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Lately I've been annoyed by all the ways in which expectations are *lowered* for white people. Especially white men in power. The degree to which they get to tell rest of us "we can't do better than this" should give all of the lie to any discussion of "meritocracy". https://twitter.com/alwaystheself/status/1276279096142635009
They couldn't do better on privacy until they started to lose business. They couldn't do better on abuse until major movements took shape to demand better. They couldn't do better on racial issues until there were literally protests in the streets.
We don't know how to provide an environment free from sexual harassment.
We don't know how to ensure equal pay for all.
We don't know how to make sure our products are accessible to all of our customers.
The bar is so fucking low for white men, it is a travesty.
We don't know how to ensure equal pay for all.
We don't know how to make sure our products are accessible to all of our customers.
The bar is so fucking low for white men, it is a travesty.
We know they have no intention of caring about any of these things until they are forced to.
But it's especially galling how white men get to hide behind feigned incompetence when dodge these criticisms. And yet it has no actual impact on their credibility, their career, etc.
But it's especially galling how white men get to hide behind feigned incompetence when dodge these criticisms. And yet it has no actual impact on their credibility, their career, etc.
That is what we mean when we say "meritocracy" is bullshit. Because "merit" has always been defined by white supremacist patriarchy. White men only have to be good at what *they* care about. And as a consequence, so do the rest of us. But they don't have to give a shit about us.
That's why part of the movement towards greater equity and inclusion is changing the expectations by which people are evaluated. If white men started being held accountable for being good at these other things we say we care about, things would get real competitive real quick.
