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'White Dudes for Harris' is the latest in a series of Zoom gatherings backing the vice president (apnews.com)

submitted 4 months ago by btaf45 to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] -2 points 4 months ago (2 children)

The usage I've understood is in mocking white men for imagining they're carrying the weight of society and being unfairly ignored or maligned despite their "burden". I've never looked into the origin and I'm happy to better understand the context, but hope this explanation bridges the gap in what I meant.

[–] samus12345 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

That's not its original meaning at all.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

Yes, per my last comment I hadn't previously looked into the origin and was happy to better understand the context.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

"The White Man's Burden" (1899), by Rudyard Kipling, is a poem about the Philippine–American War (1899–1902) that exhorts the United States to assume colonial control of the Filipino people and their country.

The imperialist interpretation of "The White Man's Burden" (1899) proposes that the white race is morally obliged to civilise the non-white peoples of planet Earth, and to encourage their progress (economic, social, and cultural) through colonialism

It has nothing to do with being ignored or maligned by their own society for being white. It is basically the opposite, an obligation to interfere because they are so damn awesome they are obligated to save the non-white people from themselves. Any movie where a white guy goes to a foreign place to 'save' the local people is based on the white man's burden. For example, the Last Samurai and Avatar (with the blue people).

[–] [email protected] -3 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I'm totally down to say the modern version I've seen is not a good translation of the original sentiment, but the "burden" in each case isn't really about helping others. Neither viewpoint is undertaking the "burden" for altruistic reasons, they want the praise and rewards for all they feel they've done. They're "good people" because they stoically gave to their lessers, and everyone should recognize that. The colonialists got to live as lords and be praised by their fellow white people for their good deeds, while the modern white man is bitter because he doesn't feel rewarded, even if only by everyone saying "white guys are great".

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

It has nothing to do with being rewarded or praise or lack of praise or disdain.