[h34t]

It doesn't matter how unfair your obstacles are. The fact is, obstacles in your path will not go away by themselves -- your only say in the matter is whether to try and overcome them, or to give up and complain.

I don't think he's justifying those walls in any way. He's just saying, if you have goals in life, you've got to accept the walls that are in your path and make the best of it. Anything else is a pipe dream.

[SethFinkelstein]

Ah,but you can try to overcome the obstacles in very different ways. You can accept the system as it is, and merely try to compete harder within all its parameters as an individual. Or you can group-organize with others and try to change way the system works - like anti-discrimination laws, set-asides, development programs, affirmative action, etc. (sigh, I know, I've said some things here that will not be taken well - but think about it).

There's quite an industry devoted to saying that accepting the system as it is and trying to compete harder within the game is somehow right, while challenging the system and changing the game through group action is somehow wrong.

Who built the brick wall there in the first place? Maybe the best action is to get some allies and to attempt to tear it all down.

[h34t]

True enough. The right kind of effort, at the right time, and you get a Ghandi -- transcend boundaries, change the world. Wrong effort, wrong time? You achieve nothing but hearing the sound of your own voice complain and argue about injustice. You miscalculate your power or strategy and find your effort to be in vain. You get left behind. Life is short, and you miss out. Instead of putting up things, and actually getting shit done, you gave yourself to a battle that couldn't be won.