Sep 20 2008

If you doubt the validity of affirmative action, you must be a racist

Category: affirmative action,diversity,education,Group-think,higher education,multi-cultural,politics — harmonicminer @ 9:00 am

As usual, anyone who tries to scientifically study the actual effect of affirmative action is accused of racist motives.

In his 19 years as a law professor at UCLA, Richard Sander has pondered a nagging question: Does affirmative action help or hinder black people who want to become lawyers?

Two years ago, he published research suggesting that racial preferences at law firms might be responsible for black lawyers’ high rate of attrition and difficulty making partner. He hypothesized that, in the interest of promoting diversity, law firms sometimes hire black lawyers that are under-qualified, and that when there is a “credentials gap” between black and white lawyers at a firm, black lawyers often fail.

The research stirred debate throughout the legal community, and Sander said he was surprised at the vehemence with which people attacked his motives. A former Vista volunteer, fair-housing activist and campaigner for Chicago’s first black mayor, Harold Washington, Sander insisted he was simply trying to examine an important question.

Now the law professor has waded into another controversy. Sander says his goal this time is to examine whether law schools set up many affirmative action beneficiaries for failure by admitting them into rigorous academic environments in which they are ill-prepared to compete. He proposes to study almost 30 years of data on California Bar Association exam-takers. In the end, he hopes to explain why, as reported in a Law School Admission Council study in the 1990s, blacks are four times as likely as whites to fail the bar exam on the first try.

Continue reading “If you doubt the validity of affirmative action, you must be a racist”

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Sep 19 2008

The Echo Chamber, with shorter and shorter wavelengths

Category: Palin — harmonicminer @ 11:53 pm

Sullivan: Palin Pick Most Irresponsible Act a Candidate Ever Made | NewsBusters.org

If you needed any more evidence as to how frightened liberals are of Sarah Palin, you got it during Friday’s “Real Time” on HBO.

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Sep 19 2008

What Egypt stands to gain

Category: arab,Hamas,Hizbullah,Iran,Islam,Israel,middle east,Russia,terrorism — harmonicminer @ 9:21 am

From Haaretz, Egypt draws up plan to end internal Palestinian crisis

Egypt has drawn up a plan to end the internal Palestinian crisis and
will propose it to rival Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, as soon as the sides agree to hear it sources said Saturday.

Egypt has come up with the plan after several rounds of bilateral talks with representatives from the different Palestinian factions. Later this month, Egyptian officials will meet with leaders from Hamas and Fatah separately to propose the plan and get their acceptance.

The Palestinian crisis escalated in June 2007 when Hamas routed security forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas, ousted his Fatah movement and took over control of the Gaza Strip, effectively separating it from the West Bank where Abbas has consolidated his rule.

Egypt’s problem:

Its government needs to appear to be working in good faith to resolve difficult aspects of the Palestinian situation. It cannot be seen as being in conflict with the Palestinians, which makes situations like this a major problem.

On 22 January 2008, after Israel imposed a total closure on all exits and entrances to the Gaza Strip, a group of Hamas demonstrators, many of whom were women, attempted to force open the door of the Rafah crossing from Gaza into Egypt. They were beaten back by Egyptian police and gunfire erupted. That same night, Hamas militants set off 15 explosive charges demolishing a 200-metre length of the metal border wall that had been erected by Israel in 2004. After the resulting Breach of the Gaza-Egypt border, many thousands of Palestinians, with estimates ranging from 60,000 to 350,000 flowed into Egypt to buy goods. Palestinians were seen purchasing food, fuel, cigarettes, shoes, furniture, car parts, generators, and even weapons.

Egypt has prospered from its peace agreement with Israel, in terms of trade, tourism, and the regard of the world. Palestinian conflicts destabilize that agreement.  Egypt’s people, of course, are mainly sympathetic with the Palestinians.  That makes it tough to take strong enforcement action against Palestinians trying to breach the Gaza/Egypt border.  If Palestine can be somewhat stabilized, the chances of that kind of conflict are reduced.  Egypt’s battle with its own homegrown terrorists, the Muslim Brotherhood (the seedbed for Al Qaeda and others), makes it especially necessary for the government not to be seen as being in conflict with the Islamic side of any dispute.

Unlike some decades ago, the governments of Jordan and Egypt are both willing to be part of a two-state solution, if they don’t have to offend their own people’s sympathies to get it.  They understand, correctly, that it is to their financial and political benefit to do so.

It’s tempting to paint all Islamic mid-east nations with the same brush.  But the fact is that there would be considerable hope for peace if Syria and Iran dropped their support of Hamas and Hizbullah, and the Palestinians could see their way clear to elect a leadership that was not dedicated to maintaining the conflict.

Put simply, Iran’s and Syria’s leadership depend on maintaining that conflict for their own power.  And Russia is helping them do it, and helping the governments of Iran and Syria stay in power. The odds of Iran/Syria/Russia abandoning Hizbullah and Hamas are miniscule. But if there was some way to do an end-run around Hamas in Palestine, in terms of forming a government, it would be a start.  I have no illusions about Hamas peacefully allowing this to happen.  But, just possibly, if Hamas is seen by the Palestinians as being against a greater Palestine government, and if Hamas starts being known more for attacking other Palestinians than Israelis, something like the Anbar awakening could occur, where the locals once sympathetic to terrorists realize the danger they pose.

Egypt, hardly an ideal of freedom, is nevertheless doing the right thing here, and should be supported by the west in whatever ways will help.  In the meantime, the west has to find a way to get aid into Palestine that does not flow through Hamas first, so that the west does not support the Palestinian image of Hamas as caregiver.  I don’t have a suggestion about HOW to do this, and I recognize the difficulty of it.   Nevertheless, we have to find a way to get aid to Palestinians that does not simply prop up Hamas.  Just possibly, the beginning could be Egypt’s intervention to help develop a non-Hamas AND non-Fatah Palestinian unified government, through which aid from the west could be funneled that would help stabilize that new government.

The two state solution cannot work if one of them is simply a terrorist nation.  But if, by some working of God and diplomacy, a non-terrorist Palestinian government could form, there would be hope.  It’s worth the effort.

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Sep 18 2008

What your history teacher or professor didn’t tell you

Category: education,higher education,USA — harmonicminer @ 9:31 am

Amazon.com: 48 Liberal Lies About American History: (That You Probably Learned in School): Larry Schweikart: Books Here is the publisher’s weekly short review.

Textbooks have long served as a main battlefield in the culture wars and the latest salvo comes from Schweikart, a history professor at the University of Dayton (A Patriot’s History of the United States), who examines leading American history texts and other books that he sees as purveying a distinctly slanted view of American history—one that portrays the United States as oppressive, imperialistic, and evil. Each lie is deliberated in a brief essay. A chapter on the notion that FDR knew in advance that the Japanese would attack Pearl Harbor focuses largely on countering Robert Stinnett’s Day of Deceit. The belief that Columbus was responsible for killing millions of Indians (drivel) is, he says, based on faulty statistics. In examining the belief that Richard Nixon sent burglars into the Watergate office complex, the author accepts G. Gordon Liddy’s account of events over John Dean’s. Regarding the Rosenbergs, Schweikart cites Soviet documents proving they were indeed spies. Schweikart marshals an arsenal of statistics and scholarly studies, and while his own biases will limit his reach, he offers an object lesson in the need for scrupulous balance in the writing of history textbooks.

That line, “his own biases will limit his reach”, is standard boilerplate that is true of every book ever written (including the review I just quoted), and trotted out whenever the reviewer isn’t really friendly with the thrust of a book, but can’t find something specific to criticize.

UPDATE:  I am in mind boggle.  I am about to praise yet another LATimes editorial, which happens to quote Larry Schweikart approvingly on the matter of the guilt of the Rosenbergs in spying for the Soviet Union (which is established beyond shadow of doubt, despite the nay-saying of the Left).  If you’re a regular reader, you know how rarely I approve of major media reportage and opinion, but this is spot on.

I haven’t read this new book yet, but if it’s up to the author’s usual standards, it will be excellent. I’ll let you know.

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Sep 18 2008

I Still Don’t Get It

Category: healthcare — amuzikman @ 8:00 am

I have health insurance – great health insurance! Probably one of the best group insurance policies that can be found. It was difficult to get and it’s difficult to retain. I have to re-qualify every 6 months to remain eligible and I make sure I do because it is worth it to me.

It was not easy to qualify for this plan. I had to learn new skills. I had to work for years improving those skills. I had to network and build relationships in order to meet the “right” people – people who would hire me for the kind of work that would get me qualified for this particular health plan. I had to make tough choices. I had to make occupational and vocational sacrifices. I had to work long, hard hours but it was worth it because I was raising a family and needed insurance for my kids. I did what I had to do.

But never even once did I think it was the job of my government to provide me with health insurance. (I am no legal scholar but I do know there is absolutely NO mention whatsoever of a right to health insurance in the U.S. Constitution). Quality health care was something I desired and I needed. It was also excellent incentive for me to work hard and do what I had to do to get it. I didn’t wait for anybody to give it to me, I went out and earned it.

Where was it we decided “universal health care” was a right? And who decided it was the job of our government to provide health care? Other than the U.S. military, can you name something our government is good at running? (BTW – this is probably NOT a good time to answer, “Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac”). Have you ever gone to a DMV office? Now imagine you are going there to schedule a heart bypass surgery instead of a driver’s test!

Do I want folks to be sick? No. Do I want to be sick? No. But I took care of ensuring I’ll get care if I do get sick. So why can’t others take care of ensuring the same for themselves? Many can. A few can’t. Let’s all get together and help those who really need help. But instead of waiting around for someone to give you something because you decided it was your “right”, why don’t you get up off your chair and go figure out how to get what you need by earning it? I did. And I’m not particularly smart or lucky or well-connected. I just worked hard to attain a goal. Or do we not expect anyone to do that sort of thing anymore?

I just don’t get it….

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Sep 17 2008

A unique perspective on abortion

Category: abortion,Obama — harmonicminer @ 9:23 pm

Born Alive Truth

Can you imagine not giving babies their basic human rights, no matter how they entered our world? My name is Gianna Jessen, born 31 years ago after a failed abortion. I’m a survivor, as are many others…but if Barack Obama had his way, I wouldn’t be here.

Check the link.

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Sep 17 2008

McCain’s main blind spot

Category: McCain — harmonicminer @ 7:53 pm

I like much about John McCain’s positions on various issues, and those that I disagree with categorize very neatly: they are the issues where McCain’s position denies the basic truth that nearly everyone acts in what they perceive as their own best interest, nearly all the time.  Essentially, I think McCain fails to appreciate the incentives to do wrong that are created by some of his programs and proposals, even though he means them to do right.

On “campaign finance reform”, new incentives for all kinds of skullduggery were created (and fulfilled) by the George Soroses of the world.    And the media who were given even MORE power by the muzzling of free speech were, of course, effusive in their praise of the idea.

For “comprehensive immigration reform”, McCain simply didn’t grasp that its approval would be a green light for many million more illegals to enter the country clandestinely, unless the fence was built FIRST, and enforcement radically ramped up, well before any regularization of existing illegals was even contemplated.

Now McCain is talking about the greed of Wall Street zillionaires who are fleecing America.  While that may sometimes be true, the real fleecing has been done by a corrupt partnership of government regulators and business, in “government/private sphere” partnerships like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which were supposed to be supervised by government, but in practice were in collusion with it instead.  I don’t mind if McCain bashes crooks, as long as he identifies all their accomplices in the regulatory apparatus.

Continue reading “McCain’s main blind spot”

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Sep 17 2008

50 Fundamentals from my friend

Category: philosophy — harmonicminer @ 6:53 pm

My friend (and the father of my son-in-law), Tony Andreola, recently sent me his list of 50 fundamental beliefs.  Much of it is simply common sense that has been forgotten in many quarters.  These aren’t all equally fundamental, and some are more observations than beliefs, but you get the idea.  Tony is the kind of guy you want for your neighbor.

Herewith I reproduce, for your edification.

Tony’s Top 50 fundamental Beliefs

1. God is real
2. Love your wife.
3. Being a Parent is a High Calling.
4. “My observation is that women are merely waiting for their husbands to assume       leadership.”  James Dobson
5. “A man travels the world over to search for what he needs, and returns home to find it.” George Moore
6.  Idealism is not always practical.
7. “Truths are stubborn things” John Adams
8. Liberals are emotionally driven
9. “A liberal is a man too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel.”  Robert Frost

Continue reading “50 Fundamentals from my friend”

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Sep 17 2008

More Palin-phobia

Category: election 2008,media,Palin,politics,Uncategorized — harmonicminer @ 9:43 am

Now they’re accusing Palin of making rape victims pay for their own rape kit.

At the link above, you can read all about it, and about what was omitted from the USA Today story that made the charge.

The USA Today story continues the pattern of the NYTimes, of quoting Palin enemies in Alaska, without counterbalancing perspectives, and leaving out essential facts.

Continue reading “More Palin-phobia”

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Sep 17 2008

What Obama doesn’t want you to know: part 1

Category: election 2008,Obama,politics — harmonicminer @ 9:02 am

Obama, as a community organizer, wants to have everyone volunteer. In fact, he has to take credit for inventing a new oxymoron, “Universal Voluntary Public Service”.  Let’s see:  universal, but voluntary.  I guess that means he plans to make you really, really want to volunteer.

Investor’s Business Daily has several cogent observations about an organization Obama helped to start in 1992. Significant excerpts:

The pitch Public Allies makes on its Web site doesn’t seem all that radical. It promises to place young adults (18-30) in paid one-year “community leadership” positions with nonprofit or government agencies. They’ll also be required to attend weekly training workshops and three retreats.

In exchange, they’ll get a monthly stipend of up to $1,800, plus paid health and child care. They also get a post-service education award of $4,725 that can be used to pay off past student loans or fund future education.

But its real mission is to radicalize American youth and use them to bring about “social change” through threats, pressure, tension and confrontation, the tactics used by the father of community organizing, Saul “The Red” Alinsky.

“Our alumni are more than twice as likely as 18-34 year olds to . . . engage in protest activities,” Public Allies boasts in a document found with its tax filings. It has already deployed an army of 2,200 community organizers like Obama to agitate for “justice” and “equality” in his hometown of Chicago and other U.S. cities, including Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, Phoenix, Pittsburgh and Washington. “I get to practice being an activist,” and get paid for it, gushed Cincinnati recruit Amy Vincent.

Charming.

But it turns out that there are other things going on:

Not all the recruits appreciate the PC indoctrination. “It was too
touchy-feely,” said Nelly Nieblas, 29, of the 2005 Los Angeles class.
“It’s a lot of talk about race, a lot of talk about sexism, a lot of
talk about homophobia, talk about -isms and phobias.”

One of those -isms is “heterosexism,” which a Public Allies training seminar
in Chicago describes as a negative byproduct of “capitalism, white
supremacy, patriarchy and male-dominated privilege.”

The government now funds about half of Public Allies’ expenses through
Clinton’s AmeriCorps. Obama wants to fully fund it and expand it into a
national program that some see costing $500 billion. “We’ve got to have
a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as
strong, just as well-funded” as the military, he said.

We heard that quote before about a “civilian national security force”.  Now we know what it means.

A gentler, kinder re-education camp.

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