The Newest Math...

The 18th Century view on Africans and Maths...

Quote:

"...in reason [blacks are] much inferior to [whites], as I think one could scarcely be found capable of tracing and comprehending the investigations of Euclid.”

Thomas Jefferson



The 21st Century view on Africans and Maths...

Quote:

"1. a focus on getting the “right” answer is “perfectionism” or “either/or thinking;”2. the idea that teachers are teachers and students are learners is wrong; 3. to think of it as a problem that the expectations you have of students are not met is racist; 4. to teach math in a linear fashion with skills taught in sequence is racist; 5. to value “procedural fluency” – i.e. knowing how to do the fractions, long division … -- over “conceptual knowledge” is racist. That is, black kids are brilliant to know what math is trying to do, to know “what it’s all about,” rather than to actually do the math, just as many of us read about what physics or astrophysics accomplishes without ever intending to master the math that led to the conclusions; 6. to require students to “show their work” is racist; 7. requiring students to raise their hand before speaking “can reinforce paternalism and powerhoarding, in addition to breaking the process of thinking, learning, and communicating.”

(e.g. A much more elaborate way of saying the thing that Jefferson said in the 18th Century...)



From the 1st 'stride' of 'A Pathway to Equitable Math Instruction: Dismantling Racism in Mathematics Instruction."


A link to the document in question is here...


https://equitablemath.org/wp-content.../1_STRIDE1.pdf


And critical commentary by an African-American writer is linked below...


https://johnmcwhorter.substack.com/p...ect-black-kids

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Dr Seuss books withdrawn

Political correctness has hit Dr Seuss's childrens' books as 6 titles are to be withdrawn from publication by Dr Seuss Enterprises.

Quote:

Six Dr Seuss books will no longer be published because of racially insensitive imagery, the company that preserves the author's legacy has said. Among the six children's titles being withdrawn are If I Ran the Zoo, Scrambled Eggs Super, McElligot's Pool and On Beyond Zebra!

Quote:

But despite the books' popularity there has been disquiet expressed over the way they portrayed non-white characters. For example, In And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street, a character described as Chinese has two lines for eyes, carries chopsticks and a bowl of rice, and wears traditional Japanese-style shoes. Another title, If I Ran the Zoo, depicts two men from Africa as shirtless, shoeless and wearing grass skirts as they carry an exotic animal.

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-56250658

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Your Daily Culture War Freakout

Okay, so I am looking through some social media outlets and noticing that the usual ****-for-brains right-wing morons (Dave Rubin and Ben Shapiro) are having some kind of meltdown over the following things...

1. Dr Suess
2. Mr Potato Head
3. Lebron James

What other things will people freak out about?

Will it help to make people forget that Texas froze over and had no power because it followed the kind of deregulating and profiteering of the energy sector?

Oh, and it looks like Texas's ****-for-brains governor has now declared Texas "100% open" and all mask mandates are finished.

So, let's forget about serious, real issues.

Let's Culture War!

Any other examples of frivolous things that the usual right-wing ****-wits are screaming about right now?

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A Space Hotel?

Will it ever be reality?

https://www.space.com/orbital-assemb...l-gravity-2025

I saw a couple of stories about this today. I wonder it if will become reality. The stories emphasized the hotel aspect, but of course scientists and commercial interests could use the space for the same things the ISS is used for. It's basically a private space station....or is it a means of parting investors from their money?

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Is Capitalism Without a Socialist Backbone Impossible?

Socialism has long been the boogeyman of the Right. However, many have argued that all of the "Capitalist" Countries throughout history have all required a considerable amount of Socialist systems to be functional. Including very notably regulations, roads, schools, and police.

The question is:
1) How "Socialist" are the government programs that are set up to allow businesses to function? Specifically as it relates to Socialism, how critical are these services and programs in controlling the "means of production?"
2) Is a Capitalist society without these types of Government social services impossible (In other words, is pure Libertarianism a myth)?
3) If you agree that the social structures set up by all Governments are at least partially Socialist, than are pretty much all Societies just different levels of Socialism?


One of the main reasons why I think this issue is important is because the term "Socialist" is often used to shut down consideration or debate of serious issues. I think that generally it is a massively misunderstood concept. At the very least it is understood very differently from people across the world.

While I definitely understand the lethal consequences of some traditionally Socialist countries like Venezuela, I think the massive overuse of "Socialism" as a derogatory claim prevents a lot of meaningful debate on very real and important issues. I believe that there likely would be a lot more agreement on many issues where the term Socialist is brought up if there was more honest and open dialogue.

To start the Debate:
Here are 55 programs in the US defined as Socialist by the Friends of Bernie
And here is the rebuttal to it: Isn’t America Already Kind of Socialist?

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PC Gone Mad

Right here: https://www.theguardian.com/books/20...ucas-rijneveld

A book written by a black woman has to be translated by a black woman.

I'd like to take bets that if a white person tried this, the world would collapse into a mini black hole, such would be the outrage.

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Another lying Trumper

This new 25-year-old Trumper congressman seems to lie about everything, including the circumstances that put him in a wheelchair.

Quote:

The story of Cawthorn’s rise is, by any measure, an extraordinary accomplishment at a young age by a man who suffered a horrific injury. But an examination by The Post of how he ascended so quickly shows how even one of the most neophyte elected Republicans is adopting the Trump playbook, making false statements about his background, issuing baseless allegations about voter fraud and demonizing his political opponents.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...t/?arc404=true

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