Episode Transcript
Transcripts are displayed as originally observed. Some content, including advertisements may have changed.
Use Ctrl + F to search
0:00
Hi I'm neither Bhutto host. Of
0:02
one big thing for Max years. Every.
0:05
Week I talked to leaders you know
0:07
or need to know in business, politics
0:09
and culture. We're not gonna
0:11
be changing. The one that takes
0:13
Umbrage with can't live burying our
0:15
heads this technology. Is here. Were going
0:18
about it the wrong way because we
0:20
don't know this stuff. To go for
0:22
interviews, ideas in context all in twenty
0:24
minutes or less. That's one big thing
0:27
from Axioms. Find us every Thursday wherever
0:29
you get your podcasts. Politics
0:32
has never been stranger or more online,
0:34
which is why the Politics team at
0:37
Wired is making a new show Wired
0:39
Politics Lab. It's all about how to
0:41
navigate the endless stream of news and
0:44
information and what to look out for.
0:46
Each week on the show will dig
0:48
into Far Right Platform A I chat
0:50
bots, influence or campaigns and so much
0:53
more. Wire Politics Lab launches Thursday, April
0:55
Eleven. Follow the show where ever you
0:57
get your podcasts. I.
1:01
Never cared about race. I never thought
1:04
that race was interesting in itself. And
1:06
it was precisely because my new environment
1:08
refuted that lack of interest that I
1:11
became curious. Why am I suddenly now?
1:13
Being. Told to pay attention to raise all
1:15
the time. I don't care about your
1:17
race. I care about becoming friends and and
1:19
associating with people on the basis of shared
1:22
interest and shared values. I thought that's what
1:24
it meant. To. Be progressive about
1:26
race. What
1:29
could go right? I'm. Zachary
1:31
Caravel, the founder of The Progress that
1:33
we're joined as always buy em of
1:35
our Valukas, the Executive Director of The
1:38
Progress Network and this is our weekly
1:40
podcast called. What? Could go right. Which.
1:42
Is a way of. Asking. A question
1:45
that we don't ask enough As in. Were.
1:47
Always asking what could go wrong in the world? Why don't
1:49
we ask what? you go right in the world? They are
1:51
both. Intrinsically. Possible outcomes
1:54
of uncertain futures and so.
1:56
The. Fact that we pay substantial on
1:58
perhaps in ordinance Attend. Into all but
2:00
could go wrong. May. Skew are
2:03
sensibility as to what is actually going
2:05
on in the world in a way that
2:07
prevents us from asking the question what could
2:09
go right and re considering the possibility that
2:11
there is a lot that could go better
2:14
than we think better than we fear, better
2:16
than we perceive especially given that we are
2:18
constantly focus on all the things that could
2:21
go wrong and rarely to people look at
2:23
the question of race and America from a
2:25
question of what the go right in Sat,
2:27
Race and America for my entire lifetime and
2:30
for the lifetime of most people alive today.
2:32
Has been a continual chronic question
2:34
of all that is going wrong
2:36
or at least has been filtered
2:38
through a lens of everything is
2:40
always going wrong and going awry
2:42
and we have sailed to solve
2:44
one of the great wounds of
2:46
American society between African Americans and
2:48
the greater largely white society. Although
2:50
now that is less true meaning.
2:52
the greater society is Hispanic and
2:54
Asian and offers a multicultural but
2:56
nonetheless the question of how races
2:58
organize themselves. The United States are
3:00
we live together. How. We don't live
3:03
together. What kind of social injustices and
3:05
inequities there are and how we are
3:07
supposed to deal with those? Are we
3:09
supposed to be all those through laws
3:11
for a change in. Attitudes or
3:13
change and sentiment. And the
3:16
degree to which these questions are
3:18
rarely asked calmly they are usually
3:20
disgust hysterically is at all. In
3:23
shouting an ad hominem and in
3:25
accusations of lack of good faith
3:27
and or racism. And. Or
3:30
insensitivity, you name it, On
3:33
the part of those. Arguing.
3:36
And their view of those whom they're
3:38
arguing against. So. Hopefully we'll
3:40
have a conversation today. That. Is.
3:43
On. A difficult third rail topic. But
3:46
not in and hysterical fashion and I am
3:48
pretty convinced that the person we're gonna talk
3:50
to or at least allow for the space
3:53
to have that kind of conversation so I
3:55
will tell us about who was behind door
3:57
number three. So. Today we're going to talk to
3:59
com. News: He is a writer and
4:01
a podcast or as if you're interested
4:04
in listening to his podcast called conversations
4:06
with Home and we'll have a good
4:08
alliteration around here. He usually rights issues
4:10
related to race and. Public Policy and
4:12
Applied Ethics Is an analyst on Cnn
4:15
and also a country editor at the
4:17
City Journal. Some maria to go talk.
4:19
To com cod as a say about his
4:21
new book which is called the End of
4:23
Race Politics Arguments. For a colorblind America, bread
4:26
is accurate. I am ready. Calm
4:29
and who's It's a pleasure to have
4:32
you join what could go rights and
4:34
as our listeners now but you may
4:36
be less familiar with since. One
4:38
of our attempts enduring this podcast was
4:40
an attempt to either look at things
4:42
that are going better in the world
4:44
are we think they are or to
4:46
look at things that we know we're
4:48
going badly with an eye toward what
4:50
are we able to do collectively to
4:52
ameliorate to improve to move forward rather
4:54
than save stuck in an endless spin
4:56
of of negativity rights for those of
4:58
the to and of axes. Of how
5:00
we try to have these conversations and
5:03
not in any manner shape or form,
5:05
skirt or allied or evade difficult questions.
5:07
Difficult topic. Some things that are indeed
5:09
problematic, right? Your recent book, while it's
5:12
title the End of Riot is is
5:14
more aspiration, only the end of than
5:16
it is. It has now ended. And
5:19
I and I wonder you know when you when
5:21
you think about racial politics and you think about
5:23
what you're drawing attention to him when all your
5:25
work over the past years has been. To.
5:28
Use feel. That there
5:30
is a plausible end in the way in which
5:32
you aspiration only title the book or is this
5:34
is more of a call to. Awareness.
5:37
And legacy each of us to doing what
5:39
we can individually and within whatever kind of
5:41
institution we have. The A Good
5:43
Question in the Book which is called the
5:45
End of Race Politics. The Be
5:47
subtitle his arguments for a colorblind America
5:50
and the question you ask is a
5:52
variant of many people's first thought which
5:54
is is a Colorblind America is impossible
5:56
Forget about whether we should go to
5:59
or is it can we reach It
6:01
is in some way. the more. Pressing.
6:04
First question. I view the
6:06
prospect of a colorblind America. Kind.
6:09
Of like I view the prospect of a
6:11
peaceful America. It's. Never going to
6:13
happen in a perfect sense, like
6:15
we're never going to live in
6:17
a country with a murder rate
6:20
of zero and assault rate of
6:22
zero in so on and so
6:24
forth. But the concept of peace
6:26
and peacefulness is a Northstar such
6:28
that we know when we're going
6:30
towards it. And we know when
6:32
we're going further away from it. I view
6:34
color blindness very much in the same way.
6:37
It's. Not that will ever get
6:39
to a society with zero
6:41
racism. That's impossible given just
6:43
how flawed human nature can
6:45
be and. The fact that. Certain
6:48
people always. Want. To
6:50
indulge it Kind of toxic.
6:53
Bigotry. But. Color blindness should
6:55
be the north star in determining whether we're
6:57
going closer to that ideal or whether we
6:59
are moving further away from it. As I
7:02
argue, we have been in the past ten
7:04
years. By. Obsessing. Moreover, racial
7:06
identity. In. Our personal and
7:09
social lives and by injecting. Race:
7:11
Into public policy. Suck. On
7:13
any given, a little bit more detail that
7:15
what you need by collar blinds I think
7:17
the phrase it comes to mind for lot
7:19
of people in the estimate that as I
7:21
don't see race, you know that I don't
7:23
see. That's exactly what you mean. Yeah.
7:26
I don't like the phrase i don't see race.
7:28
But. I don't like it for a different
7:30
reason than a lot of commentators and
7:32
riders dislike it. Many. People criticize
7:35
that phrase. As. A general
7:37
critique of color blindness in general.
7:40
They. Will say that color blindness is
7:42
really white supremacy in disguise. Or.
7:44
It's naive at best. It's
7:47
somehow and inherently conservative or reactionary
7:49
concept. I reject all of these
7:51
ideas for reasons I go into
7:53
detail in the book. But.
7:56
I dislike the phrase i don't see
7:58
race because it. Provides. The very
8:00
convenient target for critics of color
8:03
blindness. An easy target. And
8:05
it's actually misleading because in fact,
8:07
we do see race right at
8:09
least. American Adults issue for if
8:12
you're raised in society that. Makes.
8:14
Race The salient. So by the
8:16
time you become an adult in
8:19
America, given how sensitize we are
8:21
to race, everyone sees race. right?
8:23
Olanoff your podcast as. Video.
8:25
I see me do. but. Your.
8:27
Listeners are going to see that I'm not
8:30
an Asian woman, They're going to see that
8:32
I'm a black guy, and they're going to
8:34
see what what race they they believe you
8:36
belong to. And more than that, we're all
8:38
capable of being racially biased, so I want
8:40
to grand those two things right at the
8:42
top. What I mean by colorblind and what
8:44
many people mean when they say I don't
8:46
see race is really. I try to treat
8:48
people without regard to race, which is a
8:51
more accurate and defensible statement. and that's what
8:53
I mean by color blindness as and then
8:55
the last part of it, which is a
8:57
more controversial. Part is that I demand that
8:59
the state treats me without regard to race,
9:01
which means getting rid of race in our
9:03
public policy. So. Where's.
9:06
That look like in a specific example.
9:08
What? What something that you can point
9:10
to that most who are you familiar
9:13
with that we do now that we
9:15
should do differently. So. At
9:17
the policy level. Race based affirmative
9:19
action is the most salient case
9:22
here because. Before. The supreme
9:24
court ruling. You. Have a
9:26
situation where. You know an
9:28
eighteen year old student applying to college
9:30
in many cases a but for cause
9:32
of their acceptance or rejection at a
9:34
college would be their race. Which is
9:37
to say an Asian student applies to
9:39
Harvard and gets rejected. You. Make
9:41
that. Identical. Application.
9:44
But. Make that student. White.
9:46
Or or. You know, god
9:48
forbid black or Hispanic male. Definitely get it
9:50
right. There. Are many cases like that?
9:52
Assad? Every case, but it's widely enough. true.
9:55
That. You just have what
9:57
is in essence. Mass
9:59
Race. Discrimination every year and
10:01
who gets admitted. To. Colleges
10:03
and and in why they get admitted. And.
10:06
Their various defenses for this. Some.
10:09
Overly clever and some more
10:11
substantial. But at.
10:13
The end it a day. They all amount to.
10:16
Know. Looking someone in the face and same.
10:18
Sorry. But you know your race
10:20
is is. The reason you didn't get
10:22
into the school. Which. Is something that
10:25
makes. Americans up in
10:27
both parties profoundly uncomfortable when forced
10:29
to look at it. In.
10:31
The face and without euphemisms. So.
10:34
Something like affirmative action going from.
10:37
A. Race based policy to a policy
10:39
that is. Based. On
10:42
other factors, whether that be class. Or.
10:44
Whether that be policies were.
10:47
You. Accept the top ten percent.
10:50
Of Students at Every public school in
10:52
the states If you're say a state
10:54
school. Of. As a race new to
10:56
policy that is still. Quote. Unquote Equitable
10:58
in the sense that you are casting
11:00
a wider net than you would have
11:02
based on. Save. Looking at
11:04
as A T scores alone. So.
11:07
Really? If you know that
11:09
that's that's the most elite example of
11:11
a policy where you can get rid
11:13
of race while also still addressing the
11:15
issue of. Disadvantage: And.
11:19
Unlevel. Playing Fields. So.
11:22
Common I'm going as he's or another
11:24
example since the affirmative action is kind
11:26
of a moot point at this point
11:28
and and then acid it. Not Saturday
11:30
with the colored vaccines. I think that
11:33
was the out And he is finally
11:35
backtracked as an example of mostly because
11:37
when I hear about arguments fairways, plan
11:39
society. In terms of public policy,
11:41
it does feel like we're kind of
11:43
already living a life. And we've
11:45
already reached at so another example
11:48
you could use his. Federal
11:50
contracts and state level contracts.
11:52
Federal Contracting The A Federal
11:55
government and the vast majority
11:57
of not all states. Have
12:00
requirements that a certain percentage
12:02
of government awarded contracts go
12:04
to minority owned. Businesses.
12:07
And certain states have.
12:09
Percentage. Guidelines and percentage quotas
12:11
and this varies at the state level
12:13
and so on and so forth which
12:16
has for decades as a sidebar led
12:18
to the problem of since a fraud
12:20
of white owned businesses pretending to be
12:23
minority on businesses or actually having to
12:25
kind of you can call it is
12:27
sort of and ali baba business where
12:30
really owned by someone and then someone
12:32
else is sort of fronting the ownership
12:34
someone and so forth. So. This
12:36
has been a longstanding policy that's ingrained
12:38
in in the fabric of federal contracting
12:40
and state level contracting at this point,
12:42
And if you want it to somehow
12:45
distribute this a based on some other
12:47
metric ib open in that conversation. but
12:49
I don't think that we ought to
12:51
use race as a variable. I'm
12:53
wondering what you think goes and this
12:55
no me neither here nor there. For
12:57
the essential point there was a and
12:59
attempts are still is an attempt to
13:01
New York State with cat cannabis legalization.
13:04
To award dispensary licenses
13:06
primarily or disproportionately to
13:09
people who had been
13:11
harmed by zealous prosecution.
13:14
Of cannabis laws prior to legalization that
13:16
was I park there was a whole
13:19
quota system thousand challenge and the courts
13:21
as being discriminatory to other people, not
13:23
on racial grounds, As done and and
13:26
evasive. The whole system has drawn to
13:28
a total halt, but what do you
13:30
make of that type of discrimination by
13:32
it's not racial per se. It was
13:35
an attempt to say that there should
13:37
be a remedial attempt to, I guess
13:39
retroactively. Address. Harms that
13:41
we're done often an African
13:43
American communities. By. Like
13:46
zealous prosecution of of cannabis possession.
13:48
Yeah. So in in principle I don't see
13:51
how it's or race related issue. A
13:53
oh it is risk related, but only
13:55
in the sense of disparate impact, right?
13:57
So. It's it's not choosing black.
14:00
People to give. Or hispanic people to
14:02
to give licenses do with saying if you
14:04
can show you have been harmed by. Overzealous,
14:07
Marijuana laws in the past? Then we're
14:09
gonna put you at the top of
14:12
the list. And do you know whether
14:14
it so happens that the majority of
14:16
people sitting that bill or or black
14:18
or hispanic or otherwise is a a
14:20
knock on sacked right? It's not true
14:22
so much. My argument in general isn't
14:24
against. Almost. Everything has a
14:26
racial disproportionate. And. If
14:29
you if you had a law like
14:31
that after prohibition that wanted to give
14:33
a liquor licenses to the people that
14:35
had been harmed by like overzealous prohibition
14:37
laws. He. Would find it would have
14:39
a different racial breakdown and I would not
14:42
be opposed to that On. Colorblind.
14:44
This grounds weather is a wise policy is
14:47
a totally separate question that I haven't really
14:49
looked into. And. I guess I'd also
14:51
than raises in for me one of the
14:53
big question is is anywhere in the world
14:55
that has racial divisions are not Every country
14:57
does or least not. In
14:59
a fundamental a red Scandinavian countries don't fundamentally
15:01
have this issue ethnically it although they do
15:04
now with you know how they have dealt
15:06
or dell badly with a surge of. Non.
15:09
Scandinavian immigrants, Diesel anywhere in
15:11
the world. Any human society
15:13
gets this right or gets
15:16
this. Better. Better.
15:18
Than America. Yeah. I.
15:20
Am unaware of a society that. Gets.
15:22
This better than America in in the general
15:24
sense as a few things that we have
15:26
to observe about the difference between America and
15:28
most of the rest of the world. Whether.
15:31
We're talking about European countries are
15:33
surly. East Asian countries were talking
15:35
about societies that have been so
15:37
deeply premised on as shared ethnicity
15:40
and shared language that they've rarely
15:42
are. Only recently had had to
15:44
begun to deal with the challenge
15:46
of multiculturalism in multi at a
15:48
city a minute into Japan and
15:50
Korea are effectively ethno states in
15:53
in the sense that it's one
15:55
ethnicity. And. You can immigrate
15:57
there are. it's extremely hard to and.
16:00
Though. I. Have never been faced
16:02
with. As a society on a
16:04
deep level, this question of how should
16:06
the state deal with the conundrums and
16:08
issues that arise when you have multiple
16:10
races of people living alongside one another.
16:13
America for various reasons
16:16
was. Really? That the
16:18
first experiments in multi racial democracy
16:20
and hazardous And and because it
16:22
had effectively open borders in the
16:25
nineteenth century until nineteen early Nineteen
16:27
twenties, and substantial immigration after Nineteen
16:30
Sixty Five has been faced with
16:32
a. A challenge that most. Most.
16:35
European countries haven't and until I guess
16:37
the migrant crisis even then it's a
16:39
do a little bit of a different
16:41
challenge. So my arguments are more. Kind.
16:44
Of narrowly tailored to America in
16:46
the sense that. I'm not really
16:48
sure I know what like Singapore should do.
16:51
Or what Japan should do. Necessarily
16:53
these are very different societies, very different
16:55
cultures. A deal with the issue
16:57
of. Race and diversity in
17:00
quite different ways, but. In.
17:02
General, It's not just that I don't
17:04
know of a place that has done
17:06
it better. I don't know of a
17:08
place which has truly face the same
17:10
challenges the even period You know how
17:13
our house address the challenges a separate
17:15
question from even whether countries have faced
17:17
a challenge in a long runway. If
17:19
that makes sense. Yeah, I'm in a
17:21
decent. There are societies like. Canada has
17:24
had a more a melting pot. as shall we
17:26
say we have a melting pot can. It probably
17:28
has had a a more actual melting pot approach.
17:30
him. And then you're left with
17:32
countries at m de facto dealt with
17:34
different aspects of race in Mexico between
17:36
out Spanish immigrant group and of indigenous
17:39
or Brazil with its prime or somewhere
17:41
the United States as my answer. That
17:43
question is. Is. Soccer Than any
17:45
society has dealt with this particularly well. Some
17:47
have dealt with it differently. In.
17:50
India, which is more cast as she
17:52
writes, has massive protests systems which according
17:54
to most Indians, doesn't really ameliorate the
17:56
problem. A dust is a way of
17:58
addressing it. That. Would
18:00
continue even after independent India constitution
18:02
permitted coat of and reservations. Not
18:04
baby one though only to marginalized
18:07
groups. the sp that of a sudden
18:09
cough and the Athena for saudi will
18:11
try. This observation can be
18:13
divided into two types, one of the
18:15
political one with a temporary, the other
18:18
the social kind your jobs and called
18:20
see the political reservation meant caught up
18:22
in elected bodies like parliament and state
18:24
assembly. That. Was supposed to be
18:26
reevaluated up to ten years. But. Nowadays,
18:28
there is no evaluation, There
18:31
is only extension. Famously.
18:34
There's the French model. Where. The
18:36
government can't collect any kind of racial statistics
18:38
and new to, you know? sure. He
18:41
the government can ask you a raise your rates. And.
18:43
So she look up the census figures
18:45
in France. You're. Not going to find
18:47
how many. Moroccans lives in Paris
18:49
or whatever you do you might find
18:51
out from some academic but you're not
18:54
gonna get it on. Government. Figures
18:56
Tourist center has a big effect I'm
18:58
I'm skeptical loves, and I think it's
19:00
possible to go too far in terms
19:03
of prohibiting people from even asking certain
19:05
questions. Cohen. I wanted of
19:07
Facts are second to salaries question
19:09
about the weed industry in Austin
19:11
Got a three but the remediation
19:13
of harm arguments. I think it's
19:16
the most common argument that I
19:18
hear. Against your colorblind argument,
19:20
right? That given. The history of
19:22
the United States in given that there's a specific
19:24
history of. Harm. Against Against
19:26
I've seen a. Black.
19:28
People in particular because of slavery. Also.
19:31
Other races and ethnicities and a to talk. About
19:33
Chinese or Japanese friends sense. Why
19:35
to you is are needy Asian
19:38
as harm argument Okay as far
19:40
as. We'd. Play were out where
19:42
an overzealous law harm you but not one as
19:45
based on race and as hub in laws in
19:47
the past that day cause harm based on race.
19:49
So. The the analogy would only make
19:52
sense if and instead of talking
19:54
about where mediating individuals that were.
19:56
Convicted. Of marijuana
19:58
related offenses, you instead.
20:01
Drawing a line around a group,
20:03
many of whom are six seven
20:05
generations removed from the people that
20:07
were convicted, That's what would make
20:09
the analogy make sense. I've always
20:11
been in favor of paying remediation
20:13
to specific identifiable people. So for
20:15
example, there's a program outside of
20:17
Evanston sick of Chicago out on
20:19
of the status, as well as
20:21
months ago last time I checked
20:23
on it. Whereas. You can
20:25
show that as a black person,
20:28
you were denied a mortgage in
20:30
the nineteen fifties or sixties in
20:32
a Red Lines neighborhood. Then
20:34
you get a certain some sum of money
20:36
as remediation for that. I'm. All
20:38
for that in principle. When
20:40
I'm against. Is. The idea
20:42
which is. Quite. A separate
20:45
concept that I because I
20:47
happen to be a descendant
20:49
of slaves many generations removed.
20:52
Not. My self harmed, but rather a
20:54
descendant of someone who is harmed That
20:56
I am therefore entitled to what they
20:58
didn't receive. The.
21:07
Government of Kenya pledged to and gender
21:09
based violence by Twenty Twenty Six. Initiates
21:12
House in Uganda is trying to eradicate
21:14
Yellow Fever. It's ambitious to make these
21:16
kinds of pledges that is much harder
21:19
to achieve These articles. Are these leaders
21:21
really delivering on his promises for women
21:23
and girls turn into a new season
21:25
of the hidden Economics of Remarkable When
21:27
And a podcast from Foreign Policy As
21:30
Reporters Across Africa Me courageous woman holding
21:32
leaders accountable and various sectors including healthcare
21:34
start ups and the government listen to
21:36
his an Economics of Remarkable Been and.
21:38
Wherever you that your podcasts. History.
21:41
Doesn't repeat itself but it off Ryan's
21:43
Sat. Maybe a Mark Twain fan but
21:45
assistance to today's when he recently said
21:47
at my history can beat up your
21:49
Politics is a podcast The comparison contrasts
21:51
history to the current events of today
21:53
so spruce cause and has recently done
21:55
deep dives on fascinating topics. I to
21:57
follow the Soviet Union which sets the
21:59
stage. They geopolitics the man who was
22:01
in prison and still won a million
22:03
votes for the presidency and the mystery
22:05
behind George Washington's involvement or last Arab
22:07
and a bill of Rights money. She
22:09
can be your politics office deep contacts
22:11
the all these historic stories especially those
22:13
that you may think you know wealth
22:15
and is particularly adept ever leading them
22:17
to current events. so don't miss out.
22:19
Listen to my history, can beat up
22:21
your Paul Sex on. All platforms. I.
22:28
Want to shift gears? Roman Tuck little
22:30
that you personally as it applies to
22:32
the work that you're doing and this
22:34
had been unfair questions is none of
22:36
us have full perspective ourselves but. You.
22:38
Know it's I say that there's
22:41
almost an oddly inverse reaction to
22:43
the the moderate ness of your
22:45
tone and writing. And. The
22:48
hysterical reaction to your tone and riding in
22:50
are you don't come across as a firebrand
22:52
nominee that there's different place for firebrands, right?
22:54
There are people who, priests are people who
22:56
get off on a kind of a moral
22:58
unequivocal on a soapbox dance and sometimes us
23:00
an effective way of moving an argument and
23:03
and talking about those. But I think it's
23:05
fair to say that's not. You know that's
23:07
not your temper, men, it's not your effect
23:09
and yet you would sink or give the
23:11
if someone only read and listened to reactions
23:13
to you. I. Will you would think
23:15
you were this. Just. The
23:18
and nuanced. Zealous
23:20
crusader. Against All That
23:23
is good and Affirmative Action in the United
23:25
States. To. Have any sense of I
23:27
mean is it just are moment? is it or
23:29
you just a convenient lightning rod for whole series
23:31
of other things. And again, I get the
23:33
fact that. None. Of us are the
23:35
best judges of. How. We come
23:37
off and how people rap I wonder if you
23:39
have any Having now been in this particular arena
23:42
for a couple of years, right? If
23:44
you have any thoughts about that, Own I
23:46
guess as to thought about it one is. It's.
23:49
It's possible that someone that is. Com.
23:52
And not Firebrand is can.
23:55
Provoke. More anger than someone who. Is
23:58
firebrand this? because? There
24:00
can be kind of backlash effect to
24:02
calmly reasoning with someone but still deeply
24:04
disagreeing because there's a sense that I
24:06
may not be seized by things I
24:08
should be phased by in that can
24:10
be additionally frustrating and away sir, having
24:12
served people would prefer me to be
24:15
a kind of hysterical preacher to then
24:17
I'd be easier to dismiss and I
24:19
guess maybe that can provoke more anger
24:21
and people. Secondly, I
24:23
think it's it's It's true that the
24:25
Like: If you compare me to someone
24:27
like Candace Owens whose I think her
24:29
her most recent. Insanity. I
24:31
mean her to. Most recent insanities were
24:33
that the i think I see I
24:36
created Hollywood. Which. I think that
24:38
timeline on those two things is the wrong
24:40
direction for that to be even true. And
24:42
we would say it's it's problematic and
24:44
a manual microns. Wife is a man
24:46
and she said quote she would steaks
24:49
her professional career on. On.
24:51
That sack. Is. A kinds of things
24:53
that that I would I would have to be
24:55
literally in the grip of meth addiction for me
24:57
to say these had to face. But on the
25:00
other hand. You can probably find two
25:02
sentences of me. That sound
25:04
very similar and I are making very similar
25:06
claim to something that came to zones would
25:08
say. So superficially, if you're not paying
25:11
attention, it could be very easy to lump us
25:13
into the same category of think world. All of
25:15
these you know, black people that have the kind
25:17
of contrary views you're not supposed to have. They.
25:20
All seem like nut jobs. In other
25:22
they see things like the the see I
25:24
invented Hollywood and then the manual macros. Why
25:26
says you know a man. And. So
25:28
I think I'm not looking into things
25:30
is the our countries are explanation for
25:33
a lot of misjudgments in the space.
25:35
So. Caught up in L a
25:37
father question to that for me is. Why
25:40
did you get into that sort of. Arena
25:42
of issues was it an active choice
25:45
and something intentional or was it the
25:47
fell into it or whether these other
25:49
give a some poor and that you
25:51
know you needed to get into it
25:54
because it does seem sometimes from the
25:56
outside that's the reaction and their criticism
25:58
might not be one. The
26:01
engagement the maybe it'll fill out and. They've.
26:03
Been times when I felt that way. absolutely. Will.
26:06
Not my career with. Spinach. Kind
26:08
of a weird. Oh. We're journey at
26:10
at eighteen. I went to the Juilliard School
26:12
of Music and I was a professional musician.
26:15
Still am a professional musician, though I spend
26:17
more of a hobbyist amount of time on
26:19
it. And. I.
26:21
Always. Loved both music
26:24
and. Philosophy. And split
26:26
my time between the two. My my
26:28
mother died when I was a freshman
26:30
at music school. And. That. Caused
26:33
me to really reflect
26:35
and. And. Actually caused
26:37
me to drop out of Juilliard. And.
26:40
Try to Colombia. And when I
26:43
got to Columbia. This was right
26:45
around the beginning of what Matthew Yglesias
26:47
would later call the great A welcoming.
26:51
Wouldn't. Be fair to say that
26:53
the Great Awakening, the squeeze on
26:55
religious quasar, cultural revolution originated. At
26:58
the university's. I would
27:01
say absolutely yes When I would
27:03
say is that it's very clear
27:05
that the nucleation plane for the
27:07
ideology were. The. Universities and originally
27:10
kind of the fringe departments of the
27:12
universities. And the old consensus.
27:14
You know you could ask a
27:16
republican or democrat, a liberal or
27:18
conservative they would also you the
27:20
same thing up until extremely recently
27:22
and that was. His. Campus
27:24
nonsense. This.
27:26
Is a time when. Liberal white
27:28
Americans began going bit by bit
27:30
further and further to the last
27:33
on racial issues to the point
27:35
that by certain year I forget
27:37
which white Democrats were further to
27:39
the last on. Race: Issues
27:41
than black Americans as a set. this
27:43
was much more pronounced on college campuses
27:45
than it was among why democrats on
27:48
the whole. So I was going from
27:50
situation being a black and Hispanic kid
27:52
who grew up in a liberal town
27:54
with the kind of default Mlk style
27:57
ideology towards race which is to say
27:59
the race doesn't matter, your race doesn't
28:01
define you and it doesn't define me
28:04
and the first person to come into
28:06
the room and. Began. Treating
28:08
people differently. As. A result
28:10
of race. That's the person who's making the mistake. and
28:12
it's up to everyone else in the room to say
28:14
no. That's. The Philosophy Race I grew
28:16
up with. And. I
28:19
think it's the right one cut to Now
28:21
I'm in an environment where. All. Of
28:23
a sudden racial identity spoken of as
28:26
a kind of. Magic. Inside
28:28
your soul Read the people talk
28:30
about black This as this beautiful
28:32
inner quality insofar as you have
28:34
any thing as non white is
28:36
talked about as a kind of
28:38
as a kind of slice of
28:40
god inside your soul and insofar
28:43
as your why. This is supposed
28:45
to be basically of a marker
28:47
of of shame and a reason
28:49
to. Humble yourself, right?
28:51
And this influences social. Interactions.
28:54
Influences conversations,
28:57
And. What's more, it's enshrined
28:59
in. Some. Of the policies at
29:01
the school though, the I talk about the
29:03
orientation policy in my book. Were.
29:05
At. Columbia. Orientation they had us
29:07
go. Black kids in one corner,
29:10
the room, Hispanic kids in another, whites,
29:12
Asians, etc. And then we all talk
29:14
about how we either participate in or
29:16
suffer from. Systemic. Racism. And
29:18
that the effect of this policy, whatever
29:20
it and ten was now to make
29:22
me hyper aware of my racial identity
29:24
and how presumptive li it makes me
29:27
different from other people in the room.
29:29
And is precisely the opposite emphasis
29:31
of the kind of. Common.
29:34
Humanity Civil Rights ethos with
29:36
says. Yes, You're. White
29:38
And I'm black. But. Don't we
29:40
both bleed red? Don't We both love
29:43
our children. Check on and on down
29:45
the line of the things that make
29:47
us com in so as to not
29:49
exacerbate the inevitable tribalism in society, but
29:52
to tamp down on it and so
29:54
being thrust from the one environment into
29:56
the other. Made. Me wonder like
29:58
a is is totally new. The
30:01
approach in philosophy to race which
30:03
people are basically afraid to talk
30:05
about because if you're white person
30:07
to consider critiquing it is to
30:09
potentially invite a charge of racism
30:11
and that's like food. want do
30:13
that. To critique it as a
30:16
person of color is potentially to
30:18
invite the the lesser but still
30:20
damning charge of. Being. A
30:22
traitor? Have some kind. And the
30:24
whole dynamic around it was so
30:26
contrary to skeptical inquiry. And so
30:28
that's since you were a i'm
30:31
coming from. As a person, I
30:33
never cared about race. I never
30:35
saw that race was interesting in
30:37
itself. And. It was precisely because
30:39
my new environment refuted that lack of
30:42
interest that I became curious. Why
30:44
am I suddenly now being told to pay
30:46
attention to raise all the time? I
30:48
don't care about your race. I care about
30:50
becoming friends and and associating with people on
30:53
the basis of shared interests and shared values.
30:55
I thought that's what it meant to be
30:57
progressive about race, and so he was. The
30:59
distance between those two things that interested me
31:02
at a personal level and eventually I started
31:04
writing about publicly. It's. Also interesting
31:06
to hear about this because I was a
31:08
college. Five. Years I think before
31:10
you were and we had none of that
31:12
stuff. Since. As you do, see this
31:14
going on with your kids Hilaire Next Generation
31:16
Final Call on a nice. Curricular
31:18
really? Yes, socially now nearing and of
31:21
the books that are chosen be read,
31:23
but much less of this going on
31:25
In in fact, I'm wary though of
31:27
kind of anecdotal I'm. In.
31:29
A We all have our own persons from
31:31
Sonos. A personal experience scans well with the
31:33
generalizable one. Sometimes it doesn't. Doesn't. Mean
31:36
the general is or isn't true and usually means
31:38
of the first one isn't true or is or
31:40
isn't indicative. Yeah. Meanwhile, I've heard from more than
31:42
one person medical a lot of. Younger.
31:45
Kids, I guess I don't know their
31:47
genji anymore. Actually, they may be whatever
31:50
comes after that are not so hot
31:52
on this philosophy and a mere as.
31:54
Generational. Turnover tends to do you know
31:57
it was what was cool and one generation
31:59
almost by definition. Because next so it
32:01
wouldn't surprise me. Terribly. If
32:03
if you didn't see much of this socially. So.
32:06
Wonder on this question also
32:08
of the bedfellows. one a
32:10
tracks when you know. A.
32:12
Nun's here to view and of fauci a
32:14
book about change what he and of doing
32:16
about they're going to be a lot of
32:18
people decay. Given some of the philosophy
32:20
is your to kill it and. In
32:23
your book and in your work, a
32:25
who's who's allegiance. He probably. Wouldn't
32:27
be overly fond of I'm in a may not
32:29
be as bad as. Churchill one said
32:31
I would a ally with the devil said
32:33
it would help me defeat the Nazis are
32:36
admitting as I don't care who. Fights.
32:38
On my side as long as. They're
32:40
fighting on my side. Because. They're an awful
32:42
lot of people rise who. Say. So some
32:44
of the. Articulation. Of
32:46
your philosophy. Might. Be genuinely races
32:49
or my be genuinely a whole the
32:51
whole series of views that you have
32:53
price on morally questionable of.up warrant Now
32:55
you're not responsible for that in any
32:58
manner shape or form. sorry how you
33:00
navigate that. Well I
33:02
guess the options are either
33:04
to. To. See that as
33:06
a reason not to speak,
33:08
which I find. Unacceptable
33:11
for to speak any and
33:13
to try to mitigate that
33:15
risk by doing my best
33:17
to be responsible about when
33:19
I'm not saying. I'm not
33:21
saying that you should be a single issue
33:23
voter on colorblind issues or not. And
33:26
if you were a single issue voter on
33:28
color blindness and almost by default at this
33:30
point, you'd have to vote. For.
33:32
Republicans and for Trump that I didn't and
33:34
I I I don't think I'd ever vote
33:36
for Trump A it has to be something
33:38
so horrible on the other side to get
33:40
me to devote for a guy like that.
33:42
so I don't recommend being a single issue
33:44
voter. Are. On any topic
33:47
necessarily. I. Absolutely don't.
33:50
Condone. That. The far
33:52
Right and and White supremacy and. All.
33:55
Of these things are precisely counter to the
33:57
spirit of color blindness And in so far
33:59
as there. People pretending to cheer on
34:01
color blindness. But. Actually holding something
34:03
else. that's not a mark against colorblind
34:06
this data march against them from being
34:08
dishonest. And it's not a march against
34:10
people who hold the Color Blind philosophy
34:13
in good faith. Is. Stephanie, a
34:15
real phenomenon to me that
34:17
doesn't justify not speaking. Although.
34:19
For many people it would for many people they
34:22
would you say? rather than have a single person
34:24
take me to be someone I'm not. I'm.
34:26
Gonna shut my mouth and choose a
34:28
different career path. I've chosen to take
34:30
the opposite side of that because I
34:32
think the importance of speaking our ways,
34:34
the discomfort I feel when. Somebody.
34:37
Unsavory. Likes me. Everybody,
34:48
I'm sketchy and Emery saliva us through
34:50
the hosts a political breakdown or show
34:52
that pulls back the curtain on the
34:54
people and forces driving politics in the
34:57
Golden State's from Kid Cudi and San
34:59
Francisco. And now
35:01
ahead of the Twenty Twenty Four
35:03
election, we are bringing you even
35:05
more more conversations for the top
35:07
movers and shakers that the state
35:09
capital and in national politics. But
35:11
the decisive the greatest gift that a rapid
35:13
me nothing was wrote. nothing was linear. I
35:16
had to work around thanks work differently see
35:18
the world differently can I say that his
35:20
young people and say know how important. Your
35:24
picture cetacean. It and I think it's
35:26
time for this generation of before divorces more.
35:28
Reporting with analysis. Been a
35:30
very good session for organized labor, but I'm
35:32
Labour Summer Hot Labour summer. It's turn out
35:35
to be a nice fall as well more.
35:37
Politics with Personality. Us: What
35:39
Election Day My entire life. We
35:41
we hear that is it's political breakdown
35:43
daily. Every week they will break
35:45
down at what's happening and why it matters.
35:48
With news that informs surprises
35:50
and maybe even inspires you,
35:52
Political breakdown goes daily starting
35:54
January. It. Hey.
36:04
If mm better, you should learn something
36:06
new every day. It's been devised
36:08
by with so much to do in your daily
36:10
life. sorry going to make the time to learn
36:13
and say curious about our worlds. Well.
36:15
With everything everywhere daily, you can
36:17
easily meet that. Goal and actual
36:19
reality. Everything Ever Daily is on
36:21
the world's most popular daily education podcast and
36:24
a top three History. Podcast. About
36:26
ten minutes you can learn something new
36:29
everyday. The. So covers history, science,
36:31
geography, mathematics, and technology as was
36:33
biographies from some of the world's
36:35
most interesting people. Fans.
36:37
Of the show are so passionate the universe
36:39
is joined the completion of club. The
36:42
group of dedicated listeners who have listened
36:44
to every single one of the shows
36:46
more than a thousand and counting episodes.
36:48
All the episodes are informative, interesting, and
36:50
best of all, Always under
36:52
fifteen minutes sick. I had learned
36:55
something new every single day with
36:57
everything everywhere daily. find it on
36:59
Apple podcasts, Spotify, Or referee. Get
37:01
your podcasts. On
37:06
our the the talk a little bit about. Something.
37:09
That we're. Confronted. With
37:11
the Progress network which is the hat. When
37:13
you point out progress, A
37:16
lot of people think that you're. Kind.
37:18
Of being an ass. Meaning. That yeah,
37:20
there's really no that argument that race relations the
37:22
United States nowadays are worse. and then they were
37:25
in the sixties. I would say worse anywhere in
37:27
a D is worse than they were in the
37:29
nineties. Like, there's definitely been. Progress.
37:31
On that the that has. Come. Along
37:33
with a view as particularly on the last
37:35
that. Things. Are getting. Worse.
37:37
And worse and worse. To the point
37:40
that people. Think that the United States is
37:42
a much more races. Place than the rest the
37:44
world which. If he was his his his you know.
37:46
That's absolutely untrue. So.
37:48
I wonder if you could just talk a little
37:50
bit about why you think that? That is that
37:52
perception. Is so en masse with reality
37:55
on this issue. The old as
37:57
a whole speed of books about talked
37:59
about progress in general and why people
38:01
so angered by Steven Pinker i think
38:03
have probably the most famous book enlightenment
38:05
now. Hans Rosling had a book called
38:07
Sackful Nurse. Illicit. Isn't probably have
38:09
heard of these books. And they
38:11
and others have pointed out just that.
38:14
There's is a basic point about media
38:16
bias. I'm I'm a Cnn analyst. We
38:18
almost never analyzed good news. In fact,
38:21
I'm not sure we've ever analyze good
38:23
news. We we analyzed controversial news and
38:25
upsetting news. So anything from controversial to
38:27
upsetting gets eyeballs on the screen. But
38:30
it seems like good news. My appear
38:32
in your Instagram really liked. My fiance
38:34
likes to watch videos of dogs and
38:37
babies and stuff like that happy stuff
38:39
that doesn't get people tuning in. To
38:41
to cable news or to the New York
38:43
Times or to the Wall Street Journal and
38:46
so forth. So. There's a general
38:48
bias towards the negative which shapes
38:50
every issue on the issue of
38:52
race in particular. I think that
38:54
the promise if you're seem to
38:56
be saying that progress has been
38:58
made you can also be construed
39:00
as saying that the issues over
39:02
and is your construed as saying
39:04
that. Then. You get
39:06
rid nos if you're a white person
39:09
as the category of a clueless pollyanna
39:11
white person that doesn't know about racism
39:13
because their wife and his ignorant and
39:16
needs to read Robin de Angelo and
39:18
so forth. And so you get very
39:20
few people willing to save. You know
39:23
what you just said, namely that a
39:25
lot of progress has happened. I had
39:27
a essay probably five years ago at
39:30
this point in collette called the Case
39:32
for Black Optimism in which I laid
39:34
out a lot. Of the data
39:36
points about progress. That are.
39:39
Just. Not. Publicize at All. I mean
39:41
the most shocking one to me. shocking in
39:43
the sense that it was never a front
39:45
page New York Times article is at and
39:48
he was between. Two thousand and
39:50
one and two other seventeen, the incarceration
39:52
rate for black men in their twenties
39:54
more than cut in half As astonishing
39:56
that it that's between when I was
39:58
in kindergarten in my for. Drink Twenty
40:00
One! Actually, that was my first, my
40:02
first legal to take this new intel.
40:05
And yes, thank you. So.
40:07
We're talking about a minute. This is
40:09
interesting because there's an organization I don't
40:11
know much about have been called Cut
40:13
Safety and a want to cut the
40:16
incarceration rate by fifty percent. Which.
40:18
Is. Considered. An ambitious goal and
40:20
nobody knows that this happened between two thousand and
40:22
one in two thousand seventeen. And so
40:24
there's that many other statistics like
40:26
that. that point tude overall uplift
40:28
in of among black Americans. And
40:31
then there's other statistics that point
40:33
to a decline in actual. Racism.
40:36
Towards black people on the part of whites
40:38
and others. I. Don't think that that is
40:40
ever going to go to Zero. But. We've
40:42
made substantial progress in the time
40:44
between my grandfather's generation and my
40:47
father's in my father's in mind.
40:49
Recent polling has shown.
40:52
That. Does support. Of
40:54
African Americans and Hispanics for
40:56
the Democratic Party. Is.
40:58
At it's lowest level really Since polling began
41:00
a minute since nineteen six him at the
41:02
a lot of questions were not well as
41:04
and and the. Makeup. Of the
41:06
parties, and nineteen Sixty was much more
41:09
national and diverse than does today. And.
41:11
It's that a pretty precipitous drop, even
41:13
in the past eight years, particular amongst
41:15
African Americans and and again, yes, and
41:17
and Florida amongst Hispanics. Moving. To
41:20
the Republican party, or also moving
41:22
toward independent parties, To of
41:24
of an explanation for why this is the
41:26
case, Or do you have have you thought
41:29
about what underlies this particular sandwiches? Be.
41:31
Dramatic. And wireless I have. Profound
41:33
or potentially profound impact on what does on
41:36
and and the and Twenty Twenty Four. Yeah.
41:38
So I've looked into at a fair amount. It.
41:41
Seems that the Hispanic trend is
41:43
really quite significant. In. Terms of
41:45
Numbers and was really material that a
41:47
difference between Twenty sixteen and Twenty Twenty
41:49
the change in black voters has been
41:52
more modest. I mean, I think we're
41:54
talking about Trump got two percent more
41:56
of the black vote. In twenty twenty
41:58
than he did. And twenty sixteen. And the
42:00
poll. the near time Sienna poll that have
42:02
been coming out have shown. Something.
42:05
Like twenty percent support for Republicans
42:07
among black Americans, and I think
42:09
those poll should be taken with
42:11
heavy, heavy grains of salt. The
42:14
media likes to report on polls
42:16
because they seem like they're facts,
42:18
but they're really vague suggestions of
42:21
a signal. So. What we have
42:23
right now is is a vague suggestion
42:25
of a signal that there is motion
42:27
among black voters toward the Republican party
42:29
shouldn't be reading to overly. However, it's
42:31
a real signal. So the question? What's
42:33
behind the signal? I can tell you
42:35
what I don't think it is. I
42:37
don't think that Trump in particular is
42:39
a P is more appealing than other
42:41
Republicans, because when you put. Other
42:44
republicans against Biden. They
42:46
get roughly just as much support from
42:48
prospective black voters in those polls, so
42:51
I think there is a trend. Among.
42:54
A certain portion of in
42:56
particular it's. Black. Men
42:58
under thirty. So. This would
43:00
be my demographic essentially, and pew
43:02
actually looked into this. At some
43:04
point in the past few years, And. Try
43:07
to isolate. What? Do we
43:09
know about these voters that are are
43:11
are going to the Republican party? These
43:13
black voters. And. What have found
43:15
is that they're know like do no more
43:18
likely than black democrats to be upper middle
43:20
class. So it it isn't the stereotype that
43:22
black republicans are all bougie upper middle class
43:24
and that's why they're republican. But.
43:27
They're what what they did fine his at. Black.
43:29
Republicans resonated more
43:31
with. The. Message of
43:33
the Republican Party: I ye. Personal.
43:36
Responsibility. Don't. Blame
43:38
systemic racism for your problems. etc.
43:42
And. Also had less racial solidarity
43:44
and general. In other words, they were
43:46
less likely to same My. My.
43:48
Blackness is the most important thing about me. They
43:51
were much more likely to say my individual identity
43:53
is is is is what matters about me and
43:56
I happened to be black. Probably.
43:58
The outcomes razor explanation is the something
44:00
about the messaging of is not the
44:02
democratic party than like the. Vibe.
44:05
of the the wider vibe of
44:07
the democratic party has turned off
44:09
as of black voters. And.
44:12
It. Over indexes with black
44:14
men. Under. Thirty who are
44:17
more. Drawn to the
44:19
message of of the Republican party on
44:21
race issues and in general. And
44:23
then there's sexy read: essential, overcome because
44:25
the economy this better and everyone's racist.
44:27
Anyway, so us. Is Sick
44:30
House has a datapoint. You know she
44:32
may come as a data point and the
44:34
you might also think. Trump's problem
44:36
In terms of. You.
44:38
Know purported bigotry was largely
44:40
directed at immigrants, not black
44:42
people, Is so and
44:45
and and Black Americans in
44:47
general. Are not really
44:49
pro immigration. And so it's It's
44:51
silly possible that l a lot of the.
44:54
The. Aspects of Trump that
44:56
great. But. The be the
44:58
elite and kind of people in.
45:01
Our. Our World of Podcasting
45:03
journalism. May not. Land.
45:06
At the same for for the the the
45:08
median black voter I don't know but. Again,
45:10
I think it really. The earlier stuff
45:13
I said is probably closer to the truth
45:15
because other republicans seem to also be pulling
45:17
better. With. Black voters. Are
45:20
this is one of these conversations of which there are
45:22
several that I'm gonna say about this for Wish we
45:24
had. Days. To talk and artists
45:26
less than an hour. It's. Also
45:28
conversation where. Are comes
45:30
razor managed to be mentioned twice
45:32
which. And an hour session where
45:35
men and were attention once as a good conversation.
45:37
twilight is even value ring. When that happened I
45:39
feel I should have an hour comes razor bell
45:41
and the background and of a thing I would
45:43
probably get more viewers. we're at We're We're not
45:45
doing our bells and whistles. I think well enough
45:48
are drinking game? Maybe. Has
45:50
tried every time. You know everyone takes a
45:52
shot so maybe maybe that. As a
45:54
as a note to self am and I
45:56
will consider for future is your podcast a
45:59
Bell for Office his arena. Our
46:01
shot for a year or two. Something like
46:03
that. Keep up the
46:05
work you're doing! I think it's vital
46:07
an important that. We.
46:09
As you have these debates in
46:12
a. Open. Direct fashion.
46:14
I think sensibility matters hugely, and I
46:16
don't think that there's a lot of
46:18
the sense of sensibility out there, meaning
46:20
the way one has a discussion and
46:23
the way one has an argument as
46:25
a lot of a sat on shaping
46:27
the arc of that discussion and that
46:29
argument to mattered. Luna spreads combativeness. Hostility
46:31
breeds hostility. fair bit fair. And
46:34
if you're looking for fight it's easy to find one
46:36
that if you're looking for solutions are you're looking for
46:38
some degree of okay how do we navigate and the
46:40
best collect the fashion. How one
46:42
starts that conversation. The sensibility that
46:44
one brings. And. That you so
46:46
evidently bring to your writing and to your
46:49
work is vital. and that even if, as
46:51
you've mentioned before, There. Can
46:53
be times when being com and
46:55
cogent. And. Collected can actually
46:57
be more of a third rail for
47:00
people than being strident. an angry and
47:02
extreme. That. Being said, I really
47:04
appreciate the tone, I appreciate the work, and
47:06
I think it's appreciating at whether I would
47:08
or whether I do or do not agree
47:10
with everything you say. It's. The starting
47:12
point of a discussion and debate. That I
47:15
think absolute files. Or.
47:18
Thank you so much for an interesting interview! Based
47:21
on. So
47:24
we've been looking forward to that conversation
47:26
for quite awhile. And it
47:28
was definitely worth the wait. He
47:30
is disarmingly com. And.
47:33
As we know we both like and we
47:35
like as a. Approach in the
47:37
sensibility. But. It was viscerally.
47:40
if com can be visceral, it
47:42
was a visceral indication of. Again
47:44
the question I asked that he
47:47
addressed of is it is fascinating
47:49
how much negative heat. Com.
47:51
And Hughes has attracted given his whole approach
47:53
and persona, and it's June, his writing term
47:55
and around a lot of his essays is.
47:58
Yeah. He thought someone their people. Me they're
48:00
pretty writers you made who are. Intense.
48:03
And vicious and friend and then various
48:05
also getting person. He is bizarre spoken
48:07
and my and moderate in both print
48:09
and in person and so either we
48:11
eat. You know just how contentious and
48:14
and emotional people are about the issues
48:16
he deals with and them questions of
48:18
race in America and particular by virtue
48:20
of even someone who talks more. Calmly.
48:23
And we had this conversation a little bit
48:25
of with Richard Reeves when we talked about
48:27
masculinity and boys riot that that he to
48:30
somebody has been. Who does
48:32
not have a Firebrand polemical personality
48:34
and yet. The. Stuff that
48:36
he writes about can engender those
48:38
responses. Yeah, I mean fun fact: An
48:40
anti communist as a will. Be socially awkward and but.
48:43
He. Almost us A break up one time
48:45
in my life is a success in
48:47
advance. I. Have
48:50
a call and is a plaza Here
48:52
Are they really. Didn't know enough about me? Of
48:54
a sudden. I
48:58
didn't say I love for years. For years.
49:00
You should have brought that up with him just
49:02
to see what the racing is moving. like you're
49:04
not the first person to tell me that. Are
49:07
I? Yeah and I kind of regret that I
49:09
didn't say it. I thought that it is my
49:11
make him feel uncomfortable. You know that he was
49:13
the source of relations and sleep. But
49:17
I you. I think the reason why
49:19
people get so emotional about this issue
49:21
is because the history is a powerful
49:23
and because they are. Despite the fact
49:25
that I was once had to bring
49:27
up all the progress in race relations
49:29
and sort of prosperity and success particularly
49:31
of black Americans. now it does remain
49:33
the fact that there are a lot
49:35
of stats that when you look at
49:37
the disparities are really. discouraging.
49:39
you know, like if you look
49:41
at white vs. black homer, homeownership
49:44
grades or net wealth. Other things
49:46
like that where you see the
49:48
disparity anything to yourself. Okay,
49:51
maybe eve. Philosophically,
49:53
Colon is right that we should live in a
49:55
clear run society, but. These. Inequities of
49:57
Not and Bowers so I am very.
50:00
Sympathetic. To both common side
50:02
and the sign that says hey should we
50:04
had a we would be better if we
50:06
tip the scales. I think
50:08
ben the question is. The
50:11
challenge of individuals vs. aggregates or
50:13
even regions vs. I agree. It's
50:15
meaning is a. Cohort.
50:18
Of a. White. Males
50:20
are doing statistically better overall as
50:22
a cohort then. Black.
50:24
Males just. As
50:27
a group said, Does.
50:29
Tipping the scales in a groove
50:31
fastens. Really help things
50:34
in an appreciable way. Past.
50:36
A certain point, You know there's a. Somewhat.
50:39
Debated. Economist.
50:41
At. Paradise for the a strong
50:43
paradox. Were were added we talked about
50:45
this one's on one of our says about.
50:48
A certain amount of wealth clearly makes people
50:50
happier, but that. Once. A
50:52
certain rate arrange has been reached.
50:55
There's. A plateau of fact, so that
50:58
increasing wells over. A certain.
51:00
Factor doesn't increase happiness. And
51:03
their have now been debates about whether or not that's
51:05
the case, but it certainly was positive As a. It's.
51:07
Economic inequalities The one thing you're lucky
51:10
about in terms of collective other satisfaction,
51:12
society or belief that society functioning. It.
51:15
May be that the scales having from
51:18
nineteen Sixty five whenever much more robust
51:20
Great Society affirmative action programs really really
51:22
came into place. Until let's have
51:24
a late nineties, might have been very effective
51:27
in in redressing some the imbalances. The question
51:29
is. Are they endlessly
51:31
effective? I it does. Does doing
51:33
so actually lead you toward. A.
51:36
Societal balance that either the individuals
51:38
and groups are affected. seal is
51:40
an improvement. Or. Is our law
51:42
of diminishing returns? And. And
51:44
should this be forever, right? Well, I.
51:46
Think that even people who would be anti
51:48
the side of common use right? Let's say
51:50
that they would be an end to this
51:52
and that particular and of the be been
51:55
the stats. Are equal and it we can.
51:57
Get into har you have for against that and even if
51:59
you don't take. If a killer pack, I
52:01
think that it's less of a diminishing
52:03
returns visa v. wealth argument and more
52:06
as a justice argument like you wanna
52:08
live in a society the you feel
52:10
is fair and just and I think
52:13
that that emotional component is also very
52:15
important and very strong in these cases.
52:17
And I think that that emotional component
52:19
is a lot of. For. Drives
52:22
the argument for hey, you know
52:24
that their city percent of blacks
52:26
who own homes, united States versus
52:28
over seventy of fights, you know.
52:30
And so why is. That the case,
52:32
I don't think it's like. A
52:34
How much better with your life? Be percentage wise
52:37
if you own a home vs not. Own
52:39
a home? yeah and a decent wondering
52:41
is clear. Demographic where we touched on
52:43
the sun in the conversation is. The
52:46
more time passes between us
52:48
a point of origin of
52:50
complete. Societal. Injustice and
52:53
fracturing so a point of
52:55
time of flavor in the
52:57
nineteenth century, the more history
52:59
develops between now and then.
53:01
Or let's let's move o'clock
53:04
Foreign Jim Crow, systemic segregation
53:06
and discrimination. Well into the
53:08
twentieth century. But. The longer you
53:10
go from whenever that legally and
53:12
did not time A cultural racism
53:15
and social racism. The harder
53:17
is to sustain the argument for subsequent generations
53:19
that you should be tipping the scales right
53:21
because than. The. Original point
53:23
of which that inequality starts.
53:26
Seems. Further and further in the past
53:28
that again this is not something that the
53:30
United States alone deals with. a beer countries
53:32
have to constantly deal with. When is the
53:34
past the past as as opposed to. When.
53:37
Are we in the present still living with?
53:39
whatever? Imbalances. And harms in the
53:41
past that we should redress in the process. Now
53:44
I think you're right that
53:46
the line becomes less direct.
53:48
Eye as far as arms. I.
53:51
Just don't know when we
53:53
can say that. There's.
53:55
No line at all. Anymore unless think
53:58
that can certainly think of many people
54:00
that vehemently idea that we aren't. There
54:02
yet. But that is a know
54:04
and I are you sure as he just has right
54:07
now I said i don't attorney to say I don't
54:09
think I don't agree touch on this as it's the
54:11
sort of homeowners was set of, but I doubt that
54:13
he would argue that everything is fine and dandy mean
54:15
that the remove economic equality and equality of opportunity and
54:18
all these things he didn't. Make the point that
54:20
if you could identify. A direct
54:22
harm in a descendant right now that he
54:24
is proud that he used as an Mri.
54:26
What you said before it is to draw
54:28
a circle around an entire group. So.
54:31
The other two two issues are: when when would
54:34
you decide the things are done. Or. Sufficient.
54:36
And. To is it the role
54:38
of government and law to make
54:41
its citizens vs. societal evolution that
54:43
may not be about was and
54:45
government. We're. Who and are going to
54:47
answer these questions right now? It's just a. You.
54:49
Know whenever whenever these programs to come
54:52
when it comes to affirmative action and
54:54
and the programs of the nineteen sixties.
54:57
The it with there was never it any
54:59
clearer and point right and clearly people. Will
55:01
ask. I mean. I guess so are
55:03
we don't ask us about entitlements cause entitlements we're not supposed
55:05
to have an important meeting there is ever gonna be in
55:07
and point for. Social. Security Medicare because every
55:09
human being was going to grow old and age and
55:12
have health problems. so they're all going to need retirement
55:14
money in. Healthcare in perpetuity.
55:17
Or much of that affirmative action programs were
55:19
thought of as an in perpetuity thing. They
55:22
were specifically not a thing as
55:24
rpg of a that's other person
55:26
but they did think that affirmative
55:28
action would. Know if it wasn't her at
55:30
have been? Yeah, Yeah, thank you I do.
55:32
You remember reading that when affirmative action was
55:35
put into place that they thought that it
55:37
would be necessary anymore? I think like twenty
55:39
years previous. Finale was earlier than now,
55:41
they thought that it would be totally
55:43
fine. So here we are with unresolved
55:46
questions and good debates. please. Spurs: Are
55:48
you listening in of tennis your thoughts
55:50
about this Officer buses? it's her and
55:52
Evergreen conversation even if we wish it
55:54
weren't and it's gonna continue to be
55:57
even for him to stop. So.
56:00
Now we turn to some news of the week.
56:02
Yes, let's that. Okay
56:06
so three big things that you
56:08
guys know about in progress: News.
56:10
One. Is a surprise elections.
56:13
During. Our year. Of. Elections Twenty
56:15
four, The My Reflection years and that
56:18
is Senegal. Probably lot of people missed
56:20
that last month they had peace elections.
56:22
But it in the youngest president in Africa as
56:25
history. And this is all very exciting
56:27
because just. Few weeks prior they're having
56:29
a constitutional crisis and mass protests. So.
56:31
Good for xenical. Good for Salvador.
56:33
Good from West Africa. The. Other
56:35
been a lot in the news about through. Senegalese
56:38
backsliding about democracy being imperiled. It's
56:40
a good stuff suffer the most.
56:42
we'll see where it goes, but.
56:44
It's. Movie in the. More.
56:48
Positive direction when much of the news had been moving
56:50
in. A more know you have to listen. Nip
56:52
Samsung. A. New. News out
56:55
of Canada. Apparently the Canadian government
56:57
just announced. In April that they
56:59
are going to pay for most
57:01
forms of contraception. For women
57:03
of reproductive age, I mean by is.
57:06
What? A dream life enough to be a
57:08
Canadian woman. And that's national, right? And
57:10
so much did. It they will
57:12
not to be a provincial. Reality.
57:14
Or is in essence graham That. Whole
57:17
issue of. Several. Mandates
57:19
vs state mandates which is somewhat of
57:21
an issue can, but there's a more.
57:23
Forceful. Central Government their. Guess and
57:26
one for the science geeks.
57:28
So it. People. May or
57:30
may not know that partnership between France
57:32
and Germany. The. Us and South
57:34
Korea all separately are. Developing super
57:37
highly precise M R
57:39
I scanners, So.
57:41
For France and Germany, partnership is
57:43
the first to begin actually scanning
57:46
human brains are with that kind
57:48
of new generation of Am I
57:50
machines that are ten times the
57:52
amount of precise as previous ones
57:54
so obviously know like be research
57:56
findings are. Discoveries have come out of
57:59
that yet. but. It's pretty nice,
58:01
pretty neat, I'm sure some well.
58:04
Yeah. And had a daughter recently say. I.
58:06
Was asking about getting a scan of something
58:08
and he said. You. Know. Isn't
58:11
wait another year or two for these new
58:13
machines to come because the amount of informational
58:15
you'll be able to get then. We'll.
58:17
Be so much more complete them whenever
58:19
you get now that whatever you find
58:21
now. Probably. Isn't
58:23
gonna matter nearly as much as what you find that. Left.
58:26
Or that was interesting that now and that was
58:28
am I propose. This. Development? Absolutely. The
58:30
last finale of this was a
58:32
write up a Social Psychology Research
58:34
in the Harvard Business Review, but
58:36
I thought it was really nice
58:39
that apparently there's what's called a
58:41
like gap. Where people actually
58:43
underestimate how much other people like
58:45
them. So after you have a
58:47
conversation with someone or self critical
58:49
thought tend to dominate. and we
58:51
tend to underestimate how much the
58:53
other person. Had a good impression of
58:55
us so. If somebody to remember next Sunday have
58:58
a new interaction. I wonder that's
59:00
a good thing or a bad thing.
59:02
I mean it to somebody. it. it's
59:04
probably a better thing for all the
59:06
social importantly to have a more skeptical
59:09
sense of how we have conveyed ourselves
59:11
and have an overwhelmingly positive one. Because
59:13
they overwhelmingly positive one means. You'll.
59:15
Never be self critical. You one thing about your
59:17
behavior. You won't try to be mindful of how
59:19
you are. Whereas. Be a
59:21
little too critical. A less it
59:24
goes into com like enervating self out
59:26
is probably a healthy thing. Notice like
59:28
be mindful of how you interact with
59:30
people. Try. To be self aware,
59:32
try to notice. The. queues,
59:35
So. I think on that one. Yeah.
59:38
Because fry a better thing that people feel
59:40
worse about themselves. Than. It would be
59:42
of people felt really good about themselves. On
59:44
a high here. If you been a reconsidering
59:46
amount of social anxiety that Nz currently has
59:49
that it might be a good reminder for
59:51
them though, the ones that tend to spiral
59:53
after they've had a social interaction that see
59:55
that the same that assesses. Yeah, I
59:57
think that's that's. totally Sarah was, you know on it. They
1:00:00
said you know one of like debilitating social
1:00:02
anxiety based on. An. Erroneous
1:00:04
sense of how negatively you're
1:00:06
you're impacting people. Yeah,
1:00:08
but you know we're going to be others. Are
1:00:11
now now. They're and Abby
1:00:13
Media Spy was you have any
1:00:16
Daughters are self criticizes. Feather listening
1:00:18
to the podcast. Balance for a of. Oh.
1:00:20
Thank you all for listening as always.
1:00:22
Please go sign up for the weekly
1:00:24
newsletter what to go right at the
1:00:26
Progress That or.org and send us your
1:00:28
comments and as your questions and this
1:00:31
ideas you have of shows and topics
1:00:33
that we may or may not have.
1:00:35
current. Just
1:00:37
to cover. Like this
1:00:39
to be a conversation. And.
1:00:42
We. Will continue to how it as long as
1:00:44
you continue to us. Thanks factory
1:00:47
and thanks everyone for attorney and. What
1:00:52
Could Go Right is produced by the
1:00:54
Pod Glamour. It's executive produced by Jeff
1:00:56
Umbro marketing by the Pod Glummer It
1:00:59
to find out more about what could
1:01:01
go right, the progress that work or
1:01:03
to subscribe to the What Could Go
1:01:06
Right newsletter Visit But Progress Network.
Podchaser is the ultimate destination for podcast data, search, and discovery. Learn More