After Murray’s March speech, school board member Matt Wiedenhoeft took issue with Murray’s suggestions during an individual conversation that the United States couldn’t keep up with Asian countries in producing engineers because of a difference in genetic abilities.Here's a translation of this asinine statement:
According to an e-mail Murray wrote to Leschke, he told Wiedenhoeft in a personal conversation that east Asians have more of the “visual-spatial abilities associated with engineering than whites or any other ethnic group.”
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Charles Murray and the "Visual-Spatial Abilities" of Asians
We'll probably have more to say on the Charles Murray thing, but we wanted to point out that Murray didn't do himself (or Ron Johnson) any favors with his comment to school board member Matt Wiedenhoeft:
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1 comment:
Nice video. :)
But of course the man (Murray) is a fool.
(or is he?)
If he knew anything at all about cultural differences he might be able to consider and explore cultural differences as the true explanation. While US colleges and perhaps High Schools as well have begun to emphasize teamwork for American kids, it no way comes close to the ingrained nature of a team approach in Japan. A glossing over of American worship of The Individual can't possibly begin to "compete" with centuries old patterns of behavior. There are even Japanese words to signify relationships between students that we have no counterpart for.
American kids do not have any kind of Senpai (sempai) to refer to an older student, it's not the same as saying "he's a Senior" etc. So it's crazy - for very complex innovations obviously a group that de-values in-fighting and competition, that DOES highly value personal sacrifice and advancing the Team, and the greater good for all as the definition of Hero, well obviously that team will be the tough one to beat.
Our Football players may act as a unit and subjugate their egos (pfft!) for periods of time, but I wonder if it isn't often more a situation of mutually beneficial exploitation, every guy really wanting to be a star as much as possible.
If genius is "10% inspiration and 90% perspiration" the dedicated team will be the one kicking ass. Americans sad to say, too often are tripping on their own egos and interpersonal aggressions.
Hard to win the race that way.
Now, as to why I said this may not be that foolish - to (grudgingly)propose that the "Asian Race" is superior in some (one) way. IF he does that, if he dispenses a wee bit of largesse to a "non-white" race, that just "PROVES" he is not really a White Supremacist but is actually impartial and bada bing! it gives credibility* to his claims that dem Dark Races iz dum.
I had heard of/read bits of Murray a few years back, I wonder if he is an openly religious man. Way back the Church had an elaborate hierarchy of beings, least to greatest (white dudes on top)
Murray seems not so much to be a researcher as almost a philosophical "system builder", flirting with that anyway. Seems to have a Victorian love for putting things in a strict and unchanging order, the way too many religions do in order to tame the chaos of "creation" and reduce their own anxiety levels.
Well, Murray is a small mind trying to make everything around himself even smaller than he is. Nice of Ron Johnson to bring a fellow like that to a school board.
I wonder, could Ron Johnson POSSIBLY be racist? gee that's a tough one.
*enough credibility to satisfy the teeny weeny consciences of those to those who want to believe that Black People are inferior or whatever.
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