Why is the story about our new leader about his skin colour?

[lardy]

Talk about ignoring everything that has gone on before. Where's your starting point Jim? You do know why things like black people getting into positions of power are talked about, Don't you? You do know why Governments, local authorities etc have had to or been forced to implement policies like positive discrimination etc, which probably pisses you off, but probably pisses of people of colour, women, Disabled people even more so. Because they've probably never wanted 'Special Treatment ' they just wanted a level playing field to start, with, fairness Jim. That wasn't and still isn't the case in our society, so it is important to recognise groups of people who have had to work much harder to achieve certain things in life.

And another thing, can't you see that the attitude by some people who shout loudest about recognising people of colour achieving in places where they historically haven't is another way of taking control of things, it's a more subtle kind of racism dressed up passively.

Good post.

With positive discrimination, I often see the argument 'it should be the best person for the job'. But who is the best person for the job? How can your average recruitment person tell? The interview and selection process is good at finding suitable people, but identifying the best is beyond the ability of most of us, as we can't see into the future. So if you have 4 people who probably all can do the job just as well as each other, then the panel will have to find some other way of selecting between them, and on a sub-conscious level humans are drawn towards people similar to themselves.

So a panel of white people may be drawn towards the white candidate, just as a panel of Chinese or Indian people may be towards the Chinese or Indian candidate. No one is being racist, we're wired that way.

In 10 years, that candidate may be on the panel, and it all continues. Positive discrimination tries to break that cycle, and like everything else, it's not perfect every time.

[Tuerto]

Good post.

With positive discrimination, I often see the argument 'it should be the best person for the job'. But who is the best person for the job? How can your average recruitment person tell? The interview and selection process is good at finding suitable people, but identifying the best is beyond the ability of most of us, as we can't see into the future. So if you have 4 people who probably all can do the job just as well as each other, then the panel will have to find some other way of selecting between them, and on a sub-conscious level humans are drawn towards people similar to themselves.

So a panel of white people may be drawn towards the white candidate, just as a panel of Chinese or Indian people may be towards the Chinese or Indian candidate. No one is being racist, we're wired that way.

In 10 years, that candidate may be on the panel, and it all continues. Positive discrimination tries to break that cycle, and like everything else, it's not perfect every time.

Agreed, and PD is a reaction too nepotism, favouritism, racism, Sexism etc. It's not really ideal, But for the reasons mentioned it's had to have been implemented.

[the other bob wilson]

Good post.

With positive discrimination, I often see the argument 'it should be the best person for the job'. But who is the best person for the job? How can your average recruitment person tell? The interview and selection process is good at finding suitable people, but identifying the best is beyond the ability of most of us, as we can't see into the future. So if you have 4 people who probably all can do the job just as well as each other, then the panel will have to find some other way of selecting between them, and on a sub-conscious level humans are drawn towards people similar to themselves.

So a panel of white people may be drawn towards the white candidate, just as a panel of Chinese or Indian people may be towards the Chinese or Indian candidate. No one is being racist, we're wired that way.

In 10 years, that candidate may be on the panel, and it all continues. Positive discrimination tries to break that cycle, and like everything else, it's not perfect every time.

Positive discrimination for gammons I say!