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[–][deleted] 9 insightful - 1 fun9 insightful - 0 fun10 insightful - 1 fun -  (2 children)

I hear you. I'm a white South African. While the idea of white privilege is questionable in some other parts of the world, here it is irrefutable. We were literally privileged because of our skin colour. However, that was a long time ago now, and with affirmative action (rightly) rectifying the wrongs of the past, and the tiny taxpayer base being squeezed to within an inch of its life, the government having looted everything over the last couple of decades, a crumbling infrastructure and being well on our way to being a failed state, the middle class is joining the poor. South Africa is the most unequal country in the world (Gini index). I work very hard and struggle to make ends meet. But because I'm white, I'm the enemy. The government uses whites as a scapegoat to blame whenever they steal again or do something wrong, to distract the voters.

I'm someone who grew up after 1994, post-democracy, but I and my ilk are evil, privileged land thieves who don't deserve anything we have.

Thanks for letting me rant.

[–]whateverneverpine 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

"However, that was a long time ago now" - no, it isn't. After 100 years maybe?

[–][deleted] 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

You're right, it's not long. But young white kids who were born years after democracy are being guilt-tripped taught that they are privileged on the backs of others. Is that fair to them? There are some awful, racist white South Africans. But most of us just happened to be born here and are trying to live our lives in harmony with others, working hard, being good citizens,,, the apartheid government got into power by the skin of their teeth, and created an authoritarian police state, with censorship and brainwashing propaganda. Dissent was met with stalking, harassment and sometimes murder by their secret police.

They were hated by most right-thinking people. In 1992 there was a referendum to end apartheid and the majority of white South Africans voted to end it.

But we are nonetheless all demonised, called oppressors, colonisers, land thieves, and blamed for all the country's problems. It's short-sighted, absurd. Easy scapegoats.