american primary elections

[Magdalena]

"ageist, racist and sexist"
The three of them are over 70.
The three of them are white.
The three of them are male.
It's an observation of the facts.
How is that offensive?

[Tank]

"ageist, racist and sexist"
The three of them are over 70.
The three of them are white.
The three of them are male.
It's an observation of the facts.
How is that offensive?

What am I missing here? I was talking about generalisations.

[Magdalena]

"ageist, racist and sexist"
The three of them are over 70.
The three of them are white.
The three of them are male.
It's an observation of the facts.
How is that offensive?

What am I missing here? I was talking about generalisations.

No one here is generalizing anything.  xSilverPhinx and I were commenting specifically about these 3 old white men. Kusa said he was offended by that comment and you said you sympathized with him.

[Kusa]

"ageist, racist and sexist"
The three of them are over 70.
The three of them are white.
The three of them are male.
It's an observation of the facts.
How is that offensive?

It was the observation of said facts that were put forth as the reason why they aren't good enough.

[Magdalena]

"ageist, racist and sexist"
The three of them are over 70.
The three of them are white.
The three of them are male.
It's an observation of the facts.
How is that offensive?

It was the observation of said facts that were put forth as the reason why they aren't good enough.

Um...no. 
I believe interest was lost, that's all.

[xSilverPhinx]

Hmm ok, this is becoming a mess...

Just to be clear, I was not generalising anything with my comment on the three candidates being old, white men. I did not make any inferences on their character or capacity to be a good leader based on them being old, white men. Obviously those three characteristics they have no control over are not indicative of their competence or incompetence as a nation leader.

No, what I meant with my comment was that it's going to be more of the same old, same old. Look at the history of US presidents and tell me it isn't the case. Anyone can spot a trend there*. Is it because everyone else who isn't an old, white male is incompetent or unprepared to president? Of course not. So what is it?

Serious question, what is it? That's what I'm attacking between-the-lines here, not old, white men for being old, white men.

*(And before you mention Obama, he was an outlier, not part of the trend. What he accomplished was extraordinary.)

[xSilverPhinx]

"ageist, racist and sexist"
The three of them are over 70.
The three of them are white.
The three of them are male.
It's an observation of the facts.
How is that offensive?

It was the observation of said facts that were put forth as the reason why they aren't good enough.

You're really reading too much into what I said.

[Kusa]

You triggered me.

[xSilverPhinx]

With that said, I feel that white males are looked down upon now. It shouldn't be that way. Instead of putting people down in order to level the playing field, we should be open minded towards anyone that possesses the proper qualities.

I half agree with that. In the day to day life of us mere plebs I generally agree that there are better ways than putting white males down to level the playing field when it comes to opportunities and especially salaries. I believe most people, including white males, will support equal rights. Of course you get loads of socially maladjusted incels and racists as a backlash to these campaigns but that is to be expected and in an progressive society they tend to lose their voice.

However, when talking about the powerful, I think in general the people upholding the status quo, which tend to be white males, do not willingly share a portion of the power pie. It has to be taken from them, bit by bit.     

[xSilverPhinx]

You triggered me.

If you were part of an underprivileged group and I was referring to that group I'd understand why you'd feel a heightened sensitivity to offense. But since you're not I really don't. 

[Bad Penny II]

I lost interest from the moment it seemed like all the remaining candidates with a shot at the White House were all too male, too pale and too stale. 

Except for Trump. He's orange.

As a white male, I find that a bit offensive.

I think your comment is intriguing, genuinely I do.

Saying it is offensive is taking it more than a bit too far but the "white man" slur can be a bit grating.
 

I lost interest from the moment it seemed like all the remaining candidates with a shot at the White House were all too male, too pale and too stale. 

Except for Trump. He's orange.

As a white male, I find that a bit offensive.

I think your comment is intriguing, genuinely I do.

What is it exactly about my comment on the over representation of old, white men in power (not only in the US) that you found offensive? Does the fact that you're also a white male mean you feel the need to defend that social and political structure? Did you broaden the context to include white males (which includes you) in general?

There are so many people jumping on the 'bandwagons for the offended' these days...all it takes is a tiny and sometimes playful (because it's better to laugh than cry) jab and there they go hopping onto those things. But this isn't about me, it's about you. So let's hear out your reasons for feeling offended.

You are displaying a bias here but that's fair enough, it is a time for affirmative action, Obama wasn't enough.  It was a great shame Gore lost, it was great Obama won, it was just shameful Hillary lost.
Bernie is old but he is something new, though probably not practical I suppose.
 

 

I lost interest from the moment it seemed like all the remaining candidates with a shot at the White House were all too male, too pale and too stale. 

Except for Trump. He's orange.

As a white male, I find that a bit offensive.

Awwww...

Yeah, xSilverPhinx, can't you see that being a white male is difficult!?

I do now!

That isn't the first time I've heard that, poor privileged us, what have we got to complain about.
I've never seen my self as part of "us" I've never waved a flag, patted my buddies on the back when our team has won.  I don't have a team I have never had a team, not for very long anyway.
We are Atheist though.
Ha, ha, the ultimate non us group, and I don't think it should have a capital.
It might be nice to be part of a minority, the belonging seems appealing to an outsider.
I wasn't gay but I've been told I was ambiguous and that wasn't always as fun as now.
I could join the reformed whites flagellating whites, TRWFW, no, maybe if they get a vowel.
Reformed Enlightened Whites Flagellating Old Whites, REWFOW,
That is better, RooFOW! it sounds like a kangaroo ninja.
Any way I found the human condition only barely bearable since I can remember until I was about fifty, I think that is a thing.  If life had an easy off switch I would have used it, I bore a grudge against evolution for not providing me one.
Evolution and elite white guys made white guys their slaves for most of history, it could be argued they still do.  Yoko said it was worse for their women, no doubt it often was.
Maybe this playing the plebs against each other is an elitist strategy, it seems to serve them.

[xSilverPhinx]

Valid points, BPII.

[Bad Penny II]

You triggered me.

If you were part of an underprivileged group and I was referring to that group I'd understand why you'd feel a heightened sensitivity to offense. But since you're not I really don't.

Those that do the white man slur put people in a group they don't associate with and don't want to be associated with.  When the whities complain  those doing it say "tough, now you know what it feels like."  I'm don't think this helpful, I want people on side to support the things that I think need doing.  I know people suffer, whip yourself or other consenting humans if you must (RooFOW not Phinx).

[Magdalena]

...
Maybe this playing the plebs against each other is an elitist strategy, it seems to serve them.

[billy rubin]

sometimes this can be pretty awkward.

i'm an old white male, and i do get tired of people criticizing old white males without further distinction. unless they add another parameter, then intentionally or not, they're lumping me into whatever category that they're criticizing. whether it fits me or not.

as far as i'm concerned, that's something i'm trying to get my culture to grow out of. i don't want anybody to be judged based on their age or gender or race, no matter which group they fall into.

when i lived in southeast asia, my chinese acquaintances would carefully explain to me that the reason i smelled bad wasn't because i was white, it was because i ate a western diet. i wasn't an "old white male" back then, to them, i was a "red-haired dog" or a "white ant."

dividing people into groups based on things like race or gender when the difference is political beliefs always ends up oversimplifying what we're trying to talk about.