It’s kind of a luxury to be able to be “politically neutral” but you can’t explain that to “apolitical” people without coming across as crazy to them because there’s a bunch of stuff they just don’t think about including things that to you personally are matters of life and death and when you explain this to them they’re like surely you’re exaggerating and both sides are just as bad but no you’re not exaggerating but also now they’re not really listening to you because they think you’re exaggerating
I don’t know why people don’t seem aware of this, but going out of your way to step in and say “this does not apply to me because I am not part of this conversation :)” does not contribute to the conversation. If you’re aware that you have nothing to do with this subject, you are allowed to just skip it. It’s always morally correct to not step into something that doesn’t involve you just to announce that it doesn’t involve you.
“I don’t need this advice for how to avoid contaminated meat because I’m vegan :)” that’s nice dear. This information has nothing to do with what we were talking about and brings nothing of value to the conversation.
“I don’t need this advice for how to stay safe in these spaces because I don’t go to those places :)” that’s nice dear. This information has nothing to do with what we were talking about and brings nothing of value to the conversation.
“I don’t need to pay attention to these culturally gendered red flags because I don’t date that gender :)” that’s nice dear. This information has nothing to do with what we were talking about and brings nothing of value to the conversation.
“I already avoided this fun but risky activity because I didn’t like doing it in the first place :)” that’s nice dear. This information has nothing to do with what we were talking about and brings nothing of value to the conversation.
You don’t need to announce that some situation, post, or piece of advice doesn’t apply to you. Your perspective on such matters is not valuable.
“you become guilty of misdeeds by even involuntarily benefiting from them” is a fucking psycho ass moral principle to see bandied about as freely as i do
“what you are responsible for = what you control” is such an obvious foundational principle i would not even know how to go about arguing for it
the impression of insanity here is exacerbated rather than diminished by earnest claims that “guilt” and “moralism” are the only things that could make complicity-thru-involuntary-benefit seem worrying. why the need to reach for such radical and vague revisions to our ordinary concepts of “complicit” and “responsible” when it suffices to point out that ppl clearly bear no responsibility for shit they didnt do? leaves me with the suspicion ppl still want to use guilt as a cudgel without the recipients of the cudgeling getting to object to it as such
that and an implicit (well, usually just implicit) demand you accept that you deserve whats coming to you
it also seems like a quick and dirty way of squaring the circle of how people can benefit from privileged social positions that they can’t relinquish, in the stupidest most bloodthirsty puritan manner.
like, i absolutely have white privilege; i can’t stop being white or end racism; i benefit from something i didn’t start and can’t stop. however, there are earnest and worthwhile conversations to be had in how i have the power and thus responsibility to recognize my advantages and use them to promote equity in my own relationships with fellow citizens. i can’t give up my privilege and it’s kinda absurd to suggest i should exist in a state of wretched penitent guilt for it– but if you’re tall enough to reach the high shelf in a grocery store, it’s probably virtuous to fetch inaccessible stuff down for the folks who come up short.
and to really clarify this i am not responsible for ending a situation i have no say in or control over. a tall guy doesn’t have to roam a grocery store perpetually in service to shorter dudes to atone for a corporation’s stocking decisions.
when i have a say in inequality, i speak up. when my black coworkers are paid less, i let them know and bring this up to our boss. at my current job everyone’s getting paid the same and treated fairly. to agonize perpetually over the moral ramifications of my abstractly superior position would be incredibly self-absorbed. so im just chill.
i think self-flagellation is every bit as selfish and arrogant as self-aggrandizement; ultimately you are not the world’s most central character, hero OR villain. if you have no power over something you have no responsibility to it, and i think that’s probably a scary thing to accept. but you’re free to chill the fuck out when you do.
