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Culture War Roundup for the week of September 25, 2023

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The only reason for doling out political appointments based on race, sex, etc. is “racism/sexism/etcism is good, actually”.

I do find it hard to give any charity to that view, I will admit.

And some people think that the only reason to oppose abortion rights is to oppress women. Those people are also wrong. Perhaps you need to some reading on democratic theory, or on political legitimacy. You might find that there are, indeed, other reasons, even if you personally don't agree with them. Perhaps the writing of Lani Guinier re evangelical Christians might be a place to start.

It wouldn’t be so blatant if they didn’t pre-announce the race and sex of their appointees. Even just the plausible deniability of not doing that would improve the optics.

Immediately narrowing the universe of candidates based on race and sex is definitionally racist and sexist.

The “political legitimacy” of the racial spoils system of South Africa surely provides much comfort to its citizens.

It wouldn’t be so blatant if they didn’t pre-announce the race and sex of their appointees. Even just the plausible deniability of not doing that would improve the optics.

Why would one need plausible deniability for doing something that you think is sound policy?

Immediately narrowing the universe of candidates based on race and sex is definitionally racist and sexist.

No, it is definitionally discriminatory. That is not the same as racist/sexist. And sometimes both racial and gender discrimination are fine. There are lots of boys-only and girls-only schools out there, after all.

The “political legitimacy” of the racial spoils system of South Africa surely provides much comfort to its citizens.

Political legitimacy does not guarantee good policy, and it seems to me that South Africa has greater threats to the political legitimacy of its government than its "racial spoils system." And Taiwan, Belgium, New Zealand, Singapore and Croatia seem to be doing fine, despite having ethnic quotas in their legislatures. I note that South Africa does not seem to have such quotas. Perhaps it would be doing better if it did?