How Do You Solve A Problem Like Amy Wax.

What happens when an arch conservative, Federalist Society type Remedies Professor takes on the issue of race and related social problems in America? You get revanchist "Blame The Victim ism." I have not read the book, to be honest. I am listening to her defend her thesis on "Bloggingheads.com."

It's weird, even if sorta predictable, how the intersection of conservative ideology and legal analysis she employs so badly misses the point. Conservatives are against government programs. That's the baseline bias. But in looking at wide, complicated social problems as if it were a mere conflict such as who pays for the fender bender? Before I go off on a tangent (the more she talks the more I am convinced she is a soft bigot and low level racist) let me just say. Ain't nothing new here. Her beliefs are the same old tired conservative crap. It's just coming from a law professor.

There definitely is, among many on the right wing, a strong desire to declare that racism and discrimination are problems of the past, and dismantle all programs to help level the playing field and make up for past wrongs. Whether deliberate or not, this book, her ideas are more geared to helping that initiative, than social problems relative to the horrible, residual, lingering effect of institutionalized racism and discrimination.

Ironically, Professor Wax seems to recognize on one level the cumulative effect. But she seems to, by virtue of her right wing conservative biases, leap to the conclusion that it's up to the individual victims or otherwise inheritors of America's formerly lawfully protected or otherwise institutionalized racism and discrimination, to overcome the often crushing weight of all that.

Contrary to her argument that the active, obvious kind of discrimination and racism is much reduced, the weight of the past abuses has not necessarilly been removed. How oddly simpleminded for a law professor. But for a randomly selected conservative? Not so much.

And she is a rude one. Her opponent just called her out on her polite version of being a verbal bully. Again, things that go together -- bully-ism and conservatism.

On last thought. I would love to see Brother Doctor Cornel West debate her.