Can we ever really make any progress when we boil every issue down into black versus white?

Question

Y'know when I wrote this question I wasn't even thinking in terms of race. I meant black versus white in the sense of turning complex issues into simple dichotomies.

I see shades of grey when most people see clear cut answers.

After I wrote the question, I realized that it could be interpreted as a race based question. I decided to leave it ambiguous and just see how people naturally responded.

Of course not every issue is black vs white (sorry for the over-generalisation) but many are characterised as such when I believe that there are more than two choices in almost any situation.

Answer 1

Fascinating - yes people really tend to see what they want to see in everything, as you can see from the respones to this question. A careful reading of the question clearly shows that it was about issues, not race. Yet many saw the question as a racial question. Blacks as well as whites. A very good social experiment. To complete the circle, I hope you will send a note to every respondent and ask them to read all the answers in this new context.

Answer 2

The black and white arguement is the easiest arguement for people to understand. People find it a whole lot easier to think that their side is right and the other is wrong rather than to admit to the possibility that they may both be kinda right and kinda wrong. People also tend to do whats easier than whats more difficult even though this is not always best. Unfortunately the world is often never just black and white, something alot of people just cant seem to comrehend or just don't care. So can you make progress based on an assumption that has no real world basis, probably not, but that won't stop emptyheaded morons from tryin.

Answer 3

I hope this question is not about race but more about real life situations.Some problems are simple in nature.These can be analyzed and solutions found. These must not be unnecessarily complicated. However most problems are complex. Solutions are time-dependent too and are different in long term and short term.At the national and international level we have many more complexities- political,social and economic. The bottom line is to identify that life is more analogue changing in shades,amplitudes,directions and intensity.It is never digital..0 or 1 type.Therefore finding solutions need careful considerations of experienced analysts advising the chief executive for any real progress.

Answer 4

Saying that EVERY issue is black vs. white, or caucasoid vs. negroid is a bit presumptuous. I do have a slight agreement with Foneengr, that perhaps it is just a case of wagging the dog, but ultimately I feel everyone on the planet needs to do away with the illusion of race. We are all a blend of man. Human beings are disgusting enough as it is without bickering over petty cultural differences. However, racism is a very real thing, and some matters do come down to majority vs. minority. It's petty. People should be blind to race in every aspect, because the races we see are purple headed dragons that never existed to begin with.

Answer 5

I bet in a hundred years from now, there is not going to be such thing as black and white...because now-a-days everyone's mixed with something. But right now, we're not going anywhere about the whole black and white issue...it's so stupid but it makes kinda sense in a way. Both races need to step up.

Answer 6

No, of course not.

However, turning issues into false dichotomies is what politicians do best in their polarizing rhetoric that obscures the true nature of the problem: the politicians themselves.

Still every issue can be distilled down to a single simple statement, though: "individual human beings act."

From that statement, one builds a better understanding of how people get along (or fail to get along with one another).

http://www.ozarkia.net/bill/anarchism/faq.html

Answer 7

I take on board your additional details, however, things will for ever be seen in these terms as long as we have a situation where the description of all things good is White and all things questionable is defined as black. A dicotomy would be the black economy.. just look at that issue.

Answer 8

the black and white issue sould be so in the past. the black and white issue is a way for the rich to keep the poor down. I dont see the rich having this issue. money makes every one friends. so the answer to your question is no.I work with blacks, whites , indians, and latinos I have found that our lifes are all the same. family, friends and children. we all have them . our pathes to get where we are now might not have been the same, but we are the same.

Answer 9

I'm yet to see a single major issue that is black and white, nor have I seen any sensible person try to make one into such.

Answer 10

No because it will be a life long issues because black vs. white is in history and so when people learn about what has happen a feeling of angry, and hatred will come back.