Will Bark Obama become the first black President of the United States? If he doesn’t surely it will be because America is racist cannot yet cope with a black President.
I hate identity politics and I hate affirmative action even more.
Affirmative action demeans the very people they allege to be helping by suggesting that without bending the rules in their favour they can’t cut the mustard.
Once they get elected, admitted or accepted it‘s presumed (sometimes rightly other times incorrectly) that at least partially they owe their success to their skin colour, age, gender or all three rather than their ability.
Identity politics distracts voters from examining the real issues at hand – in the American situation; who has the better policies, vision, experience and character to lead the nation.
Here is the sweet irony; it seems it’s conservatives who have excelled at producing female, black, young and old leaders – think Angela Merkel, Margaret Thatcher, Jenny Shipley, Ronald Regan, Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell. On the affirmative action, identity politics loving ‘progressive’ side of politics I can only think of Madeline Albright, Carmen Lawrence, Quentin Bryce and Joan Kirner (*note to non-Australian readers: don’t be embarrassed or surprised if you haven’t heard of the last three!)
A few years ago Anna got asked to join a committee in Melbourne’s Anglican Church because she was ‘young and female’. Anyone who knows Anna knows she’s bright but how sad that other things drove her appointment!
I hate identity politics and I hate affirmative action even more.
Affirmative action demeans the very people they allege to be helping by suggesting that without bending the rules in their favour they can’t cut the mustard.
Once they get elected, admitted or accepted it‘s presumed (sometimes rightly other times incorrectly) that at least partially they owe their success to their skin colour, age, gender or all three rather than their ability.
Identity politics distracts voters from examining the real issues at hand – in the American situation; who has the better policies, vision, experience and character to lead the nation.
Here is the sweet irony; it seems it’s conservatives who have excelled at producing female, black, young and old leaders – think Angela Merkel, Margaret Thatcher, Jenny Shipley, Ronald Regan, Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell. On the affirmative action, identity politics loving ‘progressive’ side of politics I can only think of Madeline Albright, Carmen Lawrence, Quentin Bryce and Joan Kirner (*note to non-Australian readers: don’t be embarrassed or surprised if you haven’t heard of the last three!)
A few years ago Anna got asked to join a committee in Melbourne’s Anglican Church because she was ‘young and female’. Anyone who knows Anna knows she’s bright but how sad that other things drove her appointment!
No comments:
Post a Comment