eat my bootstraps

"i pulled myself up by my boostraps! you should too!"

the "boostraps" argument should be tossed in the dustbin of elitist bullshit as soon as possible. it assumes that 1) equal opportunity is a fact, not an ideal, 2) anyone can overcome anything, and 3) if you don't overcome anything and everything you have no one to blame but yourself because 1) equal opportunity is a fact, not an ideal.

see how nice that works out?

structural inequalities are the fact here. our society does not treat everyone equally. those who get ahead and those who don't are separated by an ocean of context and, if you want to get metaphysical about it, luck. discrimination is not just something mean or misguided individuals do to annoy people, it's a whole series of circumstances woven into the very fabric of our culture. whether we like it or not, the "civilized" world was built on the backs of people who never had a chance to pull themselves anywhere by anything. the only people who have the luxury of "pulling themseves up by the bootstraps" are people who are located in a privileged cultural position, or who can break into a privileged cultural position. that means not every american has access to that particular brand of american individualism. to assume they do is to ignore centuries of the tangible and damaging effects of racism, among other things.

the american ideal of "equality and justice for all" is a lovely concept. it's something we should aspire to achieve. but to assert that it EXISTS is, at best, extremely and insultingly naive.