While growing up, Mom used to laugh at us for working harder to get out of doing something or laboring more diligently while procrastinating before doing something than it would actually take to actually do the task. That was early victimhood practice. Mom's remedy? "I'll give you something to really cry about!" Lesson learned. (For the most part, anyway!)
LOL! This is hilarious, Doctor!
I'm a victim because I'm not included in the list of victims, because I'm a caucasion male.
I'm held back by the "man"...I mean, the "woman".
Since I'm a white male, I'm relegated to servitude and appeasement.
I'm not worthy, I'm not worthy...:^)
Excellent post!
You have uncovered the important nexus between the undeserving rich and the deserving poor!
One more point, in case you didn't mention it: victim status can never be revoked, because misery perpetually rises to the means available to alleviate it.
You have described the beating heart of the vampire.
A pithy definition of victimhood: "The pleasure of participating in your own subjugation."
You neglected to post a sign up sheet.
Of course, you might not have unlimited bandwidth.
Sorry, there's already an "Idiot's Guide to Victimhood." It's called the Democratic Platform.
The palestinians have just made victimhood even more profitable--sadly with OUR tax dollars they are paying the families of those poor suicide bombers. They really have it down to an art form.
Great, insightful post - and RIGHT ON in describing victimhood.
By the way, Gagdad Bob - you are right!
Just imagine the possibilities if you were a black, gay, female, muslim, prisoner who is from Iran! The highest possible moral authority for the Left.
Absolutely hilarious! This needs to be posted in our breakroom at work. You must be a terrific therapist.
I have GOT to find a way to become a bigger victim, screw this work crap.
If you want to see a description of Bianca in action, check out P.J. O'Rourke's "Give War A Chance", specifically, the piece on the elections in Nicaragua. That whole piece (along with the one on Paraguay) are perfect intros to O'Rourke. It also says a lot about Carter, and even gives a snapshot to see just how much worse he's gotten in the last 15 years. I think we have to take the advice from Chris Wallace re: his father and apply it to Carter, too:
"He's lost it. The man has lost it. What can I say," the younger Wallace lamented to WRKO Boston radio host Howie Carr on Friday.
"He's 87-years old and things have set in," the Fox anchor continued. "I mean, we're going to have a competence hearing pretty soon."
Wallace Jr. quickly dispelled any notion that he was joking.
> I have GOT to find a way to become a bigger victim, screw this work crap.
"I either want less corruption, or more chances to participate."
- Ashleigh Brilliant -
Better yet,
"My life so far has been a long series of things I wasn't ready for."
- Ashleigh Brilliant -
(The obvious consideration is: "So how did you respond to these challenges?"
> and entitled to what we will refer to as the Platinum Club victimhood membership rewards.
We are pretty sure that it *does* include the opportunity to visit one of America's fine adult nude entertainment centers at taxpayer expense.
Excellent. It's like the 'antiwar' crowd, whose moral preening imagines that everyone else is slavering with bloodlust
Dr. Sanity, I commend your insightful analysis, yet I find that you neglect some of the essential nuances to achieving victimhood.
In the developed world, one immediately surrenders one's status as a victim by in any way alligning him or herself with any political persuasion of "The Right," for this trumps any questions of race, gender, or sexual orientation. For example, regarding the black running as a candidate for Senate in Maryland, racial epithets become entirely appropriate. Pim Fortuyn, although unapologetically gay, was in no respect a victim (even when he got shot).
Nevertheless, race trumps what may or may not have actually happened to you. A wealthy black child is more of a victim than a poor white child of an alcoholic father (unless, of course, the white is a Democrat and the black a Republican).
In the less developed world, dictators need only oppose the US to attain victimhood, however rich and powerful they may be. However, the moment they allign themselves with America, they then become oppressors.
The status of the populaces of these nations can attain victimhood only if their leaders act appropriately. The Turkish Kurds have always been victims, for their government belongs to NATO. Iraqi Kurds ceased to be victims the moment Iraq invaded Kuwait.
Furthermore, categorizations that apply in the developed world do not in nations that oppose American oppression. These folks can only be victims if the Americans make no effort to liberate them.
For example, when the US paid the Taliban no mind, their women were victims. The moment we declared war, they moved into the new status of "Victims But..." Since their victimhood was undeniable in many regards, it then becomes necessary to claim that the awful oppression of womyn here in America gives us no right to judge.
Fortunately, this is not often an issue we have to confront. Despite the oppression of homosexuals in Cuba, nobody knows about it so we can continue to claim Castro as a victim and simply never talk about what he does to the gays in his country. If ever forced to confront this directly, we can simply deny our own moral authority by mentioning that although we don't lock gays away to die, they're not allowed to marry, so it's really all the same, hence, putting Cuban gays into the "Victims But..." category (if and only if we have to pretend they exist).
However, if Castro ever apologizes for his opposition to the US and becomes an ally, then we can attribute all Cuban practices of the last 45 years to the Bush administration.
Thank you for your post. If you think I wrote too much, please remember that I am a child of divorce and was raised under the poverty level so I can't help it.
> and a side benefit is that YOU CAN SUE THEM LATER if you don't like what they say
Proof.
To The Bunnies: I will go to the fallback position and remind everyone that this lists in this post are unhappily far from exhaustive. New paths to victimhood are being paved even as we speak. Oh the humanity!
hi doc!
this is OT but i'd like your feedback:
http://
astuteblogger.blogspot.co...ationality.html
Merry Christmas!
This is all good and well, but I think we need a practical guide to victimhood after we achieve that status.
What I'm REALLY looking for is how to turn a buck with my new-found victim status.
I was suprised to see Adult-ADD on that list. I thought that was supposed to be real?
Apache - It may be real, but since it is the new "in" diagnosis, lots of people suddenly seem to have it. And of course, all these people demand stimulants as a treatment. I am generally unmoved when successful people come to me stating they have Adult ADD and need to be on medication.
With regard to "in" diagnoses, it would appear that many people are actually suffering from Fake Disorder Syndrome - or FADS for short.
I'd also like to join reliapundit in a bit of shameless self-promotion, although this piece about victims and oppressors is on-topic:
http://www.randomnotes.co.uk/oth...other/
rules.htm
A musical version of this might be in order: “The Simple Joys of Victimhood” (to be sung to Lerner and Lowe's “The Simple Joys of Maidenhood”
.
Loved it. Thanks for the laughs.
How very very very TRUE
tHANX FOR THE CONFIRMATION OF AN INSIGHT
fROM A TIBETAN BUDDHISY
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(The following comment will not provide insight on the racist, sexist, heterosexist, classicist undertones of the article given that it will take to much space, besides I understand how upsetting it must be to have someone try to access your privileges. I will just comment on the idea of victimhood as a strategy)
Forgot one thing, victimhood takes away the agency of the forementioned victim, granting more power to those in a higher position in the social hierarchy. Victimhood as a tactic, for those who cannot access other means of power, has too many flaws but sometimes necessary for some.
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