I don’t think anyone is arguing that on a global scale though colonial/Western powers did decimate Africa and continue to actively prevent its advancement via neocolonialism there.
But if we’re talking about American history then we need to be transparent about the fact that this was an apartheid state until about half a century ago and the consequences of that reverberate to the present day.
Haha, yeah, human suffering and injustice are hilarious. Anyway, you’re so smart, you figured out half of the answer, look at you! Wow!
Yeah, native and black americans. So what’s the point of the original comment? Should the USA have a white history month, learning about white prisoners of war being slaves 2000 years ago?
You probably mean well, but this rings of “all lives matter.” There’s nothing wrong with pointing out injustice and oppression, in isolation. The issue lies in using it as a rebuttal to the suffering of others. “The Irish were enslaved” is fine, but “white people were slaves, too,” is minimizing the vast industry of oppression that was the slave trade.
No one is claiming a patent on suffering, but you are minimizing theirs. You can acknowledge suffering without trying to draw comparisons, and especially without the strawman argument. The phrase “black people don’t own the patent on suffering, sorry” rings of resentment and snark, and isn’t at all representative of most black people’s view of human suffering. Oppressed people support each other and prop each other up. We aren’t measuring each other’s suffering or keeping score. Some of my greatest allies are people that don’t share my own personal struggle, but relate with their own, and I likewise support them (I am a queer white woman).
Bro, their point was that the horrendous treatment of the Irish is often brushed off and minimalized because they’re white.
An Irish holiday is exactly the right time to talk about the abuses the Irish faced, and countering it with “Well black people had it worse,” is what’s problematic.
Black people don’t own the patent on suffering, sorry. Plenty of other races and people’s have had a bad time, often at the hands of overlords.
I don’t think anyone is arguing that on a global scale though colonial/Western powers did decimate Africa and continue to actively prevent its advancement via neocolonialism there.
But if we’re talking about American history then we need to be transparent about the fact that this was an apartheid state until about half a century ago and the consequences of that reverberate to the present day.
Yeah, and which races are STILL suffering the consequences of that very recent bad time in USA?
The native americans or whatever the specific tribe wishes to be called. Lol
Haha, yeah, human suffering and injustice are hilarious. Anyway, you’re so smart, you figured out half of the answer, look at you! Wow!
Yeah, native and black americans. So what’s the point of the original comment? Should the USA have a white history month, learning about white prisoners of war being slaves 2000 years ago?
You honestly have an issue with discussing the treatment of the Irish around the time of an Irish holiday?
No, I have an issue with the first comment I replied to. Just like the other people who replied much more calmly and politely.
Your original comment and your second paragraph are what I’m talking about.
Only when it’s used as an excuse to shut down conversation of the historical and current impacts of the enslavement of other peoples.
Right, but in this scenario the African slave trade is being used to shut down the conversation of the treatment of the Irish.
You probably mean well, but this rings of “all lives matter.” There’s nothing wrong with pointing out injustice and oppression, in isolation. The issue lies in using it as a rebuttal to the suffering of others. “The Irish were enslaved” is fine, but “white people were slaves, too,” is minimizing the vast industry of oppression that was the slave trade.
No one is claiming a patent on suffering, but you are minimizing theirs. You can acknowledge suffering without trying to draw comparisons, and especially without the strawman argument. The phrase “black people don’t own the patent on suffering, sorry” rings of resentment and snark, and isn’t at all representative of most black people’s view of human suffering. Oppressed people support each other and prop each other up. We aren’t measuring each other’s suffering or keeping score. Some of my greatest allies are people that don’t share my own personal struggle, but relate with their own, and I likewise support them (I am a queer white woman).
Bro, their point was that the horrendous treatment of the Irish is often brushed off and minimalized because they’re white.
An Irish holiday is exactly the right time to talk about the abuses the Irish faced, and countering it with “Well black people had it worse,” is what’s problematic.
No he isn’t. Im sorry you feel that way.
That’s fair. I also failed to notice it was right out of Sinners?! I was attacking the idea without thinking of the context.