From: tyadav@athena.mit.edu (T.Y.)
Subject: Re: = Opportunity etc.
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 20:24:14 GMT

===========================================
 mvij@ocf.berkeley.edu (Pendragon) writes:
>
>Many II immigrants are strongly meritocratic: America is a 
>land of opportunity. Those who are poor deserve it.  Those who 
>are rich (like us) are rich solely due to our hard work.

 While we are generalizing, :), I would put it in a different way:
 The successful/rich ones are strongly meritocratic. The unsuccessful
 ones tend to justify/explain it off to unfairness. Well, I am including
 nth generation Americans and immigrant anywhere here.
 Exceptions, as always, exist.

>-------x------------
>Is this your answer to inner-city children?  "Think, persevere, exist?"

 I am not offering any answer to inner-city children. I do not, nor do
 you, know the facts or the REAL problem. All we see are symptoms.
 To find answer to anything, wouldn't you agree, we should first explore 
 causes, the real problem, the facts as they are now. 

>The basic quality of life must be up to a certain level before we begin
>exhorting absolute morality from the impoverished.

 We are not exhorting any absolute morality from anyone, let alone
 impoverished. Who are we to judge, or to decide for anyone else
 what his/her morality should be. All we are discussing is about
 the role of the individual as part of society (thru government). 
 
>I think you assume rational and well-fed intellects, like your own, rather
>than people living in fear, crime, and poverty.  The power of one exceptional
>individual to rise above the squalor is very rare.  What about the rest?
>The basic quality of life must be up to a certain level before we begin
>exhorting absolute morality from the impoverished.

 Ahem brother, ahem. 

 Lets extend above argument to "how to raise kids?" (we had a long debate
 on this - for those new to this newsgroup).
 We can say then, in the spirit above, that "the power of one exceptional
 kid to decide and be self-dependent is very rare. what about the rest?"
 Would you suggest then, that parents extend their "we know what is right 
 for you, do what we say" to all kids?

 Manish, these "generalizations to utter hopelessness" are false traps, IMHO.
 I, and you, are ignorant either way - about kids in rich neighborhoods with
 internal (family) fear; or kids in poor nghbrhd with external fear.
 All you know is yourself, and all I know is myself....
 My thesis is to leave the individual alone. Always. 
 Let him/her "Think, persevere, exist....."

 Consider another example. There are many in this newsgroup who believe 
 that "long hairs and a bike" lifestyle is an emotional problem, some
 sort of immaturity, rebelness, self denial etc.....
 You and I agree that long hairs are the individual's choice. And the
 individual can choose to have long hairs because he/she wants it, likes it. 
 Now what if someone argues: 
 "the power of one exceptional Manish to decide about his lifestyle
  is very rare. what about the rest?"
 Does this suggest that the rest be presumed to be "not rare" and conformed
 to social norms.
 Nay, brother nay. :)
 Lets be consistent. Lets leave the individual to discover, learn, struggle
 by himself and herself. Let him/her decide what his/her happiness is/will be.
 Let him/her take care of himself/herself first. Lets leave the individual
 alone. Don't push him, don't pull him. Let him grow to his natural wonder.

T.Y.
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tyadav@athena.mit.edu
Newsgroups: alt.culture.us.asian-indian