>Yoshie wrote:
> > I agree with Michael, Carrol, and Gordon, who all made sensible
> > remarks. I want to add that big businesses would still fight against
> > affirmative action, _if_ affirmative action were really legislated as
> > _quotas_ imposed on corps by the government, since that would
> > contradict management prerogative of deciding whom to hire, promote,
> > and fire. As it stands (especially since it's been watered down so
> > much, though it was a weak Yes for racial equality from the get-go),
> > affirmative action doesn't contradict management freedom, so in
> > principle liberal segments of capitalists should feel free to support
> > it. Supporting affirmative action in its present form doesn't cost
> > them much either.
> ---
>
> But the article in question wasn't about GM supporting weak
>affirmative action laws government its own hiring. The article said GM is
>lobbying against ditching affirmative action at UMich. because it's afraid
>that all its job applicants will be white.
>
> The question is: Why don't these big corporations want to see that
>happen? (Similar things have happened elsewhere. The Houston, TX affirmative
>action referendum was defeated party because of money from a lot of locally
>based multinations, including some banks.)
My remarks above weren't intended to explain GM's brief in support of affirmative action at U of Michigan. I just think that big businesses wouldn't support affirmative action if AA meant that the government would impose _quotas_ on corps, thus threatening management freedom.
As for a possible reason for GM & other multinationals' support for affirmative action as it exists, I think that they might consider the far right's challenge (like the Center for Individual Rights') to liberalism to be a threat to the racial status quo. They have sunk costs in "diversity." "Diversity" has become a good business, _as long as_ "diversity" is defined at the discretion of businesses. And who defines "diversity" is the key here. Big businesses want to define it, instead of letting people of color, the government, the far right, etc. define it.
I believe, though, that GM and other big businesses won't play nice if, for instance, _their_ employees sue _them_ for racial, gender, and other discrimination and harassment.
Yoshie