Archive for the ‘opinion/news’ Category

The comments are where the action is

Posted: February 8, 2011 by datechguy in internet/free speech, opinion/news
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Instapundit, Stacy and Legal Insurrection and hotair headlines have all commented on this story concerning social scientists and the left:

If you want to really understand why I believe that the same elitist attitudes that caused democrats to support Slavery, Jim Crow and abortion (all three are about one group of people being better or more worthy than others) still run strong check out the comments section of the story itself:

Stuff like this:

Interesting article, but not proof of bias. There may be a selectivity effect that explains the dominance of liberals in the social sciences.

Or this:

The same “bias” would show up among physicists and other “hard” science people. Conclusions? Draw your own. Mine? Most thinking people are not very likely to be what you call “conservative”.

Or this:

there’s a bias against non-thinking people in a lot of fields.. that would mean non -liberal.

Or this:

Alternative hypothesis: closed-minded conservatives don’t make very good scientists.

All these comments were highly recommended by times readers, now lets play a game and re-write all of these comments with the words “liberal” and “conservative” replaced by “whites” and “blacks”:

Interesting article, but not proof of bias. There may be a selectivity effect that explains the dominance of “whites” in the social sciences.

The same “bias” would show up among physicists and other “hard” science people. Conclusions? Draw your own. Mine? Most thinking people are not very likely to be what you call “black“.

there’s a bias against non-thinking people in a lot of fields.. that would mean non –“whites”.

Alternative hypothesis: closed-minded “blacks” don’t make very good scientists.

Ladies and gentlemen I give you the children of Alexander Stephens and Cotton Ed Smith, the modern democratic party, same arrogance, same bigotry, different targets.

Palin has it right on CPAC

Posted: February 8, 2011 by datechguy in special events
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In my opinion you don’t cede the ground on a position to a different side, you show up and make your case.

I don’t have a problem with those who choose to boycott CPAC, Its their call but I’d just as soon not have the case for marriage conceded. I would think that the hearts and minds of thousands of conservatives in one place, hundreds of bloggers and etc are worth fighting for.

Although I am a Catholic I have to be with Jerry Falwell on this: “I’ll preach in hell if they promise to let me out.” or if you prefer one of my favorite movie reference:

British Captain: “I understood Mr. LaFitte was in command at Barataria.”

Jean LaFitte: “If your offer is good it will stand up under fire.”

The arguments for marriage are good, they stand up under fire. We should go to CPAC and make them.

Update: Lisa Graas who I respect a lot takes the opposite view: Sarah Palin has it wrong on CPAC

La La La La we didn’t see that in Wikileaks Donald.

Posted: February 8, 2011 by datechguy in opinion/news, politics
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Up very early today and was doing paperwork and I noticed Willie Geist playing a clip from Donald Rumsfeld’s interview on ABC about the lack of WMD in Iraq.

This confuses me. Back in Oct and Dec. we posted on the Wikileaks memos (you remember the wikileaks memos? You know the leaks that the left is so supportive of. The leaks that got Mr. Assange a nomination for a Nobel peace prize?) the left was all over the leaks and have even defended the leaker from the military.

Strangely enough that same media and left decided that some of those leaks are more worthy of notice than others. And one of the most unworthy leaks for the MSM are the leaks concerning WMD.

At the time of my first post I quoted Rick Moran from the American Thinker:

Don’t expect any apologies from the rest of the world or even any acknowledgment that they were wrong. The narrative is set and nothing will change it.

ABC’s Diane Sawyer’s interview proves Rick right. Willie Geist’s lead in confirms it, Morning Joe is on Egypt right now but as there is a 2 hour delay today for my kid’s school and I’ll be getting ready for my flight to CPAC tomorrow I’ll be available to watch the rest of the show to see if they touch it too.

Wishful thinking from the Ahmadiyya Muslims

Posted: February 7, 2011 by datechguy in internet/free speech, opinion/news
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I’ve mentioned the Ahmadiyya Muslims on my blog before, they have a mosque on main street Fitchburg and march regularly in our 4th of July parade. They are good people and they certainly mean well with this effort:

“Our hope is to emphasize to our fellow Americans,” Sayed said, “that it is the religious duty of a Muslim to be loyal to the country where he resides…Number two that there are negative influences being exerted — upon especially the Muslim youth in the United States — by people like al Awlaki on the Internet and third the press pays attention to violent acts that people commit in the name of Islam….If we just sit by, more and more these extremists will take hold the banner of Islam and say this is what Islam is.”

I’m torn by this. It’s a worthy effort and a necessary one, and Islam needs reforms from within. Unfortunately many Muslims consider the Ahmadiyya’s a breakaway sect, they have been targets of terror and murder for their peaceful views. I don’t know if western support would simply marginalize them further within greater Islam.

So as I applaud their efforts I don’t have a lot of hope that we will see more of their point of view and less of this:

An Afghan physiotherapist will be executed within three days for converting to Christianity.

Said Musa, 45, has been held for eight months in a Kabul prison

and remember this is not Pakistan, this is Afghanistan!

He claims he was visited by a judge who told him he would be hanged within days unless he converted back to Islam.

But he remains defiant and said he would be willing to die for his faith.

He told the Sunday Times: ‘My body is theirs to do what they want with.

‘Only God can decide if my spirit goes to hell.’

Defence lawyers have refused to represent him, while others have dropped the case after receiving death threats.

As long as Islam is generating these headlines it will be a tough sell.

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