Modern populism seems to have embraced ignorance as the supreme expression of intelligence: "I can say and commit to the most stupid thing possible concerning any given subject matter, and now I understand it and have revealed the actual truth about it." Populism seems to have embraced the idea that through ignorance we as a community can now understand intellectual concepts and ideas, frame the issues we relate to, and form actions that serve our interests. The exercising of ignorance reveals all "truth."
For instance, Bill O'Reilly, who was for many years the greatest orator of modern-day populism and the philosophy it espoused, stated the most ignorant and just plain stupid thing that I have ever heard about white privilege when he stated unequivocally on the air one night: "We at the O'Reilly Factor do not believe in white privilege. There is no such thing as white privilege." In stating that, he expressed the most ignorant thing I have ever heard on the subject. That one statement expressed a complete lack of truly understanding what privilege is.
Discerning the content in O'Reilly's statement — discernment, a concept espoused by MLK, amounts to applying true understanding as one processes the stimuli in his/her environment — O'Reilly actually spent his white privilege, proving it does exist in taking the position that it doesn't exist.
How can you not believe in something you just spent, something you just exercised? He has the privilege to not believe in his privilege. He does not suffer the consequences of his privilege as blacks and other minorities do. They can't escape the fact that every day is about white people and society favors their unique interests as a way of life.
O'Reilly does not suffer from the microaggressions that are born from privilege. Microaggressions are ways of disrespecting or minimizing blacks/non-white people's legitimate interests and diminishing their unique perspectives. It can be sometimes as though white people are calling blacks the word "ni—er" without saying the word and getting away with it. It can be perceived by blacks and non-white people as white people being racist — even though whites exercising microaggressions don't intend racism in the form of name calling or segregation.
The Proof of Privilege Is Not Noticing It
White people and O'Reilly, in enjoying privilege, are oblivious to the consequences of their privilege — the suffering that minorities experience and the very real pain that results. Not appreciating that blacks and minorities suffer from white people having privilege is the proof of it existing. Lack of understanding is a consequence of the one enjoying privilege.
Modern-day populism exercises this lack of understanding, this ignorance, as a philosophical position and embraces exercising anything in respect of it as their rally point, moment of pride in them, and philosophical standard to base all political thought upon.
A Calling
Can I leave you with this: White privilege is very real. Let me call you to identify it, repent of it, and in being white, please become an authority on how to identify it and forsake it. Jesus' ministry was the epitome of one living without privilege. Teach others about it and how to forsake it. Become a better person and invest in the community that it can continue to advance and become more like heaven on earth.
If you feel like saying, "White lives matter," and "I hate that black lives matter shit" every time you hear "black lives matter," I ask you to resist doing so. That is a microaggression. You are effectively saying, "Ni—er, ni—er, ni—er. I hate that ni—er shit." You are motivated to assert that white lives matter too because you find your white privilege threatened.
Please consider this understanding: In white privilege, every day is about white people. You are so spoiled on white privilege that you find it a threat and injustice to you that blacks ask for attention and appreciation for themselves. That is the consequence of privilege to a "T." If you can understand that, you are beginning to understand privilege.