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Mea Maxima Culpa

Entry 2117, on 2021-04-01 at 21:27:14 (Rating 5, Politics)

There is a long tradition of using blame and guilt to denigrate people. The easiest way to control someone is to make them feel inadequate, inferior, or culpable in some way. If the person already thinks they are inferior then they will be much easier to control.

The first example of this I always think of is the Christian Church. The culture of blame and guilt there is very obvious. The idea is that all people are sinners, and that Jesus - through his church of course - is the only way to overcome that guilt and to become a better person.

Looking at it that way it is reprehensible and manipulative nonsense, and that should be obvious. But it isn't. The people under the influence of that institution cannot see how they are being manipulated. It is even quite feasible to say that those in charge of the church genuinely believe the sin and redemption story, and are unaware of how exploitative it really is.

There are two great quotes which come to mind when I think about this issue. The first is "there's a sucker born every minute " which is associated with PT Barnum. The other is "it’s easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled" which is attributed to Mark Twain.

So the suckers are people who are easily manipulated, but I suspect that in many cases that's what they actually want. Maybe they do feel guilty about some parts of their lives, and want a chance at redemption. Maybe they feel the need to be controlled by an authority figure, and prefer to remove a lot of the responsibility of decision making from themselves. Or maybe they have been born into a tradition which has controlled their minds from an early age.

But while the church might be the most obvious example of where this mind control technique is successfully used, there are others as well. Yes, this gets back to a theme I have concentrated on to some extent recently: the horrible and completely dishonest mind control techniques utilising guilt favoured by the modern "woke" community.

What have we got to be guilty about, according to these dangerous and dishonest tyrants? Well, primarily being successful, and not belonging to a minority group.

As a member of the very worst possible group - a white, straight, older, atheist, professional male - I should feel the most guilt, according to them.

I am white, so obviously I am racist, the cause of every problem non-white communities have, a perpetuator of slavery, and the underlying cause of everything from poverty in black communities to the larger proportion of non-white people in prison.

And being straight I am obviously homophobic, transphobic, and the ultimate reason that trans people have a high suicide rate.

And as an older person it is all my fault that capitalism has caused so much inequality over the last 50 years, that climate change is going to destroy the world, and that the natural world is being systematically destroyed.

And as an atheist I am obviously Islamophobic. So I am to blame for not only the attacks against Muslims, but also all the attacks they carry out against others, because they are just reacting to non-Muslim threats against their sincerely held beliefs.

And as a professional I ignore the plight of the unemployed, the homeless, and the disadvantaged in society, because I dishonestly accumulate wealth for my own benefit to the detriment of those less privileged.

And finally, the worst possible crime: I am male. So I am misogynistic, I am entirely responsible for all of the misdeeds of the patriarchy, I am responsible for the epidemic of sexual assault, lower pay for women, and their repression in general.

Hopefully you will have got to this point and realised how utterly stupid this all is, but many people actually take it seriously. The woke bullies think it is true - at least I presume they do, because the alternative is that they know it's BS but use it to gain political power anyway. Actually, I would prefer they were that cynical and manipulative because really believing such garbage is even more scary!

But the real problem is the victims of this narrative who go along with it. It sickens me to see entirely innocent people being subjected to humiliating actions because of some imagined crime they played no part in, and actually accepting it as justified.

For example, am I responsible for the colonisation of New Zealand? Well no, that pre-dates me by a century or two. Actually, I wish I was though, because I think it is the best thing that ever happened to this country, and that includes to the original inhabitants.

Am I responsible for slavery? Quite the opposite. Slavery imposed by white settlers in this country was never a major issue. But slavery of people from one Maori tribe by members of another was far more common (at least for the lucky ones who weren't killed or eaten instead). So if you want to talk about slavery, I will take responsibility for helping end it!

In fact, the abolition of slavery was largely due to efforts by the British. Remember that slavery within Africa - not involving colonial powers - happened long before the American slave trade started, and many of the slaves were provided to the slavers by black Africans.

What about all of those other heinous crimes? Well my basic philosophy for life involves two major elements: freedom and truth. I want the optimum freedom for myself and for others. So I am not in any way going to criticise other people's lifestyles, including their religion, sexual preferences, or anything else. If I treat these "minority groups" just like everyone else, so how am I to blame for any issues they may have?

The truth part of my philosophy is a bit more dangerous. That does mean that my opinions - including those included in this blog post - might be seen as challenging, or controversial, or even bigoted. For example, discussing the major issues I have with trans athletes is not because I am anti-trans, it is because I am pro-women. In fact, it is more because I am pro-truth. The truth is these trans people who started as men and now want to compete in women's sport are not women, and generally men are better at most sports than women, so it is unfair for them to participate.

You can see in that example above how the two truths: that trans men are not women, and that women are inferior to men in most sports, are both true but still challenging to some.

So do I have anything I need to be guilty of? Well, not because of any of those categories I belong to (white, male, etc). I make mistakes and feel guilt like everyone else. But there is nothing systemic on inherent in it just because of my unavoidable demographic groupings.

But the woke crowd - whose beliefs really resemble a religion far more than they might like to admit - will never accept that. Peccavi nimis, cogitatione, verbo, opere et omissione: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

Comment 1 (6486) by El equilibrador on 2021-04-07 at 10:19:33: (view recent only)

Strangely enough I agree with some of this, but (as usual?), it's expressed as an extreme view.

As an example... No, you shouldn't necessarily feel guilty about the colonisation of New Zealand, but you should be aware of it, and the impact it had, and the fact that you have obviously benefitted from it while others may not have. I'm sure there are groups that want you to feel guilt and may blame you for it on some level, but I'm not interested in those groups either.

However, a bit of awareness (and dare I say it gratitude?) about how privileged you are, and how marginalised others are, is probably a good idea don't you think?

Comment 2 (6488) by OJB on 2021-04-07 at 13:39:50:

I do try to avoid extreme views, but I also don't want to dilute my message too much and make it boring (this is a blog, not a technical paper). You might safely assume that my true views are slightly less extreme than presented here, but not by too much.

I think everyone overall benefitted from colonisation, even through there are certainly some negatives. Of course, many groups will never acknowledge this, but I think it is true.

I think when you look at the big picture, I am not privileged and no one else is significantly disadvantaged, although all groups have some societal advantages and disadvantages. That is my whole point.

Comment 3 (6489) by El equilibrador on 2021-04-07 at 13:52:37:

"everyone overall benefitted from colonisation", maybe, but let's say I agree with this statement. Did everybody benefit equally? And if not, is that fair?

"I am not privileged" - wow - are you sure about that? I know I am, and I try not to forget it.

Comment 4 (6490) by OJB on 2021-04-07 at 14:55:52:

It's almost impossible for any social action to benefit everyone equally. I don't think everyone benefitted in the same way, and there was almost certainly some unevenness in the effect, but that doesn't detract from by bigger point.

I can't identify any significant forms of privilege, quite the opposite in fact. Maybe you could give some examples of your privileges, and what you think mine might be.

Comment 5 (6491) by El equilibrador on 2021-04-07 at 15:36:47:

There seems little point in enumerating what I consider to be my privileged upbringing as I assume you will assert that the things I see as privilege, you see as quite normal, but here we go:

(1) Two parent family (as opposed to broken family).
(2) Middle income upbringing (as opposed to living in poverty).
(3) Parents who valued education.

Your bigger point, what exactly is that again? That there is a bunch of people somewhere (Wokesters?) who want to make you feel guilty? Guilt isn't useful, but awareness is...

Comment 6 (6493) by OJB on 2021-04-07 at 18:44:02:

Are those really what you think of as privileges? Privilege: a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group.

Seems that if your parents were simply reasonable and responsible then that hardly counts as a privilege. The real problem is that we aren't allowed to criticise the groups who don't give their children what should be the minimum basic start in life that everyone should have.

My "bigger point" is that fake guilt is being used as a political tool to push the corrupt political agenda of the (far) left, including failing to blame the groups in society who really need to sort out their cultural deficiencies.

Comment 7 (6494) by OJB on 2021-04-07 at 19:20:42:

I mean, I think where you go wrong is that normal, responsible behaviour is seen as privilege, just because it isn't as often evident in "minority groups". So it's not that you and I have privileges, it's that "non-privileged people" need to check out their deficiencies. Except, that the woke crowd won't do that, of course. Much easier to blame someone else.

Comment 8 (6496) by El equilibrador on 2021-04-08 at 09:30:17:

No, I don't believe I am wrong on this one. Privilege in this case refers to the set of circumstances that allows you to live the way you do.
It's about the positive environment you were lucky enough to inherit (not construct yourself) that has enabled you to live the live you do.

Sure, the ACT mantra of individual responsibility *may* apply to how you conduct yourself now, but why not reflect on how lucky you are to be in your current circumstances. Plenty of people aren't as fortunate (privileged), and it wasn't a choice out a lack of character - it was about the start they got in life. And don't quote the John Banks / Paula Bennet / John Key mantra of "I escaped poverty, therefore everybody can"...

Comment 9 (6497) by OJB on 2021-04-08 at 10:23:21:

Well if you redefine the word to suit what you want to believe you can prove any case, no matter how silly it is. I gave you the official definition of privilege and it doesn't fit yours. We need to agree on what the words mean before we debate them!

I don't think your "privileges" were anything to do with a positive environment. They were what we would reasonably expect from any functional situation. It is the people in the bad environments who have to ask themselves why.

If some people aren't as "fortunate" we should ask why: what did they (or their family) do wrong? And what is wrong with quoting the cases where disadvantaged people escaped that environment? Maybe because it doesn't suit your narrative?

Comment 10 (6498) by OJB on 2021-04-08 at 10:31:52:

Let's try a metaphor here. Imagine we are all in a race. I do a moderate amount of training and do quite well in the race. Other people just turn up on the day, whine about being poorly prepared, and finish last. Do I have privilege in that race?

If privilege was real, I would have been given a motorbike to ride to make sure I win that race. I don't see one anywhere.

I know that in the past some groups in society have had genuine disadvantages, but I don't see that now. All I see is them being given extra rights which I don't have yet they still lose the race. We need to find out what the losers are doing wrong, not try to blame the winners.

BTW, I'm not making any claims here based on race, gender, or any other intrinsic characteristics. I'm making a claim based on culture, which can (and should) be fixed.

Comment 11 (6499) by Anonymous on 2021-04-08 at 13:37:53:

Well, that's not really a metaphor, but rather a story. If I extend the story, lets say the people you describe as "just turning up on the day" do so because: (1) They have three jobs to pay the rent and have tons time to train, or (2) Were malnourished because3 they can't afford to eat nutritious food, or (3) Don't have training facilities in their low socioeconomic neighbourhood. So yes, you were privileged in that race, you just didn't realise it.
Your personal responsibility/effort argument just doesn't hold water.

So, people have had disadvantages in the past but not now. Are you seriously denying that disadvantage isn't perpetuated (in most cases)?

The "problem" with "quoting the cases where disadvantaged people escaped that environment" is that people, perhaps such as yourself, then use those individual stories as a stick to criticise those who couldn't escape their situations.

Comment 12 (6500) by OJB on 2021-04-08 at 17:05:20:

I'm sure there are some people who have genuinely made a significant effort to improve their lives, but have just not succeeded for reasons beyond their control. Then there are others who make bad decisions and really have themselves primarily to blame. Either way, I still don't have privilege, I just have made the right decisions.

Disadvantage can be perpetuated, but another possible reason is that there is a perpetuated cultural issue where some groups are more interested in acting as victims instead of actually improving their lives. Not having those particular disadvantages (whatever the reason for them) is not the same as having privilege.

It's not so much about criticising those who don't escape; it's more asking the question: why do some escape and others not? One possible answer is that the people who don't escape just don't follow the right path. Bit whatever the reason, I still don't have privilege.

Comment 13 (6503) by El equilibrador on 2021-04-09 at 09:12:20:

Awesome - we are in agreement! People's suffering may (through bad decisions and/or behaviour) or may not be due to anything they do or did. In some cases, it is just not possible to escape their upbringing. In some cases, it is. The bottom line is that we can't make sweeping, generalised comments about why they are in their current situations.

Comment 14 (6504) by OJB on 2021-04-09 at 09:55:41:

Yes, there are multiple reasons people end up in a bad situation. Sometimes it is primarily deficiencies in themselves, sometimes it is mainly due to events beyond their control. But it has nothing to do with my alleged privilege!

Bad decisions, bad luck, or whatever else which other people suffer from does not mean that I have privilege. It just means I was skilled or lucky enough to avoid the problems affecting them. Of course, I have my own problems, which I don't whine about, and don't blame on others.

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