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Comment by fbelzile | Hacker News Reader

First, I don't think it's been going on for 2+ generations.

Second, who is saying "white males" are the root of all problems? I mean, it's objectively true since we've predominately been in positions of power (European & new world) for the greater part of history. That said, I'm sure women can mess things up equally as bad if they were in the same positions of power.

Third, there's still an under-representation of women in STEM. Whether that's because a chicken-and-egg problem with visibility (or that women, on average, just don't want those jobs) is yet to be seen.

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>it's objectively true since we've predominately been in positions of power (European & new world) for the greater part of history

Excuse me? That's ridiculously eurocentric and only contributes to "visibility problems" you seem to care about. It may have been somewhat true for a few hundred years, but there are many cultures that stood millenia without any european influence whatsoever. And in the very near future, asian countries will surpass the west in terms of influence, as it has been for a long time.

Under representation of women in STEM very much depends on what field we're taking about. CS? Sure. But what about, say, dentistry or medicine? At about the beginning of the millennium, the sex ratios equaled out at medical and dental schools, and every year since then, fewer and fewer men study in these fields compared to women.

Men, yes. White, no. Looking at the most extreme form of 'problems' a society can have, 4 of the 10 most deadly genocides were in Asia, 3 were in Africa, 2 in Europe/Russia, 1 in the Middle East.

All of humanity has the capacity to both oppress and murder en masse.

https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/pol116/genocides.htm

> Second, who is saying "white males" are the root of all problems? I mean, it's objectively true since we've predominately been in positions of power....

So... you then. You are an example of who is saying what you are saying.

> for the greater part of history

Wow, you certainly have a shallow view of history.

> Third, there's still an under-representation of women in STEM.

And there is an under representation of men on college campuses.

Why is one of those worth worrying about and not the other? Or are both cause for serious concern?

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