Senate "Race" Relations (was "U.S. Society and Black Men")

Do you mean the Elizabeth Warren discussion or the admissions one? Either way I'd like your opinion, whatever it is.

 

Yes, they take that up in the transcript I quoted from. I should probably had mentioned those facts in my post

 

Sure, but I think the issue you're describing more stems from French paternal socialism not working in practice than American universities implementing quotes because if they rely on actual meritocracy there will be a conspicuously monochromatic look to their universities.

Thought of course the Frenchness of America probably also explains the similarities in paternalistic thinking...

 

1. Quota systems are illegal in US higher education

2. What do you mean actual meritocracy? Again, secondary school performance isn't really predictive of anything. So how is it justifiable to use as a metric?

 

I mean, Wocky, that the whole "meritocracy" argument (if you ignore its facile roots) is that the best candidates will get there by virtual of their inherent ability shining through and qualifying them on that alone, etc etc. But that defence always is used to excuse away notable absences of diversity.

 

Meritocracy actually used to work decently here. Half a century ago, only roughly 40% of working adults left the educational system to join the same social category as their parents. Funnily enough, after half a century of promoting equality of chances and then diversity on top, over 70% of adults in age to work leave the educational system to join the same category as their parents - we dropped to the very last rank in OECD in that respect. In the name of equality and diversity.

Don't get too attached to notions pushed forward by politicians. By definition, they are insincere. "Diversity" is no exception.

You actually want to make things fairer? Look at how you can make things work better for someone different on your level, no matter what that difference is. You'll always find someone to help if you look.

 

You don't think there are any other changes in the global or national economy that might be more explanatory of decreasing class mobility than frankly pretty meager efforts at diversity and inclusion?

It's very easy to observe that policies are implemented in a somewhat cynical or self-serving way. That is in someway a natural limitation of politics, and we see it in even the most beneficent policies. I'd challenge you to take a step back and think instead about whether and how policies can be helpful in spite of them.

 

I'm sorry, but I'll have to say I actually chuckled about the challenge to take a step back. I'm a person who needs to make an active effort at restricting the perimeter in which they discuss an issue - my thought process includes all sorts of parallels and strays in a lot of directions. I'd never get around to posting a reply if I included my entire thoughts on any issue, assuming I could get around to expressing them in an understandable fashion in the first place.

But yes, I do accept that policies undertaken with a presentation of equality of chances and/or favoring diversity can be helpful. It's a self-evident notion, just as the one they can be not helpful, which is where I tend to lay my own challenges - break out of the mold, look from all possible angles.

And I was pointing out educational policies undertaken with a presentation of equality of chances and of promoting diversity as the primary culprit in this particular issue with full understanding that they are not the only contributing factor - there's never just one. But once again, if I start going into detail, there's never going to be a post.

 

No one ever seems to complain about affirmative action that benefits gender. There are significant numbers of elite and well-ranked universities in the US that have higher acceptance rates for men than for women. The justification is getting roughly equal numbers of men and women in a given class. If meritocracy were the central concern then men would be a minority on many campuses.

 

Well, men are a minority here in many schools, branches and professions, absent affirmative action in their favor. I'm not sure why that would be a problem.

 

The Warren discussion. I was sick yesterday, so I was in kind of a bad mood when I made that post and just didn't feel like typing up a long thing. Maybe I will this evening.

 

Thoughts on Apartment Patty? I really don't know if it was racially motivated or not. Clearly she harassed him, but I don't know if it's because she is racist or because she's a terrible bastard. This is her defence.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/apa...ering-building-defends-actions-164738743.html

Really, I don't know why she didn't just step outside, close the door and then she'd know if he should have had access.

 

She's a racist ***hole.

 

The totality of the circumstances matter: he used his keys to enter his apartment, and then she called the police.

 

This bull**** again...

White woman calls cops on black kids holding anti-violence march: 'It's like a riot out here'

A white woman in Charleston, S.C. has been dubbed “Gas Station Gail” on social media after calling 911 on a group of black children holding an anti-violence march.

A now-viral Facebook video shows the woman making the call while a group of children and their parents stand nearby wearing “Guns Down Chuck Town” T-shirts and holding anti-violence signs and flyers.

 

She literally told the dispather that she didn't know if the protestors had guns.

The protesters that were protesting gun violence.

 

Maybe she thought it was a rally for gun violence. It's a tricky one.

 

Black people in a group freak white women the **** out.

 

Are we surprised about racists in the Carolinas? Having been to neither, their reputation is as one of the racist states...

 

South Carolina is worse than NC, but yeah.... they're both pretty bad.

 

The assumption you're complicit in racism is the actual worst. I don't have much of a poker face for it it seems, because someone will make a joke and I'll kind of give them a look and they're backpedalling hard via an "ah only kidding champ" but in my head:

 

ugh, yes...have had this happen to me before. makes me really sick.

Will be really interested to hear your perspective if/when you feel like typing it up, Rogue