The Black Hole
 

From The Economist . I found this to be a very good piece. It doesn't give any answers or solutions, but it raises questions that most consider impolite or un-PC to address.

I especially like the last little bit where the writer wishes for more blacks to join the Republican party.

Speaking of affirmative action, the article states: 'it has allowed whites—often unfairly—to cast aspersions on the achievements of blacks who have earned success purely on merit and talent."

I agree with this. I have never cared for EEO precisely for that reason. When I was a young woman, I was admitted to a field of study in graduate school for one of the physical sciences. There was always the innuendo present that a woman in the department - be she a full professor or a lowly grad student assistant - was merely there to fill some quota and not on the basis of merit. I think job applications should be screened by social security number, grades, test scores, and relevant experience. The top three applications would then get a name attached to them - not before. This would go a long way to ensure equal, merit based treatment.

The article goes on to say, "Put bluntly, although most American blacks are doing better, too many are doing badly. One black American man in three ends up in jail. The proportion of black children born outside wedlock has risen from a quarter in the 1960s (then considered an outrage) to two-thirds. Indeed, blacks score disproportionately badly in virtually everything to do with crime, education and family structure.

It is hard to blame all this on white racism. For instance, although blacks are still paid less on average than whites, some studies have found that blacks are paid as much as or even more than whites with the same educational qualifications." (emphasis my own)

This goes back to my standard complaint: While all men in this country may be created equal, they are not given an equal education, and education is crucial. The Economist even admits that Republicans need to let go of some funding in favor of schools in poorer neighborhoods, but I see no evidence of such a sea change in Republican mentality. Until the Republican Party is committed to giving ALL Americans an equal start in life, I see no reason why black Americans or anyone else, for that matter, should hasten to join it.

I was glad when Clarence Thomas spoke out against affirmitive action. Of course most blacks and Democrats didn't care for it.

thats false advertising. i thought i was going to have a well educated discussion about singularities and time-space manipulation but instead i get a discussion about some crap that could be solved if no one gave a crap about anything.

What doesn't fit into that category?

I just want to say that it was totally unrealistic for V.I.N.Cent to have been able to take out Maximillian.

Is that racist?

Depends on whose coming home for dinner. That's what I like about this place - the penchant for strange attractors :love: