Welcome to the New Democratic Party which has returned to it’s roots as race hustlers.

"White Guilt" is an insidious construct.

For one, it robs black people of their history. It robs them of role models. Instead of learning about the George Washington Carvers and Benjamin O. Davises of the world, men (and women) who overcame tremendous odds, they learn only that whitey is holding them back and that they, too, would be famous scientists if not for whitey.

For another, it robs white people who don't have the advantages "white guilt" ascribes to them. The young Andrew Carnegie, who came to this country penniless is just another white person, privileged and destined to succeed. The Appalachian coal miner's child is now just another white person, with all the privileges and advantages that appertain unto the children of the Kennedys (or the children of Denzel Washington or Dianna Ross).

Collectivist identity politics pit us against each other, create resentments and stir up anger, set up a situation in which all identity groups compete to be the most aggrieved, and pave the way for the rise of a totalitarian government promising to rectify all issues by punishing the privileged "other guy."

The problem is, for that to work, there must be an "other guy" to be taken down, be he Jew, bourgeoisie, noble, capitalist, or just plain white male.

Victim ideology is all about justification for your own bad behavior. Say you hate white people and are a clear racist, well then you just claim that those other people are far more racist. You are just evening the scales a little. You may be doing bad but they are worse, your evil is justified. Want to beat people up, well claim they are violent first. You may have no proof, your claims may be farcical (they hurt your feelings!), doesn't matter. Your violence is reactionary, it is self defense, obviously justified.

No matter how evil or how extreme you act you are 'only evening the scales a little'. Those scales that can never be even or allowed to unbalance a little. Once that happens you lose the excuse that you are moral and righteous. Instead it becomes clear you are every evil you complain about.

One can not commit mass murder against one's enemies until you've dehumanized them.

Then it's a simple matter of exterminating the rats. This is simply the dehumanization step.

1. Is the dinner free?
2. Will drinks be provided. I like a scotch before dinner and a dark (oops, no raaaacism implied) beer with my meal?
3. Will there be dessert and coffee?
4. Can I attend if I identify as a woman for the evening?
5. Can I skip the arrogant idiocy lecture if I identify as a "brown or black" woman for the evening?

If so, count me in and I'll leave right after dessert.

The website indicates the white women are supposed to "host" the dinners. What? They expect someone to pay to be scrutinized and humiliated? Personally, I would be more scared of anyone willing to pay to have me come to their house for this purpose.

You like to think that is the stuff of Fox News

I wonder what these people would say if asked to provide specific examples of what Fox News does to promote racism.

And here's a recent article about a Klan meet up in Ohio.

http://time.com/5596103/kkk-rally-dayton-ohio/

Plans for a Ku Klux Klan rally in Dayton, Ohio set the city on edge and attracted national attention. But only nine people showed up for the rally Saturday, and their slogans were drowned out by 500 to 600 protesters who gathered to show their opposition to the hate-group’s message.

Much like witches, once you've run out of Klansmen, one simply manufactures some to keep the tensions high.

IMO, the correct response to these fine people is go self-copulate whilst pounding sand. It's more polite than telling them GFY.

I wonder how long before this is mandatory at universities , gov’t offices or workplaces. Basically the next time a Bernie or Kamala like person gets elected.

I could not give less of a crap about brown and black womens pain. And I say that as someone raising 3 brown women and a brown man. Suck it up, buttercup. Life ain't fair.

If white people bother black and brown people so much maybe it is best for the brown and black people to move to one of the many majority black and brown nations in the world, you know to protect themselves from White people. Off course then they can't guilt trip white people into paying for their shit.

By the way this sort of shit is why diversity is not our strength. A society where one faction continually guilt trips and leaches of another is not as strong as a homogenous society made up of one ethnic group where everyone just kind of lives their life and gets shit done. But of course I'm joking. This is why I'm not worried about China. They will never be a superpower because they don't have diversity.

Welcome to Outgroup House, Becky. Hey Levi, Hirotaka, and Buck: shove over and make room on the couch.

Sure! Sign me up! I'll have to check my schedule and squeeze you in between my full-time job plus my volunteer stuff--the public library (where I help middle school students with school projects or finding fun stuff), SMART (start making a reader today) where I read one-on-one with kids who are behind in reading for a variety of reasons, the senior center where I go every other Tuesday to mend clothes for folks who don't sew or can't afford a sewing machine, the Foster Kids intake boxes, where we solicit donations from businesses so incoming foster kids get an age-appropriate box of supplies first thing at the intake office--and my regular personal stuff of cleaning house, shopping for groceries, walking the dog, helping out my elderly parents, helping out the neighbors of my elderly parents, weeding the yard, etc.

I assume they pay for the dinner?

Your pain? I'm beginning to quite enjoy it. So, suffer.

BTW, will Michelle Obama be coming to the dinner?

"Dear white women, you have caused immeasurable pain and damage to Brown and Black women [Give us money]"

"WE don't care about your feelings."

Likewise.

Welcome to Outgroup House, Becky. Hey Levi, Hirotaka, and Buck: shove over and make room on the couch.

I wonder, with all of this, if there's a danger of people leaving these parties and being all, "Yeah, fuck it, I'm part of it, I own it, let's keep this system going because I'd rather be up on top than down at the bottom."

I feel like it could backfire that way.

I think it is beyond clear that these people feel oppressed and set upon by white people, white society, and white anything else.

The only kind thing to do is to arrange transportation for them to someplace where they can live out from under the thumb of the white man. Anywhere in Africa south of the Sahara should do. Let them pick whichever country they like.

My only condition is that they give up their Twitter account after they get there so I don't have to hear if they are now oppressed by blackness.

No could about it NicoleK. That is practically the point. Let me put this another way.

Hey Patrick, want to come over to casa de Ben for dinner? My treat. You get to bitch about all the shitty things I've done to you over the years. As a hetero white guy I've supposedly pulled all kinds of dick moves to screw you over Patrick. Fucked up your job interviews. Screwed up your love life. Hell, I probably messed up your car. All of that without ever meeting you. How amazing must I be. I'll admit I'm kinda a dick. But so what. Most people are dicks. I'm the magic kind of dick who can screw you over without ever meeting you. Heck, I didn't even try to. Think how bad it would be if I actually didn't like you! I fuckin rock.

(No offense intended Patrick. I think you are well aware just how unamazing I really am.)

Anger and/or dismissiveness isn't going to be constructive here.

Extending some measure of compassion and understanding is really the only good way to move forward with issues like these.

Gosh they sound woke.

Anger and/or dismissiveness isn't going to be constructive here.
Extending some measure of compassion and understanding is really the only good way to move forward with issues like these.
--Artemis

No. Extending compassion to people who are feigning suffering to get stuff from you will only encourage more exploitation.

White people have treated minorities that live among them better then any other race in history. Minorities flee their countries to live in White majority countries, presumably because they are incapable of replicating the standards of living white countries have achieved. No other race has ever allowed such large scale immigration of foreigners into their lands.

The only thing minorities should tell white people is "thank you." If they were really in pain they would try to leave, like opressed peoples have done throughout history.

Jewish Cat,

Compassion and understanding cost you nothing.

Empathy is free.

I am sorry that you don't understand this.

Jewish Cat Says:

"White people have treated minorities that live among them better then any other race in history. Minorities flee their countries to live in White majority countries, presumably because they are incapable of replicating the standards of living white countries have achieved. No other race has ever allowed such large scale immigration of foreigners into their lands."

By the way... this entire paragraph displays remarkable ignorance of history.

Imagine for one moment that you were a native American reading that paragraph. What would you think about the knowledge level of the author?

They are a minority who never fled... they are on their ancestral lands that were taken over by an invading force. In fact, the colonists were fleeing predominantly white nations to come here in the first place.

Despite this reality you would claim that they have been treated better by those who visited and annexed their lands and should just leave if they don't like it?... and go where exactly?

Please take some time and reflect, not all minorities have the same story, and each group needs to be addressed based upon the specifics of their circumstances. Your perspective is way off when you just lump everyone into one big basket while ignoring the details.

Assuming you are actually Jewish as your name implies you should already know this. Jews are also a minority and their story is also unique. If you had a specific grievance to address it would be pretty stupid to tell you to just pack it up and move to Israel.

"they are on their ancestral lands that were taken over by an invading force."

It sucks when the aliens arrive in death-ray-equipped flying saucers and you're fighting back with a rock.

"The only kind thing to do is to arrange transportation for them to someplace where they can live out from under the thumb of the white man. "

Won't work. They will just move the goalposts -- the next claim will be that, as long as there are white men anywhere on Earth, they are oppressed. And the only possible "cure" will be to send them large quantities of American taxpayer money.

"Compassion and understanding cost you nothing."

Last I checked, our federal government is spending about $3 trillion a year of our money on "compassion". Not only is it not free, it's by far the most expensive thing the human race has ever done. And according to the recipients of that compassion, things are worse now than ever -- worse than slavery, worse than famine, worse than plague, worse than unending war. It's not working. It isn't going to work. And the people who are paying the bills are sick and tired of it.

Cousin Dave,

Compassion costs you nothing, it is possible to feel for your fellow human beings without spending a dime. Sometimes all people want is understanding and recognition of their situation.

Your argument is that compassion will inevitably lead you down a slippery slope toward increased government spending, however that part isn't required.

In fact, lack of compassion can also lead to increased government spending. The wall Trump wants to fund isn't a wall dedicated to compassion... and it comes with a hefty price tag. Lack of compassion is also expensive.

Cousin Dave Says:

"Last I checked, our federal government is spending about $3 trillion a year of our money on "compassion". Not only is it not free, it's by far the most expensive thing the human race has ever done. And according to the recipients of that compassion, things are worse now than ever -- worse than slavery, worse than famine, worse than plague, worse than unending war."

What you are saying here doesn't make any sense.

Of that $3 trillion federal budget, the overwhelming majority of those funds are spent on social security, medicare, and the military.

So are you saying that social security and medicare recipients are saying that receiving their monthly retirement checks is "worse than slavery, worse than famine, worse than plague, worse than unending war"???... because that doesn't make any sense.

I guess in your opinion folks over retirement age are a massive problem because they get most of our compassion spending and seem to complain in irrational ways.

What I can tell you for a fact is that the overwhelming majority of that $3 trillion budget isn't spent on working age minorities.

You are just ranting incoherently. Please take a moment to gather your thoughts because you seem to be all over the place.

What exactly would you like to do?... eliminate social security and medicare because you feel they are "compassion projects" that are worse than all the evils of the world combined?

Real compassion -- as opposed to hashtag-"compassion" that lefties like to enagage in -- has a cost. Why? Because real compassion means that you do something. The cost might be monetary, but not necessarily: it might be in terms of time, or opportunity cost. Consider a scenario: You're driving to a party that you've been looking forward to. Maybe it's a celebration for a happy occasion, or maybe there's going to be a guy/girl there that you are interested in, or some such. On the way there, you witness a bad traffic accident, and you stop to help. You help render assistance to the victims. You summon first responders and wait for their arrival, and maybe direct traffic until they arrive. You spend some time with the police giving an eyewitness statement. And so on. This is compassionate.

As a result, you miss most of the party. You gave up that opportunity to stop at the accident and render practical compassion. That lost opportunity was the cost of your compassion. It was not cost-free.

As for social welfare programs, there are only two possibilities: either they are exercises in compassion, or they aren't. If they are, then yes, there is a direct measurable cost to that compassion. If they're not -- then why do the exist?

If your cultural environment tells you there is not hope, that whitey is keeping you down, then why try? Why do homework? Why not just rob the gas station or sell drugs? Why not get in shootouts? It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. This mindset robs blacks particularly of the knowledge that white (and asian) people who succeed work their butts off and don't have time to hang around and play pool or get high. They don't go clubbing every night. They study hard in school. Whites who fail don't do the things necessary to get ahead. It is that simple. Blacks I know who were successful were not in a gang, did study hard, and did get a good job.

Cousin Dave Says:

"Real compassion -- as opposed to hashtag-"compassion" that lefties like to enagage in -- has a cost. Why? Because real compassion means that you do something. The cost might be monetary, but not necessarily: it might be in terms of time, or opportunity cost."

When I say compassion is free I can only of course be referring to economics.

You were also talking about economics when you referenced the federal budget.

Listening to another human being relate their issues will of course take time... but so does bitching and moaning on an internet blog about how you don't want to hear any of it.

If you really wanted to spend zero time on the issue you wouldn't even bother commenting.

"Consider a scenario: You're driving to a party that you've been looking forward to. Maybe it's a celebration for a happy occasion, or maybe there's going to be a guy/girl there that you are interested in, or some such. On the way there, you witness a bad traffic accident, and you stop to help. You help render assistance to the victims. You summon first responders and wait for their arrival, and maybe direct traffic until they arrive. You spend some time with the police giving an eyewitness statement. And so on. This is compassionate.
As a result, you miss most of the party. You gave up that opportunity to stop at the accident and render practical compassion. That lost opportunity was the cost of your compassion. It was not cost-free."

Is this your analogy???... that the plight of minorities is similar to a bad traffic accident and you don't want to bother spending your time helping them because you would rather go to a party?

I'm sorry, but this just makes the whole thing that much shittier to me.

I wouldn't think twice about missing a party if it helped save someone's life. I wouldn't even really think of it as a loss.

If that would be a difficult decision for you that you think you would end up regretting then I think you value the wrong things in life.

Cousin Dave,

You still haven't helped me to understand why you feel that social security recipients believe that their social security checks are worse than slavery and the plague, etc...

It sucks when the aliens arrive in death-ray-equipped flying saucers and you're fighting back with a rock. ~ Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at May 29, 2019 12:09 AM

Unless you've got a board with a nail in it.

"If that would be a difficult decision for you that you think you would end up regretting then I think you value the wrong things in life."

How presumutious of you to assume that you are morally superior to me. Do you want to know why no one here bothers to engage with you? Because you are a dishonest debater. You deliberately miss the point of arguments, and you turn to ad homineum attacks when you haven't got anything else. I proved, conclusively, that there is a cost to real compassion. You responded by calling me a shitty human being.

You get nothing other than standing on the sidelines, insulting the people who are trying to do the actual work. It figures that you're a liberal-arts academic. You fit the stereotype perfectly.

Of course compassion has a cost. And if it is a party it is a low cost.

Sometimes the cost is personal safety. Sometimes it is lowering your lifestyle standards. Sometimes, particularly for women, the cost is giving up your freedom to accommodate the values of others. Sometimes it means your children get a lesser education because their classmates have different needs than them. Sometimes the cost is environmental, as parks and forests have to be razed to accommodate new housing.

We all have our limits, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say for most of us, the occasional party isn't it. But no one can keep giving forever, and no one should be expected to.

I took a class called Drama for Empowerment once, as part of an Creative Arts in Learning program. We roleplayed scenarios in which we were expected to be kind. Two stand out to me.

The first, we were a group of female roommates looking for another roommate. An applicant comes, and we interview her and like her and then she tells us she just got out of prison. We were supposed to be all "Yes, let's give her a chance!" I alone was like F@#$ no, there's a safety issue, even if she is reformed she likely has a network of unsavory characters who would then come to our house. I was considered cruel and awful for this. Myself, I was pissed off that our female socialisation was being played on to not look out for our self-interests. Saying "Yes" is literally the opposite of what self-defence classes tell you to do. It felt like more "Be submissive and nice" brainwashing from the patriarchy, although it was supposed to be all woke and lefty (I'm getting disillusioned with the left, can you tell?)

The second, we were a village of people with just enough food to get us through the winter and nothing more. Two strangers show up, begging to be housed and fed. I suggested we could take them IF either two people sacrificed themselves, or we found another food source, otherwise we couldn't, because there wouldn't be enough food and not only would we starve but they would too. For this I was also considered cruel. But EVERYONE would die if we took them in, how is THAT kind?!

I agree it's good to be kind, but boundaries are good, too. Like the old adage, you don't need to set yourself on fire to keep others warm.

My beef with the right is they seem to never want to make any sacrifices to help people. My beef with the left is they seem to never want to consider that there is a limit to the amount of sacrifices that are reasonable to make.

Hey Patrick, want to come over to casa de Ben for dinner? My treat. You get to bitch about all the shitty things I've done to you over the years. As a hetero white guy I've supposedly pulled all kinds of dick moves to screw you over Patrick. Fucked up your job interviews. Screwed up your love life. Hell, I probably messed up your car. All of that without ever meeting you. How amazing must I be. I'll admit I'm kinda a dick. But so what. Most people are dicks. I'm the magic kind of dick who can screw you over without ever meeting you. Heck, I didn't even try to. Think how bad it would be if I actually didn't like you! I fuckin rock.

Hello, Ben. Thanks for the invite. I will tell you all the things I dealt with growing up as a gay guy (who didn't want to be a gay guy, and still doesn't want to be a gay guy, but them's the breaks).

But unfortunately, I remember all the names of people in junior high who used to pummel me in the hallways, and also during gym class while the instructor conveniently looked the other way. Ironically, when all these assaults started, I didn't know their names or anything else about them. Presumably, they didn't know anything about me, either, other than the fact that they picked up on something I wasn't even 100% clear on myself, and wouldn't have chosen for myself if I was given a choice.

But none of their names were Ben. So assuming Ben is your real name, you never did anything to me growing up. Also, did you grow up in Bennington, VT? Because unless you did, you weren't even close enough to do anything to me.

But my mother clearly recognized what a horrible person I was for letting all these happen to me, so she sent me off to boarding school.

So, we can have dinner if you want, but I've pretty much told it all. Unless you want to hear what college was like in upstate Vermont. But unless you were there, you didn't do anything to me there, either. And again, I don't remember anyone named Ben ever causing me a moment's misery.

Of course compassion has a cost. And if it is a party it is a low cost. ~ NicoleK at May 29, 2019 12:37 PM

But, in this case, we're not talking about simple empathy or compassion, about missing a party to listen to someone.

We're talking about restructuring a productive economy to legitimize a spurious grievance; a grievance that has as its only purpose to plunder and delegitimize the economic, cultural, and intellectual heritage of society.

The intent of the aggrieved, in this case, is to attain a position of influence in society - by delegitimizing the existing power structure rather than by working to earn a place in it.

I agree it's good to be kind, but boundaries are good, too. Like the old adage, you don't need to set yourself on fire to keep others warm. ~ NicoleK at May 29, 2019 12:37 PM

Never heard that one, but I like it.

I usually liken it to saving a drowning person. If you let them get ahold of you, they'll take you down with them. So, you need to rescue them at a distance, make them do the work of grabbing the flotation device.

My beef with the right is they seem to never want to make any sacrifices to help people. My beef with the left is they seem to never want to consider that there is a limit to the amount of sacrifices that are reasonable to make. ~ NicoleK at May 29, 2019 12:37 PM

The thing is, the Right does want to help people, but not with handouts or social programs that use confiscatory taxation to effect what is little more than a never-ending wealth transfer from the middle class to an unproductive dependent class.

You don't want to destroy a productive economy to save the unproductive dependents. That way leads to Venezuela.

You want to provide the dependent class a means of making itself productive so the dependents can pull themselves out of poverty and add to the overall wealth of their society; so they can teach their children something more than eternal dependence. That starts with schools, not with welfare programs.

The Right does not speak the language of social revolution and, so, is too often drowned out by the Left's language of social division, resentment, and envy.

"The hordes of immigrants were not drawn to America by the misapprehension that this country's millionaires would soon be dissolving their estates and passing out the proceeds to all comers. What lured our ancestors here was the chance to build a better, freer life through their own efforts." ~ Louis Rukeyser

Damn it Patrick. You're telling me I don't have magical powers I've accidentally been using for evil. Now I'm heart broken.

As for what they were picking up on in junior high, it was that you were vulnerable. I had the same stuff happen to me. It ended when I decided they may hurt me or even kill me (it got close a few times) but I was going to take them with me. Suddenly they weren't interested anymore. And yes plenty of teachers knew what was going on and didn't care.

If you are ever in Houston let me know and I'll happily treat you to a meal.

As for what they were picking up on in junior high, it was that you were vulnerable.

Yep. Bullies pick up on that. Anything that makes you different makes you vulnerable.

Perhaps brown and black women should look at the misery they enable in school systems they run, and/or their complicity in record single-motherhood rates. Both are real things.

And, Artemis? You’re still wasting syllables.

ONLY THE CULTURE RESPONSIBLE FOR PRODUCING PROSPERITY CAN BE BLAMED FOR NOT GIVING IT AWAY.

”Dear white women, you have caused immeasurable pain and damage to Brown and Black women.”

Talk to Tiger. He’s the one who picked ‘em.

Cousin Dave Says:

"How presumutious of you to assume that you are morally superior to me. Do you want to know why no one here bothers to engage with you? Because you are a dishonest debater."

I never presumed anything Cousin Dave.

That is why I used the word "IF".

The point I was trying to make is that compassion doesn't cost anything financial.

You are the one who deliberately misinterpreted that to mean it costs nothing in the most extreme case.

Of course everything "costs" time... even this conversation on the internet "costs" time.

However you decided to try and win cheap internet points by shifting from economics to a more abstract formulation when it became clear that compassion indeed doesn't need to cost you a penny.

You then concocted some bizarre example about stopping to help a car accident victim and how much it "cost" to miss a hypothetical party.

Well either that party was high cost or low cost in reference to the life of the people in that car.

If you find the cost of missing the party to be low... well then it coincides with my contention that the cost of compassion is minimal to non-existant.

The only way your argument makes any sense that the cost of compassion is substantial is if you presume the cost of missing that party is also substantial in reference to the lives of the people in the car.

My point is that it is the former rather than the latter... and IF you think the cost of missing a party is substantial then you need to rethink your priorities.

If you agree with me then we are already on the same page and shouldn't even be arguing

Conan Says:

"But, in this case, we're not talking about simple empathy or compassion, about missing a party to listen to someone."

Yes we are.

"We're talking about restructuring a productive economy to legitimize a spurious grievance; a grievance that has as its only purpose to plunder and delegitimize the economic, cultural, and intellectual heritage of society."

No we aren't.

Please read again for comprehension... this is the original statement from people who we are talking about:

"We are not here to change anything. We are here to express the pain you have caused, white women. What you do after you leave the dinner is up to you."

Now if you want to call them liars that is up to you, but you need evidence for that.

So far as what they are actually asking for, it is to be heard... to be listened to... to have folks hear them out.

That's it.

You and others have turned it into something else far more extreme, but there is nothing in their statements that actually backs up your interpretation.

It is made up out of whole cloth.

Radwaste Says:

"And, Artemis? You’re still wasting syllables."

Far be it from me to question the wisdom of a metric that would have you introduce yourself in the following way:

"me Radwaste"

As opposed to:

"Hello, my name is Radwaste, nice to meet you"

As we all know, Tarzan is the best example of a great communicator... his content to syllable ratio is completely off the charts.

You know who was a shit writer though... Thomas Jefferson... that poor schlub wasted syllables left and right.

I mean, he wrote this:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

When he could have said this instead:

"It's obvious that we should all have equal rights."

What a moron, right Radwaste?

Nicolek,

Just to clarify a few things... compassion and empathy don't necessitate financial cost.

All actions and inactions always incur things like time and opportunity costs... that part is universal and hence not particularly interesting since we are looking at differences.

Now let's look at exactly what these women are looking for... they want a conversation, they want to be listened to, they want to be heard. There are absolutely no financial demands.

Despite this the folks here have concluded that they are grifters looking to exploit them for money.

Those assumptions were smuggled in without any basis in the quoted text.

You are correct that we all need to have limits and boundaries.

However it is dishonest to look at a bunch of folks asking for a conversation... and then refusing to talk on the basis that you want to limit your exposure to thieves.

That is someone looking for an excuse to ignore people who hasn't actually crossed a boundary or limit.

I would be interested in someone showing me direct evidence of these folks requesting anything other than a conversation.

I just emailed them to find out how much it would cost.

I didn't say they were thieves... I said compassion comes at a price.

In the case of this dinner, the price might just be me getting offended or upset. That's a pretty low price.

Their website doesn't say where they are.I wonder if they do them in Boston.

Artemis:

"Despite this reality you would claim that they have been treated better by those who visited and annexed their lands...."

...than any other group whose lands were invaded and annexed? Heck yeah! Compare apples to apples and remember the context - the history of colonization doesn't begin and end with North America.

"it is possible to feel for your fellow human beings without spending a dime."

Sure - when those fellow human beings are race-baiting professional victims, see how much they appreciate compassion that doesn't include wealth transfer. As others have pointed out, compassion without action is meaningless, and action costs.

"Your argument is that compassion will inevitably lead you down a slippery slope toward increased government spending"

When in history has the sort of compassion at issue here not so led?

"Of that $3 trillion federal budget, the overwhelming majority of those funds are spent on social security, medicare, and the military."

Actually, the first two dwarf the third, and prove his point handily.

"So are you saying that social security and medicare recipients are saying that receiving their monthly retirement checks is "worse than slavery, "

No, he's saying they are the costs of compassionate action. Misguided compassion in his and my opinion. Do try to follow your own line of reasoning

"What exactly would you like to do?... eliminate social security and medicare because..."

...they are programs that replace personal responsibility with forced redistribution of wealth from those with long time preferences to those with short time preferences, thus creating perverse incentives to adopt short time preferences, out of misplaced compassion? Sure.

"'We are not here to change anything. We are here to express the pain you have caused, white women. What you do after you leave the dinner is up to you.' Now if you want to call them liars that is up to you, but you need evidence for that."

If you believe them, I have a bridge for sale, or to be more up to date, I am a Nigerian prince and I need your help transferring funds out of my native country

"Now let's look at exactly what these women are looking for... they want a conversation, they want to be listened to, they want to be heard. There are absolutely no financial demands."

They want you to pay them to lay some guilt on you, to berate you for your supposed role in the suboptimal nature of their lives. They charge you for the privilege of listening to them, and odds are it's not cheap. Their website also has a donate tab to facilitate the expected penitence. In the end, it's always about money or power.

"Yep. Bullies pick up on that. Anything that makes you different makes you vulnerable."

And womanizers can smell a lack of self respect from 100 feet away.

I've known numerous dogs whose response to cats depended on whether the cat responded like a rabbit or like a fellow carnivore.

They haven't written back! Now what am I going to do for dinner when I am in Boston this summer?!

They haven't written back! Now what am I going to do for dinner when I am in Boston this summer?! ~ NicoleK at May 31, 2019 11:13 AM

NicoleK, guilt, like empathy, is free.

You can go to a nice dinner and ruminate over your white privilege with a glass of white wine.

You could wander over to Nickerson Field on the BU campus and think about the racism inherent in Native American team names: the original stadium on the site was home to both the baseball and football Boston Braves. The football Braves would move to Fenway Park and rename themselves the Boston Red Skins and later move to Washington, DC. The baseball Braves would move to Milwaukee and then Atlanta.

Of course, neither of those things would enrich - politically, socially, financially, or otherwise - the grievance mongers, so they wouldn't count toward your "woke-ness."

Probably a petty thing to do (Conan is quite right about me; I am a petty person, and completely horrible, I might add.) but I also emailed them. Instead of requesting their services I simply said, "So, let me see if I got this straight. You expect a white woman to arrange a dinner party at her home -- probably inviting a few of her white women friends -- using a menu, which, doubtless, you have helped her decide upon, at her own time and expense. And I'm certain you'll insist upon wine, dessert and coffee to be included in the meal.

"And you, as an invited guest, will attend this dinner party, partake of the sumptuous dinner, and then berate this white woman (along with her friends) in her own home.

"And you further expect this white woman to pay you for this 'service.'

"Do I have it correctly?

"I honestly don't know whether to laugh hysterically or be completely disgusted at this level of presumption.

"I'm not one who believes in corporal punishment, but in your case, I'd make an exception. Your parents owe you a good old-fashioned trip to the woodshed, followed by lecture on entitlement and manners."

If this isn't about money, why is there a "Donate" link on the Web site? Why is there a PayPal account set up to receive these donations? Why is there verbiage guilting white women into donating money to the cause; those white women who "cannot acknowledge the harm [they] have caused" or "are not ready" or "are not willing" to host a dinner?

If you can truly acknowledge the harm you have caused as a white woman and you can’t host a dinner - you are not ready, you are not willing or you are regionally restricted - you can donate here. If you want to donate go to Paypal and search for Race2dinner.

So, if a white woman is unwilling to host a dinner, perhaps because she believes the concept of "white guilt" is spurious, she can still donate to the cause? Good to know.

And I'm with Patrick on the content of the dinner. I doubt a platter of sandwiches from Subway and a pitcher of iced tea would be an acceptable spread, not without a generous donation ahead of time.

Thanks Conan! Now I can still enjoy my summer by being miserable.