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Re Affermative Action: I think it's indisputable that minorities don't have the opportunities that whites have, and I think it's right to do something about that--but the place to intervene isn't in job hiring. The place to intervene is in early childhood and education. If we were making damn sure every minority child got the same level of education as every white child, within a generation or two the institutional racial balance that's prevalent in our country would gradually disappear.
Problem is, nobody gets elected on multi-generational plans. They have to be able to stand up and talk about something that will put more money in their constituent's pockets next week, not their great-grandchildren's. But that's how cultural change works--over time.
So: I think Affirmative Action comes from a desire to do a good thing, but I think the approach it takes is entirely wrong-headed and short-sighted.
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