Affirmative action has always been a very bad bill of goods – sold (by force) as a remedy to our alleged inherent racial discrimination.  Under this oppressive regime everyone everywhere is mandated to take race into account – to make up for somebody somewhere maybe taking race into account, or for somebody fifty years ago doing so.

Affirmative action convicts and condemns everyone as guilty of racism – without any opportunity to prove otherwise.  You’re here – you adhere.  No explanations allowed, no waivers granted.

Left unanswered by affirmative action’s proponents – because we are not allowed to ask – is how we get to the righteous goal of a colorblind society by… paying attention to color.

As obnoxious and pernicious as affirmative action is, the one thing we are always told is that it absolutely does NOT mean quotas and race-based set-asides.  No way, no how.  Race is only supposed to be one of a myriad of criteria to be considered when making your hiring and admissions decisions.  They would certainly NEVER demand you arrive at certain melanin-delineated tallies.

“…(N)umerical goals do not create set-asides for specific groups, nor are they designed to achieve proportional representation or equal results.…The Executive Order and its supporting regulations do not authorize OFCCP to penalize contractors for not meeting goals. The regulations … specifically prohibit quota and preferential hiring and promotions under the guise of affirmative action numerical goals. In other words, discrimination in the selection decision is prohibited.”

United States Department of Labor

“Affirmative action plans do not impose quotas; they simply seek to increase the pool of qualified applicants by using aggressive recruitment and outreach programs, setting goals and establishing training programs, among other measures.”

University of California, Davis

“Affirmative action does not require, and does not mean, quotas or preferment of unqualified over qualified individuals.”

Stanford University President Gerhard Casper’s October 4, 1995 statement on affirmative action

Of course, Reality dictates that affirmative action inexorably leads to quotas – and set-asides to reach said quotas.

(more…)

I’ll be the first to admit that anti-trust law is not my strong suit.  The myriad implications of cable giant Comcast’s proposed acquisition of NBC are complexities beyond the grasp of most mortals.  Legions of attorneys will put legions of children through college with the fees that this transaction will generate.  This is the kind of stimulus that will inject much-needed capital into the private country club sector of the economy.

But beyond the regulatory and legal minutia that technically govern this proposed deal, one obscenely crass, downright offensive action by Comcast’s CEO warrants the application of withering scrutiny to the merger.

A day, one single day, after the two media giants announced their deal, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts proudly weighed in to strongly support the Senate Democrats’ health care reform bill.

(more…)