I was recently at a meeting of an institutional ethics board and the issue of "equity" came up during a panel discussion of several people. Some of the speakers were conservatives, and had written extensively on a variety of subjects, some controversial. Interestingly, some of them had also been cancelled publicly! Equity is horseshit, period. Basing the "goodness" of a process upon the outcome of that process, racially, is flawed. No one would suggest otherwise if we were trying to put more white guys at cornerback in the NFL. But in academia, or science, or some other realm, it somehow makes sense?
Loved John on Real Time. Such wise, nuanced insight, especially around the difference between ‘equity’ and equality. Very sneaky. I’ve written quite a bit about John, particularly his 2021 book Woke Racism which should be required reading in every school in America.
Bravo to Glenn and John for debating the topic. To me, equality is about God making us all equal in spirit, and equity is about man made distribution of outcomes. And frankly I think all those that believe in equity should immediately give any wealth they have over the average US wealth to those below the average starting with least first. What is that you say? No one above the average wealth number believes in equity when it comes to giving up their own wealth. Inconceivable. In sum, nothing holds a person back from implementing equity personally because you can always find someone poorer to share what little or great wealth you have. What a bunch of hypocrites.
The impossible dream of equity. I can hardly wait to apply it to the NBA, the NFL, country music, and a host of female-dominated professions. Oh, wait; I don't want that at all. I much prefer settings in which merit matters and people got where they are by earning it.
Equality of result is impossible among siblings, yet the social engineers would try to enact it across 340 million people. It's telling people that you are a person who cannot be taken seriously without saying you cannot be taken seriously. By their mindset, women are horribly under-represented in prisons, in dangerous jobs, and in suicides, but I don't see a groundswell of support for equity in those matters.
John's comments on equity reminded me of a book I loved decades ago, but haven't thought of recently: "The Politics of Procrustes, Contradictions of Enforced Equality" [1981] by Anthony Flew (before he went off the rails into religion). Have you ever read it? Procrustes in Greek mythology achieved height equity by either stretching people on the rack or cutting off their legs.
Bravo John McWhorter for making it absolutely clear concerning the uncompromising groundwork for revaluation of the landscape forward when it comes to black excellence. As it is what it always was which is that it’s not achievable without putting one’s nose to the grindstone as the saying goes. Now after one has done so and he or she qualifies it is then that one can proceed within the context of American Jurisprudence in order to move forward.
I was recently at a meeting of an institutional ethics board and the issue of "equity" came up during a panel discussion of several people. Some of the speakers were conservatives, and had written extensively on a variety of subjects, some controversial. Interestingly, some of them had also been cancelled publicly! Equity is horseshit, period. Basing the "goodness" of a process upon the outcome of that process, racially, is flawed. No one would suggest otherwise if we were trying to put more white guys at cornerback in the NFL. But in academia, or science, or some other realm, it somehow makes sense?
Small point for McWhorter: pretty sure he meant *procrustean* measures, not *draconian* measures.
Loved John on Real Time. Such wise, nuanced insight, especially around the difference between ‘equity’ and equality. Very sneaky. I’ve written quite a bit about John, particularly his 2021 book Woke Racism which should be required reading in every school in America.
Michael Mohr
‘Sincere American Writing’
https://michaelmohr.substack.com/
Y’all are doing great work, THANK YOU!
Bravo to Glenn and John for debating the topic. To me, equality is about God making us all equal in spirit, and equity is about man made distribution of outcomes. And frankly I think all those that believe in equity should immediately give any wealth they have over the average US wealth to those below the average starting with least first. What is that you say? No one above the average wealth number believes in equity when it comes to giving up their own wealth. Inconceivable. In sum, nothing holds a person back from implementing equity personally because you can always find someone poorer to share what little or great wealth you have. What a bunch of hypocrites.
The impossible dream of equity. I can hardly wait to apply it to the NBA, the NFL, country music, and a host of female-dominated professions. Oh, wait; I don't want that at all. I much prefer settings in which merit matters and people got where they are by earning it.
Equality of result is impossible among siblings, yet the social engineers would try to enact it across 340 million people. It's telling people that you are a person who cannot be taken seriously without saying you cannot be taken seriously. By their mindset, women are horribly under-represented in prisons, in dangerous jobs, and in suicides, but I don't see a groundswell of support for equity in those matters.
John's comments on equity reminded me of a book I loved decades ago, but haven't thought of recently: "The Politics of Procrustes, Contradictions of Enforced Equality" [1981] by Anthony Flew (before he went off the rails into religion). Have you ever read it? Procrustes in Greek mythology achieved height equity by either stretching people on the rack or cutting off their legs.
John did a fine job on Bill’s show recently.
Thank you from Canada. A pleasure to listen to you both.
Thank you John. Sir your clear thinking is a breath of fresh air.
Bravo John McWhorter for making it absolutely clear concerning the uncompromising groundwork for revaluation of the landscape forward when it comes to black excellence. As it is what it always was which is that it’s not achievable without putting one’s nose to the grindstone as the saying goes. Now after one has done so and he or she qualifies it is then that one can proceed within the context of American Jurisprudence in order to move forward.
This was very useful. Hadn’t heard it out quite like this before.
Excellent excellent 🙌🏼
John was magnificent on Bill Maher. It also just hit me that John is kinda hot.