Race-based Affirmative Action

[minionofmidas]

Yeah, I'm not advocating it... I just think that "equality of opportunity" was a cheap cold war rhetorical figure (of the centre-left mostly, but others too) that was never supposed to be taken TOO seriously and should be retired.

I'm not sure I know what you mean.  As I see it, you either support (a) discrimination of some type; (b) equality of opportunity; or (c) equality of outcomes.

Many liberals have effectively supported equality of outcomes, through advocacy of programs that would require lower standards for certain classes of people than others.  I think this is wrong, and firmly oppose it, and I don't believe it actually helps those who are supposed to be the beneficiaries of it.  Like with many programs that spring from this same type of thinking, this hurts society as a whole, without helping those who are supposed to benefit from it.  So it's a lose-lose.

The fallback position is equality of opportunity.  This concept is amorphous and of course, not absolute.  Equality of opportunity must exist within the limitations of a person's native intelligence as well as family background.  What I have suggested is meant to minimize the negative factors in this area that may be controllable, but I am under no illusion that absolute equality of opportunity can ever fully exist, and I would rather permit a certain level of inequality than go to really extreme measures, which wouldn't work anyway.

I just don't know what you mean by a "cheap cold war rhetorical figure."  What would you propose in place of this concept?

It's not the concept I have a problem with, just the names.
There's that juxtaposition there - "we can't work for equality of outcome like the Soviet Union does as that's a chimaeric goal[of course, that's actually giving the Soviet Union way too much credt], but we're not by any means abandoning the ancient ideall of equality. What we (moderate conservative) have created / (moderate liberal) are creating is equality of opportunity." It's a game with words as the pawns.
It's not really that important to me, so forget about it for all I care; I'm just explaining my "now REAL equality of opportunity" quip.

[Democratic Hawk]

Oppose because it runs contra to the concept of equality of opportunity. Race-based Affirmative Action is positive discrimination. As far as I'm concerned discrimination is discrimination and I disagree strongly with it

Dave

[ian]

I am one of the 20%.  I am a firm believer in A/A.

[TeePee4Prez]

Generally oppose, but it should be based on leveling the playing field, not past discrimination.

[MODU]

I oppose all forms of AA.

I agree.  People should be hired on their skills and abilities to do the job, and not because of some superficial characteristic as skin color.  And I view supporters of AA as being supporters of racism, since all AA does is increases the tension between the group gaining an unfair advantage over the rest of the general population.  All AA says is that the government doesn't think the population is mature enough to accept everyone as equals.

[WiseGuy]

Oppose race based, sex based, age based, and class based, which covers every kind I can think of.

^^^^