Sunday, May 10, 2020

(scheduled post) the "reversal" exercise is always useful

Whether it's race relations or sex/gender relations, the "reversal" exercise is always a useful thought experiment for determining the moral value of certain deeds, attitudes, and utterances. I just saw this one on Instapundit:

The whimpering response to the "reversal" exercise is that there are power imbalances in society and culture, which is why a black person can say certain words a white person can't—not even when merely quoting someone else. This leads to the ridiculous conclusion that certain groups "own" certain aspects of language, and once you've established that beachhead, it's a short step to killing off freedom of speech entirely.

So, ladies: don't show weakness by speaking of "power imbalances." If you insist women are equal, then let them be equal in all ways, with no handicaps slapped onto the male side. Don't play both sides by relying on male gallantry while also making stupid, bitchy pronouncements. Same goes for race: don't make yourselves look weak by acting aggrieved all the time. You're not helping your own cause: all you're doing is sucking away your own dignity.

1 comment:

John Mac said...

Yeah, good stuff. I mentally do the same thing when I see attacks on white folks. I just change the color of the skin and that answers the question of whether it is racist. I know, I should just learn to check my privilege and shut up.