Then you train an AI on the hiring data, it internalizes the underlying biases in a neural net or some such structure, and now discrimination has become objective, impartial reality. We are there already, notably in the field of predictive policing. 21st century phrenology.
But what if raw talent is not distributed evenly? No one would claim that white kids who like basketball are deprived of good coaches, good schools, parents with money to buy uniforms etc. Note that most college basketball players nationwide are white. And yet college players who get drafted by the NBA are majority black.
I think that this is a false choice between affirmative action and meritocracy. I am not a big fan of the meritocratic argument since I usually hear it from those who benefited from two-parent homes, prep school and prestigious universities.
Let us take a look at the latest NAEP fourth-grade reading scores and children who scored proficient or above. I have picked California and Florida as populous states with similarly diverse populations and geographies.
Florida- White 51% - Black 20% - Hispanic 34% - Asian 75%
California- White 48% - Black 12% - Hispanic 18 % - Asian 62%.
I see lots of flaws in these numbers. The first is the different influences that Covid had on the children of the two states. The second obvious problem is that racial categories don’t work very well. The number of upper-class Hispanics in Florida may differ substantially from those in California. Blacks pose a different problem. The legacy of slavery is far worse in Florida than in California. Florida boasted of the highest lynching rate in America during the twentieth century and the only lynching during World War II. That’s patriotism for you.
Yet, the structural racism argument would seem to indicate that structural racism is far greater in California. Could be. Florida has done a lot to deal with its past and deserves more credit than it gets. So I think a few points can be added for dealing with racism. More needs to be done.
However, we still have the Hispanic disparities to account for. I suspect that class accounts for much of it. Somehow, wealth and power seems to trump structural racism. I am pretty sure that we will find that wealth and power account for a very high percentage of disparities across all groups. I believe that class disparities are the big challenges today for those concerned about social pathologies.
There is a place for discussing structural racism and some justifiable derision of those born on third base who are sure that they hit a triple. However, structural inequalities transcend race and many of the solutions are the same for disadvantaged children of all ethnicities. Otherwise, a nice affirmative action explanation.
Conclusion of the argument is the same even if, for the sake of argument, you grant there is a small difference in the average "raw talent" that can be detected with IQ tests. "We understand that, Dr. Murry, and we took that into account."
The two pissed off people will be even more pissed of if you have a crooked black line but claim that (taking account of x ("value of 'diversity'") the line is NOT crooked.
Then you train an AI on the hiring data, it internalizes the underlying biases in a neural net or some such structure, and now discrimination has become objective, impartial reality. We are there already, notably in the field of predictive policing. 21st century phrenology.
But what if raw talent is not distributed evenly? No one would claim that white kids who like basketball are deprived of good coaches, good schools, parents with money to buy uniforms etc. Note that most college basketball players nationwide are white. And yet college players who get drafted by the NBA are majority black.
I think that this is a false choice between affirmative action and meritocracy. I am not a big fan of the meritocratic argument since I usually hear it from those who benefited from two-parent homes, prep school and prestigious universities.
Let us take a look at the latest NAEP fourth-grade reading scores and children who scored proficient or above. I have picked California and Florida as populous states with similarly diverse populations and geographies.
Florida- White 51% - Black 20% - Hispanic 34% - Asian 75%
California- White 48% - Black 12% - Hispanic 18 % - Asian 62%.
I see lots of flaws in these numbers. The first is the different influences that Covid had on the children of the two states. The second obvious problem is that racial categories don’t work very well. The number of upper-class Hispanics in Florida may differ substantially from those in California. Blacks pose a different problem. The legacy of slavery is far worse in Florida than in California. Florida boasted of the highest lynching rate in America during the twentieth century and the only lynching during World War II. That’s patriotism for you.
Yet, the structural racism argument would seem to indicate that structural racism is far greater in California. Could be. Florida has done a lot to deal with its past and deserves more credit than it gets. So I think a few points can be added for dealing with racism. More needs to be done.
However, we still have the Hispanic disparities to account for. I suspect that class accounts for much of it. Somehow, wealth and power seems to trump structural racism. I am pretty sure that we will find that wealth and power account for a very high percentage of disparities across all groups. I believe that class disparities are the big challenges today for those concerned about social pathologies.
There is a place for discussing structural racism and some justifiable derision of those born on third base who are sure that they hit a triple. However, structural inequalities transcend race and many of the solutions are the same for disadvantaged children of all ethnicities. Otherwise, a nice affirmative action explanation.
I wonder if the excluded greenies will be allowed to be pissed off?
Conclusion of the argument is the same even if, for the sake of argument, you grant there is a small difference in the average "raw talent" that can be detected with IQ tests. "We understand that, Dr. Murry, and we took that into account."
The two pissed off people will be even more pissed of if you have a crooked black line but claim that (taking account of x ("value of 'diversity'") the line is NOT crooked.