It might be useful to drop the oppressor/oppressed labels entirely and limit our judgements to actions alone. Both libs and cons love to create an identitarian romance over their ostensibly "oppressed" status: it seems that everyone wants to feel put-upon. Apparently, being a member of a marginalized group automatically confers a mantle of moral grandeur upon an individual. Consequently, everyone is searching for something in their ancestry/culture/profession/personal history to legitimize their status as a victim, one who is heroically battling against the forces of evil. Yet, one could argue that there is no longer such a thing as "cultural appropriation" in an era of cultural mobility and awareness. As this has become available for so many people, even remaining within the subgroup one was raised within is an active choice, not a birthright.
There is, of course, a certain Orwellian quality to all of this: once one has established their "victim cred" they can start receiving privileges. "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others." Or is this like the Magic Mountain, where patients compete for the most arcane affliction? I'll stop now...
I learned from a Juneteenth Day article that the word “slave” comes from “Slav”, which sent me down a rabbit hole researching whether my Slavic ancestors may have been enslaved. It was so startling to learn, but other than this comment and a conversation with my mom, I’ve been keeping quiet about it. It sounds like some gross “but what about white slavery?” form of racism. So it’s really shaken me up to learn that it’s true.
The economist and historian Thomas Sowell, who is the descendant of African slaves, has said that almost all peoples have both been enslaved and have enslaved others at some points in history.
David: I have been reading Baruch Spinoza's writings, and about him. A Sephardic Jew until made a non-person as a young man. Your own family history in Spain to Amsterdam was his family history. Spinoza came to me late in life, and has been most inspiring. You sound like you are related to Spinoza more closely than the centuries would allow.
It might be useful to drop the oppressor/oppressed labels entirely and limit our judgements to actions alone. Both libs and cons love to create an identitarian romance over their ostensibly "oppressed" status: it seems that everyone wants to feel put-upon. Apparently, being a member of a marginalized group automatically confers a mantle of moral grandeur upon an individual. Consequently, everyone is searching for something in their ancestry/culture/profession/personal history to legitimize their status as a victim, one who is heroically battling against the forces of evil. Yet, one could argue that there is no longer such a thing as "cultural appropriation" in an era of cultural mobility and awareness. As this has become available for so many people, even remaining within the subgroup one was raised within is an active choice, not a birthright.
There is, of course, a certain Orwellian quality to all of this: once one has established their "victim cred" they can start receiving privileges. "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others." Or is this like the Magic Mountain, where patients compete for the most arcane affliction? I'll stop now...
I learned from a Juneteenth Day article that the word “slave” comes from “Slav”, which sent me down a rabbit hole researching whether my Slavic ancestors may have been enslaved. It was so startling to learn, but other than this comment and a conversation with my mom, I’ve been keeping quiet about it. It sounds like some gross “but what about white slavery?” form of racism. So it’s really shaken me up to learn that it’s true.
The economist and historian Thomas Sowell, who is the descendant of African slaves, has said that almost all peoples have both been enslaved and have enslaved others at some points in history.
David: I have been reading Baruch Spinoza's writings, and about him. A Sephardic Jew until made a non-person as a young man. Your own family history in Spain to Amsterdam was his family history. Spinoza came to me late in life, and has been most inspiring. You sound like you are related to Spinoza more closely than the centuries would allow.
Yes, Spinoza and I are alike in a few ways. Though I don't think he was a Green Bay Packers fan.