Culture War Dispatches

from a Progressive People's Republic

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Free market subsidies

Allen E. Smith calls for new energy policy legislation, arguing that the ethanol industry is an example of "our preoccupation with letting the free market determine our national energy policy."

The only reason that ethanol is in our gas tanks is because of energy policy legislation mandating its use, along with billions in subsidies for ethanol producers. Rather than a failure of the free market, ethanol is a perfect example of how legislators with a poor grasp of the energy market, abetted by corn and green lobbyists, can push an ill-conceived project forward. Allen Smith, no. Adam Smith, yes.
(published in Boston Globe 11/20/07)

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

We want more social justice

Much has been written about the attempts of the educators to brainwash our kids with liberal values. Last night at an informational meeting for a local prep school (sorry, “independent” school) I got a glimpse of another side of the story. The Dean of Students was met with a several questions:

-- An insufferable bore whose daughter has been at the (Gay, Multicultural and Non-judgmental) Friends School asked, What will your school do to instill the values of social justice in my daughter?

--From a black woman: “What is your diversity percentage?” Not an unreasonable question, but her tone was accusatory. And the question is distressingly at the top of many parents concerns. And easily answered in 15 seconds on the school website. When she heard the number (20%), the woman then asked, “Yeah, but what is the African-American number?” Gotcha.

--This was followed up by an Hispanic woman who said with great disdain, “Yeah, I look around this room and I see a lot of Caucasians.”

The Dean fielded these questions with grace and honesty, and I saw a picture of school administrators under the onslaught of a public snarling for more diversity, more social justice curriculum, more multiculturalism, more “service oriented learning.”

Then this morning’s Globe had a story (naturally on page 1) about UMass students going on strike—marching in the streets--because the school’s “diversity recruitment was lackluster.” Of course, it’s the fault of the university for not recruiting strongly enough. The idea that admissions departments aren’t interested in increasing “diversity” is ludicrous.

I don’t want my kids spending their education being taught tbe Robin Hood theory of socialist justice--take from the rich, give to the poor. Or being lectured by Al Gore that the end is neigh! Or being taught to hate America. Or being taught that Islam is really wonderful because it’s not just a religion, it’s a system of government (from an educational training video I saw earlier in the week). I’d rather they study their biology and grow up to be a doctor than spend a week in the spring restocking a food pantry for the homeless.

I know that Laura Ingraham is calling for us to take back our schools, but at the moment I just want to hide in the corner until these bad people go away.