White guilt

[Minimalist]

Studying history will do that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_White_Man%27s_Burden

I am pretty we'll versed in history, and I will tell you this. Every race has accomplishments to be proud of and many things not to be proud of. Take the Berbers for example, in many ways they were some of the most advanced people of there time, yet they sold more slaves then anyone. Or the Mexicans, whom up until the industrial revolution had some of the best planned and most beautiful cities in the world, barring the fate of their previous tenants. It is something that is univseral to humanity and has nothing to do with race, barring the xenophobia exhibited by some members of every race.

European colonialism took the concept to a higher order of magnitude.

[Tonus]

There's nothing to be guilty about, white people have smallpox has just been very good at colonizing and conquering terrorizing and displacing wiping out native people.

I fixed that for you

I think this version might be more accurate. If disease hadn't reduced native American numbers (by as much as 90% by some estimates), European 'conquerors' would have been very good at wetting their shorts and being massacred in great numbers.

[The Valkyrie]

Yup.

As the descendant of Europeans who invaded other peoples' lands, I blame you white bastards for everything.

[Jenny A]

[Thumpalumpacus]

I don't think I even understand how you can feel guilty about your race. You didn't get to chose it. If I was given a choice I'd probably still go with white, though I'd try my best to be born about 200 miles further north.

And on the flipside, what's the deal with being proud of one's race? I didn't do a goddamned thing to be white, and my brother-in-law didn't do a goddamned thing to be black .... but were supposed to be "proud"?

That's some stupid shit.

---

Being proud of a default setting is pretty easy. Becoming the kind of person that would cause people to feel pride on your behalf is ultimately more satisfying. Being successful enough that you don't give a fuck is probably as good as it gets, in the end.

dingdingdingding

[paulpablo]

There's nothing to be guilty about, white people have just been very good at colonizing and conquering terrorizing and displacing native people.

I fixed that for you

Same thing really, my point is if other races had the opportunity to do these things they would have, and they did to the best of their capability. Other races didn't avoid having an impressive navy with guns just because it went against their ethics.

[psychoslice]

I'm white, no shame here at all, I'm white, a male and I live in Australia, feels like I won the lotto.

[Ryantology]

I don't feel pride in anything that isn't a personal accomplishment, or that of people important to me. I feel no more solidarity with other white people than I do with other brown-haired people. It's a silly and meaningless distinction to me, worth neither pride nor shame.

If you do feel one, it's silly not to feel both.

[fr0d0]

It only affects me when people treat me with more respect because of the way I look or where they think I come from. I test those people as respectfully as possible. One thing I hate is people who think they deserve respect.

[bennyboy]

Fair enough question, but does it really belong in the Philosophy section? How about politics?