The haunting Gary Jules version of the Tears for Fears’ Mad World speaks to me in these tumultuous mad times. It must speak to many others, as the music video has been viewed over 132 million times. The melancholy video is shot from the top of an urban school building in a decaying decrepit bleak neighborhood with school children creating various figures on the concrete pavement below. The camera pans slowly to Gary Jules singing on the rooftop and captures the concrete jungle of non-descript architecture, identical office towers, gray cookie cutter apartment complexes, and a world devoid of joy and vibrancy.
The song was influenced by Arthur Janov’s theories in his book The Primal Scream. The chorus above about his “dreams of dying were the best he ever had” is representative of letting go of this mad world and being free of the monotony and release from the insanity of this world.Our ego fools us into thinking the madness of this world is actually normal. Day after day we live lives of quiet desperation. Despite all evidence our world is spinning out of control and the madness of the crowds is visible in financial markets, housing markets, politics, social justice, and social media, the level of normalcy bias among the populace has reached astounding levels, as we desperately try to convince ourselves everything will be alright.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Monday, November 26, 2018
Hillary Clinton Blasts Trump’s ‘Streak of Racism,’ ‘Whole Package of Bigotry’
Hillary Clinton accused President Donald Trump of having a long “streak of racism” and “the whole package of bigotry” in an interview with The Guardian.
“This is a person who believes in very little, but he does have visceral responses to what goes on in the world around him. He does have a strong streak of racism that goes back to his early years,” Clinton reportedly told the outlet in the interview published on Friday. “I include his anti-immigrant tirades because he characterizes immigrants in very racially derogatory ways, but he was Islamophobic, he was anti-women, he really had the whole package of bigotry that he was putting on offer to those who were intrigued and attracted to him.
Clinton, who infamously once accused black youth of being “super-predators,” also accused Trump of “raising the specter of criminal immigrants” for political gain.
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“This is a person who believes in very little, but he does have visceral responses to what goes on in the world around him. He does have a strong streak of racism that goes back to his early years,” Clinton reportedly told the outlet in the interview published on Friday. “I include his anti-immigrant tirades because he characterizes immigrants in very racially derogatory ways, but he was Islamophobic, he was anti-women, he really had the whole package of bigotry that he was putting on offer to those who were intrigued and attracted to him.
Clinton, who infamously once accused black youth of being “super-predators,” also accused Trump of “raising the specter of criminal immigrants” for political gain.
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In "Unprecedented Move", Parliament Seizes Facebook Documents After Latest Zuckerberg Snub
Just days after Facebook again snubbed the UK Parliament by refusing to send CEO Mark Zuckerberg to testify at a hearing of the House of Commons select committee for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (the social media giant is sending a product VP instead), the DCMS has taken its revenge by seizing documents from a US lawsuit that could reveal what senior Facebook management knew and when about the company's data and privacy controls.
According to the Guardian, which broke the news about the seizure, the cache of documents could include "significant revelations about Facebook decisions on data and privacy controls that led to the Cambridge Analytica scandal." It's believed that the cache of documents includes confidential emails between senior Facebook executives - possibly even Zuckerberg himself.
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According to the Guardian, which broke the news about the seizure, the cache of documents could include "significant revelations about Facebook decisions on data and privacy controls that led to the Cambridge Analytica scandal." It's believed that the cache of documents includes confidential emails between senior Facebook executives - possibly even Zuckerberg himself.
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Trump Strikes Deal With Mexico To End "Catch And Release", Make Asylum Seekers Wait In Mexico
Update (7 pm ET): Donald Trump has confirmed earlier reports about his new deal with Mexico to end "catch and release" in a series of tweets, where he once again threatened to close the southern border "if it becomes necessary". WaPo reported earlier that Trump's threats to close the border helped convince the incoming Mexican administration to accept the new policy.
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Hillary Clinton Shamed for Libya Incursion as She Schools EU on Migrant Crisis
Clinton claimed ‘rise of populists, particularly on the right’ due to immigration
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has repeatedly stood by her role in the 2011 intervention in Libya, which divided the country in two and opened the “gates of Europe” to migrants fleeing poverty and conflict. Now that she’s urging the EU to curb migration to prevent the rise of right-wing politicians, critics are accusing her of hypocrisy.
Hillary Clinton has called on the nations of Europe to curtail immigration to stem the tide of right-wing sentiment on the continent.
In an interview with The Guardian, the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate suggested that “Europe needs to get a handle on migration because that is what lit the flame.” Clinton drew attention to the “rise of populists, particularly on the right, in Europe and the Americas.”
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Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has repeatedly stood by her role in the 2011 intervention in Libya, which divided the country in two and opened the “gates of Europe” to migrants fleeing poverty and conflict. Now that she’s urging the EU to curb migration to prevent the rise of right-wing politicians, critics are accusing her of hypocrisy.
Hillary Clinton has called on the nations of Europe to curtail immigration to stem the tide of right-wing sentiment on the continent.
In an interview with The Guardian, the 2016 Democratic presidential candidate suggested that “Europe needs to get a handle on migration because that is what lit the flame.” Clinton drew attention to the “rise of populists, particularly on the right, in Europe and the Americas.”
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Poll Results: Black Men Helped Propel Brian Kemp To Victory
A higher-than-expected number of black men voted for Republican Brian Kemp in Georgia’s gubernatorial election, prompting questions of their voting habits in a post-Barack Obama era.
Democrat Stacey Abrams admitted defeat on Nov. 16, more than a week after Election Day 2018 had passed. Her concession ended one of the closest races — and one of the most controversial — in Georgia’s modern history. Ultimately, Kemp won by nearly 55,000 votes out of around 3,939,000 total votes cast.
This margin of victory is much smaller considering Georgia law requires candidates to obtain more than 50 percent of the total vote or else face a runoff with the second-highest contender. In this context, Kemp escaped a second election with Abrams by about 17,000 votes.
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Democrat Stacey Abrams admitted defeat on Nov. 16, more than a week after Election Day 2018 had passed. Her concession ended one of the closest races — and one of the most controversial — in Georgia’s modern history. Ultimately, Kemp won by nearly 55,000 votes out of around 3,939,000 total votes cast.
This margin of victory is much smaller considering Georgia law requires candidates to obtain more than 50 percent of the total vote or else face a runoff with the second-highest contender. In this context, Kemp escaped a second election with Abrams by about 17,000 votes.
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Trump, Bypassing Lower Courts, Asks Supremes To Reinstate His Ban On Trans Soldiers
Government lawyers asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reimpose President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender servicemen in the military Friday, even as federal appeals courts in Washington, D.C., and California are still considering the matter.
Friday’s filing is the latest in a series of high-profile cases in which the government has bypassed normal judicial procedure and taken petitions directly to the high court.
“The district court in this case entered a nationwide preliminary injunction nullifying that exercise of professional military judgment and blocking the implementation of a policy that the secretary has deemed necessary to ‘place the Department of Defense in the strongest position to protect the American people, to fight and win America’s wars, and to ensure the survival and success of our service members around the world,'” the petition said.
The unusual filing is called a petition for certiorari before judgment, meaning that the government would like the Supreme Court to hear the case even though the lower courts of appeal have not yet issued their decisions.
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Friday’s filing is the latest in a series of high-profile cases in which the government has bypassed normal judicial procedure and taken petitions directly to the high court.
“The district court in this case entered a nationwide preliminary injunction nullifying that exercise of professional military judgment and blocking the implementation of a policy that the secretary has deemed necessary to ‘place the Department of Defense in the strongest position to protect the American people, to fight and win America’s wars, and to ensure the survival and success of our service members around the world,'” the petition said.
The unusual filing is called a petition for certiorari before judgment, meaning that the government would like the Supreme Court to hear the case even though the lower courts of appeal have not yet issued their decisions.
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Suit: Oregon Unions Restrict Resignation
Oregon workers are asking a federal court to do away with policies that limit their ability to cut financial ties with labor unions.
In June, the Supreme Court ruled in Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees that government agencies could no longer force their employees to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment. Workers in Oregon, however, say that union contracts and policies have limited their ability to exercise those rights. The suit says that Service Employees International Union Local 503 and AFSCME Council 75 have created artificial barriers for workers by giving them limited time windows at which to submit their resignations.
"Defendants' actions and dues deduction revocation restrictions violate the employees' exercise of their First Amendment right not to pay moneys to a union without their affirmative consent and knowing waiver of First Amendment rights," the suit says.
Neither Local 503 nor Council 75 returned requests seeking comment.
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In June, the Supreme Court ruled in Janus v. American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees that government agencies could no longer force their employees to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment. Workers in Oregon, however, say that union contracts and policies have limited their ability to exercise those rights. The suit says that Service Employees International Union Local 503 and AFSCME Council 75 have created artificial barriers for workers by giving them limited time windows at which to submit their resignations.
"Defendants' actions and dues deduction revocation restrictions violate the employees' exercise of their First Amendment right not to pay moneys to a union without their affirmative consent and knowing waiver of First Amendment rights," the suit says.
Neither Local 503 nor Council 75 returned requests seeking comment.
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Report: U.S. Corporations Pay 77 Percent Higher Tax Rate Than Top 1 Percent of Consumers
The newly released Corporate Tax Report, produced by personal finance website WalletHub, provides an overview of the taxes the largest and most established businesses in the U.S. pay.
"In this study, we analyzed the largest and most established companies on the stock market in order to determine the federal, state and international tax rates they paid in 2017," Jill Gonzalez, a WalletHub analyst, told Watchdog.org. "We wanted to give some insight into the country's current corporate tax system, especially now that businesses are looking forward to a large tax cut in the future."
With 2017’s tax overhaul permanently reducing the federal corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, "concerns over the proper role of taxation lie at the very foundation of American history," John S. Kiernan, WalletHub’s senior writer and editor, writes. "Republicans champion the tax plan as beneficial to business and consumers and Democrats claim it will only increase the wealth of the already wealthy."
The new report found that S&P 100 companies paid 39 percent in their overall tax rate in 2017, roughly 10 percentage points higher than what they paid in 2016.
Additionally, "the average S&P 100 company pays a 77 percent higher tax rate than the top 1 percent of consumers."
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"In this study, we analyzed the largest and most established companies on the stock market in order to determine the federal, state and international tax rates they paid in 2017," Jill Gonzalez, a WalletHub analyst, told Watchdog.org. "We wanted to give some insight into the country's current corporate tax system, especially now that businesses are looking forward to a large tax cut in the future."
With 2017’s tax overhaul permanently reducing the federal corporate income tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent, "concerns over the proper role of taxation lie at the very foundation of American history," John S. Kiernan, WalletHub’s senior writer and editor, writes. "Republicans champion the tax plan as beneficial to business and consumers and Democrats claim it will only increase the wealth of the already wealthy."
The new report found that S&P 100 companies paid 39 percent in their overall tax rate in 2017, roughly 10 percentage points higher than what they paid in 2016.
Additionally, "the average S&P 100 company pays a 77 percent higher tax rate than the top 1 percent of consumers."
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South Dakotans may soon be able to carry concealed handguns without a permit
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – After years of unsuccessful attempts, supporters of legislation that would allow people to carry concealed handguns without a permit in South Dakota anticipate revived prospects once GOP Gov.-elect Kristi Noem takes office in January.
The legislation languished under retiring Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard, but Noem in her campaign offered support for a so-called constitutional carry law. GOP state Sen.-elect Lynne DiSanto, who as a member of the state House of Representatives sponsored a permitless concealed carry bill that Daugaard vetoed, said such legislation is likely in the upcoming session and she's optimistic about its prospects.
"There are a lot of Republicans that are very excited to have a conservative governor," said DiSanto. "I think under a new governor it's very likely to pass."
"There are a lot of Republicans that are very excited to have a conservative governor. I think under a new governor [concealed carry legislation is] very likely to pass."— South Dakota state Sen.-elect Lynne DiSanto
Daugaard has said the state's current gun laws are reasonable. Right now, it's a misdemeanor for someone to carry a concealed pistol or to have one concealed in a vehicle without a permit. At the end of October, there were nearly 108,000 pistol permits in South Dakota, according to the secretary of state's office.
Daugaard vetoed DiSanto's proposal in 2017 and also rejected a similar measure in 2012; constitutional carry legislation failed during the 2018 session after he issued a veto threat. Bill supporters have argued that getting a concealed pistol permit can be burdensome.
Backers are likely to get a boost from Noem, who triumphed over Democratic state Sen. Billie Sutton in the Nov. 6 election. Noem in January urged passage of a permitless carry bill.
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The legislation languished under retiring Republican Gov. Dennis Daugaard, but Noem in her campaign offered support for a so-called constitutional carry law. GOP state Sen.-elect Lynne DiSanto, who as a member of the state House of Representatives sponsored a permitless concealed carry bill that Daugaard vetoed, said such legislation is likely in the upcoming session and she's optimistic about its prospects.
"There are a lot of Republicans that are very excited to have a conservative governor," said DiSanto. "I think under a new governor it's very likely to pass."
"There are a lot of Republicans that are very excited to have a conservative governor. I think under a new governor [concealed carry legislation is] very likely to pass."— South Dakota state Sen.-elect Lynne DiSanto
Daugaard has said the state's current gun laws are reasonable. Right now, it's a misdemeanor for someone to carry a concealed pistol or to have one concealed in a vehicle without a permit. At the end of October, there were nearly 108,000 pistol permits in South Dakota, according to the secretary of state's office.
Daugaard vetoed DiSanto's proposal in 2017 and also rejected a similar measure in 2012; constitutional carry legislation failed during the 2018 session after he issued a veto threat. Bill supporters have argued that getting a concealed pistol permit can be burdensome.
Backers are likely to get a boost from Noem, who triumphed over Democratic state Sen. Billie Sutton in the Nov. 6 election. Noem in January urged passage of a permitless carry bill.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/south-dakotans-may-soon-be-able-to-carry-concealed-handguns-without-a-permit
Trey Gowdy: 'I wish Chief Justice Roberts were right' about politicized judges
Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., all but endorsed President Trump's view that the judiciary is politicized on Sunday.
Last week Trump engaged in a public back-and-forth with Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who rebuked the president's assertion that a "Obama judge" ruled against his border policy. “We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges,”Roberts said in an extraordinary statement.
Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor, said he wished he could agree with Roberts.
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Last week Trump engaged in a public back-and-forth with Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who rebuked the president's assertion that a "Obama judge" ruled against his border policy. “We do not have Obama judges or Trump judges, Bush judges or Clinton judges,”Roberts said in an extraordinary statement.
Gowdy, a former federal prosecutor, said he wished he could agree with Roberts.
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Hugh Hefner's iconic personal items are up for auction
Playboy pooh-bah Hugh Hefner’s iconic pipe, silk pajamas and smoking jacket are up for sale next week as items from the raunchy rebel’s personal collection go under the hammer in La La Land.
Auction lots range from Hef’s personal stack of Playboys, which could fetch up to $40,000, to the signature smoking jacket ($3,000–$5,000) and silk pajamas ($1,000–$2,000). A carved briar pipe with custom Playboy Bunny logo is expected to net up to $3,000.
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Trump: ‘All’ Asylum Seekers ‘Will Stay in Mexico’ Until Judge Approves Individual Claims
Negotiations ongoing with the Mexican government
President Donald Trump said Saturday that his administration is making a deal with Mexico to keep asylum seekers at America's southern border in Mexico.
According to the Washington Post, the two countries are in negotiations for a deal, and it appears to have momentum in light of the crisis over a migrant caravan arriving at the U.S. border. Trump has vowed to resist this attempt at forced migration by refusing to admit border crossers into the country via the "catch and release" policy, in which detained migrants are released and given a court date for their claims.
Trump stated categorically that they would not be allowed in until a judge approves their claims.
"Migrants at the Southern Border will not be allowed into the United States until their claims are individually approved in court," Trump wrote Saturday. "We only will allow those who come into our Country legally. Other than that our very strong policy is Catch and Detain."
"No ‘Releasing’ into the U.S.," he added. "All will stay in Mexico. If for any reason it becomes necessary, we will CLOSE our Southern Border. There is no way that the United States will, after decades of abuse, put up with this costly and dangerous situation anymore!"
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President Donald Trump said Saturday that his administration is making a deal with Mexico to keep asylum seekers at America's southern border in Mexico.
According to the Washington Post, the two countries are in negotiations for a deal, and it appears to have momentum in light of the crisis over a migrant caravan arriving at the U.S. border. Trump has vowed to resist this attempt at forced migration by refusing to admit border crossers into the country via the "catch and release" policy, in which detained migrants are released and given a court date for their claims.
Trump stated categorically that they would not be allowed in until a judge approves their claims.
"Migrants at the Southern Border will not be allowed into the United States until their claims are individually approved in court," Trump wrote Saturday. "We only will allow those who come into our Country legally. Other than that our very strong policy is Catch and Detain."
"No ‘Releasing’ into the U.S.," he added. "All will stay in Mexico. If for any reason it becomes necessary, we will CLOSE our Southern Border. There is no way that the United States will, after decades of abuse, put up with this costly and dangerous situation anymore!"
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Rising NFL Star Arrested After Alleged Domestic Violence Attack. The Details Are Harrowing
The San Francisco 49ers cut rising star linebacker Reuben Foster early Sunday morning following an arrest on a domestic violence charge.
ESPN reported the following details:
The San Francisco 49ers are releasing linebacker Reuben Foster after he was arrested late Saturday night at the team hotel on a charge of misdemeanor domestic violence.
The arrest report from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office said Foster was arrested Saturday at 9:10 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Tampa and booked into jail two hours later. Foster’s bond was set at $2,000 during a bail hearing Sunday morning along with orders to avoid any contact with the alleged victim.
ESPN also reported the alleged victim is the same woman, Elissa Ennis, who admitted to falsely accusing Foster of domestic violence earlier in the year. He allegedly struck her in the chest and slapped her in the face prior to this arrest.
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ESPN reported the following details:
The San Francisco 49ers are releasing linebacker Reuben Foster after he was arrested late Saturday night at the team hotel on a charge of misdemeanor domestic violence.
The arrest report from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office said Foster was arrested Saturday at 9:10 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Tampa and booked into jail two hours later. Foster’s bond was set at $2,000 during a bail hearing Sunday morning along with orders to avoid any contact with the alleged victim.
ESPN also reported the alleged victim is the same woman, Elissa Ennis, who admitted to falsely accusing Foster of domestic violence earlier in the year. He allegedly struck her in the chest and slapped her in the face prior to this arrest.
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Climate Scientist Says Global Warming Not Among the 'Real Problems' Behind California Wildfires
Despite what Democratic California Gov. Jerry Brown and environmentalists say, man-made global warming is not a big factor in the wildfires raging across California, according to a veteran climate scientist.
University of Washington climate scientist Cliff Mass, no skeptic of global warming, said blaming California’s deadliest wildfire on a changing climate “has little grounding in fact or science.”
“Global warming is a profoundly serious threat to mankind, but it has little impact [on] the Camp Fire and many of the coastal California fires of the past few years,” Mass wrote on his blog Tuesday.
“And blaming global warming takes attention away from the actions needed to prevent such tragedies from happening again,” Mass wrote.
The Camp Fire consumed more than 150,000 acres of Northern California, destroying more than 10,000 buildings and taking at least 79 lives. Down south, the 98,000-acre Woolsey Fire engulfed thousands more buildings and took at least two lives.
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University of Washington climate scientist Cliff Mass, no skeptic of global warming, said blaming California’s deadliest wildfire on a changing climate “has little grounding in fact or science.”
“Global warming is a profoundly serious threat to mankind, but it has little impact [on] the Camp Fire and many of the coastal California fires of the past few years,” Mass wrote on his blog Tuesday.
“And blaming global warming takes attention away from the actions needed to prevent such tragedies from happening again,” Mass wrote.
The Camp Fire consumed more than 150,000 acres of Northern California, destroying more than 10,000 buildings and taking at least 79 lives. Down south, the 98,000-acre Woolsey Fire engulfed thousands more buildings and took at least two lives.
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Plastic Straw Ban Crusades Are About Progressive Virtue Signaling, Not Practical Solutions
The anti-straw movement has come to the nation’s capital.
The District of Columbia recently passed legislation that would enforce a ban on plastic straws, among several other similar utensils.
The law is set to take effect on Jan. 1, with enforcement mechanisms—such as hefty fines—being implemented in July. As Tristan Justice reported in The Daily Signal, the ban extends not just to restaurants, but to bars, churches, and day cares as well.
As the anti-straw crusade appears to gain steam, it’s worth stopping for a moment to examine why such a seemingly trivial matter has become such a big deal.
The movement began in earnest in Seattle back in 2008, when it became the first major city to create a plastic straw ban. That ban went into full effect this year, and similar bans have since been popping up across the U.S.
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The District of Columbia recently passed legislation that would enforce a ban on plastic straws, among several other similar utensils.
The law is set to take effect on Jan. 1, with enforcement mechanisms—such as hefty fines—being implemented in July. As Tristan Justice reported in The Daily Signal, the ban extends not just to restaurants, but to bars, churches, and day cares as well.
As the anti-straw crusade appears to gain steam, it’s worth stopping for a moment to examine why such a seemingly trivial matter has become such a big deal.
The movement began in earnest in Seattle back in 2008, when it became the first major city to create a plastic straw ban. That ban went into full effect this year, and similar bans have since been popping up across the U.S.
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Mike Lee: I’m ‘Certain’ Congress Will Look into Trump’s ‘Personal Motivations’ with Saudi Arabia
Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) said he was “certain” that Congress would look into President Donald Trump’s “personal motivations” on the Saudi Arabia issue given his continued support for the Saudis.
Trump’s gestures come despite Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman being blamed for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Lee said, “I disagree with the president’s assessment. It’s inconsistent with the intelligence I’ve seen. Now look, I don’t have access to everything that the president sees. I’m not sure what he’s relying on. The intelligence I’ve seen suggests that this was ordered by the crown prince.”
On Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, Lee said, “I think this is yet another indication that this unauthorized, unconstitutional war, from our standpoint, is not something that we ought to be fighting. This is not an ally that deserves this kind of military intervention. Especially because there’s been no connection between the safety of the American people and our involvement in this war.”
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Trump’s gestures come despite Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman being blamed for the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Lee said, “I disagree with the president’s assessment. It’s inconsistent with the intelligence I’ve seen. Now look, I don’t have access to everything that the president sees. I’m not sure what he’s relying on. The intelligence I’ve seen suggests that this was ordered by the crown prince.”
On Saudi Arabia’s war in Yemen, Lee said, “I think this is yet another indication that this unauthorized, unconstitutional war, from our standpoint, is not something that we ought to be fighting. This is not an ally that deserves this kind of military intervention. Especially because there’s been no connection between the safety of the American people and our involvement in this war.”
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WaPo Author Shames Black Men Who Dared To Vote For Republicans In Georgia!
Like the slave catchers of the 1800’s, Washington Post author Vanessa Williams (no, not the singer from the 1990s) has published an article shaming black men in Georgia who voted for Republican Brian Kemp over democrat Stacey Abrams in the race for Governor. According to polls, 8-11% of black males voted for Kemp, helping him to win the election.
But Williams will have none of that in her article titled “What’s up with all those black men who voted for the Republican in the Georgia governor’s race?” as part of WaPo’s “About US” initiative, which is apparently designed to “cover issues of identity in the United States.”
Vanessa Williams starts off the article by shaming white women: “White female voters in Georgia showed little interest in helping black women fulfill their dream of electing Stacey Abrams as governor, which would have made her the first African American woman to head a state in the nation’s history” before going into her diatribe about MAGA black males:
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But Williams will have none of that in her article titled “What’s up with all those black men who voted for the Republican in the Georgia governor’s race?” as part of WaPo’s “About US” initiative, which is apparently designed to “cover issues of identity in the United States.”
Vanessa Williams starts off the article by shaming white women: “White female voters in Georgia showed little interest in helping black women fulfill their dream of electing Stacey Abrams as governor, which would have made her the first African American woman to head a state in the nation’s history” before going into her diatribe about MAGA black males:
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Weissberg: Why Do College Administrators Lie About Race?
Americans generally take a dim view of lying and liars. We venerate George-“I cannot tell a lie—Washington and those giving testimony in court must swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth and those lying under oath risk being be found guilty of perjury, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison in federal cases. Particularly relevant is how universities punish those falsifying research. All in all, while deceitfulness may be ubiquitous in today’s morally challenged environment, mendacity has yet to become a valued cultural norm.
Why, then, do so many university administrators, including presidents at elite schools, tell bold-faced lies regarding race-related issues? (We assume that campus administrators know that reality differs from what they assert and this, technically, makes them liars)
On the advice of counsel, I’ll prudently skip naming names but these lies are all too familiar: we don’t discriminate on race, affirmative action admittees are academically equal to non-AA admits, there are no racial quotas, African Americans are not disproportionately found at the bottom of class rankings, diversity enriches campus intellectual life, students of color struggle academically due to invisible white privilege, unconscious faculty bias, retention will work if we just supply adequate remediation, and on, and on.
These falsehoods are remarkable insofar as they often emanate from administrators who as faculty spent decades pursuing truth and nothing but the truth knowing that exposure as a cheat would be career-ending. Indeed, if federal research funds are used in bogus research, the culprit might face criminal changes and be forced to return the funds. Do professors receive an official lying license when moving from the Physics Department to the Provost’s Office? Does the administrative job description include a talent for knowing how to keep a straight face when telling former colleagues that standards are not being lowered in the latest drive to increase faculty diversity?Might the new big salaries of administrators be compensation for the awaiting humiliation that comes with public dishonesty, a sort of combat pay in today’s contentious universities?
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Why, then, do so many university administrators, including presidents at elite schools, tell bold-faced lies regarding race-related issues? (We assume that campus administrators know that reality differs from what they assert and this, technically, makes them liars)
On the advice of counsel, I’ll prudently skip naming names but these lies are all too familiar: we don’t discriminate on race, affirmative action admittees are academically equal to non-AA admits, there are no racial quotas, African Americans are not disproportionately found at the bottom of class rankings, diversity enriches campus intellectual life, students of color struggle academically due to invisible white privilege, unconscious faculty bias, retention will work if we just supply adequate remediation, and on, and on.
These falsehoods are remarkable insofar as they often emanate from administrators who as faculty spent decades pursuing truth and nothing but the truth knowing that exposure as a cheat would be career-ending. Indeed, if federal research funds are used in bogus research, the culprit might face criminal changes and be forced to return the funds. Do professors receive an official lying license when moving from the Physics Department to the Provost’s Office? Does the administrative job description include a talent for knowing how to keep a straight face when telling former colleagues that standards are not being lowered in the latest drive to increase faculty diversity?Might the new big salaries of administrators be compensation for the awaiting humiliation that comes with public dishonesty, a sort of combat pay in today’s contentious universities?
More
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