Affirmative action

My understanding of an oxymoron is: a phrase that is viable, but when taken separately, the words are contradictory. How are the words “affirmative” and “action” contradictory? Whom ever put this on the list probably disagrees with Affirmative action, but that doesn't make it an oxymoron.

Kinda like military intelligence….those two words don't contradict each other either but for the most part, is the military really intelligent?

Oh yeah, forgot to mention the fact that affirmative action really hasn't been all that successful but neither has the post office.

Kinda like military intelligence….those two words don't contradict each other either but for the most part, is the military really intelligent?

Oh yeah, forgot to mention the fact that affirmative action really hasn't been all that successful but neither has the post office.

Affirmative action started 400 years ago, when many rights and privileges were reserved exclusively for white people – who now oppose modern affirmative action designed to redress that imbalance.  (There’s yer oxymoron…)

I agree with Jade.   I do not see how the words themselves contradict each other.   Since “Affirmative” means positive or favorable and “action” means doing something, doesn’t that connote doing something positive?   So, the word “affirmative” describes the tone of the “action”, but does not contradict the action.

people, people, its called a *joke

I believe what selekteizely has highlighted is irony.