[Shake 'n Bake]

As a 23 year old, I have been lucky to grow up in a world that strives to be equal. However, pretending everyone is on the same level playing field is actually hindering true equality.

What is wrong with acknowledging that someone who is an ethnic minority, female or gay has to work a bit harder in life in comparison to their peers?

Why are we being brainwashed to believe we all have the same chances in life?

Why are we being led to believe that the issues of yesteryear are not a problem today. They are, it is just hidden a little better.

Don't get me wrong we are in a better position culturally, than we were in those days. However, the media is still afraid to tackle the issue of race, gender and sexuality openly and honestly. Things like covert racism are either hard to detect or hard to prove.

Why are we so quick to push these issues under the carpet, compared to 30-40 years ago? Surely talking about the differences faced in society would bring us closer to the concept of equality.

[nosignal456]

I wholly disagree. We aren't sweeping these issues under the carpet we are trying to eradicate them. I assume from your statement "What is wrong with acknowledging that someone who is an ethnic minority, female or gay has to work a bit harder in life in comparison to their peers?" that you are neither a female, gay or of an ethnic minority and hence fail to acknowledge the injustice of someone with equal skills to you being undermined socially by the stigma attached to their position.

We are not being naive, we are being progressive.

[tieyourmotherdown]

We are definitely nowhere near equality, and we probably never will be as prejudices will always exist to varying degrees.

However we are moving in the right direction. We have anti-discrimination laws that weren't in place 15 years ago and public opinion is gradually liberalizing, so it's not a lost cause. I don't think we'll ever reach true equality, no (Then again what even is true equality?), but at the same time I think we're getting closer. There is certainly more discussion about it than previously, that's for sure.

[rajandkwameali]

equality is a PC label.

I think everybody in life should have equal opportunities, but this IMO is the only form of equality that can ever be achieved in the human condition.

[Duckelf]

No, because it is an impossible utopian dream. In any case the 'equality' that you are advocating for is horrible, and is destroying Western civilisation.

[Shake 'n Bake]

(Original post by JakeNielen)
I wholly disagree. We aren't sweeping these issues under the carpet we are trying to eradicate them. I assume from your statement "What is wrong with acknowledging that someone who is an ethnic minority, female or gay has to work a bit harder in life in comparison to their peers?" that you are neither a female, gay or of an ethnic minority and hence fail to acknowledge the injustice of someone with equal skills to you being undermined socially by the stigma attached to their position.

We are not being naive, we are being progressive.

Actually I am both female and black hence my comment. We are consistently told that employers adhere to the equality act and that we have a fair chance. However, in most cases that is *******s. Some employers pretend they do, but discriminate against candidates with ethnic names.Example This means issues like this are very rarely tackled head on. Honesty is a great weapon against discrimination, we simply don't have that yet.

[Shake 'n Bake]

(Original post by Duckelf)
No, because it is an impossible utopian dream. In any case the 'equality' that you are advocating for is horrible, and is destroying Western civilisation.

Could you elaborate on this point?

[Genocidal]

Equality is an impossible dream. Keep dreaming and tell me when you wake up.

[Oswy]

(Original post by rajandkwameali)
...

I think everybody in life should have equal opportunities...

Do you really? So, for example, do you accept that the inheritance of property or capital should be abolished? After all, these things rather obviously generate inequalities of opportunity.

[Oswy]

(Original post by Duckelf)
No, because it is an impossible utopian dream. In any case the 'equality' that you are advocating for is horrible, and is destroying Western civilisation.

The historical trend seems to be in the direction of increasing the degree of equality, even if often only formally.

[Doyle&TheFourFathers]

in short, no.

in long, nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnoooooooooooo oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ooooooooo

[vandub]

(Original post by Oswy)
Do you really? So, for example, do you accept that the inheritance of property or capital should be abolished? After all, these things rather obviously generate inequalities of opportunity.

I would be in favour of aboloshing this, given that it leads to enormous differences in people's opportunities due to circumstances that they cannot control and have no part in, except for the fact that doing that is a big limitation on the, eg., parents' freedom. Don't get me wrong, I am in favour of inheritance tax, but for the state to take all of the money away I think is too far. I guess I'm not sure on how much should be taxed, and if asked for a value it would probably only be an arbitrary choice. So..yeah.

[silverbolt]

(Original post by Oswy)
Do you really? So, for example, do you accept that the inheritance of property or capital should be abolished? After all, these things rather obviously generate inequalities of opportunity.

As someone who does not come from a rich family i would say no,

why should the government/other body get what other people are owed/own? Its thievary but then i feel inheritance tax is as well. If you aboloshed it you would instantly lose a class system (not nessecarily a bad thing) but why would anyone work to achieve wealth/success if they cant pass it on to thier children when they die.

[Oswy]

(Original post by vandub)
I would be in favour of aboloshing this, given that it leads to enormous differences in people's opportunities due to circumstances that they cannot control and have no part in, except for the fact that doing that is a big limitation on the, eg., parents' freedom. Don't get me wrong, I am in favour of inheritance tax, but for the state to take all of the money away I think is too far. I guess I'm not sure on how much should be taxed, and if asked for a value it would probably only be an arbitrary choice. So..yeah.

It's definately a thorny issue for those, like the person I was responding to, who claim they support the idea of equality of opportunity. I'm more into the idea of equality in the satisfaction of need, but then I am a Marxist

[Oswy]

(Original post by silverbolt)
As someone who does not come from a rich family i would say no,

why should the government/other body get what other people are owed/own? Its thievary but then i feel inheritance tax is as well. If you aboloshed it you would instantly lose a class system (not nessecarily a bad thing) but why would anyone work to achieve wealth/success if they cant pass it on to thier children when they die.

Ok, but you do realise that I was responding to someone who was making a claim to support 'equality of opportunity' and I was merely pointing out that things like the inheritance of property and capital are in conflict with that ideal.

[Duckelf]

(Original post by Oswy)
The historical trend seems to be in the direction of increasing the degree of equality, even if often only formally.

This posts contradicts nothing in my post. It is blatently irrelevant.