The Flashlight, Feb. 16-22, 2008
THE FLASHLIGHT
February 16 – 22, 2008
No Peace without Justice, no Justice without the Facts
Mary K. Matossian, Editor
US Presidential Primaries
Economist 2-15, Time 2-16, CNN 2-19 and 2-21, NYT 2-20. Going into the Wisconsin and Hawaii primaries, Obama was reported to be taking in one million dollars in contributions daily, while Hilary Clinton was taking in about half as much. According to Time, Obama was running a smarter, more rigorous campaign and had developed superior fundraising and ground operations.
Obama won the Wisconsin primary by 17 points, 58 to 41. He won the primary in his native Hawaii 76 to 24. He ate into some demographic groups supporting Hilary Clinton: blue collar workers, women, and Latinos.
Campaigning in Texas, his speeches contained more specific proposals, i. e. cutting excessive CEO pay, eliminating tax breaks for companies that export jobs, raising fuel efficiency standards on vehicles, and installing standards of excellence in schools. He said that he would end the US military effort in Iraq in his first year in office, close Guantanamo Bay Prison, end torture, and restore habeas corpus. He promises to end homelessness among veterans.
John McCain also won in Wisconsin and Hawaii, but Huckabee still had significant support among conservative religious people. Secularists were gaining ground against the religious.
CNN 2-22, at the debate with Hilary Clinton in Texas, Obama announced that all major Texas newspapers were supporting him.
US Economy: Causes of Educational Lag and Poverty
NYTimes 2-18. Paul Krugman, consulting the findings of Neuroscience, pointed out that stress in childhood causes an unhealthy rise in stress hormones in the body, hampering language development and memory. The stress of poverty poisons the brain of growing children, making them exiles in their own country. This serves to explain their poor performance in school from an early age. For further information see the report of the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) in the Financial Times.
University Scholarships
NYT 2-21. Stanford University announced it was going to start giving free tuition to students whose parents earned $100,000 or less. Tuition is currently $36,000 a year. In addition, students from families earning $60,000 or less will get free room and board, worth $11,182 yearly. Scholarship students will be expected to do summer work worth $4,500 on the Stanford campus.
Cuba
CNN 2-19. Fidel Castro resigned as President of Cuba, He has been replaced by his brother Raul.
Pakistan
NYT 2-19. The opposition parties won 85% of the parliamentary vote, leaving only 15% to the party of Musharraf. Opposition leaders began pressuring Musharraf to resign as President (he has a five-year term).
Iraq
BBC 2-22. After two months of air attacks, the Turkish Army has started a ground assault on northern Iraq against the Kurdish PKK.
BBC 2-22. Moqtada as-Sadr ordered that the cease-fire of his army be renewed for another six months, until next August.
Israel
Haaretz 2-20. Construction continues on three Jewish settlements on West Bank land privately owned by Palestinians.
Science: Chimpanzee vs Human Learning Ability
PBS 2-19 and National Geographic March 2008. Chimpanzees and bonobos can learn as many as 3,000 English spoken words and can imitate the behavior of others by watching. They can follow novel instructions. However, they are held back in their development, as compared to humans, by their greater impulsiveness, greed, and (in chimps) violence.
Human children vary, but on average they are more able to control their impulses, interpret body language (like pointing), and are able to commit themselves to learning and teaching. They have longer attention spans than other primates.
The human use of symbols is helpful in developing emotional control. [This may explain in part the power of religion, with its visual symbols, rituals, and myths]. At an early age they can read the intentions of others and respond to gestures like pointing. Teachers and pupils can develop a shared commitment to learning. In particular, the encouragement of the teacher (good job!) is helpful to students. Human can “stand on the shoulders of giants,” locking in progressive discoveries from one generation to the next.
February 16 – 22, 2008
No Peace without Justice, no Justice without the Facts
Mary K. Matossian, Editor
US Presidential Primaries
Economist 2-15, Time 2-16, CNN 2-19 and 2-21, NYT 2-20. Going into the Wisconsin and Hawaii primaries, Obama was reported to be taking in one million dollars in contributions daily, while Hilary Clinton was taking in about half as much. According to Time, Obama was running a smarter, more rigorous campaign and had developed superior fundraising and ground operations.
Obama won the Wisconsin primary by 17 points, 58 to 41. He won the primary in his native Hawaii 76 to 24. He ate into some demographic groups supporting Hilary Clinton: blue collar workers, women, and Latinos.
Campaigning in Texas, his speeches contained more specific proposals, i. e. cutting excessive CEO pay, eliminating tax breaks for companies that export jobs, raising fuel efficiency standards on vehicles, and installing standards of excellence in schools. He said that he would end the US military effort in Iraq in his first year in office, close Guantanamo Bay Prison, end torture, and restore habeas corpus. He promises to end homelessness among veterans.
John McCain also won in Wisconsin and Hawaii, but Huckabee still had significant support among conservative religious people. Secularists were gaining ground against the religious.
CNN 2-22, at the debate with Hilary Clinton in Texas, Obama announced that all major Texas newspapers were supporting him.
US Economy: Causes of Educational Lag and Poverty
NYTimes 2-18. Paul Krugman, consulting the findings of Neuroscience, pointed out that stress in childhood causes an unhealthy rise in stress hormones in the body, hampering language development and memory. The stress of poverty poisons the brain of growing children, making them exiles in their own country. This serves to explain their poor performance in school from an early age. For further information see the report of the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) in the Financial Times.
University Scholarships
NYT 2-21. Stanford University announced it was going to start giving free tuition to students whose parents earned $100,000 or less. Tuition is currently $36,000 a year. In addition, students from families earning $60,000 or less will get free room and board, worth $11,182 yearly. Scholarship students will be expected to do summer work worth $4,500 on the Stanford campus.
Cuba
CNN 2-19. Fidel Castro resigned as President of Cuba, He has been replaced by his brother Raul.
Pakistan
NYT 2-19. The opposition parties won 85% of the parliamentary vote, leaving only 15% to the party of Musharraf. Opposition leaders began pressuring Musharraf to resign as President (he has a five-year term).
Iraq
BBC 2-22. After two months of air attacks, the Turkish Army has started a ground assault on northern Iraq against the Kurdish PKK.
BBC 2-22. Moqtada as-Sadr ordered that the cease-fire of his army be renewed for another six months, until next August.
Israel
Haaretz 2-20. Construction continues on three Jewish settlements on West Bank land privately owned by Palestinians.
Science: Chimpanzee vs Human Learning Ability
PBS 2-19 and National Geographic March 2008. Chimpanzees and bonobos can learn as many as 3,000 English spoken words and can imitate the behavior of others by watching. They can follow novel instructions. However, they are held back in their development, as compared to humans, by their greater impulsiveness, greed, and (in chimps) violence.
Human children vary, but on average they are more able to control their impulses, interpret body language (like pointing), and are able to commit themselves to learning and teaching. They have longer attention spans than other primates.
The human use of symbols is helpful in developing emotional control. [This may explain in part the power of religion, with its visual symbols, rituals, and myths]. At an early age they can read the intentions of others and respond to gestures like pointing. Teachers and pupils can develop a shared commitment to learning. In particular, the encouragement of the teacher (good job!) is helpful to students. Human can “stand on the shoulders of giants,” locking in progressive discoveries from one generation to the next.
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