[Arlo had asked] Praytel, how would the white family that ended up with that house know that it was their competence and not the color of their skin that got them the house?
[Platt] The law and ability to carry a mortgage. [Arlo] Except, of course, that that house was truly given to them based on their white skin color. An equally (and perhaps even more so) "competent" black family were denied the house first, based exclusively on their black skin. [Arlo had asked] How do you know a more qualified "black" was never denied a position given to you, simply because you have white skin? [Platt] Affirmative action law. [Arlo] Which attempt to correct the fact that without them, you'd be stepping to the front of the line on the basis of your "white skin". When you can demonstrate to me that competence alone is the determinent for success, and not such irrelevencies as skin color, I'll be the first to admit we no longer need these laws. [Platt] You made the claim, you provide the evidence. [Arlo] No, the original claims was yours, that "blacks" step to the front of the line more often than they are denied opportunity. Let's see some evidence. [Platt] Sounds like postmodern propaganda that assumes facts are social constructions. [Arlo] Aren't they? Pirsig seems to think so. "As the atomic physicist, Niels Bohr, said, "We are suspended in language." Our intellectual description of nature is always culturally derived." [Platt] In Salter's view... [Arlo] Sounds like rightwing propaganda that assumes nothing is socially-mediated. Moreso, its sounds like sad apologist doctrine for excusing hatred. "Oh, its genetic, I can't help but hate you. Sorry." As I have said, many studies on infants reveal the show NO fear or cowardice related to skin-color. Indeed, as I said, studies of differing race adopted infants reveal they show the same love and attachment to their caregiver as if the caregiver was their own "color". What you try to push as "fact" is simply right-wing fear mongering that has as its central core dogma the need to have "scapegoat others" for which all the worlds ills can be blamed, and of whom "fear of encroachment" is used to set up the Nightmare Politician who can "save our heritage" or "save our values" or "save our race". But if this is all genetic, then we can't really blame the Nazis for hating the Jews. They were simply following their genetic predisposition to preserve their heritage and their race. We can't really blame Al-Qaeda for wanting to kill us, its genetic. No. Its misguided science furthering misguided political ideology, using fear and paranoia to manipulate and control the grundies underneath them. That you further it here is simply more of the shame you bring on us all. [Platt] No shame at all. [Arlo] Not in calling evil "evil", no. [Platt] Sarcasm and outrage never proved anything. [Arlo] Highlights the vulgarity and despicable nature of your rhetoric. But you're likely right, I probably don't need to do it, since it is rather self-evident. Moq_Discuss mailing list Listinfo, Unsubscribing etc. http://lists.moqtalk.org/listinfo.cgi/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org Archives: http://lists.moqtalk.org/pipermail/moq_discuss-moqtalk.org/ http://moq.org.uk/pipermail/moq_discuss_archive/
