So it seems there wasn't a Politics Images thread before either

[robkelk]

Looks like I forgot to post this one here when it was new. Meh, at least I'm posting it in the same year.

[classicdrogn]

It''s a BOC showdown!


Godzilla
VS.

Florida Man

[Norgarth]

this last one is a bit off, as the corporate greed they are referring to isn't driving inflation, it's just price gouging.

[Norgarth]

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[Norgarth]

[Labster]

I have no idea if this is legit but it made me laugh at our dumb world.

[Dartz]

Google never lies and can't be manipulated

[classicdrogn]

What purer love can there be than between a potato and their couch? If that's wrong, who even wants to be right!?

(alternate joke: "Comrade Trump has chosen running mate. Is potato!")

[Dartz]

Difference between a woman and a couch?

A couch never said 'no' to an arsehole.

[Norgarth]

[Norgarth]

[classicdrogn]

Most of the noise from those quarters about DEI hires is about Hollywood, and the quality of product for most of the past decade says they're right. Unfortunately, humans are assholes who innately seek out an Us vs. Them to belong to and oppose, so that doesn't change the fact that without forcing it there will be excluded groups based on criteria other than competence. The real problem is ensuring that the criteria for inclusion are competence based, not just drawing a different set of arbitrary lines for in-group and out-group to give a new set of bastards their turn stomping down at the top of the heap.

[Labster]

Most of the noise from those quarters about DEI hires is about Hollywood, and the quality of product for most of the past decade says they're right. Unfortunately, humans are assholes who innately seek out an Us vs. Them to belong to and oppose, so that doesn't change the fact that without forcing it there will be excluded groups based on criteria other than competence. The real problem is ensuring that the criteria for inclusion are competence based, not just drawing a different set of arbitrary lines for in-group and out-group to give a new set of bastards their turn stomping down at the top of the heap.

I think that the Hollywood thing was perhaps true a couple years ago, but it's moved on to other industries by now, and is a big topic in states that don't have much stake in the film industry.  Bans on DEI programs in universities seem popular now.  Honestly by this point I consider "DEI" to be a racial slur, and avoid using it wherever possible.

[robkelk]

I assume that's an acronym, not a Latin word, but I'm still puzzled. "Dutch East Indies", "Dale Earnhardt, Inc", and "Doofenshmirtz Evil, Inc" don't fit the context...

* robkelk consults https://www.acronymfinder.com/DEI.html

Ah, "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion". I suppose "affirmative action" has been co-opted as well.

[classicdrogn]

The main difference is that the "equity" in DEI is supposed to be equality of outcome, not opportunity, making it doomed to fail from the beginning, in the same ways and for the same reasons as No Child Left Behind and the Soviet and Chinese implementations of communism, regardless of whether or not it was evenly applied or just promoting a different in-group.

[Labster]

At this point I would say that there are three factors keeping racial disparities alive: low wealth propagated from historical racism, our natural inclination to want to work with people culturally like ourselves, and current racism. I think the first one is vastly predominant, and if you solve the wealth disparity then it lessens the effect of the other problems as well.

Hiring at the end of the pipeline doesn’t fix equity. A real equity program: tax the rich at 1950s rates. Use the money to equalize access to schools, and pay reparations for slavery. Reinstate the inheritance tax to keep wealth from accumulating to those with historical advantages.

[hazard]

Don't even have to pay reparations for slavery, just investing in places impoverished by racism would help tremendously.

These are not people who do not know how to work or have no work ethic, or lack a will to build something. It takes longer to equalize the wealth, yes, but ensuring equality of opportunity in as many ways as possible will get you there as well.

[Bob Schroeck]

And since we've reached the usual 300-posts-or-so end-of-thread point I'm going to end the discussion there, and strongly suggest that the next image thread not start with discussion that should go in its own thread.