I just received an e-mail from a group that calls itself VietnamVote.net concerning serious political suppression in Vietman.
>"In 1989 the Tiananmen Square protests were a series of protests led by students, intellectuals, and labor activists in China. In 2007 history may be about to repeat in Vietnam with over 1700 Vietnamese peasants from 19 provinces peacefully protesting the illegal confiscation of their land and properties.
"Since June 22nd, 2007, a growing number of peasant farmers have protested outside of the office of Vietnam Congress, at 194 Hoang Van Thu Street, Saigon. Their requests for meeting with communist officials went unanswered. While being disappointed, the protesters vowed not to give up as additional protesters from other provinces are coming in Saigon to join in the protest.
"By protesting, they all became homeless, sick, tired, and hungry and to discourage them, Vietnamese communist have shut down public restrooms and stopped other fellow countrymen from offering the protesters food, beverages and medicine.
"According to sources from within Vietnam, Vietnamese communist has deployed armed police in uniformed in marked and unmarked vehicles surrounding the protestors, ready for an attack.
"Vietnam communist government has turned off electricity, scrambled cellular phone signals, restricted media coverage, and deployed hundreds of military personnel with heavy equipment and military tanks ready for the crackdown and slaughter of the protesters.
"The Vietnamese communist could begin the massacre at any moment.
"Vietnamese Americans are pleading with all Americans, President Bush, Vice President Cheney, members of US Senate and Congress, and members of the media to take immediate actions in order to prevent another Tiananmen Square massacre from happening.
"Thank you and God bless America!!!"
The group urges that we e-mail the White House supporting the protestors.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Videos from the Israel Soldiers Rally
Pamela Hall just sent these links to video of the Israel Soldiers Rally.
http://www.flickr.com/gp/41423273@N00/aj39Z8
73 stills
The 6 videos are short
*************************************
About 12:30 . The place was packed!
http://www.motionbox.com/video/player/1f9ed9bc1619e192/#1
http://www.motionbox.com/video/player/1f9ed9bc1610e892/#1
http://www.motionbox.com/video/player/1f9ed9bc141ee492/#1
http://www.motionbox.com/video/player/1f9ed9bc151fe492/#1
http://www.motionbox.com/video/player/1f9edab61b1ee292/#1
Ehud Goldwasser's wife speaking...
http://www.motionbox.com/video/player/1f9edab61b1be792/#1
http://www.flickr.com/gp/41423273@N00/aj39Z8
73 stills
The 6 videos are short
*************************************
About 12:30 . The place was packed!
http://www.motionbox.com/video/player/1f9ed9bc1619e192/#1
http://www.motionbox.com/video/player/1f9ed9bc1610e892/#1
http://www.motionbox.com/video/player/1f9ed9bc141ee492/#1
http://www.motionbox.com/video/player/1f9ed9bc151fe492/#1
http://www.motionbox.com/video/player/1f9edab61b1ee292/#1
Ehud Goldwasser's wife speaking...
http://www.motionbox.com/video/player/1f9edab61b1be792/#1
Three Generations of AP Reporters are Enough: Matt Crenson and Height
The nineteenth and early twentieth century claim that human beings ought to be bred to become taller, more intelligent, stronger or more attractive was discredited in part by the fallacious statistical reasoning of some of its advocates and in part through its association with Nazism. From the 1920s through the early 1970s, the Lynchburg Training School and Hospital forcibly sterilized 4,000 people who were mentally challenged, some of whom would not be considered so today. The sterilization policy was legally challenged in the case of Buck v. Bell. In this famous decision Oliver Wendell Holmes declared that "three generations of imbeciles are enough".
In the nineteenth century, one of the errors that eugenicists made was the fallacy of regression to the mean. Eugenicists noticed that tall fathers had shorter sons, and concluded that people were becoming shorter. In fact, extreme realizations of a random process are usually followed by less extreme realizations. The same gene pool that produced a great person will usually produce lesser lights in subsequent generations since the exceptional person was an outlier, an exceptional realization of the distribution.
In the case of height, there are a number of reasons for height differentials. While diet and quality of health care might contribute to height, there are also genetic differences across ethnic groups. Thus, it is not a particularly interesting observation that height can correlate with wealth (since diet and health care contribute to height) but that genetic differences probably play a role as well.
In a recent AP column, Matt Crenson draws several conclusions that are as naive as those that 19th century eugenecists drew despite a century-and-a-half of improved statistical knowledge. Crenson observes that America is not the tallest country and that the average height in many European countries is taller. He then goes on to make the statement:
Many economists would argue that it does matter, because height is correlated with numerous measures of a population's well-being.
Crenson falls prey to a basic fallacy of statistical reasoning, taught in any basic statistics course: correlation does not imply causation. It may be true that height is correlated with well-being, but it is absurd to claim that well-being is the cause of height differences between US and European countries. Only an AP reporter would imagine that Americans are suffering from calorie deprivation.
Crenson contradicts himself as follows:
"Like many human traits, an individual's height is determined by a mix of genes and environment. Some experts put the contribution of genes at 40 percent, some at 70 percent, some even higher. But they all agree that aside from African pygmies and a few similar exceptions, most populations have about the same genetic potential for height."
This paragraph illustrates what is wrong with the media today. Does Crenson really believe that if genes contribute 40 to 70 percent of variability in height, then different populations with different gene pools do not have differences in height?
The median 35-45-year-old male white American's height is about 70 inches. The median 35-45-year-old Mexican-American's height is about 67 inches. The differences in height between Europeans and Americans to which Crenson alludes are 1-2 inches.
Crenson notes that there is a 1 1/2 inch difference in average height between US cities and rural areas so that rural Americans are as tall as Europeans. But, due to Crenson's being the third generation of AP reporter, he cannot figure out that there are ethnic differences between American urban areas, where somewhat shorter Mexican-American and Asians are more common, and rural areas where slightly taller whites predominate.
Perhaps Crenson's solution is to sterilize urban Americans?
In the nineteenth century, one of the errors that eugenicists made was the fallacy of regression to the mean. Eugenicists noticed that tall fathers had shorter sons, and concluded that people were becoming shorter. In fact, extreme realizations of a random process are usually followed by less extreme realizations. The same gene pool that produced a great person will usually produce lesser lights in subsequent generations since the exceptional person was an outlier, an exceptional realization of the distribution.
In the case of height, there are a number of reasons for height differentials. While diet and quality of health care might contribute to height, there are also genetic differences across ethnic groups. Thus, it is not a particularly interesting observation that height can correlate with wealth (since diet and health care contribute to height) but that genetic differences probably play a role as well.
In a recent AP column, Matt Crenson draws several conclusions that are as naive as those that 19th century eugenecists drew despite a century-and-a-half of improved statistical knowledge. Crenson observes that America is not the tallest country and that the average height in many European countries is taller. He then goes on to make the statement:
Many economists would argue that it does matter, because height is correlated with numerous measures of a population's well-being.
Crenson falls prey to a basic fallacy of statistical reasoning, taught in any basic statistics course: correlation does not imply causation. It may be true that height is correlated with well-being, but it is absurd to claim that well-being is the cause of height differences between US and European countries. Only an AP reporter would imagine that Americans are suffering from calorie deprivation.
Crenson contradicts himself as follows:
"Like many human traits, an individual's height is determined by a mix of genes and environment. Some experts put the contribution of genes at 40 percent, some at 70 percent, some even higher. But they all agree that aside from African pygmies and a few similar exceptions, most populations have about the same genetic potential for height."
This paragraph illustrates what is wrong with the media today. Does Crenson really believe that if genes contribute 40 to 70 percent of variability in height, then different populations with different gene pools do not have differences in height?
The median 35-45-year-old male white American's height is about 70 inches. The median 35-45-year-old Mexican-American's height is about 67 inches. The differences in height between Europeans and Americans to which Crenson alludes are 1-2 inches.
Crenson notes that there is a 1 1/2 inch difference in average height between US cities and rural areas so that rural Americans are as tall as Europeans. But, due to Crenson's being the third generation of AP reporter, he cannot figure out that there are ethnic differences between American urban areas, where somewhat shorter Mexican-American and Asians are more common, and rural areas where slightly taller whites predominate.
Perhaps Crenson's solution is to sterilize urban Americans?
Monday, July 16, 2007
Joe Repya's "I'm Tired" and the Baby Boom
Norma Segal just forwarded this letter from Lieutenant Colonel Joe Repya.
>"I'm Tired
BY: Joe Repya, Lieutenant Colonel, U. S. Army
101st Airborne Division
Two weeks ago, as I was starting my sixth month of duty in Iraq, I was forced to return to the USA for surgery for an injury I sustained prior to my deployment. With luck, I'll return to Iraq to finish my tour.
I left Baghdad, and a war that has every indication that we are winning, to return to a demoralized country much like the one I returned to in 1971 after my tour in Vietnam. Maybe it's because I'll turn 60 years old in just four months, but I'm tired:
I'm tired of spineless politicians, both Democrat and Republican, who lack the courage, fortitude and character to see these difficult tasks through.
I'm tired of the hypocrisy of politicians who want to rewrite history when the going gets tough.
I'm tired of the disingenuous clamor from those that claim they 'Support the Troops' by wanting them to 'Cut and Run' before victory is achieved.
I'm tired of a mainstream media that can only focus on car bombs and casualty reports because they are too afraid to leave the safety of their hotels to report on the courage and success our brave men and women are having on the battlefield.
I'm tired that so many Americans think you can rebuild a dictatorship into a democracy overnight. I'm tired that so many ignore the bravery of the Iraqi people to go to the voting booth and freely elect a Constitution and soon a permanent
Parliament.
I'm tired of the so called 'Elite Left' that prolongs this war by giving aid and comfort to our enemy, just as they did during the Vietnam War.
I'm tired of antiwar protesters showing up at the funerals of our fallen soldiers, a family whose loved ones gave their life in a just and noble cause, only to be cruelly tormented on the funeral day by cowardly protesters is beyond shameful.
I'm tired that my generation, the Baby Boom --Vietnam generation, who have such a weak backbone that they can't stomach seeing the difficult tasks through to victory.
I'm tired that some are more concerned about the treatment of captives than they are the slaughter and beheading of our citizens and allies.
I'm tired that when we find mass graves it is seldom reported by the press, but mistreat a prisoner and it is front-page news.
Mostly, I'm tired that the people of this great nation didn't learn from history that there is no substitute for victory.
Sincerely,
Joe Repya, Lieutenant Colonel, U. S. Army
101st Airborne Division >"
One of several of Repya's points that deserves further exploration is the one about the baby boomers. The baby boom generation is the one that was too self-indulgent to care about the political milking of the social security system even as they spent carelessly and failed to save for retirement. They are the generation that watched while health care costs spun out of control, and likely will spin even further when they most need care, without lifting a finger to solve the problem. The baby boom is the generation that watched Alan Greenspan debase the US dollar but lacked the cognitive reasoning skills to voice concern. The baby boom is the generation that watched higher education costs spin out of control while educational standards and achievement plummeted. The baby boom is the generation that watched lower educational standards plummet while corporations fled the country. Is it surprising that the baby boom lacks the courage and ability to confront terrorism? Repya is right about the baby boom.
>"I'm Tired
BY: Joe Repya, Lieutenant Colonel, U. S. Army
101st Airborne Division
Two weeks ago, as I was starting my sixth month of duty in Iraq, I was forced to return to the USA for surgery for an injury I sustained prior to my deployment. With luck, I'll return to Iraq to finish my tour.
I left Baghdad, and a war that has every indication that we are winning, to return to a demoralized country much like the one I returned to in 1971 after my tour in Vietnam. Maybe it's because I'll turn 60 years old in just four months, but I'm tired:
I'm tired of spineless politicians, both Democrat and Republican, who lack the courage, fortitude and character to see these difficult tasks through.
I'm tired of the hypocrisy of politicians who want to rewrite history when the going gets tough.
I'm tired of the disingenuous clamor from those that claim they 'Support the Troops' by wanting them to 'Cut and Run' before victory is achieved.
I'm tired of a mainstream media that can only focus on car bombs and casualty reports because they are too afraid to leave the safety of their hotels to report on the courage and success our brave men and women are having on the battlefield.
I'm tired that so many Americans think you can rebuild a dictatorship into a democracy overnight. I'm tired that so many ignore the bravery of the Iraqi people to go to the voting booth and freely elect a Constitution and soon a permanent
Parliament.
I'm tired of the so called 'Elite Left' that prolongs this war by giving aid and comfort to our enemy, just as they did during the Vietnam War.
I'm tired of antiwar protesters showing up at the funerals of our fallen soldiers, a family whose loved ones gave their life in a just and noble cause, only to be cruelly tormented on the funeral day by cowardly protesters is beyond shameful.
I'm tired that my generation, the Baby Boom --Vietnam generation, who have such a weak backbone that they can't stomach seeing the difficult tasks through to victory.
I'm tired that some are more concerned about the treatment of captives than they are the slaughter and beheading of our citizens and allies.
I'm tired that when we find mass graves it is seldom reported by the press, but mistreat a prisoner and it is front-page news.
Mostly, I'm tired that the people of this great nation didn't learn from history that there is no substitute for victory.
Sincerely,
Joe Repya, Lieutenant Colonel, U. S. Army
101st Airborne Division >"
One of several of Repya's points that deserves further exploration is the one about the baby boomers. The baby boom generation is the one that was too self-indulgent to care about the political milking of the social security system even as they spent carelessly and failed to save for retirement. They are the generation that watched while health care costs spun out of control, and likely will spin even further when they most need care, without lifting a finger to solve the problem. The baby boom is the generation that watched Alan Greenspan debase the US dollar but lacked the cognitive reasoning skills to voice concern. The baby boom is the generation that watched higher education costs spin out of control while educational standards and achievement plummeted. The baby boom is the generation that watched lower educational standards plummet while corporations fled the country. Is it surprising that the baby boom lacks the courage and ability to confront terrorism? Repya is right about the baby boom.
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