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June 28, 2023 - 10:00am
As the Supreme Court moves towards its expected affirmative action ruling, a backlash among supporters of racial quotas is already brewing. One magazine, The Nation, suggests that the lawyer pleading the case for Asian American students is serving the cause of “white supremacy”, while top college presidents, interviewed on PBS, predict that any move to curb race quotas would constitute a “disaster.” Some schools are going a step further by exploring how to get around the potential new law — just as corporations, always keen to please the chattering classes, do the same thing.
Affirmative action is not a winning issue for progressives. Indeed, a majority of both Democrats and Republicans, as well as roughly half of African Americans, say that colleges should not factor race and ethnicity into the admissions process. Asian Americans are even more hostile to the idea: one recent national poll found that four in 10 of the group saw affirmative action as “racist” and more than half welcomed a Supreme Court ruling outlawing it.
The fundamental flaw with affirmative action is that it directly contradicts what the Swedish sociologist Gunnar Myrdal defined as “the American creed” — a notion, too often ignored, embracing equal opportunity for all its citizens. But where the early goals of the Civil Rights movement backed this ideal, the new affirmative action regime embraces race-based discrimination as an unadulterated good.
This approach has led to a rise in discriminatory policies against Asian Americans, now the country’s fastest-growing minority. Nowhere is this more evident than via the “Asian penalty” that comes into effect when applying for college: according to research from Princeton University, students who identify as Asian must score 140 points higher on the SAT than white Americans and 450 points higher than black Americans to have the same chance of admission to private colleges.
Like Jewish people before them, Asian Americans have benefited from the end of racial discrimination and the consequent rise of meritocracy. They have the highest per-capita income, lowest per-capita crime rates and highest rates of college education in the US. But instead of praising this group for transcending racism, affirmative action advocates prefer to attack them. They are now, it appears, the beneficiaries of “white privilege”, and dismissed as “white-adjacent”.
If the court rules in favour of Asian American students, don’t expect the Biden administration to embrace the decision. Racialism, along with climate change catastrophism, defines the current White House. The real focus, however, should not be on improving the lives of one racial group ahead of another but instead on helping those most in need. Ethnic minorities now constitute over 40% of the US working class and will soon be the majority by 2032. Their economic needs should be prioritised by creating better jobs, improving skills training and reducing crime. That will accomplish far more than helping the slim number of the more well-off minorities getting into the corporate suite or the great halls of Harvard.
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SubscribeIf you have an intellectual test to discriminate in favour of the intelligent and hard-working why would you want to add a racial test? Is that not racist? Why not an ugly test to discriminate in favour of the ugly who are otherwise disadvantaged in life?
Not to discriminate on the grounds of race would appear to favour Asian Americans who seem to be disproportionately hard-working and intelligent. Are the woke against Asian American supremacy? Not the right sort of minority? Would it not be more productive for the woke to encourage blacks and Latinos to adopt Asian American habits to improve their lot in life?
Should Democrats not celebrate Clarence Thomas, who is black and has always argued against affirmative action, at last being on the majority side of the Supreme Court – assuming this is the outcome?
Not the right sort of minority?
Exactly that. Asians are ‘white adjacent’.
They are also hard working and intelligent. If university admissions were exclusively based on the highest exam results then I bet the vast majority of students admitted would be Asian.
There seems to be too great a concern about the fragility of black self-esteem so an explanation for underachievement must be found.
Anyway, the issue of racial affirmative action and its consequences has been thoroughly explored by John McWhorter in his two books on the subject: Losing the Race: Self-sabotage in Black America and Winning the Race: Beyond the crisis in Black America.
A telling observation McWhorter makes regarding many of his black students (he is a professor of linguistics) is of a dismissive attitude to subjects, knowledge and teaching deemed to be ‘White’. He describes Black peer pressure not to ‘act White’.
Ironically Thomas Sowell has suggested they are acting “white” just that it is the loser ‘cracker’ culture of the US southern states rather than the successful white culture of the northern states.
Very interesting comments by Sowell on the Cracker culture. He says it is due to immigration largely from Protestants of Northern Ireland and Scotland of the late 17th century before the intellectual developments of the late 17th century and early 18 th century – Newton, Wren, Hooke, Milton etc, had become influential. in particular the white settlers were not influenced by the self improvement which created the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions. Jacob Bronowski said Britain’s Enlightenment were the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions.
I would suggest the Cracker Culture is in spirit very similar to the Reiver Culture of the English and Scottish border which lasted until the early 18th century.
Border reivers – Wikipedia
Why use the pejorative ‘Cracker Culture’ – you wouldn’t do that for other cultures would you? Blacks in my daughters’ private NY private school used the expression to slur their classmates.
Why use the pejorative ‘Cracker Culture’ – you wouldn’t do that for other cultures would you? Blacks in my daughters’ private NY private school used the expression to slur their classmates.
Very interesting comments by Sowell on the Cracker culture. He says it is due to immigration largely from Protestants of Northern Ireland and Scotland of the late 17th century before the intellectual developments of the late 17th century and early 18 th century – Newton, Wren, Hooke, Milton etc, had become influential. in particular the white settlers were not influenced by the self improvement which created the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions. Jacob Bronowski said Britain’s Enlightenment were the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions.
I would suggest the Cracker Culture is in spirit very similar to the Reiver Culture of the English and Scottish border which lasted until the early 18th century.
Border reivers – Wikipedia
There’s far too great a concern about the fragility of many minority groups, the most recent being gender-nonconforming. (Apparently, if you call a trans person by the name or sex of their birth, they crumble.) It’s tiresome.
Look: Our parents had sex and we’re here, through no fault of our own. Life is often hard. Many of us are confused and tired, dealing with difficulties others can’t see and just trying to go forward, day to day. No one else owes us anything. Can we just get on with it?
Your so right Cate we all need to get on with it. The gender- nonconforming seem to think they should be treated as special. I decide who I treat as special and they don’t get a look in.
they and their supporters are particularly insidious as they attack the employment and personal safety of any one they don’t like.
Fortunitely I don’t have to take any shit from them. And recommend no one else does.
Your so right Cate we all need to get on with it. The gender- nonconforming seem to think they should be treated as special. I decide who I treat as special and they don’t get a look in.
they and their supporters are particularly insidious as they attack the employment and personal safety of any one they don’t like.
Fortunitely I don’t have to take any shit from them. And recommend no one else does.
Ironically Thomas Sowell has suggested they are acting “white” just that it is the loser ‘cracker’ culture of the US southern states rather than the successful white culture of the northern states.
There’s far too great a concern about the fragility of many minority groups, the most recent being gender-nonconforming. (Apparently, if you call a trans person by the name or sex of their birth, they crumble.) It’s tiresome.
Look: Our parents had sex and we’re here, through no fault of our own. Life is often hard. Many of us are confused and tired, dealing with difficulties others can’t see and just trying to go forward, day to day. No one else owes us anything. Can we just get on with it?
You hit the nail on the head with your “ugly” comment. If you really want to redress privilege, this is exactly what you should do.
The economic benefits of being physically attractive (“beauty privilege”) dwarf “white privilege” or “man privilege” or “straight privilege” by an order of magnitude at least.
Of course, this whole issue isn’t about redressing any of those privileges at all. It’s about further entrenching the privilege that dwarfs all of them: class.
Except class is not an innate characteristic. People regularly shift their own class identity and people’s children even more frequently end up in a different class to their parents’ original class. Of course equally many will continue to identify with a class that from all outward appearances they no longer belong to. Class is not like cast but is mutable.
I would suggest it is grace. Someone who is physically graceful, speak gracefully, moves gracefully, is cheerful and has an accomplished skill which makes them sought after. These people shine or as the Greeks said they have Charismos for men and Charisma for women. Rosamund Pike would be a good example, especially where she explains the effort it took to master an American accent.
What makes people shine is often their self deprecating humour.
Except class is not an innate characteristic. People regularly shift their own class identity and people’s children even more frequently end up in a different class to their parents’ original class. Of course equally many will continue to identify with a class that from all outward appearances they no longer belong to. Class is not like cast but is mutable.
I would suggest it is grace. Someone who is physically graceful, speak gracefully, moves gracefully, is cheerful and has an accomplished skill which makes them sought after. These people shine or as the Greeks said they have Charismos for men and Charisma for women. Rosamund Pike would be a good example, especially where she explains the effort it took to master an American accent.
What makes people shine is often their self deprecating humour.
Oh, they never let objectivity get in the way of their narrative.
Not the right sort of minority?
Exactly that. Asians are ‘white adjacent’.
They are also hard working and intelligent. If university admissions were exclusively based on the highest exam results then I bet the vast majority of students admitted would be Asian.
There seems to be too great a concern about the fragility of black self-esteem so an explanation for underachievement must be found.
Anyway, the issue of racial affirmative action and its consequences has been thoroughly explored by John McWhorter in his two books on the subject: Losing the Race: Self-sabotage in Black America and Winning the Race: Beyond the crisis in Black America.
A telling observation McWhorter makes regarding many of his black students (he is a professor of linguistics) is of a dismissive attitude to subjects, knowledge and teaching deemed to be ‘White’. He describes Black peer pressure not to ‘act White’.
You hit the nail on the head with your “ugly” comment. If you really want to redress privilege, this is exactly what you should do.
The economic benefits of being physically attractive (“beauty privilege”) dwarf “white privilege” or “man privilege” or “straight privilege” by an order of magnitude at least.
Of course, this whole issue isn’t about redressing any of those privileges at all. It’s about further entrenching the privilege that dwarfs all of them: class.
Oh, they never let objectivity get in the way of their narrative.
If you have an intellectual test to discriminate in favour of the intelligent and hard-working why would you want to add a racial test? Is that not racist? Why not an ugly test to discriminate in favour of the ugly who are otherwise disadvantaged in life?
Not to discriminate on the grounds of race would appear to favour Asian Americans who seem to be disproportionately hard-working and intelligent. Are the woke against Asian American supremacy? Not the right sort of minority? Would it not be more productive for the woke to encourage blacks and Latinos to adopt Asian American habits to improve their lot in life?
Should Democrats not celebrate Clarence Thomas, who is black and has always argued against affirmative action, at last being on the majority side of the Supreme Court – assuming this is the outcome?
“instead of praising this group for transcending racism, affirmative action advocates prefer to attack them”
Of course they do. The success of Asian-Americans disproves the whole idea that white supremacy is somehow keeping down everyone but white people, and show that personal qualities such as hard work and intelligence are really what dictate how much you achieve. When you find yourself arguing that Asian-Americans are doing so well because of white supremacy, it’s time to take a good hard look at what you’re doing with your life.
Indeed.
A rather informative webpage, especially when taking a peek at “Appalachian Americans” and in consideration of cultural differences and their impact upon life success.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ethnic_groups_in_the_United_States_by_household_income
Indeed.
A rather informative webpage, especially when taking a peek at “Appalachian Americans” and in consideration of cultural differences and their impact upon life success.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ethnic_groups_in_the_United_States_by_household_income
“instead of praising this group for transcending racism, affirmative action advocates prefer to attack them”
Of course they do. The success of Asian-Americans disproves the whole idea that white supremacy is somehow keeping down everyone but white people, and show that personal qualities such as hard work and intelligence are really what dictate how much you achieve. When you find yourself arguing that Asian-Americans are doing so well because of white supremacy, it’s time to take a good hard look at what you’re doing with your life.
However impassioned the arguments are for affirmative action, or an evening up of the scales, they cannot get past some inescapable truths.
Any and all “positive discrimination” for one group requires actual discrimination against another.
Applying artificial quotas in any sector – to try and correct perceived imbalances – almost always leads to resentment from those who feel that not everybody is being rewarded on merit and, rather than healing divisions, it actually exacerbates them.
Equality of Opportunity is a laudable goal and should be argued for and worked towards by all right thinking people.
Equality of Outcome is impossible, unworkable and requires inequity against one party to achieve “equality” for the other. This should be argued against by all right thinking people.
This reminds me of a quote from Alex Kaschuta, speaking at the recent National Conservative conference in London:
“Of course, only the Right will be blamed for the failures of equality because equality is the territory and beating heart of the value system of the Left. They define it and have used it to gain immense power.
That’s why decades of efforts by right-wing politicians of every stripe to insist that equality of opportunity, not equality of outcome, should be our goal have had zero results. This is because, in reality, in our present framing, with equality as the cardinal value, the only test for the state having actually provided equality of opportunity is equality of outcome. Only equality of outcome has clear measures in reality, you know when you have it.
Any difference between the two will be branded as the result of bigotry and will fuel the fires of left-wing power. So, if after a few generations, your policies toward ensuring equality of opportunity fail to manifest into equality of outcome for a protected class, what do you get? Well, you get what we have, the eternal ratchet of equity.”
There is nothing wrong with ‘Equality’ per se, but the issue is really about who controls the Narrative surrounding it.
This reminds me of a quote from Alex Kaschuta, speaking at the recent National Conservative conference in London:
“Of course, only the Right will be blamed for the failures of equality because equality is the territory and beating heart of the value system of the Left. They define it and have used it to gain immense power.
That’s why decades of efforts by right-wing politicians of every stripe to insist that equality of opportunity, not equality of outcome, should be our goal have had zero results. This is because, in reality, in our present framing, with equality as the cardinal value, the only test for the state having actually provided equality of opportunity is equality of outcome. Only equality of outcome has clear measures in reality, you know when you have it.
Any difference between the two will be branded as the result of bigotry and will fuel the fires of left-wing power. So, if after a few generations, your policies toward ensuring equality of opportunity fail to manifest into equality of outcome for a protected class, what do you get? Well, you get what we have, the eternal ratchet of equity.”
There is nothing wrong with ‘Equality’ per se, but the issue is really about who controls the Narrative surrounding it.
However impassioned the arguments are for affirmative action, or an evening up of the scales, they cannot get past some inescapable truths.
Any and all “positive discrimination” for one group requires actual discrimination against another.
Applying artificial quotas in any sector – to try and correct perceived imbalances – almost always leads to resentment from those who feel that not everybody is being rewarded on merit and, rather than healing divisions, it actually exacerbates them.
Equality of Opportunity is a laudable goal and should be argued for and worked towards by all right thinking people.
Equality of Outcome is impossible, unworkable and requires inequity against one party to achieve “equality” for the other. This should be argued against by all right thinking people.
The whole DEI agenda is undermined by racial groups that react to discrimination by refusing to play the victim and going on to lead highly successful lives.
The whole DEI agenda is undermined by racial groups that react to discrimination by refusing to play the victim and going on to lead highly successful lives.
There has been affirmative action in America for 50 years.
It hasn’t worked. There must be a reason why.
Depends on how you define “worked”. I would say it has worked out fine for plenty of people
So the lives of Black people are much better now than they ever were.
So why are there still complaints, when affirmative action has worked out fine?
So the lives of Black people are much better now than they ever were.
So why are there still complaints, when affirmative action has worked out fine?
Accomplishment requires focus, persistence and hard work, values inculcated through the family. Regardless of race, if parents are neglectful, disinterested, ignorant or just plain dumb, their children will not do as well as parents who are more attentive. It’s that simple.
Depends on how you define “worked”. I would say it has worked out fine for plenty of people
Accomplishment requires focus, persistence and hard work, values inculcated through the family. Regardless of race, if parents are neglectful, disinterested, ignorant or just plain dumb, their children will not do as well as parents who are more attentive. It’s that simple.
There has been affirmative action in America for 50 years.
It hasn’t worked. There must be a reason why.
By their own admission the Blacks confirm that education, hard work, avoidance of crime and stable families are ‘whiteness’, which is why I’m a white supremacist. Funny tho, by that metric it’s the Asians who are the ‘whitest’.
By their own admission the Blacks confirm that education, hard work, avoidance of crime and stable families are ‘whiteness’, which is why I’m a white supremacist. Funny tho, by that metric it’s the Asians who are the ‘whitest’.
Both white male college president referenced in this article don’t feel a need to quit their jobs so a black or hispanic person, or a woman get hired in their place.
But, they insist to curtail opportunities of other white men so a black person, hispanic person or a woman can be hired.
I see this with my affirmative action and DEI supporting, upper middle class friends in America all the time.
Nobody is quitting their job so a minority can be hired, or pulling their white kids from good schools so a black child can be admitted instead. But, they surely vote and advocate for this so other white people, in particular straight, white men are denied opportunities.
Hypocrisy.
Both white male college president referenced in this article don’t feel a need to quit their jobs so a black or hispanic person, or a woman get hired in their place.
But, they insist to curtail opportunities of other white men so a black person, hispanic person or a woman can be hired.
I see this with my affirmative action and DEI supporting, upper middle class friends in America all the time.
Nobody is quitting their job so a minority can be hired, or pulling their white kids from good schools so a black child can be admitted instead. But, they surely vote and advocate for this so other white people, in particular straight, white men are denied opportunities.
Hypocrisy.
The root issue of meritocracy controlling advancement in the Western world is a measurement of how well the participants conforms to Western culture. Many Asian, Jewish and Catholic families embrace the Protestant ethic that formulated the success of the American experiment. Some families had their culture damaged by enslavement either here or in other locations. Some families simply come from different cultural backgrounds.
There is a movement among the radical left to declare the Western Culture as illegitimate with the label of White Supremacy. The success of Western Culture is difficult to challenge even when the slur of imperialism is applied. Human history is loaded with examples of advancing cultures aggressively wiping out the previous culture (Middle East: Greek, then Roman, then Muslim, then Western with others along the way).
The very laxity of the modern American experiment in not strictly suppressing alternate cultures distinguishes it. Affirmative action is a flawed racial hammer approach to acknowledge the cultural melting pot nature of America. Allowing race instead of culture to steer the future distorts opportunity and may lead to our decline.
Could we please dump the long outdated “Protestant work ethic” tripe? Catholic areas were the industrial and commercial powerhouses of Europe until coal and iron became important in the Industrial age.
Arthur- I apologize for that specific reference. I was trying to identify the Western Culture beyond just saying ‘Western Culture’.
Arthur- I apologize for that specific reference. I was trying to identify the Western Culture beyond just saying ‘Western Culture’.
Could we please dump the long outdated “Protestant work ethic” tripe? Catholic areas were the industrial and commercial powerhouses of Europe until coal and iron became important in the Industrial age.
The root issue of meritocracy controlling advancement in the Western world is a measurement of how well the participants conforms to Western culture. Many Asian, Jewish and Catholic families embrace the Protestant ethic that formulated the success of the American experiment. Some families had their culture damaged by enslavement either here or in other locations. Some families simply come from different cultural backgrounds.
There is a movement among the radical left to declare the Western Culture as illegitimate with the label of White Supremacy. The success of Western Culture is difficult to challenge even when the slur of imperialism is applied. Human history is loaded with examples of advancing cultures aggressively wiping out the previous culture (Middle East: Greek, then Roman, then Muslim, then Western with others along the way).
The very laxity of the modern American experiment in not strictly suppressing alternate cultures distinguishes it. Affirmative action is a flawed racial hammer approach to acknowledge the cultural melting pot nature of America. Allowing race instead of culture to steer the future distorts opportunity and may lead to our decline.
I don’t think what the Court decides will matter. The idea of racial preferences is so ingrained into our elite culture that universities, the armed forces, and the corporate world will continue to undermine their missions by worshipping at the shrine of Diversity.
I don’t think what the Court decides will matter. The idea of racial preferences is so ingrained into our elite culture that universities, the armed forces, and the corporate world will continue to undermine their missions by worshipping at the shrine of Diversity.
Admission preferences given by Harvard to “ALDCs” — athletes, legacies, dean’s (donors) list and children of faculty and staff function as a form of affirmative action for the already privileged. I hear no one moaning about it. Jobs for the boys!
Really? Even as a non-US based individual I manage to pick up plenty of moans about it.
Really? Even as a non-US based individual I manage to pick up plenty of moans about it.
Admission preferences given by Harvard to “ALDCs” — athletes, legacies, dean’s (donors) list and children of faculty and staff function as a form of affirmative action for the already privileged. I hear no one moaning about it. Jobs for the boys!
We need to take care of those blacks, and help them do better. Said an American Democrat, once upon a time.
Should we consider affirmative action to help the “grifters” as well ?
I have a very strong suspicion, and I think that a lot of democrats and black democrats in particular are starting to catch onto it, that as the country becomes less white and more majority minority, that is NOT going to translate into more support for black democrat policies.
In fact, I think we are going to see the black minority become increasingly isolated from the rest of the country. Their agenda generally does not align with, and is in fact often in conflict with, those of the other minorities and whites.
The go to answer for black activists for every problem in the black community has been “White supremacy” . That gets harder and harder to sell as the country becomes less and less white. Further, when they talk about righting “historical racism”, the further we get from the Jim Crow years, as those generations die off, it is going to cause more and more people to just roll their eyes and tell the younger generations to “get over it” and it will not be white people saying that, it will be asians, new migrants from Africa and Latinos.
Author “really* ought to present evidence better.
Take this passage:
“… roughly half of African Americans, say that colleges should not factor race and ethnicity into the admissions process. Asian Americans are even *more hostile* to the idea: one recent national poll found that four in 10 of the group saw affirmative action as “racist” and more than half welcomed a Supreme Court ruling outlawing it. ”
The links provided for the Asian community are dated 2017 (updated from 2014) and the other one, the “recent” poll, is dated 2022.
Furthermore the writing is lazy and confusing as first it is said that half of black people are against race coming into admission; than that Asian Americans are even more hostile because 4 in 10 think it is racist.
I am not a genius, but 50% seems more than 4 in 10.
Well, so much for the number-crunching. Now, tell us where you stand on the issue of racial affirmative action.
There are two different categories: One can oppose AA without thinking it is a “racist” policy. But, presumably, all those who believe it is racist are opposed to it as well.
In other words, not every member of the majority rejecting AA also believes (or rejects it because) it is a “racist” policy
Absolutely, still lazy writing, though.
Any comments on the subject matter would be welcomed ….
Any comments on the subject matter would be welcomed ….
Absolutely, still lazy writing, though.
Well, so much for the number-crunching. Now, tell us where you stand on the issue of racial affirmative action.
There are two different categories: One can oppose AA without thinking it is a “racist” policy. But, presumably, all those who believe it is racist are opposed to it as well.
In other words, not every member of the majority rejecting AA also believes (or rejects it because) it is a “racist” policy
Author “really* ought to present evidence better.
Take this passage:
“… roughly half of African Americans, say that colleges should not factor race and ethnicity into the admissions process. Asian Americans are even *more hostile* to the idea: one recent national poll found that four in 10 of the group saw affirmative action as “racist” and more than half welcomed a Supreme Court ruling outlawing it. ”
The links provided for the Asian community are dated 2017 (updated from 2014) and the other one, the “recent” poll, is dated 2022.
Furthermore the writing is lazy and confusing as first it is said that half of black people are against race coming into admission; than that Asian Americans are even more hostile because 4 in 10 think it is racist.
I am not a genius, but 50% seems more than 4 in 10.