UKIP's idea to remove much of the race discrimination laws - i.e. those that prevent discrimination on the basis of colour - is a straightforwardly racist policy. Removing a law which says "don't discriminate on the basis of colour" is identical to saying, "it's OK to discriminate on the basis of colour".
Even if that law is now irrelevant - which it isn't - removing it still doesn't make any sense, because preventing discrimination on the basis of race is a fundamentally moral law which isn't doing any harm to anyone - rather the reverse.
Policies to support British workers over foreign nationals may not be intrinsically racist in the strictest sense, but this is to miss the wider point : they smack of xenophobia, which is still discrimination, still wrong.
If you really think that immigration is such a massive problem, then stop making the debate about race and/or country of origin. There's nothing remotely racist or wrong with discrimination on the basis of merit which can - if one is very careful - even include ideological beliefs. Or you could argue that the population is simply too high and that we need fewer people entering from all countries (not what I would argue, mind you). The reason UKIP are perceived as being a bunch of racist xenophobes is because they keep making explicit, unnecessary links between immigration and race. It's that simple.
Personally, I hate EOE, Affirmative Action, etc. why? Because people hire, accepted into a particular university etc, based on quotas rather than merit.
ReplyDeleteWell I generally agree, with some caveats. Equal opportunity - taken literally - is a fundamentally good thing. Race, colour, creed, gender etc. should have no role in the hiring of personnel. Positive discrimination is still discrimination and ideally should be avoided.
ReplyDeleteHowever there are some unusual exceptions where I think positive discrimination is the only sensible course of action. In cases where the hiring of women and minorities is close to 0% (I know someone in this situation), I think the only way to break that white-male culture may be through affirmative action - if you don't, nothing will ever change, regardless of whether said minorities have the skills needed or not. Extremely low hiring rates likely tell you more about the institution's culture than they do about the skills of the minorities.
Farage's statement here, however, is categorically different. The laws are specifically designed to prevent negative discrimination, not encourage positive discrimination. There's nothing in them that says, "favour people of one particular race". Rather they say exactly what's needed to ensure equal opportunity : "do not discriminate against any particular race; skin colour should have no bearing on your decision."
He's not saying "don't hire in favour of minorities". He's saying, "it's OK to discriminate because you don't like someone's race".
Saying that you should not engage in negative discrimination isn't the same as saying that you should engage in positive discrimination. However, removing those laws preventing negative discrimination is precisely the same as allowing negative discrimination.
Rhys Taylor - Still, the fact is, many companies hire based on quota and not merit due to EOE. I see plenty of women in every place that I've worked. Not just that, but black women in managerial roles. I have no problem with that. I'm just stating the facts.
ReplyDeleteDavid Lazarus You'll get no argument from me that hiring someone because they need a person who ticks a particular ethnic box is a bad policy. That is clearly not equal employment opportunity. But I think preventing negative discrimination is still more important than preventing positive discrimination. In my experience there are so few minorities (and even women) being hired that the impact of negative discrimination is far greater than that of positive discrimination.
ReplyDeleteThat's my admittedly anecdotal experience, mind you.
In the US or any place you've lived?
ReplyDeleteEverywhere.
ReplyDeleteNo it isn't. You are a very young man- possibly still brain consolidating- I guesstimate 23-26 y.o.
ReplyDeleteYou haven't lived long enough to grasp the full implications of the "Noah Principle" , which dictates life structures on this planet.
Western countries are insanely importing the horrors of Africa and refusing to see the Trojan Horse that is our civilisation's advanced social evolution represents.
You need to look at the real world Africa and the Mid East and see what the social and political life is like outside our gates.
You need to read up on the grand Islamic Plan and visit the Sites crowing about their success in in the UK North.....
Go home and visit the North of UK.
ONLY THEN go visit anomalists.com