Ladies and gentlemen your new incoming members of the 116th Congress. Notice anyting??

[96Firebird]

If you are actually far more concerned with their action than their skin color then you truly believe that non whites and women are inferior to white men.

Can you elaborate on this?

 

[ecogen]

Glancing at that picture, seems the Republicans do have at least one visible disability (the eyepatch fellow). So there's that.

And in theory I don't really agree with the emphasis on the personal demographic traits of individuals at the top. Just having the 'right' skin-color or the 'right' genitalia doesn't help if your policies are awful or you put your membership of the ruling elites above all other considerations anyway. That's what I would say is the 'bad' kind of identity-politics, the stress on individual characteristics over structural change. And not all forms of disadvantaged status are visible anyway.

I don't think any of us are arguing that you have to be the right skin color or you have to have the right genitalia.

But I can't avoid admitting that it's not a coincidence that all but one of the Republicans are white men and that it's not as if their policies are any better than their demographics.

This is the important part. When you have a large enough sample size of elected representatives and you end up with 90% white males the only thing it isn't is a random coincidence. I would argue that the side that elects a certain "type" of person with very specific characteristics (white/male) 90% of the time has the "bad identity politics" issue.

 

[ecogen]

Can you elaborate on this?

Statistics dictate that the qualified candidates would follow demographics to some degree. I doubt the makeup of the voters that voted these people in are 30:1 male to female.

 

[feralkid]

I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't pointed it out.

No one finds that hard to believe.

 

[96Firebird]

Statistics dictate that the qualified candidates would follow demographics to some degree. I doubt the makeup of the voters that voted these people in are 30:1 male to female.

You did not elaborate on what I quoted at all.

 

[ecogen]

You did not elaborate on what I quoted at all.

I did, you just didn't get it.

 

[96Firebird]

I did, you just didn't get it.

Whatever you gotta tell yourself... Maybe someone a little smarter can elaborate.

 

[ecogen]

Whatever you gotta tell yourself... Maybe someone a little smarter can elaborate.

Maybe if you yourself were a little smarter you wouldn't need someone to explain something this simple.

 

[alien42]

You did not elaborate on what I quoted at all.

yes they did, but i will add to it since you were originally responding to me. the US population is just over 50% women. unless you think women are inferior to men, then women should be represented proportionally in our government. the same goes for minorities, anyone who doesn't have a problem with the simple fact that the GOP is so heavily white men, is inherently racist and sexist.

 

[Atreus21]

It doesn't matter what you think, or what your ideas are, or what kind of person you are.

What matters are superficialities.

 

[Starbuck1975]

I'm not saying Democrats have to have 1 Muslim, 1 woman, 1 black, 1 gay, 1 native American or 1 bisexual. But isn't it nice to know the Democrats look more like the entire country, not just a bunch of white guys.
View attachment 294

There was a time when this picture was all white males, but identiry distinctions could be made along different fault lines: Catholic vs Protestant, Immigrant vs Established roots, northern vs southern European. Identity is a powerful political force, only the demographics change.

Your image speaks to the dangerous geographic Balkanization of America. Neither alt-right America nor periodic table of identity versions of America are very appealing, and if anything, Trump exploited this to claim the White House, reshape the judiciary and hold the Senate.

 

[alien42]

who doesn't love a good graph...

 

[cytg111]

Can you elaborate on this?

Its a foregone conclusion. Its the old white boys club, no color no women.. What kind of politics do you think they push? There is a reason the picture is white. How does this picture propagate into the party? How does this picture propagate into voter suppression of black folk in Georgia?
If you are not concerned with the color of that picture but only its politics its almost worse... It is an implied acceptance of the cores values of the old white mens club. Getit? .

 

[ecogen]

It doesn't matter what you think, or what your ideas are, or what kind of person you are.

What matters are superficialities.

They sure seem to matter for the GOP, considering they're voting almost exclusively for white males.

 

[Atreus21]

They sure seem to matter for the GOP, considering they're voting almost exclusively for white males.

Or by the same token democrats, who seem to go out of their way to avoid them, and celebrate having done so.

Except of course when the minority candidate is a Republican. Then by all means go white male.

Anyone who celebrates having elected candidate A over B because A is the color we like is a complete idiot.

 

[ecogen]

Or by the same token democrats, who seem to go out of their way to avoid them, and celebrate having done so.

Except of course when the minority candidate is a Republican. Then by all means go white male.

Anyone who celebrates having elected candidate A over B because A is the color we like is a complete idiot.

Muh both sides.

You're arguing that superficiality matters equally to the party that votes almost exclusively for white males and the party that votes for much more diverse candidates. You'll have to back up that Dems go out of their way to avoid white men, since they seem to have no issue voting for them.

I don't even know what you're trying to do here. One party's elected representatives resemble the demographics of a fucking country club, the other's resemble the actual demographics of the country much more closely. There's nothing else to be said.

 

[DrunkenSano]

I believe diversity is something the GOP definitely needs to work on, and it's not because of racism or sexism. However, it's more in terms of life experiences. A much more diverse group will bring along varying life experiences and cultural understanding which is a good thing. It will help remove some of the blind spots that is hurting the GOP badly.

 

[Sunburn74]

It doesn't matter what you think, or what your ideas are, or what kind of person you are.

What matters are superficialities.

It's not a superficiality. It's the concept that it helps for the people making laws to have balanced viewpoints that reflect the populace.

There's a reason why medicine for example has intentionally been moving away from all doctors being white middle aged men (as was the case about 50 years ago) to now about 50% of doctors being women and an increasing number coming from minority backgrounds. It turns out the people who best can figure out women's health issues, communicate with women, and get women to do the right thing is... gasp! Women! Its pretty hard for people who have not lived middle class lives or lived as women or as minorities to really try and set laws and policies regarding these groups. Just like it'd be crazy hard for me to try and set laws and policies for the ultra-billionaire class. I wouldn't know the first place to start and probably wouldn't have a lot of sympathy for them either.

Anyone who celebrates having elected candidate A over B because A is the color we like is a complete idiot.

1) that's kind of what the GOP does. Celebrate that we elected this white guy or that white guy (refer to for example, the writings of the daily storm and their musings on GOP candidates and don't forget many of the GOP doesn't exactly denounce them either)
2) no one is saying color is the major criteria to choose people on. Rather we are saying it appears that the GOP either discriminates against people of color or gives them strong reasons to oppose the GOP. I'm not sure why someone would be happy about a political party that no black person or latino person or asian person wants to affiliate with or carry their banner. That should be a huge red flag.

 

[Atreus21]

Muh both sides.

You're arguing that superficiality matters equally to the party that votes almost exclusively for white males and the party that votes for much more diverse candidates. You'll have to back up that Dems go out of their way to avoid white men, since they seem to have no issue voting for them.

I don't even know what you're trying to do here. One party's elected representatives resemble the demographics of a fucking country club, the other's resemble the actual demographics of the country much more closely. There's nothing else to be said.

All I'm trying to point out is that celebrating racial makeup A over racial makeaup B is grade-school level idiocy. If Republicans were doing exactly this (look at all the good whites we elected!) it'd be horrifying and, again, idiotic.

You guys put way too much emphasis on race.

 

[ecogen]

All I'm trying to point out is that celebrating racial makeup A over racial makeaup B is grade-school level idiocy. If Republicans were doing exactly this (look at all the good whites we elected!) it'd be horrifying and, again, idiotic.

Not celebrating anything buddy. Just pointing out facts.

You guys put way too much emphasis on race.

The people voting almost exclusively for white males do that, stop projecting.

 

[Sunburn74]

Not celebrating anything buddy. Just pointing out facts.

The people voting almost exclusively for white males do that, stop projecting.

Bingo. Who is being racist? the people who can only vote for white males and only find white males satisfactory? or the people who it doesn't matter what your race and sex is, if you're qualified you are acceptable? One group is all talk and no action. I completely agree with you.

BTW I'm sure there's a strong correlation between the number of women in a state government and how restrictive abortion rights are. Alabama has 10 women or so in their 103 member house of representatives. No abortion centers in the state. Louisiana has about 103 members and also about 12 women. This is not a chance finding.

 

[Atreus21]

It's not a superficiality. It's the concept that it helps for the people making laws to have balanced viewpoints that reflect the populace.

Skin color and appearance is 100% superficial. You're making assumptions based on superficial qualities. You're black, therefore you must have viewpoint A. You're white, therefore you must have viewpoint B. What a confusing problem bi-racial people must represent to democrats.

There's a reason why medicine for example has intentionally been moving away from all doctors being white middle aged men (as was the case about 50 years ago) to now about 50% of doctors being women and an increasing number coming from minority backgrounds. It turns out the people who best can figure out women's health issues, communicate with women, and get women to do the right thing is... gasp! Women!

Right. What matters isn't a person's character or competence. What matters is superficial similarities.

 

[ecogen]

Bingo. Who is being racist? the people who can only vote for white males and only find white males satisfactory? or the people who it doesn't matter what your race and sex is, if you're qualified you are acceptable? One group is all talk and no action. I completely agree with you.

I wouldn't go as far as saying it doesn't matter, it certainly plays a role to some extent. But comparing it to how much it matters to GOP voters is a fucking joke. The two are orders of magnitude apart from each other.

 

[Atreus21]

Not celebrating anything buddy. Just pointing out facts.

You may not be, but the OP certainly was.

The people voting almost exclusively for white males do that, stop projecting.

Those evil evil white males.

Edit: Unless they're democrats.

 

[Sunburn74]

Skin color and appearance is 100% superficial. You're making assumptions based on superficial qualities. You're black, therefore you must have viewpoint A. You're white, therefore you must have viewpoint B. What a confusing problem bi-racial people must represent to democrats.



Right. What matters isn't a person's character or competence. What matters is superficial similarities.

What you call "superficial similarities" can be highly valuable when you're trying to understand how culture fits into health, religion and law and government. You don't seem to understand that. People who are trying to make the best doctors for a community or even do something as meaningless and selling cokes, magazine, or bath soap understand that.