"Fair enough. What do you think is the tipping point then where race isn't a predictor of poverty?"
All I can say is that the point has passed. Race is used these days as political currency. By declaring one race poorer than another and promising rectification of the problem, a politician is trying to buy votes. Remove that currency. Use economics as the standard and not race warefare. "Poverty rates are certainly substantially higher amongst non-whites and the middle class is certainly smaller. " But as you said yourself, the black middle class is growing rapidly. I also saw a report that said the growth of business startups is higher among Blacks than any other race. "At some point, though, I agree that class will have much more to do with a cycle/culture of poverty that is based more on local conditions than anything else. " That's fine. I believe we are well past the point. All it does now is allow race-baiters like Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson to remain relevant and allow politicians to hide real issues behind charges of racism. "I am not sure that we are there yet though and I'm curious how you would mark the change over. " How was affirmative action implemented? If change is every implemented, I hope not through a new government agency. "Also, conditions aren't the same for african-americans versus hispanics versus south east asians, etc. Do you feel that we moved passed race for all the non-white groups or just some of them?" This is very tricky ground. One has to be subtle how one states the issues or he ends up sounding racist. Let me say it this way. Asian Americans seem to be doing fine and they are a minority. Asian immigrant parents work hard and their children rise out of poverty frequently. J - The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not. I think myself that we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious. - Thomas Jefferson ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Order the Adobe Coldfusion Anthology now! http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Coldfusion-Anthology-Michael-Dinowitz/dp/1430272155/?tag=houseoffusion Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:323386 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/unsubscribe.cfm
