Except it isn't. It's used to disparage certain beliefs and behaviours.
Then it's better to disparage the behaviour than the identity.
Think belonging to a violent drug gang is bad behaviour? Then say so. Don't ascribe that behaviour to a whole group of people (ie young black men). Think living a dissolute life in a squalid trailer is gross? Then call it out without reference to the race or gender of the person living that lifestyle.
There's no reason to believe poor whites are worse in their beliefs and behaviours than poor black people. That ignorance, hate, selfishness, compassion, honesty, and civic-mindedness are unequally distributed between those two populations to any meaningful degree. They suffer from most of the same social and structural pathologies. Which is why focusing on race rather than poverty, and turning groups against one another, is so perverse that it could be a scheme dreamed up by plutocrats to deflect attention away from the failures of the system.
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Last edited by CliffFletcher; 03-15-2018 at 12:46 PM.
There's no reason to believe poor whites are worse in their beliefs and behaviours than poor black people. That ignorance, hate, selfishness, compassion, honesty, and civic-mindedness are unequally distributed between those two populations to any meaningful degree. They suffer from most of the same social and structural pathologies. Which is why focusing on race rather than poverty, and turning groups against one another, is so perverse that it could be a scheme dreamed up by plutocrats to deflect attention away from the failures of the system.
So poor whites and poor black people have similar levels of racist attitudes towards black people and non-whites?
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So poor whites and poor black people have similar levels of racist attitudes towards black people and non-whites?
This is telling.
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I'm really not even sure why income or class is being brought into the equation. Someone is perfectly capable of being white trash even if they're part of the 1% (see: Trump, Donald).
What's inaccurate about it? Is white supremacy not be more common among white people than black people? We're speaking about neo-Nazis here. As far as I'm aware, Nazism isn't that popular among other races for some weird reason, so why is it inappropriate to label it as a "white trash" ideology?
What's inaccurate about it? Is white supremacy not be more common among white people than black people? We're speaking about neo-Nazis here. As far as I'm aware, Nazism isn't that popular among other races for some weird reason, so why is it inappropriate to label it as a "white trash" ideology?
Definition of white trash in English: white trash noun
[mass noun]
North American
derogatory, informal
Poor white people, especially those living in the southern US.
Some people use white trash to refer to poor white people who they think are worthless.
[US, offensive, disapproval] ...a place peopled by illiterate poor white trash.
White trash is a derogatory American English predominately class slur referring to poor white people, especially in the rural southern United States. The label signifies lower social class inside the white population and especially a degraded standard of living. The term has been adopted for people living on the fringes of the social order, who are seen as dangerous because they may be criminal, unpredictable, and without respect for political, legal, or moral authority. The term is usually a racial slur, but may also be used self-referentially by working class whites to jokingly describe their origins or lifestyle.
So, you were saying? Because all I was saying is we can talk about neo-Nazis being a group we want nothing to do with, without i) capturing the lower class of an identifiable group and ii) being hypocritical racists. I think that's a fair thing to suggest we adhere to in civil discourse.
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The term is usually a racial slur, but may also be used self-referentially by working class whites to jokingly describe their origins or lifestyle.
So there you go.
But something like this is hypocritically racist:
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Originally Posted by rubecube
Jesus Christ, Cliff, no one is referring to all poor white people as trash. We're referring to the ones who hold racist views and engage in trashy incestuous relationships as trash.
Let's play a game: pick an identifiable group, a minority subset of that group that exhibits bad behavior, and the corresponding racial slur for the first group, and fill in the blanks. Yes, he said 'trash', but it should be patently obvious that it was used as short-hand for 'white trash'.
"Jesus Christ, Cliff, no one is referring to all poor [identifiable group] as [racial slur]. We're referring to the ones who [insert negative behaviors exhibited by a minority of that group] as [racial slur]."
For any identifiable race group that is not Caucasian, you'd be banned for posting it, and if said in a larger, more public space, your words would very likely have severe ramifications.
I can't believe we have to tell people who consider themselves progressive to stop being racist. Neo-Nazis and white supremacist groups are very, very sh*tty. There is no debate there. But it is nonsensical -- when trying to combat racists -- to be racist yourself.
Invoking the term “white trash” does seem starkly out of place adjacent to a plea for colour blindness, and is the type of pejorative that wouldn’t fly publically if used in reference to a group other than white folk.
I put up with years of 'Do I make you horny?' in a crappy version of Mike Myers equally crappy mock English without complaining, I tolerate the jokes about our teeth puddings or drunken fat hooligans with good grace (mostly because they are true).
You don't want to be the butt of white trash jokes then move out of your trailer and stop dating your cousin.
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