Comments on: The slow and painful death of equality http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2008/03/10/the-slow-and-painful-death-of-equality/ Daily views on British politics and the Conservative Party from a centre-right thinker who writes letters on his blog to politicians, journalists and many others. Tue, 16 Mar 2010 22:18:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Letters From A Tory http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2008/03/10/the-slow-and-painful-death-of-equality/#comment-1693 Letters From A Tory Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:28:19 +0000 http://lettersfromatory.wordpress.com/?p=423#comment-1693 They may not have to put up with abuse, but new legislation is always designed to tip the balance against them, to the point where these new laws (if they are passed) will mean that employers will effectively be forced to ignore white, middle-class British males just because of who they are. That is totally unacceptable. I probably should have re-phrased it to say that the white middle-classes are fast becoming a seriously disadvantaged group rather than already being the most disadvantaged group, but in terms of new legislation they are definitely the most victimised. And personally, I think positive discrimination has comfortably overtaken nepotism as a national concern when it comes to employment and equality.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('1693','Letters From A Tory'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('1693','Letters From A Tory','They may not have to put up with abuse, but new legislation is always designed to tip the balance against them, to the point where these new laws (if they are passed) will mean that employers will effectively be forced to ignore white, middle-class British males just because of who they are. That is totally unacceptable.\n\nI probably should have re-phrased it to say that the white middle-classes are fast becoming a seriously disadvantaged group rather than already being the most disadvantaged group, but in terms of new legislation they are definitely the most victimised.\n\nAnd personally, I think positive discrimination has comfortably overtaken nepotism as a national concern when it comes to employment and equality.'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> They may not have to put up with abuse, but new legislation is always designed to tip the balance against them, to the point where these new laws (if they are passed) will mean that employers will effectively be forced to ignore white, middle-class British males just because of who they are. That is totally unacceptable.

I probably should have re-phrased it to say that the white middle-classes are fast becoming a seriously disadvantaged group rather than already being the most disadvantaged group, but in terms of new legislation they are definitely the most victimised.

And personally, I think positive discrimination has comfortably overtaken nepotism as a national concern when it comes to employment and equality.

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]]> By: Madeley http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2008/03/10/the-slow-and-painful-death-of-equality/#comment-1692 Madeley Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:35:28 +0000 http://lettersfromatory.wordpress.com/?p=423#comment-1692 "...the most disadvantaged people in this country are still the white, middle-class, British males." I'm afraid I absolutely disagree with you on this. White middle-class males don't have to put up with a fraction of the discrimination, bigotry and abuse that pretty much every other British "grouping" have to deal with on a daily basis. And the reason a meritocracy doesn't exist today is nothing to do with "postive discrimination". The problem is a jobs-for-the-boys mentality that sees people with family/friend/political connections to the powerful being promoted regardless of talent or aptitude.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('1692','Madeley'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('1692','Madeley','\"...the most disadvantaged people in this country are still the white, middle-class, British males.\"\n\nI\'m afraid I absolutely disagree with you on this. White middle-class males don\'t have to put up with a fraction of the discrimination, bigotry and abuse that pretty much every other British \"grouping\" have to deal with on a daily basis.\n\nAnd the reason a meritocracy doesn\'t exist today is nothing to do with \"postive discrimination\". The problem is a jobs-for-the-boys mentality that sees people with family\/friend\/political connections to the powerful being promoted regardless of talent or aptitude.'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> “…the most disadvantaged people in this country are still the white, middle-class, British males.”

I’m afraid I absolutely disagree with you on this. White middle-class males don’t have to put up with a fraction of the discrimination, bigotry and abuse that pretty much every other British “grouping” have to deal with on a daily basis.

And the reason a meritocracy doesn’t exist today is nothing to do with “postive discrimination”. The problem is a jobs-for-the-boys mentality that sees people with family/friend/political connections to the powerful being promoted regardless of talent or aptitude.

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]]> By: Letters From A Tory http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2008/03/10/the-slow-and-painful-death-of-equality/#comment-1691 Letters From A Tory Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:54:58 +0000 http://lettersfromatory.wordpress.com/?p=423#comment-1691 I take your point. We should do every we can to give people access to qualifications, opportunities, training, and employment, but this kind of interference is disgraceful. It's basically blackmailing employers into employing people that they don't want to.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('1691','Letters From A Tory'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('1691','Letters From A Tory','I take your point. We should do every we can to give people access to qualifications, opportunities, training, and employment, but this kind of interference is disgraceful. It\'s basically blackmailing employers into employing people that they don\'t want to.'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> I take your point. We should do every we can to give people access to qualifications, opportunities, training, and employment, but this kind of interference is disgraceful. It’s basically blackmailing employers into employing people that they don’t want to.
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]]> By: asquith http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2008/03/10/the-slow-and-painful-death-of-equality/#comment-1690 asquith Mon, 10 Mar 2008 08:58:48 +0000 http://lettersfromatory.wordpress.com/?p=423#comment-1690 I believe in meritocracy, but I don't think for one minute that it exists today. But I think positive discrimination is complete ****. If blacks, women and state school pupils are not getting into positions on their own merits, we should be asking themselves why they don't apply for the top jobs, why they don't get qualifications, in the first place. This quota system is basically accepting that people are inferior, and trying to deal with it after the fact. Which I find insulting and patronising towards the people who are supposed to benefit from it. Not the clearest comment ever, but I think you can see what I'm getting at :)<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('1690','asquith'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('1690','asquith','I believe in meritocracy, but I don\'t think for one minute that it exists today.\n\nBut I think positive discrimination is complete ****.\n\nIf blacks, women and state school pupils are not getting into positions on their own merits, we should be asking themselves why they don\'t apply for the top jobs, why they don\'t get qualifications, in the first place.\n\nThis quota system is basically accepting that people are inferior, and trying to deal with it after the fact. Which I find insulting and patronising towards the people who are supposed to benefit from it.\n\nNot the clearest comment ever, but I think you can see what I\'m getting at :)'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> I believe in meritocracy, but I don’t think for one minute that it exists today.

But I think positive discrimination is complete ****.

If blacks, women and state school pupils are not getting into positions on their own merits, we should be asking themselves why they don’t apply for the top jobs, why they don’t get qualifications, in the first place.

This quota system is basically accepting that people are inferior, and trying to deal with it after the fact. Which I find insulting and patronising towards the people who are supposed to benefit from it.

Not the clearest comment ever, but I think you can see what I’m getting at :)

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