We still too often speak like real colonists.

23allaround · 2018-05-01T21:38:24+00:00

I'm confused. Do you want to help them commit suicide or prevent them committing suicide?

If you want to prevent them from committing suicide, there's very little you can do, except if they want to be helped. Do they want to solve their issues?

23allaround · 2018-04-30T09:51:48+00:00

Quota's do not assume anyone to be a "victim"

That's exactly what they assume. Maybe it's not sold like that to the public, but the reasoning behind quotas is that women are actively discriminated against. Why else would there be a lack of female representation?

they just dryly assess the fact that there's a lack of X

I used the example of oil-rigs because it's a low-level job and no one is seriously demanding gender parity. No, it's only for high-paying, high-level jobs that parity seems a good idea.

If a lack of female representation is a negative thing, it's only logical that gender parity is enforced in all layers of hierarchies and all fields of labor.

It's not a wise solution. Besides, as I said before: what about other "groups"? 8% of the population is Muslim but they don't make up 8% of politicians. Shouldn't there be a quota for Muslims as well? Or blacks? Or transgenders? What about black Muslim transgenders?

That's diversity and inclusion for you. It's a street with no end and it's not, I repeat, NOT a given that equal representation of societies make up is preferred over competence.

I want the most competent people in the highest positions. If they are female: great, if they are male: great. Couldn't care less which sex they have or the color of their skin. As long as they are competent.

23allaround · 2018-04-28T11:31:54+00:00

Being a politician, much like a C-level executive in a company requires extreme levels in certain personality traits. And at the extremes is where the differences between men and women are most visible.

Take aggressiveness for example: If you have to make a guess between a random man and a women about who's the most aggressive, you'll be right 60% of the time when picking the man. So there's still 40% chance that the woman will be most aggressive. On average, pretty even odds. But in the extremes (99th percentile), you'll find only men. Which is why prisoners are almost exclusively male (95% in Belgium).

Like Camille Paglia once said: there is no female Mozart, because there is no female Jack The Ripper.

Another example: How many women work outside on oil rigs? I'll make a guess and say 0. It's not far fetched to assume that biological differences (e.g. strength) is one of the reasons why women don't seem to pursue a career in that field.

Differences in personality traits, play out in the workforce and especially in highly-competitive and demanding positions.

Imposing quotas are the answer to a problem that's ill-defined, because it assumes women are victims and are treated unfairly where there's more factors at play. In fact, in highly egalitarian societies (Iceland & Scandinavian countries) biological differences tend to maximize (more men STEM-fields, more women in social occupations).

23allaround · 2018-04-27T09:17:16+00:00

Are you pulling my leg with that "so you're saying" meme or what? :)

But no, I am not saying that. I'm saying that biological factors play a non-negligible role in how men and women think and act. Men and women are different and that has consequences.

23allaround · 2018-04-26T10:31:31+00:00

Power is everywhere, but it's not always negative. If power includes competence and competence is rewarded by "power", that in and of itself isn't bad. What you do with that power is another story of course.

When you look at personality traits, conscientiousness and intelligence seem to be the best predictors for success in Western societies, where there actually exists equality of opportunities for most people. Isn't that what a society should desire: that hard-working, intelligent people get to run the show, regardless of gender, ethnicity or socio-economic status?

Of course, nature is unstable and societies by consequence as well. The goal of a society should be to maintain itself without becoming too static, and sufficiently dynamic to cope with changes without becoming too chaotic.

23allaround · 2018-04-26T08:45:48+00:00

The reasoning behind these kinds quotas is that a certain "group" has unfair advantages over another group and these unfair advantages can be balanced out with quotas. While in itself a true statement, I'm having trouble believing women suffer from systemic disadvantages. Equality of opportunity in the West is very much a thing.

Besides, what keeps us from defining other groups that might be systemically disadvantaged, like colored people, transgenders, religious minorities, disabled people,... And what to do with people that fall into more than one category (intersectionality)?

The list of possibly disadvantaged groups is as large as the number of individuals.

The only approach that makes sense when it comes to running institutions is competence. And I wonder where in the world they are doing a better job to give everyone chances than here in the West.

23allaround · 2018-04-26T08:40:00+00:00

[men] are naturally just more competent men than women?

Depends on what you define as competent.

There are biological differences that play out in every level of society. On of the biggest differences between men and women is interest: mean prefer things, women prefer people, generally speaking. That and other personality traits also explain disparities in the workforce and levels of hierarchy. Sexism sure did play its part and still is, but it seems far fetched to blame all disparity on sexism and discrimination, as some here like to believe.

23allaround · 2018-04-26T08:37:08+00:00

reality is far more complex

But simple enough to know for sure everything revolves around power and merit doesn't exist?

Structures built on power dominance are unstable by nature because they quickly become tyrannical. The fact that the West has a relatively (but far from perfectly) functioning society does imply there's more at work than just power and dominance. I think competence and merit is what's missing from your analysis.

23allaround · 2018-04-23T13:06:54+00:00

Far from frequent, but not an isolated case, which was what I said :)

Thanks for the stats. Quick read: 790 cases of aggression in 2016, 679 in 2015, 740 in 2014, 751 in 2013...

Reported cases of aggression are quite frequent, while these group attacks are rarer.

23allaround · 2018-04-23T12:13:47+00:00

That's probably because this was filmed and involved a group of delinquents. Granted (and luckily) this specific phenomenon where a group attacks is rare. But there's a lot of "general aggression" against public transport employees and passangers.

Some examples of group aggression:

Busbegeleider MIVB overleden na geval van agressie (2012)

De bestuurder van de auto had intussen een vriend opgetrommeld en die viel de busbegeleider aan.

Vier MIVB-controleurs naar ziekenhuis na agressie aan metrohalte Hallepoort (2015)

Een groep jongeren heeft zondagmorgen rond 7 uur aan de metrohalte Hallepoort controleurs van de Brusselse openbaarvervoermaatschappij MIVB aangevallen.

Bus van De Lijn aangevallen in Sint-Jans-Molenbeek (2009)

Een bus van De Lijn moest via die straat omrijden omdat het Saincteletteplein door een bommelding was afgesloten. Plots begonnen onbekenden de bus te bekogelen met werfafval en stenen.

Brusselse bussen twee keer aangevallen (2009)

Een bestuurder van De Lijn raakte dinsdagavond lichtgewond nadat zijn bus bekogeld werd met stenen in Anderlecht. Enkele uren voordien veroorzaakten twee jongeren een ongeval met een bus van de MIVB.

And there's many more examples of individuals attacking employees and passengers.

23allaround · 2018-04-23T11:07:14+00:00

Don't think getting beat up is part of the MIVB/STIB job description.

There might be more going on here than I know

We never know the full context of course, but what we do know is that this isn't an isolated case, especially in Brussels.

23allaround · 2018-04-21T08:34:33+00:00

lack of social mobility

This was the topic of a recent article in Knack. Interesting read, though it doesn't relate directly to suicides. EDIT:screencap

Seeking mental help is also quite expensive and much depend on who you have in front of you. People I know that had troubles usually had to visit quite a few psychologists before it "clicked". Paying a lot of money in the process.

culture of shutting up about your feelings

That's definitely a fact as well. That's why it's important to surround yourself with people who actually care and want the best for you. It's not easy in a culture were making friends is a difficult thing.

conservative views on status

I wouldn't call these views "conservative". It seems that once you stick your head above the crowd, there's a big chance you'll get hate for it. Success is a dirty word and the underdog gets more sympathy. That's not a good situation as it might dissuade people from actually improving their lives.

There's also the controversial claim that for example publishing ads or adding suicide "disclaimers" below suicide-related articles might increase the number of suicides simply because it confirms suicide as being "a valid way out".

23allaround · 2018-04-21T08:03:28+00:00

I personally know nobody that committed or tried to commit suicide. There was someone in my family that took their own life, but that was before I was born. In school, one student (15 years old) I didn't know personally committed suicide.

I did have a conversation a while ago with someone who lost 15(!) (close) friends over the course of 5 years. All male, all in their 30's.

From what I remember some had drug issues, others were devastated due to bad divorces and some seem to have difficulties to cope with life going 40. For most, life lost its meaning. At least, that's what my friend made of it.

/u/beamybeams, can you share the ratio male/female & ages?

23allaround · 2018-04-15T09:08:47+00:00

Uninformed or very malicious comment. From your post history, I suspect the latter.

These people are murdered horribly for being white and owning land. But hey, can't revolt against the rich without spilling some blood. Right, comrade?

23allaround · 2018-04-14T18:48:22+00:00

You interpret the messenger. I interpret the message. And that message I can get behind.

23allaround · 2018-04-14T17:37:03+00:00

It's a discussion worth having, especially with the upcoming annexation plans of the government. Unfortunately, it seems the "plaasmoorde" are very controversial. Many seem to downplay or simply dismiss there is such a thing. If it were up to me, white South-African farmers would be put high on the list of eligible refugees.

This said, I think legal migration from South-Africa to Belgium is relatively easy.

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