Privilege is what allows Sanders supporters to say they’ll “never” vote for Clinton

[evilnel]

The latest installment of “The Internet Explodes with Hatred for Hillary Clinton” happened earlier this month. The Democratic presidential candidate, whose own record on AIDS research and funding is better than any other candidate, mistakenly said that former US first lady Nancy Reagan was a key supporter of AIDS research. Reagan was, in reality,

Comments

[blackjedii]

LJ-cut. Please LJ-cut.

Secondly ugggh any time I start to see "that's privilege speaking!!" I start cringing inwardly. There's a reason Trump and Sanders both tend to appeal to very low-income people and it is because economic privilege is so rarely, rarely involved in conversations. And economic privilege tends to have a MUCH bigger impact on your life than many things.

It's terrible that our system is so broken that it only comes down to two candidates and "the lesser of two evils." That's not me being anti-Clinton; it's that whatever happens it's a given that economic privilege will not be addressed.

[cassiopeiaah]

ia with what you're saying but I don't think you can say economic privilege matter much more. It's just not true

[blackjedii]

You dont think so? I dont think its the only thing that matters but consider

- a woman who has way more income is able to travel more and travel farther so they do not have to worry about statewide abortion restrictions. Additionally a higher income woman is likely to afford better birth control

- a trans man or womam with disposable income is more likely to afford treatment like Caitlin Jenner and is more likely to afford whatever additional medical costs are incurred.

- a higher income PoC is more likely to afford a better neighborhood thus they are able to avoid gun violence that afftects poorer communities

- people who have been wronged with income have better legal resources

So rhere are always hurdles but economic privilege is a huge help

[calinewarkwc69]

idk how this person can try and dismiss you on this.... I've been lower/working class my whole life-- and yeah, I don't think economic privilege is something a lot of people are prepared to accept if they've had it most of their lives. They don't realize how fucked it is to be poor.

[hikerpoet]

It's not so much that it is not all encompassing and far reaching. It is more to do with differences of opinion on approaches to systemically dismantling it all. It's just some are saying multi-pronged and ground up rather than sweeping and non-foundational. But I do really respect he and Warren and others for bringing the conversation front and center. (And ugh, it is really ostensibly where many of the Trump supporters are coming from, too, they just are taking the fear based and xenophobic angle, while following the worst possible example of the type of people who have hurt them)

[blackjedii]

It took me a lot of interaction with others fo really notice it as Ive learned to be happy with what I have but yep...
Quite honestly I think it is bc the people who drive comverstations about privilege are generally unaware of it. Its easy to see how a white dude is better off than a black female but a Hispanic female from say Northern Virginia who works as a translator in government compared to a white man that lives in Lousiana and works as a trash collector 30 hours a week is much harder to conceptualize as being less advantaged

[calinewarkwc69]

Like, for me, I don't even want to venture out of my class because of the fear you speak of... like being well off, getting that nice car, that nice house, that privilege, and then losing your job, or having a paralyzing accident, etc etc and not being able to support that lifestyle anymore.... I mean, no thanks. I couldn't deal. I'd rather just stay in the trailer park and hide my cash under the mattress. I mean- it extends past the economic privilege thing; I really truly believe that a certain amount of struggle and suffering is good for the soul. Keeps you humble and empathetic and I have one of those personalities that would go from chill to Taylor Swift with the right payday so....

[that_which]

TU. I think only people who want to not acknowledge their privilege pretend it's not determinative most of the time.