Saturday, December 7, 2019

In the news, Monday, November 25, 2019


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NOV 24      INDEX      NOV 26
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from Anglican Journal

Resisting racism’s evil, infectious spread
People of the dominant culture sure don’t like hearing anything that hints they might be even a little racist. Folks quickly protest, “I am not a racist.” Others angrily ask, “Are you saying that I am a racist?!” This appears to be based on a misunderstanding of what racism is: a systemic problem more dangerous than any individual’s bad attitudes or prejudice. Part of the real danger of racism is the way it hides out in commonly held assumptions and polite agreement across a whole culture. It infects and deforms all of us.

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from DW News (Deutsche Welle)
Broadcasting & Media Production Company in Bonn, Germany

China Cables: Germany under pressure to respond to Beijing's Uighur internment

Leaked Chinese papers have revealed the largest internment of minorities since World War II. In view of the many German business ties with China, Berlin is under pressure to answer for its most important trading partner.

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from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)
RIGHT-CENTER BIAS, HIGH, non-profit organization

Why the Pilgrims Abandoned Common Ownership for Private Property
The first few years of Plymouth colony were fraught with hardship and hunger. Economics had a lot to do with it. The “common property” approach killed off about half the settlers. Governor Bradford recorded in his diary that everybody was happy to claim their equal share of production, but production only shrank. Slackers showed up late for work in the fields, and the hard workers resented it. It’s called “human nature.” The disincentives of the socialist scheme bred impoverishment and conflict until, facing starvation and extinction, Bradford altered the system. He divided common property into private plots, and the new owners could produce what they wanted and then keep or trade it freely. Communal socialist failure was transformed into private property/capitalist success, something that’s happened so often historically it’s almost monotonous. The “people over profits” mentality produced fewer people until profit—earned as a result of one’s care for his own property and his desire for improvement—saved the people.

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from Forbes

Why Apocalyptic Claims About Climate Change Are Wrong
Environmental journalists and advocates have in recent weeks made a number of apocalyptic predictions about the impact of climate change. Journalists and activists alike have an obligation to describe environmental problems honestly and accurately, even if they fear doing so will reduce their news value or salience with the public. There is good evidence that the catastrophist framing of climate change is self-defeating because it alienates and polarizes many people. And exaggerating climate change risks distracting us from other important issues including ones we might have more near-term control over. “You’ve got to come up with some kind of middle ground where you do reasonable things to mitigate the risk and try at the same time to lift people out of poverty and make them more resilient,” said Emanuel. “We shouldn’t be forced to choose between lifting people out of poverty and doing something for the climate.” Happily, there is a plenty of middle ground between climate apocalypse and climate denial.

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from The Spokesman-Review
Newspaper in Spokane, Washington

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