[piloto_ciego]

We are.

I was an exchange student in Ukraine in high school and the town I lived in periodically gets shelled now… we live immensely privileged and comfortable lives.

This is not a bad thing, it’s great, but we should try to make everyone else’s life as good instead of hoarding our privileges.

[mrguyorama]

It's not privilege, millions of people have died defending the right to not be invaded by an asshole neighbor. Don't forget the price people have paid. Some places seem to be less interested in that, because they want to invade their neighbor, and we should be aggressively hostile to that very concept, and anyone who espouses the belief.

[borski]

Unless you or your family were the ones that fought, it is privilege. Privilege isn’t a “bad word,” either - it’s okay to have privilege. But acknowledging it’s existence goes a long way toward building humility and understanding the situation of others who don’t have it.

[mensetmanusman]

These debates over privilege get complicated because everyone is privileged on some facet of their existence.

[borski]

Sure. And it’s not a competition. Acknowledging the ways in which we are privileged is all I’m suggesting we do.

Living in a warzone affords very little privilege, but likely not none.

[seizethecheese]

Define family. Because most Americans are descendants of war veterans.

[kelnos]

I mean, so what? If one of my ancestors fought in a war defending their/my country's freedom, I don't get to claim credit for what they did. I am privileged that those ancestors made the sacrifice they did and don't have to fight in a war myself.

[seizethecheese]

I believe there’s more nuance here.

If both of my grandfathers fought in WWII and neither of yours did, my parents are likely to have picked up a lot of latent trauma that yours did not.

I believe the lower classes in this country are less “privileged” for their freedom , on average.

Of course, the more time passes, the smaller this effect.

[imoverclocked]

Interestingly, trauma and chronic stress gets passed through genes too.

[borski]

Precisely.

[borski]

You are intentionally missing the point. The pedantic definition of family is a strawman, in this case.

[seizethecheese]

Sorry it came across that way. I was hoping to point out that there are shades of truth to what you say.

Probably lower class people have a lot more latent trauma passed through generations.

[borski]

Sure, I agree with that. Trauma can definitely be generational.

[majou]

Is it not "be privileged" or to "have privileges"? It's not as though it were quantifiable—"privilege checks" (the decade old boogeymeme) notwithstanding.

[borski]

Not sure I understand what you mean. I am saying it is good to acknowledge the privileges you have, and/or the fact that you are privileged. Not everybody has privileges, or is privileged, or however you’d like to describe it.

[robotresearcher]

> Don't forget the price people have paid.

i.e. recognize that you are privileged, since others paid the price on your behalf.

[kelnos]

> It's not privilege, millions of people have died defending the right to not be invaded by an asshole neighbor.

Yes, and benefiting from that -- without having had to fight in those conflicts -- is a privilege.

[tasuki]

> It's not privilege

Why is it not privilege? What is privilege?