The problem with race or gender based affirmative action is that it too often results in the most mediocre and incompetent individuals advancing into positions for which they are ill prepared and, if such positions are in management, in which they either cause disasters by their incompetence, power hunger, or both. I've seen it happen too many times.

Affirmative action in government contracting is also a source of corruption and incompetence, with less than stellar contractors playing the race or gender card to obtain contracts which, if based on the merits, they would never get. I've had experience with one con artist who played one race card one day (black) and another another day (presto chango, now he's a Native American!) to great effect, with predictably bad results.

Clarence Thomas is the poster child for affirmative action based on race gone wrong, whereas George W. Bush is the poster child for that good old fashioned affirmative action, welfare for the well-connected.

It would be far better to end affirmative action based on race or gender, and replaced it with a program based on class.

You can't fool me. I saw right through your ruse!

Thanks for the optimistic heads-up, though. We hardcore Romero fans really took a shock to the system when Land of the Dead splatted into our laps like an overcooked McMovie. Early word -- as you probably know -- is that Romero has returned to his indie roots and reveled in the freedom that came with it. So, we'll see. I'm keeping my rotting fingers crossed.

There's no denying that a meritocracy is still an elusive goal, and you're absolutely right in that good old-fashioned nepotism and who-you-know-ism still plays too big a role in our society. Like I said, just look at who is squatting in the Oval Office.

The problem with affirmative action is that it is a public policy and hence, a supposed expression of the will of the people as expressed through their laws. Do the people want to enshrine in law the same flawed system as the good ol' boys network?

There's also the issue of whether a dirt poor white person is less deserving of affirmative action than the white woman or black man who is born to wealthy parents. To say "no" is to justify sexism or racism.

At least class-based affirmative action would have the merit of helping all people -- black, white, male, female, and so on -- on the basis of how disadvanted are their backgrounds. That leaves only the problem of ensuring that merit prevails over social networking. Like you, I don't hold out all that much hope for that too happpen, but at least it's one less problem to deal with.

Instead of telling other people the reasons for why they think what they do, why don't you try arguing your position in a reasoned and informed way? Are you capable of that, or are you so embittered by hatred that you can only project your racism and bigotry onto others?

KStone: Maybe you're right.

Thrasher: Mea Culpa. Once again, I've overestimated your sense of decency. The floor is yours: thrash around on it to your heart's content. I won't get in your way.

"Thomas played the game, was a good...boy..and his fancy degree from Yale gained him nothing."

Except a career track which led to him sitting as a Justice on the Supreme Court. That's quite the "nothing."

The GOP loves to point fingers at alleged liberal racism; but then, the GOP and conservatives are always projecting their sins and flaws onto liberals.

Politics is a nasty business, but in the end we'll still end up with a Democratic nominee (hopefully the "irrelevant" John Edwards -- thanks for nothing, Walt), and we Democrats will rally around him or her and send that person to the White House.

Anyone but a Repug in 2008!

Pointing out the manifest flaws in Affirmative Action is not "whining." Is Affirmative Action so sacred that no one dare criticize it?

There have been generations upon generations of poor white people who have been exploited mercilessly by The Man. Is a poor Appalachian whitechild less deserving of Affirmative Action than the child of a wealthy black man such as Bob Johnson?

Or is it only wrong to criticize Affirmative Action if you're white? Would you accept such criticism from my 60 year-old Latino friend who also has seen the manifest weaknesses of race and gender-based Affirmative Action and is outspoken in his oppition to it? (Remember gender, Grubert?)

I don't like people to start with, so why the heck would I want to grab onto somebody's sweaty body (other than the missus, whom I do like)? I better peek into the current class to see if they do that nonsense.

Otherwise, I'll just stick with my Tai Chi, thank you very much. Until we get to Push Hands, you don't have to touch anyone's disgusting body.