The World Beyond BetterMost > The Culture Tent
In the New Yorker...
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: Front-Ranger on August 18, 2019, 04:39:35 pm ---I recall that article mentions Dag Hammarskjöld as one of the first people who died who were linked to a conspiracy theory.
With my recent criticisms that I was practicing implicit racism, I felt it imperative to read "The Color of Injustice" in the August 19 issue. It was well written and compelling, and I didn't feel like I was reading a duty article. I am now better able to accept the criticism and not feel like I have to defend myself. The article mentions a couple of books that I may order and read. There are many forms of racism, as well as something called "white fragility" which I suspect I have.
The author is Kelefa Sanneh.
--- End quote ---
I read that one, too, and loved it. The author of the essay points out some flaws in the black man's book but overall makes it sound solid and interesting; it got me thinking about some things in a different way. Then he demolishes the white woman's book, which it deserves. I really can't stand that kind of attitude and social media is filled with it.
One thing about the "white fragility" concept that I find weak is the complaint that white people get defensive when they're told they're being racist. To be fair, that might help people who haven't thought all this through and need their unconscious microaggressions pointed out,
But the answer to "why do white people get so defensive when they're called racist" is that in decent society being racist is a huge taboo, and most people (excluding part of Trump's base, I guess) are horrified to be slapped with that label. They may still need some enlightening words, but the fact that most people are horrified to be called racist is a good thing, IMO. Most people in 1954, especially in the South, wouldn't even have minded.
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: serious crayons on August 18, 2019, 04:57:12 pm ---Then he demolishes the white woman's book, which it deserves. I really can't stand that kind of attitude and social media is filled with it.
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People like her come off to me as so condescending that I just want to slap them.
Over lunch today I began the article about Transition House. Articles like that are much more interesting to me than Sanneh's article because they deal more with individual people than with abstract concepts.
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on August 19, 2019, 02:42:20 pm ---People like her come off to me as so condescending that I just want to slap them.
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Same.
--- Quote --- Over lunch today I began the article about Transition House. Articles like that are much more interesting to me than Sanneh's article because they deal more with individual people than with abstract concepts.
--- End quote ---
I'm just the opposite. I like essays about abstract concept, though preferably with some real people anecdotes, as Saneh's had. I've started the Transition House piece and so far finding it mildly interesting. It helps that I like its author, Larissa MacFarquhar.
Front-Ranger:
New issue came today!
Jeff Wrangler:
August 26 arrived in my mailbox today. Looks like lots of interesting stuff. :D
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