Obama Elected President as Racial Barrier Falls

I came across this headline this AM, and I was nodding my head sideways. First of all, I am very glad that Obama won, as expected. I think that he is an excellent candidate, and that America will finally be in good hands soon, after eight long tumultuous years. Also, I believe that this event will greatly energize and motivate African Americans, esp. the kids - good for them.

However, I do not think that this election result is an indication that the racism is on decline; it probably is declining, but I wouldn't use this result as an indicator.

I would agree with this argument when two equally good candidates (one black, one white) contest, and the black (wo)man manages to prevail. With economy in turmoil and foreign wars going nowhere, even a scarecrow would have beaten a Republican. Added to this, on Republican side, McCain's senile charisma was matched only by Palin's mastery of world politics - that didn't help them! I believe that a good percentage of vote was anti-Republican rather than pro-Democrat. I am not saying this to undermine Obama's capability. Irrespective of statistics, again, I think that he is an excellent candidate who deserved 100% of the vote.

What I am saying is, when I am thirsty and I have 60c in my pocket, I would buy the best soda available for that money. I wouldn't bother to find if the seller is white, black, or some shade in between. In our case, Obama was Coke Classic for 50c, while McCain was Sam's Cola for 75c; I can't afford to pay more for an inferior drink.

I think racial discrimination will prevail (at least) as long as large financial disparity continues between ethnic groups. I am not pinning down racism to whites. For examples (once) rich upper castes in India exploited the lower castes for centuries. Now, at least in large cities, with distribution of wealth among many castes, the caste divide is not as conspicuous as it used to be.

If we talk about race, if anything, this election probably is an indicator of reverse discrimination. Based on exit polls, more than 95% African Americans voted for Obama while about 55% of whites voted for McCain.

Finally, I think discrimination is a necessary survival instinct. Whether we like it or not, whether we admit it or not, we constantly discriminate. For example, in many cases, black = poor, and poor = crime. I bet, on using implication logic (a implies b and b implies c, means a implies c), even rich blacks would roll up their windows when they drive through predominantly black and impoverished neighborhoods. Do current social conditions imply that blacks are inferior? No way! As evolutionary biologist Jared Diamond so eloquently presented in his book Guns, Germs, and Steel, we are what we are for a variety of complex reasons. Talking about racism, I strongly believe that Indians in the US are more racist when compared local whites/blacks - again, new environment, survival.

Imagine a non-conforming deer in a jungle who attempts to mingle with a pride of lions with an open mind - he surely would end up joining them at dinner table! I firmly believe that racial discrimination is an abominable act/thought. Unfortunately, most of us are not as innocent as we presume ourselves to be in this department. In this world, wealth (and knowledge, to an extent) is the only equalizer, unfortunately.

Damned Lies and Statistics

A recent John Kelso's article (an excerpt below) on Panhandlers reminded me of the one I see occasionally near Fiesta (under I-35 Upper deck). He is always happy with a big smile, says "God Bless you" as cars pass by him (I read his lips), and holds a sign that says "Why lie? need a buck for beer. God Bless you!"

In case you haven't been following along at City Hall, some City Council members want to make it illegal for panhandlers to do their thing on roads and sidewalks, and within 1,000 feet of schools.

When you stop and think about it, aren't toll roads a high-tech form of panhandling?

Besides, panhandlers working near schools is a better educational tool than Career Day. Just having the panhandlers out there looking ugly says, "This could happen to you if you don't finish your algebra homework."

Anyway, Council Members Brewster McCracken and Jennifer Kim point to statistics that show there are lots of traffic accidents at intersections where panhandlers commonly hang out.

Of course there are lots of accidents at intersections where panhandlers hang out. This is because they are busy intersections, which is why panhandlers pick them. Where there are cars, there is more loose change. This is why you rarely see panhandlers in the Sam Houston National Forest.

I think John Kelso made a good point about unintentional biases we sometimes induce while interpreting statistical data. It reminded me of Andrew lang's funny quote:

An unsophisticated forecaster uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts - for support rather than for illumination.

Say Ciao to Ego, Says Chao

What has happened to Americans? Once a proud people, many of us are now so thin-skinned that it's easy to get our feelings hurt.

As when someone says there are jobs that Americans won't do at any wage, or that many of us lack a work ethic, or that young people in particular make lousy employees because they take themselves too seriously and don't take work seriously enough.

That's essentially the kind of straight talk Labor Secretary Elaine Chao recently dished out to Parade magazine. Chao said that American workers could lose jobs to foreign workers — and not just because the latter often work for lower wages. It's more than that, she said: Foreign workers often have better skills, and better manners.

"American employees must be punctual, dress appropriately and have good personal hygiene," Chao said. "They need anger-management and conflict-resolution skills, and they have to be able to accept direction. Too many young people bristle when a supervisor asks them to do something."

Chao was blasted on CNN's "Lou Dobbs Tonight," a show whose ratings have soared since the host started peddling the fear that corporate executives are "exporting America." An online publication, the Job Destruction Newsletter, went so far as to accuse Chao — who is Asian American — of making "racist remarks about U.S. workers."

The racism charge is absurd. The labor secretary was critical of American workers, all right, but since when are all Americans part of one race?

The newsletter also said that Chao was "manipulating our sense of self-esteem and value to instill an inferiority complex in us so that we will accept the destruction of the American middle class." The irony is that, according to researchers, inferiority complexes are not the problem with Americans today — especially the young Americans who make up "Generation Me."

The fact that this latest generation isn't big on rules won't come as a surprise to human resources managers, who say they are at wits' end over dealing with young people. They tell me that potential employees younger than 30 do things such as strutting into interviews with an air of entitlement and acting as if they're doing the company a favor by applying to work there.

Once hired, young people too often come in on Day One wanting to be vice president but not wanting to pay the dues to get there. They want to know what the company is going to do for them, and they rarely think about what they intend to do for the company. In fact, the whole notion of working often seems like an inconvenience, something they'll tolerate until they get a minute, between YouTube and iPods, to figure out their destiny.

According to a recent report on National Public Radio, there is even a new industry where companies hire consultants to show them how to manage this self-important and overpraised generation. Employers are being advised to offer younger workers rewards for showing up on time and meeting deadlines — things that used to be considered essentials.

That's too bad — because Chao's remarks, as reported in Parade, do seem to be an accurate description of at least part of our work force. And we wonder why foreign workers are often snapped up by employers as the better deal. Why wouldn't they be?

If you don't like your job, you don't strike. You just go in everyday and do it really half-assed. That's the American way - Homer Simpson