[lit-ideas] Re: How to Draw a Crowd

I'm curious, Eric (and anyone else who wants to weigh in -- this is
tangential, but when did that stop anyone here?) --

How would you approach the economic mess if you had Obama's ear?  (Or were
in his seat!)

Julie Krueger




On Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 9:48 PM, Eric Yost <mr.eric.yost@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Simon: If you see these leaders as being in a position to ensure that such
> measurement remains, then I'm not sure you recognise the problem. When you
> can accuse such leaders of measuring what isn't there ...
>
>
> I know this is taking Donal's joking quote, transforming it into a
> diatribe, and then arguing the merits of the diatribe ... but why not?
>
> In my opinion, the activists and self-appointed spokespeople for subgroups
> have gone the way of the revolution in _Animal Farm_. What began as a noble
> demand for equality changed into an institutionalization of lobbyists
> seeking self-enrichment under the banner of social progress. There are
> plenty of laws on the books, plenty of lawyers ready to argue cases, and a
> general sensibility that racial discrimination is both wrong and, in many
> cases, illegal. Done deal.
>
> Economic inequality is the most pervasive inequality right now and that's
> not something that can be legislated away. So racism is promoted instead.
>
> As our recent election shows, Americans are quite ready to think in terms
> of "best candidate" rather than "candidate of my subgroup," but there's no
> way to milk that cow.
>
> So what do activists (i.e., lawyers and lobbyists) do?
>
> *Maintain the integrity of the subgroup. If your subgroup of, say,
> Filipino-Americans is resisting their Filipino-American identity and they
> increasingly prefer to think of themselves as just plain Americans, it's
> important to identify (or manufacture) instances around which the
> Filipino-American "community" can unite.
>
> *Resist the melting pot at all costs. The Mexican activist group called La
> Rasa ("The Race" ... hmm ... fancy that) has a name that says it all.
>
> An alternative to _Animal Farm_ is for people to expect equal treatment as
> individuals right now.
>
>
>
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