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The expression has a deeply racist origin, not unrelated to the "White Man's Burden". It dates from the the time when Britain ruled approximately one third of the land mass of the Earth and a few hundred young, white Colonial administrators held sway over the daily lives of millions of brown-, black- and yellow-skinned people all across the globe. This was the time when Cecil Rhodes (after whom Rhodesia was named, later Zimbabwe) gave a pep talk to these young chaps as they prepared to take the benefits of (British) civilization to the far-flung corners of the world, saying "Remember, you have won first prize in the lottery of life - you are Englishmen!"
The expression was based on a presumption that white men, and only white men, could be relied upon to "do the right thing", i.e. make morally sound choices in difficult situations and it was an exhortation to do the right - rather than the easy or the self-interested - thing, hence "Act the white man!"
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caniputmyballlsinyojaws
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