Debating FOR Affirmative Action

[ProjectLuniaX]

I need help on getting some ideas for why Affirmative Action should be reinstated in the country.... please?

[Maiyu]

...I'm against affirmative action, sorry :/

[sentythee]

Affirmative action exists and should exist to fix the problems caused by discrimination in the past. It's not about what's fair or right, and it's not an apology. It's about what's doing best for the country in the long run by getting rid of a progress-harming handicap for a large percentage of the population. Think of it as pretending that the effects of discrimination never showed up, in the hopes that they'll go away. It's a short-term handicap on the dominant group that's supposed to help avoid a permanent handicap.

Handicaps (or any kind of non-merit-based discrimination) tend to be bad for the economy. Some people that shouldn't be wealthy end up becoming wealthy, and some people that should be wealthy are held back. The people that should be wealthy but aren't can't generate the new ideas or businesses or technologies (can't afford higher education, and low-paying jobs keep them down or out of the fields they might excel in) that they otherwise would.

Don't try to argue this from a moral standpoint, you're going to lose.

[Red]

You might want to compare the level of discrimination in a country with Affirmative Action to the country you are working with. If your country is US, you might want to compare it with Canada.

Obviously use a country that will support your side.

[VorpalBunny]

The objective of affirmative action is to avoid social stratification. It's an application of the American Dream, and supports the ideals of the nation, such as equality, freedom of association, and the whole Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness tagline. In short, it would make America more American. It prevents the country from ending up like India, where the people live by a caste system which leads to discrimination (search for Dalit / untouchables). Using the caste system in India as a stark contrast, you can prove that affirmative action creates opportunities for people when there would otherwise be none.

[Red]

^ India has affirmative action. For example it reserves certain number of seats in political offices for dalits/untoucbles. It's not so much of the legal system, but rather the society's lack of effort to change anything. Nonetheless, the government isn't doing much anyways.