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    The McGill International Review

    MIR Meets: Darrell Owens

    Wed Jul 12 2023
    Housing DevelopmentAffordable HousingHomelessnessProgressivismReactionary PoliticsRace RelationsSocial SecurityImmigrationPolicingPrisonsCrimeAffirmative ActionUniversity Admissions

    Description

    This episode covers a wide range of topics including nimbyism and yimbyism in housing development, historical factors affecting affordable housing, deregulation and the housing first approach, honest discussions among progressives and reactionaries, race relations, social security, immigration, policing, prisons, crime, affirmative action, university admissions, discrimination, stereotypes, admissions diversity, and social justice.

    Insights

    Housing First Approach

    The 'housing first' approach refers specifically to subsidized housing for the homeless and is a prerequisite for addressing issues like drug addiction, mental illness, and medical services for the homeless.

    Progressives and Reactionaries

    While some progressives downplay social problems online, most serious progressives in the real world recognize these problems and have systemic solutions for them. Reactionaries use fringe ideas as straw man arguments against progressive positions.

    Police Accountability and Reform

    Reducing job security for police officers could make it easier to hold them accountable for individual infractions. Funding poor communities and economic rehabilitation programs may be more effective for public safety than restructuring police departments.

    Affirmative Action in University Admissions

    There are two separate questions: whether Asians need to score disproportionately high SAT scores and whether there is active discrimination against Asians in admissions. The evidence of active discrimination is inconclusive.

    Discrimination, Stereotypes, and Affirmative Action

    Asian students have been stereotyped, and there is evidence of discrimination against Asian students in admissions. However, the claim that Asians have to score higher SAT scores is inconclusive.

    Policing, Prisons, and Crime

    American policing is different from other countries, with a hyper-militarized police force and severe punishments for crimes. Funding should be shifted from prisons to community safety initiatives.

    Race Relations and Social Security

    Acknowledging valid viewpoints about race relations can advance arguments and gain credibility. Funding Social Security can help reduce homelessness rates among elderly individuals.

    Immigration, Housing Development, and Policing

    Increasing immigration rates is politically unpopular but has economic benefits. Housing development opinions are not strictly tied to progressive or conservative ideologies.

    Deregulation and Housing First Approach

    Deregulation can have different meanings depending on the context. Increasing housing supply is necessary but not sufficient for dealing with homelessness.

    Affirmative Action and Social Justice

    Focusing on class diversity in university admissions could benefit poor students of all races and increase class representation. The conversation was considered interesting and one of the coolest had on the podcast.

    Chapters

    1. NIMBYism and YIMBYism in Housing Development
    2. Historical Factors Affecting Affordable Housing
    3. Deregulation and Housing First Approach
    4. Progressives, Reactionaries, and Honest Discussions
    5. Race Relations, Social Security, and Immigration
    6. Immigration, Housing Development, and Policing
    7. Policing, Prisons, and Crime
    8. Police Accountability and Reform
    9. Affirmative Action and University Admissions
    10. Discrimination, Stereotypes, and Affirmative Action
    11. Admissions, Diversity, and Social Justice
    12. Affirmative Action and Social Justice
    Summary
    Transcript

    NIMBYism and YIMBYism in Housing Development

    00:04 - 07:57

    • Discussion about nimbyism and yimbyism in relation to housing development
    • Perception that homeless people have made poor personal choices and should not be subsidized
    • Resistance to housing first approach due to the belief that it provides free housing
    • Divorce between homelessness and housing costs in public perception
    • Homeowners' role in the housing crisis and their vested interest in its continuation
    • American culture's emphasis on home ownership as a measure of middle-class status
    • Decline of unions and the shift towards home ownership as a primary vehicle of middle-class mobility
    • Contradiction between aspirations for abundant and affordable housing and prioritizing real estate wealth accumulation

    Historical Factors Affecting Affordable Housing

    07:43 - 15:31

    • Declines in accessibility to pensions and healthcare contribute to housing issues.
    • After the 2008 recession, there was a push for upward price appreciation in real estate, which led to issues like tent cities and homelessness.
    • Under Nixon, housing construction in the US was federally subsidized, but public housing faced backlash and eventually came to a halt.
    • Reagan shifted the focus from supply-side solutions to demand-side solutions for affordable housing by introducing vouchers.
    • The resistance against cities as liberal and multicultural hubs has hindered their development compared to foreign examples.
    • US urban areas are productive and diverse but receive less federal assistance than rural areas.
    • Many foreign nations fund their cities as cultural capitals, while the US has a disdain for major cities.
    • Certain forms of YIMBYism can be seen as deregulation, but it is important to evaluate regulations based on their contribution to public safety.

    Deregulation and Housing First Approach

    15:05 - 22:35

    • Deregulation can have different meanings depending on the context.
    • Regulations that contribute to public safety, such as seismic safety and fire safety rules, are important and should be strengthened.
    • Rules about how tall an apartment can be or how many units are allowed on a site are not safety regulations but rather political and social regulations.
    • The term 'deregulation' can be used to obfuscate the true impact of regulatory changes.
    • Increasing housing supply is necessary but not sufficient for dealing with homelessness.
    • 'Housing first' refers specifically to subsidized housing for the homeless, not general economics about housing.
    • Skeptical liberals and conservatives criticize the 'housing first' approach, but it is a misrepresentation of what most homeless service providers believe.
    • Housing is a prerequisite for addressing issues like drug addiction, mental illness, and medical services for the homeless.
    • Progressives should not downplay problems like rapid property crime or encampments in order to focus solely on high-level abstractions like income inequality.
    • Focusing on low-level issues is important for gaining popular support and implementing effective solutions.

    Progressives, Reactionaries, and Honest Discussions

    22:15 - 29:20

    • Progressives often acknowledge that homeless encampments and anti-social behavior on the subway are uncomfortable and problematic
    • However, some progressives downplay these issues online, which creates space for reactionaries to exploit
    • Most serious progressives in the real world recognize these problems and have systemic solutions for them
    • The online silliness of some progressives is mostly confined to the internet and does not significantly impact real-world movements
    • Reactionaries use the fringe ideas of terminally online individuals as straw man arguments against progressive positions
    • Honesty in discussing social problems can help prevent people from becoming reactionaries
    • Reasonable solutions proposed by honest discussions can sway people away from reactionary views

    Race Relations, Social Security, and Immigration

    29:00 - 36:13

    • The article was written to address the lack of honest discussion about race relations in the Bay Area
    • Acknowledging valid viewpoints can advance arguments and gain credibility
    • The article acknowledged attacks against Asians by black criminals while also addressing pervasive anti-blackness in the Asian community
    • Selective reading of articles that omit race perpetuates unfairness
    • Having a frank conversation about bigotry enables people to agree with the author's position
    • Persuading people is easier in person than online
    • Funding Social Security can help reduce homelessness rates among elderly individuals
    • Attacks on Social Security and population decline make it difficult to fund pensions
    • Removing the taxation limit for Social Security and increasing immigration rates could help address funding issues
    • Activists on the conservative side oppose removing the cap on Social Security taxation

    Immigration, Housing Development, and Policing

    35:50 - 43:03

    • Getting rid of the cap and increasing immigration rates are politically unpopular.
    • Most Americans support immigration to the United States, but conservative media weaponizes it.
    • Immigration increases economic productivity and is a neoliberal and social position.
    • Housing development opinions are not strictly tied to progressive or conservative ideologies.
    • Progressives in suburban areas support building more housing, while some in San Francisco oppose it.
    • Opposition to housing often comes from moderates or conservatives who fear declining property values.
    • Left-wing NIMBYs may use opposition to gentrification as a way to justify their own stance.
    • Gentrification is often mischaracterized, with people focusing on new buildings rather than wealthy people replacing poor people in existing housing.
    • Improving policing in America could involve adding medium-term punishments instead of relying solely on strict punishments for crimes.

    Policing, Prisons, and Crime

    42:39 - 49:56

    • Policing in the United States is different from other countries, with a hyper-militarized police force and severe punishments for crimes.
    • The prevalence of guns in the US contributes to the militarization of the police force.
    • Police fatalities are not primarily caused by traffic stops, but rather by police chases or car crashes.
    • American police officers are expensive and there are not enough of them relative to European countries.
    • Community policing, where people who live within their communities have a degree of enforcement, is seen as a potential solution.
    • Funding should be shifted from prisons to community safety initiatives.
    • Europe has more police officers than the US, but they perform different roles such as unarmed civilian safety agencies like parking enforcement.
    • Long-term solutions to crime require addressing income inequality and economic stability.

    Police Accountability and Reform

    49:30 - 56:48

    • Reducing job security for police officers could make it easier to hold them accountable for individual infractions.
    • There is a debate about whether police pay is too high, especially when factoring in pensions.
    • Funding poor communities and economic rehabilitation programs may be more effective for public safety than restructuring police departments.
    • Absolute abolition of police departments or getting rid of police entirely may not solve crime.
    • Prisons are seen as ineffective and wasteful, with a focus on defunding prisons and reallocating funds to economic rehabilitation programs.
    • Police officers should have specialized training based on the type of crime they respond to, rather than being expected to handle all situations.
    • Diversity initiatives could potentially improve policing by addressing biases and reducing violent force from certain demographics.
    • Segmenting different types of patrols and responses to crime is necessary, along with different training programs for each segment.
    • More funding should be allocated towards understanding how to reform and add layers to policing instead of spending on prison systems.
    • The state should take responsibility for spending less on correction officers and prisons, while investing in public safety.

    Affirmative Action and University Admissions

    56:19 - 1:03:06

    • There are two separate questions: whether Asians need to score disproportionately high SAT scores and whether there is active discrimination against Asians in admissions.
    • The answer to the first question is yes, according to a study that shows advantages and disadvantages for different racial and ethnic groups in terms of SAT or ACT scores needed for admission.
    • The study found that Asian students need to score disproportionately high SAT scores compared to other races.
    • The evidence of active discrimination against Asians in admissions is inconclusive.
    • It is possible that external variables such as teacher recommendations and extracurricular activities explain some of the apparent disparities.

    Discrimination, Stereotypes, and Affirmative Action

    1:02:40 - 1:09:37

    • Asian students have been stereotyped with phrases like 'robotic' or 'standard'
    • Harvard-Loor Court case found evidence of discrimination against Asian students
    • Asian students may need higher test scores to get into the same institutions
    • Lack of extracurriculars could potentially offset the need for higher test scores
    • The claim that Asians have to score higher SAT scores is inconclusive
    • Studies should control for ethnicities and income within Asian Americans
    • Generalizing all Asian groups as one is meaningless, as different groups have different median incomes
    • Certain Asian groups may benefit from affirmative action, such as Southeast Asians or refugees
    • Chinese Americans do not benefit from affirmative action in terms of outreach by Harvard
    • Affirmative action seeks out capable students and encourages them to apply, it's not about giving points based on race
    • Misunderstanding of what affirmative action is leads to misconceptions about its impact on admissions
    • There is a hyper focus on black students taking spots away from Asian Americans, but there are very few black students at these institutions

    Admissions, Diversity, and Social Justice

    1:09:17 - 1:16:31

    • Asian-American candidates are losing out to white students, who are often legacy students.
    • Scoring Asian students poorly over stereotypes can be seen as a rationalization of selection processes influenced by affirmative action.
    • Universities may use affirmative action as an excuse to under enroll Asian students.
    • The decline in black student enrollment does not scale with higher enrollment of Asian descent.
    • Research from the University of California shows an increase in Hispanic and Asian enrollment, while white enrollment has marginally declined.
    • Asian American students are admitted to top tier schools, but often not their first choices.
    • Chinese parents' emphasis on meritocracy is influenced by civil service exams in late Imperial China.
    • A balance between strict merit-based admission and holistic admission systems is needed.
    • Strictly merit-based admission would disproportionately favor wealthier individuals due to income disparities correlated with race.
    • Exceptions exist, but SAT scores generally correlate with income, which correlates with race.
    • Universities argue that they want to have an outsized impact on the social good of the country by considering factors beyond test scores and wealth.

    Affirmative Action and Social Justice

    1:16:09 - 1:20:31

    • The argument for university is that sending a poor, academically capable student from a low-income area to med school can benefit their community, whereas sending a wealthy white student may perpetuate existing wealth.
    • There is some overlap between the argument for social justice and the criticism of affirmative action, which focuses too much on racial diversity rather than class diversity.
    • Focusing on class diversity could mean prioritizing poor students of all races over wealthy students at elite institutions.
    • Increasing opportunities for poor people of all races to attend university would disproportionately benefit black people due to existing racial disparities.
    • Economic admissions would likely correlate with race, but it would still be beneficial for society as it would increase class representation.
    • The conversation was considered interesting and one of the coolest had on the podcast.
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