Derailing [conversations about Priviledge] For Dummies

Yes, you've worked that side over too hard, it's all black and blue and spitting up teeth, start on the other one.

This one can somewhat understand where the author is coming from, but seriously, this is ridiculous. As been said in one of the first comments, it does seem as if people who claim to be marginalised can never ever be wrong, and that "privileged" are asshles by definition.

Also, a personal pet peeve of this one - yes, this one cannot even consider the words and arguments said in an insulting or dismissive manner, overly angry, or lacking common politeness. Yes, this one agrees that it is not rational, but that's how it is. But it applies to all people in all discussions. Where does the assumption that it means the "desire to point minorities to their place" comes from, this one has no idea...

I honestly think it's one of those things that you have to see in context to be able to grasp. I've actually seen a surprisingly high number of those tactics used to try and derail a thread, often times in inappropriate ways. (That said, yes, sometimes those are valid and appropriate points to bring up...happens rarely in my experience)

That said, for some reason I'm getting a distinct impression that the site is written by someone I wouldn't really like all that much, and who has serious privilege issues of their own. Yes, there are people out there who take privilege in being marginalized. Yes, it's crazy.

Edit: After some further investigation, I found that the site is basically a result of a quite intense debate in the Science-Fiction/Fantasy community, referred to as Race Fail 09.

http://fanlore.org/wiki/RaceFail_%2709

edited 26th Feb '11 9:49:39 AM by Karmakin

It's intended to point out how incredibly stupid and/or offensive people who do those things are, by exaggerating them. So yes, it's satire. Think A Modest Proposal.

I think mentioning A Modest Proposal has become a sort of reverse-Godwin to justify a Parody Retcon.

Edit: After reading the wiki page about Racefail '09, I still don't understand the controversy very well.

edited 26th Feb '11 10:00:08 AM by silver2195

Some fraction of these things I have never seen used in an actual debate, by a racist or otherwise, and some fraction of these things are just lashing out angrily at anyone in a group he doesn't like that so much as opens their mouth. The fraction of actual racist cliches is very low if existent.

I think it depends on what sites you go to. I go to sites that talk about race a lot, and I've seen ALL of the tactics described used (espcially the "correct spelling errors rather than address the argument" and the "oppression olympics" one).

Correcting spelling errors isn't really specific to discussions of racial issues, though.

@Karmakin: That link was incredibly interesting. Thank you for linking to it. I intend to read that essay on describing characters of color by Jemiisin, which I found here.

I had no idea that Live Journal was so important to the SF/F community.

Anyway, the original link now appears to be more understandable. It is an attempt to fulfill this "This community is meant to be a place that rounds up the anti-derailing efforts in a central location for the benefit of those who want to continue the conversations about cultural appropriation, racial diversity and multiculturalism in SFF fiction and fandom, racism in ditto, and its intersectionality with other oppressions." (from Karmakin's link).

I'm not sure to what extent the author the the "Dummies Guide" succeeded.

No, but doing it in a racial debate can have overtones. As in "nigga ain't got no brains anyway, what do you expect from those guys".