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_sigh_ The common theme I see in all these happy HN contributors getting their panties in a twist over affirmative action is that transactions exist in America

by psd1 4y ago

_sigh_ The common theme I see in all these happy HN contributors getting their panties in a twist over affirmative action is that transactions exist in America that discriminate against white people: for a given promotion, a black person is advanced over a white person who is better qualified. It's like some idiot plugging away at debugging a single query timing out, while the cluster is down. Just take a step back. It's a really important intellectual ability. Are you a Grandmaster if you won all your matches starting with a material advantage? - attend school with class sizes of 60: start minus four pawns - limited role models in middle-class jobs: start minus a bishop - generational effects from iniquitous zoning laws: minus a rook Affirmative action is an attempt to give back the bishop. Other strategies are also needed. The theme I'm bristling at is, approximately, complaining that you lost a piece because your opponent was given a bishop.

cuteboy19 4y ago
If you think of AA as restitution, fine, that is a noble goal. Now the issue is that there are not two races. So what about the Asians? They are discriminated against both by actual racism AND affirmative action. In fact AA discriminates harder against Asians than whites. Mixed race Asian (white+Asian) are regularly recommended to report their race as white. Surely this is doubly unfair?
dijit 4y ago
I would be up for a points based system like you said. I had a really difficult childhood; fatherless, impoverished schools, welfare, surrounded by crime (heroin addiction, prostitution, violence), I was quiet and bookish so I got abuse from all angles. I had food most days and a home made of bricks so I had it better than most. But if you're going to assume my life is easier because I have a certain skin tone I'm going to be annoyed, because my life was decidedly not easy in the early stages and I only got my "leg up" by being willing to throw myself into extremely uncomfortable situations.
raxxorraxor 4y ago
So it is indeed racial discrimination in your opinion. I think DEI proponents fail to grasp the whole picture and miss how they are increasing racism. And that picture isn't even that large. Pretty important skill to have as you said too.
Manuel_D 4y ago
> Are you a Grandmaster if you won all your matches starting with a material advantage? The irony of saying this while advocating a practice that gives material advantage on the basis of race... I don't think people are irked by affirmative action on the basis of family income. It's policies that privilege someone of one race over another even with equal income, parental education, etc. that people are opposing. We're not giving chess pieces back to people with limited opportunity, we're giving extra pieces based on race.
slt2021 4y ago
why do you think that growing up in a full family is an advantage? by the same logic we should cut limbs off healthy people in the name of equity, just because disabled people have it worse.

by psd1 4y ago

cuteboy19 4y ago

If you think of AA as restitution, fine, that is a noble goal. Now the issue is that there are not two races. So what about the Asians? They are discriminated against both by actual racism AND affirmative action. In fact AA discriminates harder against Asians than whites. Mixed race Asian (white+Asian) are regularly recommended to report their race as white. Surely this is doubly unfair?

dijit 4y ago

I would be up for a points based system like you said. I had a really difficult childhood; fatherless, impoverished schools, welfare, surrounded by crime (heroin addiction, prostitution, violence), I was quiet and bookish so I got abuse from all angles. I had food most days and a home made of bricks so I had it better than most. But if you're going to assume my life is easier because I have a certain skin tone I'm going to be annoyed, because my life was decidedly not easy in the early stages and I only got my "leg up" by being willing to throw myself into extremely uncomfortable situations.

raxxorraxor 4y ago

So it is indeed racial discrimination in your opinion. I think DEI proponents fail to grasp the whole picture and miss how they are increasing racism. And that picture isn't even that large. Pretty important skill to have as you said too.

Manuel_D 4y ago

> Are you a Grandmaster if you won all your matches starting with a material advantage? The irony of saying this while advocating a practice that gives material advantage on the basis of race... I don't think people are irked by affirmative action on the basis of family income. It's policies that privilege someone of one race over another even with equal income, parental education, etc. that people are opposing. We're not giving chess pieces back to people with limited opportunity, we're giving extra pieces based on race.

slt2021 4y ago

why do you think that growing up in a full family is an advantage? by the same logic we should cut limbs off healthy people in the name of equity, just because disabled people have it worse.