How can such a brilliant historical analysis be deployed in favor of a reactionary position? Well, the anti-affirmative action conclusion doesn't follow from the premises. Incidentally the US ruling class is probably split on AA; businesses like it, to a point, because it reduces their exposure to costly antidiscrimination lawsuits and improves their profile with the minority communities. On the other hand the Fortune 500 have not exactly welcomed minoritie and women into the executive suite. But I don't see how the qualified support some of the US ruling class has for AA bears on whether the left should support or oppose it.
--jks
On Thu, 28 May 1998, Louis Proyect wrote:
> Justin Schwartz wrote:
> >
> >Jim's post on the history of race in the US and the role of the Democrats
> >strikes me as absolutely brilliant--I hope he writes it up as an article
> >(and posts it). But two comments:
>
> It was already an article in LM magazine, as part of an ideological
> offensive against affirmative action. LM, and James Heartfield personally,
> argues that the American ruling-class favors affirmative action. He argued
> that previously on the thaxis mailing-list in a thread related to the
> question of racism. What Justin has to come to grips with is how such
> "brilliant" history can be deployed to support such a reactionary position.
>