White privilege - most overused term of 2017?
Used to be a description of self and has become a term of derision/insult
Sure, but that's not the way I'm using it. I quoted some one with that line (can't recall who now) and it's just a simple way of saying that when the people who've had it easy, sometimes at the cost of others - or haven't had it as hard as others see others getting things they don't get they feel unjustly targeted when the scales stop tipping in their favour. Most of the time they aren't aware of the fact they haven't been discriminate against or that they have had free access when others have not. So when they see people getting privileged access they feel like they've been discriminated against themselves.
Nope. I really feel uncomfortable about this. It's a nice fantasy, but doesn't address the root causes of our societal and environmental issues.
Looking for technology to help us is really a bit of a cop out, and ultimately a search for a justification to continue living our self-centred ways.
In all of this talk about sustainability etc, the concept of behaviour change isn't seriously discussed. Not in regards to recycling (which in practice is quite inefficient) or driving electric cars etc. I'm talking about serious attitude change, like altering our entitlements towards say, the ease of jumping on a plane for the holidays, or having hot water 24/7, or eating quinoa grown internationally. These things are deceptively not 'normal' and actually come at a great cost.
The thought of us having to actually make real sacrifice is too confronting for all but the most radical neo-peasants out there.
Can I ask what 'normal' is?