Re: The mother of all circular agruments (was RE: SDS and FRSO[FR] (wasRE: [Marxism] White Skin Privilege

[Carrol Cox <cbcox@xxxxxxxxx>]

If it is a privilege not to be lynched, then under certain circumstances
one _can_ say that whites are privileged. But it is an odd use of the
term, and seems to obscure rather than aid in understanding the
oppression of black people in the United States. The term reeks with
moralism and makes racism nearly unintelligible. And it certainly tends
to frustrate battles against racism and the oppression of black people.

Blacks were not lynched because whites were privileged. Just say it that
way exhibits the bizarre and obscurantist nature of the phrase
"white-skin privilege." And an employer who hires blacks only for the
less desirable positions is not privileging whites; he is oppressing
blacks.

Capital oppresses and exploits by _being_ capital. It would be
ridiculous to speak of "capitalist privilege."

Carrol

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