AudaIbuTayi
You're being parochial. This is an international forum. Do "we" have equality in Israel? In China? In Saudi Arabia?
> I don't feel the need to push back.
You've stated that the phrase "white privilege" is resulting in "spectacular" misunderstanding. I'm agreeing that it is a fatally fraught phrase. I wish you luck in replacing it (if that's what you meant by "we need better language").
> Why does it make you feel that way?
Signaling that _you_ are thinking while _they_ are emoting is a bad-faith tell.
> I think that would be a naive and ineffective approach [simply talking about "privilege" and not "white privilege" or other privilege]
So where does that leave your search for better language?
Prima facie, the use of the term leads people to believe that an identifiable group of people (white people) has obtained things which they do not deserve (privilege). A typical human response to being told that another group has things which were unjustly obtained is resentment and hostility. This is inevitable and obvious. The term is by its construction divisive.
> It's not.
That's merely an assertion. The term is a tool. Some people use it to try to effect positive change for certain groups of people (I'm assuming this includes you). Some people very much can and do use it as a weapon to enact their idea of retribution.
Who could have guessed that identifying and singling out a particular race for correction and self-abasement would entail some push-back? [1]
> This just isn't working.
Actually, I think it is working as intended. A thriving industry has arisen around the elimination of "white privilege". The term has served that industry well as marketing.
> I'm a firm believer in the existence of this thing we currently call "white privilege."
Are you a firm believer of "Han privilege" in China? Are you a firm believer of "Japanese privilege" in Japan? Are you a firm believer in "Jewish privilege" in Israel? If so, that might assist you in your search for better language.
> basic rights we take for granted
We have hundreds of years of high-quality race-neutral rights language to pick from. Why was that language eschewed?
[1] I'm trying to cut down on snark in my diet but failed. Mea culpa.