Today is Victims of Communism Day. It is also “May Day”, where “useful idiots” march and demonstrate in free countries, while those who have to actually live under Communism are made to march lest they face dire consequences.
One of the many, many evils of Communism were “re-education” camps, including the “re-education” of university students by means of torture, humiliation, and application of pure evil such as the The Pitești Experiment in Romania.
In the hopes of encouraging a more civil, and illuminating, discourse, here is another episode of William F. Buckley, Jr.’s “Firing Line”.
With the increased wokeness and use of Critical Theory in increasingly most if not all disciplines, let us look back on a debate between William F. Buckley, Jr., Cornel West, Elizabeth T. Kennan, and John Agresto on the question of “What is Liberal Education?”.
Another “quick takes” on items where there is too little to say to make a complete article, but is still important enough to comment on.
The focus this time: “Generic Democrat”
First, a little mood music:
Joe Biden エッチする
With Biden now President, it looks like racial discrimination in education is back on the menu!
“The federal Department of Education, on April 19, proposed a new rule to prioritize grant applications from school districts to implement critical race theory, the 1619 Project, and anti-racism into civics curriculum. This continues the Biden administration’s concerted effort to reverse Trump-era prohibitions on critical race theory in trainings throughout the federal government, and support for the advancement of critical race theory in federally funded programs.
“The public comment period will remain open until May 19. The rule summary reads:
“‘The Department of Education (Department) proposes two priorities for the American History and Civics Education programs, including the Presidential and Congressional Academies for American History and Civics(Academies) and National Activities programs, Assistance Listing Numbers 84.422A and 84.422B. We may use these priorities for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2021 and later years. We propose these priorities to support the development of culturally responsive teaching and learning and the promotion of information literacy skills in grants under these programs.’ …
“The proposed rule starts by noting that civics education in America could use a boost. It cites knowledge of the Bill of Rights as one goal. The Department of Education proposes to establish Presidential Academies to train teachers in American history and government, and Congressional Academies to provide enhanced education to high school students in these subjects.”
The main argument for legalized abortion is that it is all about a “woman’s right to choose” what happens to her body and that the personhood of the natal child is just being used as an excuse to “control women”. But what if the pregnancy can be terminated while still allowing the removed child to live and develop in an artificial environment ex vivo of the mother? If recent research in developing artificial wombs that have so far successfully nurtured mammalian embryos.
“The mouse embryos looked perfectly normal. All their organs were developing as expected, along with their limbs and circulatory and nervous systems. Their tiny hearts were beating at a normal 170 beats per minute.
“But these embryos were not growing in a mother mouse. They were developed inside an artificial uterus, the first time such a feat has been accomplished, scientists reported on Wednesday.
“The experiments, at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, were meant to help scientists understand how mammals develop and how gene mutations, nutrients and environmental conditions may affect the fetus. But the work may one day raise profound questions about whether other animals, even humans, should or could be cultured outside a living womb.
“In a study published in the journal Nature, Dr. Jacob Hanna described removing embryos from the uteruses of mice at five days of gestation and growing them for six more days in artificial wombs.
“At that point, the embryos were about halfway through their development; full gestation is about 20 days. A human at this stage of development would be called a fetus. To date, Dr. Hanna and his colleagues have grown more than 1,000 embryos in this way.”
Some on the right have raised serious concerns, not just about how women don’t just want to end their pregnancy or have control over their body but to kill their kid, but also qualms about more “mad scientist” possibilities.
Why, this makes it sound that all mad science is evil mad science, which is quite prejudicial. Why, this prejudice is seen with the qualms some are having about successfully creating mammalian hybrids such as the human/monkey embryos recently created.
An opinion piece in the New England Journal of Medicine is calling for healthcare to be redistributed by taking away from some people who are of the wrong race and given to others who are of other races.
“Biden’s executive order puts forth a definition of equity that could be seen as somewhat self-contradictory. According to the order, equity refers to ‘the consistent and systematic fair, just, and impartial treatment of all individuals, including individuals who belong to underserved communities that have been denied such treatment, such as Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.’ The first part of this definition emphasizes equality for all people, whereas the second part calls attention to specific underserved groups.”
And the author makes it clear which side he favors
“To promote equity, the Biden administration should distribute resources differentially in order to benefit groups that are persistently disadvantaged.”
That’s right, this piece in the New England Journal of Medicine is calling for the Federal government to engage in racial discrimination by determining what medical care you get based on your race.
This, of course, is “equity”, which involves systemic discrimination that denigrates people into categories and gives those categories equality not of outcome but of perceived share of power/position even if it means institutional inequality of individuals.
Critical Race Theory in schools is a form of political propaganda to achieve a mass movement by mandatory indoctrination into wokeness. Santa Clara County, in California, is pushing this “Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity” (AKA “DIE”) agenda through it’s Office of Education. Yet again, the veritable Crhistopher Rufo has obtained source documents.
SCOOP: Santa Clara County Office of Education denounces the United States as a "parasitic system" based on the "invasion" of "white male settlers" and encourages teachers to "cash in on kids' inherent empathy" in order to recruit them into political activism.
Here's the story.🧵
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) April 13, 2021
Last year, Santa Clara County held a teacher training on how to deploy "ethnic studies" in schools. The leaders began the presentation with a "land acknowledgement," claiming that the public schools "occupy the unceded territory of the Muwekma Ohlone Nation." pic.twitter.com/VLVSB9u2gO
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) April 13, 2021
The presenters claimed that America is a "system of oppression" based on the "invasion" of "white male settlers" and "exists as long as settlers are living on appropriated land." White males brought "white supremacy, patriarchy, classism, genocide, private property, and God." pic.twitter.com/3PoE2a8YKj
— Christopher F. Rufo ⚔️ (@realchrisrufo) April 13, 2021
Notice the attack on “God/Religion”, specifically the “Settler[‘s]” God by the public schools?
News of the Week for April 25th, 2021
And a martyr for wokeness.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi thanks George Floyd for dying and contributing to the cause of social justice. Yes she literally said “thank you, George Floyd, for sacrificing your life for justice”.
BREAKING: Nancy Pelosi thanks #GeorgeFloyd for being brutally murdered.
This is heinous.pic.twitter.com/klFoiDZE8F
— Peter Daou (@peterdaou) April 20, 2021
When you are such a social justice warrior that you hope for there to be “oppression” in order to justify you pushing a political agenda.
Choo-choo trains for passengers is a dream of the Left worldwide, in large part because it allows the state or monopolistic company to control where you go and when. Oh, there are some who just hate the suburbs and cars and anyone who doesn’t dream of living in a dense urban core—i.e. the people that suburban and exurban denizens want to avoid by living in suburbs and exurbs—but for the most part it is about achieving “social justice” or “environmental justice” no matter how much of a boondoggle it becomes.
It certainly not responding to the actual desires and wants of where people choose to live or what method of conveyance they prefer. After all, if people really wanted to use high speed rail over short airline flights, there wouldn’t be any ban on the said short airline flights like has been approved in France.
“French lawmakers voted late on Saturday to abolish domestic flights on routes than can be covered by train in under two-and-a-half hours, as the government seeks to lower carbon emissions even as the air travel industry reels from the global pandemic.
“The measure is part of a broader climate bill that aims to cut French carbon emissions by 40% in 2030 from 1990 levels, though activists accuse President Emmanuel Macron of watering down earlier promises in the draft legislation.”
Pictured: Environmental Justice, French Style.
The rejection by the states of “divisive concepts” in “Critical Race Theory” is now seen in yet another state’s proposed legislation: Louisiana.
The crux of the legislation:
Section 1. R.S. 17:2119 and 3996(B)(59) are hereby enacted to read as follows: §2119. Divisive concepts in education
- For purposes of this Section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
(1) “Divisive concepts” includes any of the following, in accordance with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, the Elementary and Secondary Education Actof 1965, as amended, and this Title:
(a) That one race or sex is inherently superior or inferior to another race or sex.
(b) That either the United States of America or the state of Louisiana is
(c) That an individual, by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, is inherently or systemically racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously, or has negative or positive characteristics that inhere in the individual’s DNA.
(d) That an individual should be discriminated against, favored, or receive differential treatment solely or partly because of the individual’s race or sex.
(e) That an individual of one race or sex should be treated disrespectfully regarding that individual’s race or sex.
(f) That an individual’s moral character is any way defined, described, or determined by the individual’s race or sex.
(g) That an individual, by virtue of the individual’s race or sex, bears responsibility or is to be held accountable for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex.
(h) That any individual should feel or be made to feel discomfort, guilt,anguish, or any other form of psychological or emotional distress on account of that individual’s race or sex.
(i) That the concept of meritocracy or traits such as a strong work ethic are sex.
(j) That the concepts of capitalism, free markets, or working for a private party in exchange for wages are racist and sexist or oppress a given race or sex.
(k) That the concepts of racial equity and gender equity, meaning the unequal treatment of individuals because of their race, sex, or national origin, should be given preference in education and advocacy over the concepts of racial equality and gender equality, meaning the equal treatment of individuals regardless of their race, sex, or national origin. (l) Any form of race or sex scapegoating or race or sex stereotyping. For purposes of this Subparagraph:
(i) “Race or sex scapegoating” means assigning fault, blame, or bias to a race or sex or to members of a race or sex because of their race or sex or claiming that, consciously or unconsciously, and by virtue of a persons’ race or sex, members of any race are inherently racist or inherently inclined to oppress others or that members of a sex are inherently sexist or inherently inclined to oppress others.
(ii) “Race or sex stereotyping” means ascribing character traits, values, moral and ethical codes, privileges, status, or beliefs to a race or sex or to an individual because of the individual’s race or sex.
(2) “School” means any of the following:
(a) A public elementary or secondary school.
(b) A nonpublic elementary or secondary school that receives state funds.
(c) A public post secondary education institution.
(d) A nonpublic post secondary education institution that receives state funds.
Of note, this legislation does not consider physical or physiological difference between the biological sexes, which could come back to defeat many intentions, as it could pertain to separate locker rooms for girls and boys, for example.
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