Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

Is the SATS fiasco in England about to claim the scalp of English education minister Balls
I wonder? A similar Labour scandal here in Scotland claimed the job of Sam Galbraith:


29

Hats off to Channel 4 News and Jon Snow for tonight's interview with Norma Percy on what it was like to visit Karadzic in Pale ....

Very interesting assessment from the producer of 'The Death of Yugoslavia'.

There has been a lot of American comment on the arrest.

Is the USA a member of the ICC?

Did the USA pass legislation authorizing the military retrieval of any US official arrested by the ICC?

Why was this?

Perhaps it was my mood. I had seen the Charles Wheeler re-run on Sudetenland and that was excellent. But I thought Newsnight was excellent. One tiny weeny criticism is the albino piece was very worthwhile and moving. I did think the woman reporting in Tanzania was getting a little theatrical. Then again I have never had to rationalize for the camera on people being hacked up for body parts.

By the way what happened to the GM debate that Phil Woolas wanted to lead. I have heard nothing and assume that they are not trying to let something in on the sly.

WHAT'S NEW IN PREYING UPON THE VULNERABLE?

"We have a disturbing report from Tanzania, where witchdoctors are peddaling the myth that possession of a potion made of an albino's hair, blood or limbs paves the way to riches."

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Newsnight 22/07/08

"Less than a century ago, most albinos born in Tanzania would have been killed at birth – viewed as proof of a woman's adultery with a European man. Because the gene for albinism is recessive, parents can both carry it and pass it on to their child, even if they look "normal". Yet even today, albinos are often called "mzungu" – the name given to the colonial white man – and many people do not understand that it is a genetic condition, not a curse."

Independent 4/4/08


The mean IQ of Tanzania is estimated by Lynn and Vahannen 2002 to be 72. But Tanzanian witchdoctors aren't the only ones to exploit peoples' superstition/low IQs. European 'witchdoctors' (working in or for the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry to name and shame but one sector) do much the same thing, they just do it more subtly.




As we can't educate people if they don't have the innate capacity to be educated, what will happen if the demographic trends we see in Europe today continue?

More cash cows - less (enforceable) regulation.

BARMPOT OR BALM POT

JJ - your parallel of cosmetics promotion neatly drawn. On Radio 4 this morning, we heard that the science of human cognizance is to be advanced by collaboration with illusionist 'magicians'. I have often suggested we turn to the advertisers to tackle peace, hunger, climate etc. as they are another bunch of illusionists (who can be bought and directed). Sadly, we are in the hands of political illusionist, where the witch-doctor is now the spin-doctor. The devil has all the best tunes and the power-mad politicians, all the best tricks. Were individual politicians chosen with altruism in mind - rather than a rosette - there might be scope for some constructive illusion, rather than the Blair sort.