Peterson's 12 Rules for Life v2.0-- actual book discussion

[bennyboy]

I never suggested for anyone to demonize themselves for being white or whatever. See, that's the misunderstanding people continue to have regarding topics like this. Acknowledging that you have white privilege (or whatever other type of privilege) does not mean that you therefore must feel guilty or shame for being white. It means that you finally accept you have often unfair advantages over people who don't share that privilege in the sense that you are more likely to succeed in life and enjoy the benefits granted to you by society without worrying about your skin color being an obstacle. And that's a good thing! Because when people continue to be in denial of their privilege(s), they're not likely to want to do anything to address the injustices and they'll continue to be blind to what's really going in this reality, thus not granting the unprivileged a chance to be on equal grounds with them. And the problem is that when the unprivileged fight for their rights, they're hated and despised even more by the privileged. So there really is no easy quick fix solution here.

I'll spare you the narrative right now, but I've had a life that would be considered pretty rough by almost anyone's standards. Be careful before you start telling me about the "often unfair advantages over people" that I have had bequeathed to me due to my status as a white person.

Ok, there's the general sense of the word "racism" and there's the more narrow, specific sense. When I speak of racists in this context, I am talking about the latter sense, not the former. In this sense, racist refers to one who has bought into the system that harbors systemic prejudice and discrimination against oppressed groups, often treating them as inferior groups. Someone who's not a racist will typically oppose the injustices that stem from such system. So in this sense, you can't be racist against white people.

It sounds like you are suggesting that some individuals should be treated differently than other individuals, predicated not on their personal merit or abilities, but on the color of their skin and the group membership this automatically implies. I recognize this as a position of the PC left, and I discard it on the basis that it is prejudicial, and not fit for consideration in a society that pretends to principles of equal treatment.