"Gould 0738" wrote
Japan, for example, is a largely homogenous society. One race.

This is about race? I thought it was about diversity vs. confromity.

Nope.
The question, again, was: Why is diversity a good thing?
And still, there has been no concrete reason given.
Lots of nibbling around the edge though.

Yet the Japanese constantly out do the US in just about every endeavor,
education, technology, medicine, crime prevention, etc.

Which has nothing to do with racial homogeny.

But it certainly has everything to do with lack of diversity.

It has much to do with American
economic colonization of Japan following WWII, American experts
modernizing
Japanese industries, etc.

The relative racial homogenity of Japan would be impossible to achieve in
America by any acceptable means. Nor would it be desirable.

Compare the 2 paragraphs above, do you see a conflict there?

China and India too are both mainly homogenous societies yet are beating
the
pants off the US in the manufacturing arena.


China is not at all homogenous. There are several *languages* spoken in
China,
for heaven's sake!

Now you're picking nits.
While there are 2 basic languages in China (Mandarin and Cantonese), they
are closely assimilated so as to be more like dialects than languages.
Like someone from Boston conversing with someone from New Orleans.

There are signficant and important ethnic differences
between northern, southern, and coastal Chinese.

Racial homegenity is not responsible
for the rapid growth of Chinese manufacturing. Plain old supply and
demand.
Umpteen zillion people willing to work for a few US dollars a day- because
its
ten times what they'd have otherwise.
That, and the fact that the Peoples Republic of China refuses to let its
currency float so that the laws of economics would eventually level the
playing
field....(China moving up in cost as wages in the US increase less rapidly
than
before or decrease due to increased labor supply here).


I'll submit that diversity, in itself, is what is eroding the core values
of
the US, the rights and freedom of the individual, regardless of race,
color
or creed.

Diversity, rather than conformity *is* the core value of the United
States.

As of late.

Why
would we need freedom of speech, if we all were going to thing alike? Why
would
we need freedom of religion, if we are going to worship alike? Why would
we
need periodic elections, if we all supported the same political party and
ideals? Why would we need freedom of assembly, if we weren't going to
recognize
differences between people and choose to associate, or not, with people of
various types and characteristics? If we eliminate diversity, freedom of
association is a moot point.


Enforced conformity is not an American ideal.

You're the only one that has mentioned *force* so far.
Doesn't it seem that diversity is being enforced?

The US public schools are dismal as a result of its focus on *diversity*
rather than education.

The US Public Schools are less than they might be for a number of reasons.
We
pay teachers substantially less the equally educated professionals

Apples -Oranges
The proper comparison would be to compare the salaries and benefits of
*public* school teachers to *private* school teachers.
Public teachers reap more, while doing less, than private teachers.

with equal
responsiblities in other fields, (insert the rare exception to the general
rule
here.............), thereby mixing the truly inspired, dedicated,
altruists
with the washouts and underachievers. The American family all too often
sees
education as something that goes on only at school. "Family time" in the
American household often involves no more interaction that everybody
staring at
a common TV program, or watching 5 separate shows in five separate rooms.
We idolize athletes and musicians, not scholars. We're more likely to take
pride in our kids for being on a State Champion basketball team than for
winning debates, scoring well on the SAT, or being named Valedictorian.

Agreed.
google John Gatto, for more info.


Going back to schools separated by ethincity or demanding that "all the
rest of
those people better start acting white!" won't corect the underlying
social
factors that challenge our schools.

Social factors aren't the problem, they are just one of the symptoms.

I am in favor of single race schools. The human race. Within our single
race,
there are many different customs and perspectives. I am enriched by
learning
more about my neighbors, but I would be diminished if I demanded that all
my
neighbors act, think, vote, speak, write, or worship exactly as I do.

Well, so far, you seem to be difining *diversity* but you have yet to reveal
what that definition is.
What is diversity, in the sense that is seen in the mainstream today?

The proof abounds that diversity in and of itself does more harm than
good.

If so, I invite you to present some.

You have been offering my proof thus far.
I have been searching for an answer to my original question, "Why is
diversity a good thing?", and have yet to see an answer.
Even your post avoids anwering the question.

You have so far expressed some opinons,
but shown no proof. I have expressed some opinions as well, but as always,
the
burden of proof is on the plaintiff. That's you, Mr. Plaintiff. Diversity
is
the accused in this debate.

Accused of what?

As it is difficult to prove a negative,

What negative?
I asked a question.
The same question I have asked over and over, and no one seems to have an
answer except, "Just because, that's why."
Well, that's not good enough.

I'll even accept as "proof" examples
of how totalitarian, conformist societies with little or no diversity in
thought, speech, religion, or ethnicity have made significant
contributions to
the advancement of the human condition.
In fact, I'll generously even overlook attempts at nationalizing a "master
race" in the last century.

Uh-oh.
You know which law you are coming dangerously close to violating, don't you?

Further proof is provided that for the past few days my question, *Why is
diversity a good thing?*, has went

"has went"?

???

All things should be addressed in a moderate manner as there is more
wrong
than good in a singular mentality.

Ok, how'd we get so far off the track at this point? Diversity is the only
*option* to a singular mentality. We either all think alike, or we don't.
If we
don't, we enjoy diversity of thought and opinion.

To claim that diversity is universally good is disingenuous on its face.

Based on the reasonable, (although in my opinion incorrect), tone of your
argument I am going to assume that you don't fully understand the nature
of
your penultimate
comment.

Well, answer the original question directly and I will consider retracting
my comment.
Until then, it stands.


No, I was not pretending to be ignorant
in order to deceive when I disagreed about
diversity. Some would think it rather arrogant to hold an opinion that any
person able to construct an argument for a position counter to you own
really
knows better, but has chosen to be disingenuous.
Either the arrogance, or a lack of understanding about the meaning of a
powerful word.

There ya go again, you accuse me of arrogancy or lack of understanding, but
you yourself have not yet defined the word *diversity* nor have you
explained why it, in and of itself, is a good thing.

I'll grant you the latter. It wears better than arrogance. :-)

Perhaps, but it is you that demonstrated the lack of understanding, not I.
I asked a seemingly very simple question.
Yet there doesn't seem to be an answer, at least not one based in any
semblence of logic.
When asked the question, "Why is diversity a good thing?", the common answer
is delivered angrily, "It just is, that's why!"