Suggested Discussion Outline

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johnkarls
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Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 8:43 pm

Suggested Discussion Outline

Post by johnkarls »

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A. Although our author catalogues many problems and many symptoms, the common threads seem to be --

A-1. The changing role of males in American society and the difficulties many of them experience in adapting, and

A-2. Even to the extent to which roles have not changed, the increased pressures (including economic) many American males encounter that frustrate their ability to fulfill their responsibilities and, therefore, steal their self esteem.


B. Public-Policy Suggestions

After saying (p. 282): -- “Yes, its true that their [Angry White Men’s] sense of entitlement may be illegitimate -- if that entitlement has to do with superiority over others who are in the same position they are. But it’s quite another thing to believe yourself entitled to a decent job and a social safety net that enables you to wake up in the morning and go to work and feel you are making a contribution to the greater good -- and for which you are granted not only a decent wage, capable (with your spouse) of supporting a family, with something put a(s)ide for your retirement, but also granted the respect of your coworkers and a secure place in your community.”

-- our author makes several suggestions =

B-1. With respect to his first category (illegitimate entitlement regarding gender, race, etc., which he posits is diminishing rapidly as the older generation dies off and the younger generation takes over), his advice is “get over it.”

B-2. But with regard to his second category (a decent job and an adequate social safety net), he recommends several public policies:

B-2-a. Employers should be required to implement better diversity-training programs and to treat workers as if they are NOT expendable, devalued and scorned.

B-2-b. For workers who suddenly lose their health benefits or lose their jobs to out-sourcing and down-sizing, a “New Deal” with respect to which he is vague as to details while extolling both the programs and the heart-to-heart communications of Franklin D. Roosevelt in implementing his New Deal.


C. Do we have any public-policy recommendations?

C-1. NB: Our author’s point about decent jobs and eliminating unemployment is addressed by our Six-Degrees-Of-Separation E-mail Campaign following our 2/12/2014 meeting entitled “Renewing 1968 Executive Order 11387 To Halt American Job Exports” (please see the first section of http://www.ReadingLiberally-SaltLake.org).

C-2. NB: Financing Social Security and Medicare is addressed by our Six-Degrees-Of-Separation E-mail Campaign following our 2/9/2011 meeting entitled “European-Style Gas Tax to Finance Social Security and Medicare (please see the first section of http://www.ReadingLiberally-SaltLake.org).

C-3. NB: The Heavy Lifting involved in addressing the travesty that is inner-city education (and the Permanent American Under-caste) has been addressed by our Six-Degrees-Of-Separation E-mail Campaigns following our meetings of 9/12/2012, 1/13/2010, 5/16/2009 and 1/22/2009 (please see the first section of http://www.ReadingLiberally-SaltLake.org).

C-4. HOWEVER, we should consider adding to the American Social-Safety Net a French-style Education System in which ALL graduate and post-graduate education is FREE and admission is determined by competitive examinations (vs. the ability of affluent parents to place their children in prestigious academic institutions).

C-5. Any other suggestions???


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POSSIBLE TOPICS FOR APRIL 9TH MEETING

Please review in advance of our meeting Wednesday evening, the proposals for possible topics for the 4/9/2014 meeting contained in the second section of http://www.ReadingLiberally-SaltLake.org because --

1. Attendees, per our policy for our 8.5 years of existence, vote for the topic for the following meeting;

2. Our ability to start our formal discussion at 7:00 pm has been increasingly eroded by members wanting to read a summary of the proposals before voting; and

3. No such summary will be provided Wednesday evening because it would be several pages long (at this point, there are already 4 proposals and one has 6 replies posted on the website).

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