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Maybe it is more useful to think about how diversity might help in decision-making? How well can an all-male governing body consider things of importance especially for women and children? Why should women's interests have to be represented by proxy with men only? Do you think women have relevant concerns that men might not be aware of? Do you think women may have helpful perspectives in how to solve those problems? Governing bodies must represent those being governed.
The more diversity at the table, the better. If you think "two heads are better than one" then why wouldn't you want those heads to be of different backgrounds than all just thinking alike?
There is no good reason to exclude members of a society from full participation.
No government = tribalism. Just as it was before government.
And how would that eliminate factors which makes our population diverse?
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Diversity can only exist under a state to enforce it.
No, not at all. Our population would be diverse with, or without the government, unless there was some kind of purge to eliminate those who do not fit the mold.
Congo, which is one of the most diverse places on the planet, is not so because of their government, but because of the multitudes of different ethnic groups in the country.
Interesting subject. I am admittedly more comfortable with some kinds of diversity than with others.
I'm highly involved in a community that includes people of highly diverse racial, ethnic, socioeconomic backgrounds, people with many different faiths, ideologies, and political positions, people of a very wide variety of sexual orientations and gender identities and needs in their relationship dynamics. It works beautifully because we have explicitly stated rules that shape the required behaviors in our community. If you violate OUR rules you will be asked to leave. That standardizes things enough that we all get along pretty well.
But our group may not be compatible or comfortable with a different group operating under different rules or ideologies.
I tend to think that socioeconomic diversity is one of the hardest ones to consider. As a middle class to upper middle class person for most of my life, but someone whose circumstances have fallen very low for a limited time in my young adulthood...I know by experience that the people of poorer communities, I can get along with very well one-on-one if they are plucked out of company with their own neighborhood. But poor neighborhoods, at least the ones I have seen the most, tend to be racially segregated. It's how we get many of our stereotypes, the ghettos, barrios, trailer parks...most Americans will think of different racial groups that would inhabit them. But I don't only feel potentially uncomfortable in such places if they are of a different race, I would feel equally uncomfortable in a mostly-white impoverished neighborhood, if I am alone or vulnerable. In fact more so, if I look at my experience walking through various impoverished areas. So what that says, is that I have fear or judgment against the poor. Why? I guess it is because many of the poor people I have known, have been aggressive human beings, and more willing to be aggressive toward strangers. I'd assume this is due to a life of experiencing violence, themselves, but understanding that hardly helps me. It wasn't helpful when I was 8 months pregnant, walking through a poor white neighborhood to the southeast of Cincinnati, and was mobbed by young white boys throwing chunks of brick and rock at me for no other reason than I was there and seemed an easy target. I would walk through the neighborhoods I've lived in since, without ever fearing anything like that happening. Certainly not even from the groups of black or Hispanic children who play outside where I now live.
I find that I can appreciate and even love diversity, so long as I feel safe. And experiencing diversity in a positive way, is often through individuals from many backgrounds coming to a place together where none of them feel ownership of it, or have dominance of it. Being an outsider moving through a homogeneous group however can be dangerous.
(D)s and (R)s may play the 'us vs. them' game but you can safely bet $$$ to donuts that if a viable third party candidate ever threatens to taken the White House they'll become among the strongest allies the world has ever seen in opposition. to that happening.
I love living in a country where I can hear multiple languages spoken on the street. It gives me ample opportunity to practice my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th languages (unfortunately, my 5th and 6th aren't frequently spoken here) and to exchange my own native language with those who are perfecting their speech. This is America - we can speak whichever language we want!
Diversity of backgrounds also means that I feel safer as an ethnic and religious minority.
And that's to say nothing about the food. Y'all keep your hamburgers, I want my falafel, tacos (and not ground beef), dim sum, palak paneer, pao de quijo and other deliciousness that simply wouldn't be available if not for the diversity of my neighbors.
Being exposed to a diversity of opinions and points of view because of the differing backgrounds, religions, ethnicities, abilities, etc of my neighbors has not only expanded my own point of view, but also given me ample opportunity to learn to discuss and defend my own opinions. What are our opinions worth if they're not regularly challenged and we're not forced to support them? Absolutely nothing.
I am glad you bring these up, because they expand the meaning of diversity.
Ha, ha I give up. I like the word diversity.
There is also behavioral diversity related to the income diversity... but none of it has to do with race. As they built more McMansion neighborhoods the status of the older neighborhoods has declined, whereas formerly the neighborhoods were more homogenous. Thus more diversity, greater inequality, more social tensions. Why invest in your property if it is now in the "bad part of town".
Years ago I was in Central Park to see/hear the Metropolitan Opera Co. perform La Traviata, I was sitting on a bench behind a baseball backstop listening to a South Korean soprano perform an Italian opera based on a French novel. One of my first thoughts was 'only in America', and I mean that in the best possible way.
I experience this type of thing very regularly. I might talk to someone at Google who is from Pakistan, then go to a concert with "Florida Man" dancing with a beer in hand in front of the 420 Cafe....and then deliver meals on wheels to every sort of human being in existence. Then I'll drive some people to their appointments...like a strong old woman from Trinidad (she is stern, but strong as heck!) and hear all the various stories of lives lived.
Then I may go to the Farm market where a French guy who can't hardly speak English will tune up and fix my bike...and stop by the German or Hungarian booth for their baked goods.
It's not quite the upper crust thing you describe, but the point is that the USA does work well in this sense.
Our biggest problem(s), IMHO, are lack of education of the CITIZENS of the USA as well as our tendency not to get involved in politics (so many people don't vote!)......
Education, tho, seems the largest shortfall. It informs the ignorance that starts threads like this.
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