this post was submitted on 09 Aug 2024
975 points (92.5% liked)

Showerthoughts

30037 readers
285 users here now

A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.

Rules

  1. All posts must be showerthoughts
  2. The entire showerthought must be in the title
  3. Avoid politics
    • 3.1) NEW RULE as of 5 Nov 2024, trying it out
    • 3.2) Political posts often end up being circle jerks (not offering unique perspective) or enflaming (too much work for mods).
    • 3.3) Try c/politicaldiscussion, volunteer as a mod here, or start your own community.
  4. Posts must be original/unique
  5. Adhere to Lemmy's Code of Conduct

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

If you ask me, I'm upset no one picked up that this consideration was sexist and racist, although it is indeed the best choice for her to win, which reflects how bad US can't get over race and gender.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 25 points 4 months ago (5 children)

This. I don't understand why people think diversity is a bad thing. True democracy and progress comes when everyone is well represented and everyone's opinions are heard.

With that said we have a lot of institutional barriers that need to be utterly demolished before the people will actually be heard. We have a long way to go, and the first step is to participate in your local elections and vote for the people who actually listen.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

I would love to see Gretchen Whitmer but reality says we are (hopefully) ready for a woman in charge, two is sadly pushing it. Maybe in 20-40 years, it will be something to see before I die. (I’m 50). But I’m estatic about Walz!!! He so… wholesome? “Perfect”? Perfect fit. So warm and compassionate. And the ticket has GenX! We are FINALLY represented! 💙

[–] [email protected] 5 points 4 months ago (1 children)

I'm not sure I'm hearing anyone saying diversity is a bad thing.

People used "diversity hire" as an attack on Harris, but no one is using it as an attack on Walz, even though everyone basically immediately knew that the VP pick was going to be an older white man if only to make the ticket less of a "leap".

That an all woman ticket, a ticket with two not-white people, or anything else not "default American politician" would face issue is kinda OPs point that we still have a long way to go to overcome those institutional barriers you mention.

Needing to consider diversity or representation when picking people is a sign that something has already gone wrong.
If the system were just and those barriers didn't exist, people wouldn't consider diversity, they'd just pick the best person and the diversity would just be there as consequence of demographics. (In a fair system, the top N% of the population will have a comparable demographic breakdown to the population at large).

It's a sign of a cultural hangup that we definitely consider diversity, and need to in order to have decent representation, when making these choices, and even more sad that it's only used as a cudgel against minorities , even when they were the first pick and others are being used to offset their "riskiness".

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

I’m not sure I’m hearing anyone saying diversity is a bad thing.

i haven't either, but the tone is weird, and it's making me a little iffy seeing people not go "look tim walz is a great pick, but this is definitely a shower thought to think about more completely" but instead its mostly just comments about how it's a little weird that kamala picked a white VP even though that makes perfect sense.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

I understand why affirmative action is needed to somehow bring back some fairness and equality, but it is just sad that it is accepted as a permanent feature of a system that is systemically racist/mysoginist. It prevents tackling the root causes and investing in a free education system which is the only way to fix this on the long run. But anyway we have science fiction movies and series that do it right... I mean the fact that e.g. a ticket Harris/AOC is science fiction saddens me

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

It's not preventing solving the root cause. It's helping put people in power who can attempt to solve it by for example investing in free education. Unless you put enough such people through education into the halls of power, you can't hope that someone from the winner class of the system would do things to hurt their children from having such advantage to win. And then you have people who constantly and actively oppose any such actions. So things are improving but there still aren't enough people in the halls of power to do the work needed to root out these problems.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago

The thing is... you're not really represented because they look the same as you. Someone who could run as the Aryan candidate may represent the downtrodden PoC than someone who looks like them.

There's plenty of PoC who still represent the GoP, even if it's not the same as Democrats.

Values are about more than appearance, despite what many conservatives will tell you.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

The implication is they are chosen due to their demographics instead of merit/experience, and it “just so happens” white men are only where they are due to merit and not because they were hired/chosen/etc. based on their demographics