentioned in trying to show the structural ways certain people get left behind, does nothing for someone who is already ahead. We need more powerful Indigenous people across the board and if I'm being brutally honest this new left privilege stuff might float in the public service but I want to see some real head kickers. Zero *s, confrontational s**t by using established power sources. It's possible for people like his daughter. Not calling out Qantas for having too many white service people on their planes which seems ridiculous considering white people don't want to work for Qantas either.

 

[Taylor]

I am the furthermost away from understanding how indigenous people feel/are treated by white society. White men (in positions of power and influence, at least in my life) give me opportunity and special treatment because of how I was born.

So it isn't instantly relatable for me, but I am eternally interested in it.

 

[little graham]

Paul Luke and black Freddy ran amok for years in a lawless town full of bogans constantly drinking and wife swapping.

Black freddy was more harshly treated for the same things the other two did. Local campaignerstabulary was even harsher on him alone. Boxed him into a corner.

 

[Bostonian]

How remiss of me.

I forgot the other old adage used consistently in these type of threads...

I knew a blackfella once and he never felt this way, so what the **** is wrong with the rest of them?

Do their experiences not count?

I think that is a big part of the issue which has been raised by some indigenous voices lately. That often when a indigenous person says something negative about the broader Australian community or an issue it's taken up by many as being the voice of all indigenous people.

As long as it panders to a certain agenda seems to be the go, even if it is misrepresenting a great many other indigenous peoples thoughts or experiences.

Recognition within the constitution is an example of that. Celeste Liddle wrote an interesting piece on it.

http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...gree-on-recognition-youd-know-if-you-listened

I don't look at Aboriginals and think they are some kind of borg collective who all think and feel the same way. Like everyone else they all have their own thoughts and opinions which can vary from one person to the next. To consider them all one big united collective is doing them as individuals a great injustice.

 

[sproketman]

I would like to add an unmentioned 'black privilege' to those mentioned in the article - the ability to blame anything that happens on the fact that you are black and the other person is not.

That doesn't sound like much of a privilege to me.

 

[Sugar2Sideshow]

A very interesting, disturbing* and probing short essay from an aboriginal person of some note.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/com...ation-of-white-privilege-20151121-gl4le3.html



Now, of course, this opinion will be pilloried by many because they don't ever do this to black people, so it must be imaginary. What they don't see, do, or feel just can't be happening.

Or some white people will be certain that because they have never felt the curse of white privilege themselves it can't possibly be true.

And, sadly, there will be those who claim that the blacks should harden up and be grateful for what us whities gave them.

As per usual, this will attract the usual suspects of gutter snipes...but just a few pages of reasonable discussion would be nice.

*not disturbing for me, just the reality of what I see on a daily basis.

Indigenous Australians are currently in a bad place. But I think the way this article is written does nothing to help. A lot of indigenous communitis are ruined by substance abuse, so you can't blame the children for falling into the same cycle if they have no way of seeing away out. But she writes about how more children are being removed than during the stolen generations as if it's the bad white man taking children away from loving parents, when I think the only way to save many of these children is to remove them from the cycle.

I think many of the problems are simply to do with the fact that currently most indigenous are of a lower economic status. People accept that they are overrepresented in crime because of this, why can't they also accept that people will also judge them because of this.

The best way out of poverty is education. There needs to be a push to make sure all indigenous kids receive a good education, that is the only way to break the cycle imo.

Edit: but yes, if you are born to white parents you are more likely to be priveliged.

 

[crackerjack4X4]

This blogger is a black fella http://theblacksteamtrain.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/stolen.html