tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21956427.post1084480430415476097..comments2023-10-05T15:01:01.611+05:30Comments on Of Thought & Action: Of momblogs, children and externalitiesRitwikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00616694597577112758noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21956427.post-78404524499425459732008-01-28T11:42:00.000+05:302008-01-28T11:42:00.000+05:30Is it correct for the government to have legislati...<I>Is it correct for the government to have legislation that requires companies to have explicit no-discrimination policies?</I><BR/><BR/>An year ago, I would perhaps have answered that such a policy would be immoral. I am no longer sure.<BR/><BR/>I think there cannot be an abstract answer that is independent of the history and circumstance of the state that is implementing the policy. In countries which have had bitter experiences with racism, I think that giving a prospective hire the right to sue the company on grounds of racial discrimination is, I think, fair. There is an argument that government legislation follows social reform and hence it is too late on the scene anyway, but I don't buy that completely. Even today affirmative action means that a lot of Asian Americans get <A HREF="http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/004079.html" REL="nofollow">edged out</A> of spots at elite colleges in the US, and there is a suspicion that this is how college deans want to keep it. So I would think that anti discrimination laws are still relevant and useful in the US. In India as well, I suspect there is a lot of caste-based/region-based discrimination and nepotism going on that is not challenged probably because people aren't as litigious (yet) and also partly it is taken for granted that such favours will be granted as a matter of course. I am not claiming that govt. legislation can solve the whole problem, but it can help improve the situation once more people realise the law is (technically) on their side.<BR/><BR/><I>We shall not even go into the 'pets' argument, for if you bring non-human life into the picture when we are trying to deal with human social systems, I am sorry to say that you've missed the point completely.</I><BR/><BR/>I am a little surprised by your reaction. I have seen plenty of people attach a lot of value to pets, and surely the non-human/human distinction is not very relevant, given that babies and pets have about the same cognitive abilities (babies have the _potential_ to much greater cognitive abilities, but while that motivates the mother to take good care, it is no reason for a disinterested third party to treat a baby with undue respect (at the same time I would agree that killing a baby is a greater sin than killing an animal because of the potential that is inherent in a baby)). Both lack social graces, at the same time there are lots of people who cannot understand how someone cannot like babies/pets given their innocence/purity/whatever.Venuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13287286258248925323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21956427.post-64795597541257927452008-01-24T21:52:00.000+05:302008-01-24T21:52:00.000+05:30communist-style equality, even if we could achieve...communist-style equality, even if we could achieve it, is closer to dystopia than utopia. it's not just a case of works in theory but not in practice — the whole concept is broken.Arvind Narayananhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02495762505427759752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21956427.post-16524714086452668232008-01-22T19:31:00.000+05:302008-01-22T19:31:00.000+05:30maybe because they might irritate you!!???we dont ...maybe because they might irritate you!!???<BR/><BR/>we dont think about how this tiny little thing is going to grow up and "beat us to it" do we?kunaalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00363203854414623601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21956427.post-58824672758783303472008-01-22T11:54:00.000+05:302008-01-22T11:54:00.000+05:30I wonder if we are panicking at the thought of evo...I wonder if we are panicking at the thought of evolution catching up and leaving us behind. Why else do people hate children?Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13705420896858872761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21956427.post-18937881264824638522008-01-15T20:25:00.000+05:302008-01-15T20:25:00.000+05:30lemme trythere cannot be enough moral ground to as...lemme try<BR/><BR/>there cannot be enough moral ground to ask for a coasian solution to the "baby" problem at the society level. the fundamental point here being that it is beyond the baby's natural capacity to know he is creating a disturbance. you could at best request the mommy to look into the matter or you could choose to walk away.<BR/><BR/>its not right either, to "have legislation that requires companies to have explicit no-discrimination policies". a person ought to have the right to discriminate without explicitly saying so.kunaalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00363203854414623601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21956427.post-75051238448516541282008-01-14T23:04:00.000+05:302008-01-14T23:04:00.000+05:30And pointing out that the post sucks sucks even mo...And pointing out that the post sucks sucks even more? Recursion without base class, and all that jazz.Ritwikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00616694597577112758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21956427.post-80667475990436079632008-01-14T21:36:00.000+05:302008-01-14T21:36:00.000+05:30Here goes another one... Why wouldnt you guys leav...Here goes another one... Why wouldnt you guys leave mom bloggers alone. They sure are infuriating, but trying to reason out why they suck, sucks much more.Alan Smitheehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03421286928212470470noreply@blogger.com