2020 flashing by ...

2020 in 7 minutes - Vox > . 

Gradual Recovery from Patriarchal Religiosity

[Misogynistic religionists will not be pleased by pro-choice progress.]

Argentina abortion: Senate approves legalisation in historic decision:

Argentina's Congress has legalised abortions up to the 14th week of pregnancy, a ground-breaking move for a region that has some of the world's most restrictive termination laws. Pro-choice activists hope the passing of the law in Argentina - one of the largest and most influential countries in the region - will inspire other countries to follow suit.

Until now, abortions were only permitted in cases of rape or when the mother's health was at risk.

The bill had been approved by the Chamber of Deputies earlier this month.
Senators voted in favour of the bill after a marathon session with 38 in favour, 29 against and one abstention.

The Catholic Church [aka Pedophile Protection Agency], which remains highly influential in Latin America, had opposed the move, calling on senators to reject the bill supported by centre-left President Alberto Fernández.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-55475036 .

2020 - When Stupidity Proved Infectious

[Apologies for the ghastly, petulant, malicious orange thing in the thumbnail. No, not that one, the thing on the "right".]

Contagion of the Mind: How the World Failed in 2020 - BlQu > .

Over the course of the past year, humanity witnessed a public health catastrophe unlike any seen in a century. Before the novel coronavirus struck, it may have been reasonable to expect that global institutions, international cooperation and 21st century know-how would trigger a fast and methodical worldwide fight to tame the pathogen and minimize loss of life. Unfortunately, that isn't what happened. [Just as culpable, stupid, credulous, selfish twerps not only refused to follow recommendations, but spread DISinformation counter to scientific expertise.]

2020

More than the big, bad C (and whining about victimization, real or imagined) happened in 2020:

The News You Missed in 2020, From Every Country in the World (Part 1) - Wend > .

The News You Missed in 2020, From Every Country in the World (Part 2) - Wend > .

Autocrats LIE

[No surprises here] Russian COVID deaths three times the official toll:

Russia's deputy prime minister has revealed more than 80% of excess deaths this year are linked to COVID-19, which would mean its death toll is three times higher than previously reported. 

Excess deaths are the difference between the total number of deaths registered and the average over the previous years for the same period. Official figures say 55,827 people have died with COVID-19 in Russia. The deputy prime minister said excess deaths would take that to 186,000.

Countries use different methods when reporting deaths related to the virus, which makes international comparisons difficult. Russia has been criticised for calculating its official deaths from COVID-19 based on the number of post-mortem examinations that list coronavirus as the main cause of death. However, this means that other deaths linked to COVID-19, which did not list it as the main cause of death, will not have been included.

The new numbers mean Russia's coronavirus death toll could be the world's third-highest, after the US with 335,000 deaths and Brazil, which has had 192,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

More than 3.1 million infections have been reported in the country.

Defeated by a dusting

Heavy snow in Midlands leads to travel warnings and road disruption .

The horrors of regular tires and drivers who can't cope with in an inch or so of snow.

Terrified Totalitarian Regimes

Terrified? Yup. Control-freaks are always terrified of not having total control.

Zhang Zhan: China jails citizen journalist for Wuhan reports:

A Chinese citizen journalist who covered Wuhan's coronavirus outbreak has been jailed for four years. Zhang Zhan was found guilty of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble", a frequent charge against activists. The 37-year-old former lawyer was detained in May, and has been on hunger strike for several months. Her lawyers say she is in poor health. Ms Zhang is one of several citizen journalists who have run into trouble for reporting on Wuhan.

There is no free media in China and authorities are known to clamp down on activists or whistleblowers seen as undermining the government's response to the outbreak. [Undermining what aspect of the response? Undermining the "face-saving" cover-up. Needless to say, cover-ups reflect badly instead of saving face.]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-55463241 .

Childish!

Boy Scouts of America accuse Girl Scouts of starting 'war':

A recruitment drive by the Boy Scouts of America is proving "highly damaging" to the Girl Scouts, lawyers acting for the latter organisation say. The "infringement" meant many parents mistakenly signed their daughters up for Boy Scouts, thinking it was Girl Scouts, lawyers said. In response, the Boy Scouts accused the Girl Scouts of starting a "ground war".

The Boy Scouts dropped the word "boy" from its recruitment programme, and opened up to female members, in 2018. It said at the time that it was renaming the Boy Scouts programme Scouts BSA as it prepared to allow girls to join.

But the Girl Scouts said the change would erode their brand, calling the move "uniquely damaging" to them, filing an initial lawsuit in November 2018 against trademark infringement. 

Last month, lawyers acting on behalf of the Boy Scouts asked a judge to throw out the lawsuit, which suggested it could not use "scouts" or "scouting" in its recruitment material for girls.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55460888 .

Hell hath no fury like a domineering male scorned

A Russian historian who admitted shooting and dismembering his student partner in St Petersburg has been jailed for 12 and a half years. Oleg Sokolov, 63, an expert on the Napoleonic wars, pleaded guilty to the murder of Anastasia Yeshchenko, 24. He was found drunk in a river in November 2019 with Ms Yeshchenko's severed arms in his backpack.

Women's rights activists say the case shows indifference towards harassment and domestic violence in Russia. An online petition with more than 7,500 signatures accused St Petersburg State University of ignoring previous complaints from students against Sokolov.

 https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-55447557 .

Abominable, sulky, moronic, sore LOSER

[As though pardoning treasonous scum and murderers isn't bad enough,] US UNpresident LOSER-in-Cheat has vetoed a $740bn (£549bn) defence spending bill that passed Congress this month. Agent Orange is objecting to provisions that limit troop withdrawals from Afghanistan and Europe and remove Confederate leaders' names from military bases. Infant-in-Chief also wanted it to repeal a liability shield for social media companies. 

Lawmakers passed the measure with a veto-proof margin, meaning they could override the president's rejection. If Congress does not override the UNpresident's petulant veto - which requires a two-thirds majority in both chambers - it would be the first time in 60 years that the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) does not become law.

Ode on a Microbial Curse

'Twas the Nightshift Before COVIDmas > .

Cult of Hubristic Ignorance

“There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” ~ Isaac Asimov, 1980

"It’s a familiar contention. There have been critiques of American anti-intellectualism since the country’s founding, though whether or not that phenomenon has intensified, as Susan Jacoby alleged in The Age of American Unreason, may be a subject of debate. Not all of the unreason is partisan, as the anti-vaccination movement has shown."

[Has the phenomenon intensified? YES.]

"Nonetheless, the widespread (though hardly universal) availability of free resources on the internet has made self-education a reality for many people, and certainly for most Americans. But perhaps not even Isaac Asimov could have foreseen the bitter polarization and disinformation campaigns that technology has also enabled. Needless to say, “A Cult of Ignorance” was not one of Asimov’s most popular pieces of writing. [Unsurprising, given that truth can be uncomfortable.] First published on January 21, 1980 in Newsweek, the short essay has never been reprinted in any of Asimov’s collections. You can read the essay as a PDF here. There’s also, one of our readers reminds us, a transcript on Github."

C*N*servative, Pedophile, Both?

Cardinal Pell says his [odious] conservative views drove public against him.

George Pell, the Australian cardinal whose conviction for child abuse was overturned [NB, "overturned" means that the verdict was judged "unsafe". The decision does NOT automatically exonerate Pell by making liars of all who came forward to accuse him of child sexual abuse] this year, has said his [moralistic control-freak] "conservative Christian" views drove public opinion against him.

[Unsafe, not exoneration?] In his appeal to the High Court, the cleric argued that the jury's verdict had relied too heavily on evidence from the surviving victim. His lawyers did not try to discredit that testimony, but argued that other evidence had not been properly considered.

Speaking Whining to the BBC, the 79-year-old [shifted blame from his worst transgressions when he] said there was "no doubt" that his direct style and "traditional" [read, intolerant authoritarian] approach to issues such as abortion had contributed to a hostile atmosphere. The former Vatican treasurer said he would NOT apologise for those views.

[Actually, Pell, I suspect that I am NOT the only person who distrusts the sexual history of those who rise high in the Pedophile Protection Agency.]

2020 Science

2020 Breakthrough of the Year - Science > .

1920

What happened 100 years ago? - December 1920 - TGW > .

1984

Spitting Image (1984) - S1, E1 | Full > .

Xiao Juan

A moody, excoriating diatribe against domestic violence, Xiao Juan has both captivated and inspired hundreds of thousands of Chinese women since its release.

Its lyrics rail against misogyny and victim blaming in China, referencing specific cases of violence against women which have dominated China's news headlines this year.

And it's a bold statement. Tan is one of few mainstream musicians in China - perhaps the only one - using her music to address the issue, which is still considered a taboo topic for many. [Because, after all, actual violence by authoritarian males must remain protected by secrecy.] 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-55312878 .

Argumentum ad absurdum

On the moral obligation to stop shit-stirring:

"Utilitarianism – the idea that we should evaluate the moral worth of an action by its consequences, and that the best actions are those that bring about the most good for the most people – is the ideal public morality for our troubled age. It requires us to focus not only on what we do, but also on what we didn’t do but might have done. Non-action in the face of threats such as climate change, pandemics and technologically facilitated extremism has moral implications of its own, and it’s utilitarianism that offers the most emphatic responses to these problems."

...

"There are far too many people who reflect that, since they aren’t deliberately harming the environment and aren’t personally racist, they are therefore absolved from acting. There’s a problem when it seems reasonable to respond to a utilitarian’s demand that one think about what one could do by saying: ‘I think I understand your utilitarian argument for a moral obligation to immediately address climate change, but isn’t utilitarianism the theory that says it’s fine to kill babies? Why should I listen to that?’" [shooting the messenger fallacy = a metaphoric phrase used to describe the act of blaming the bearer, in this case an argument, of unwelcome news]

In logic, reductio ad absurdum ('"reduction to absurdity"'), also known as argumentum ad absurdum ("argument to absurdity"), apagogical arguments, negation introduction or the appeal to extremes, is the form of argument that attempts to establish a claim by showing that the opposite scenario would lead to absurdity or contradiction. It can be used [in an attempt, as above] to disprove a statement by showing that it would inevitably lead to a ridiculous, absurd, or impractical conclusion, or to prove a statement by showing that if it were false, then the result would be absurd or impossible. Traced back to classical Greek philosophy in Aristotle's Prior Analytics (ἡ εἰς τὸ ἀδύνατον ἀπόδειξις, lit. "demonstration to the impossible", 62b), this technique has been used throughout history in both formal mathematical and philosophical reasoning, as well as in debate.

Reductio ad absurdum was used throughout Greek philosophy. The earliest example of a reductio argument can be found in a satirical poem attributed to Xenophanes of Colophon (c. 570 – c. 475 BCE). Criticizing Homer's attribution of human faults to the gods, Xenophanes states that humans also believe that the gods' bodies have human form. But if horses and oxen could draw, they would draw the gods with horse and ox bodies. The gods cannot have both forms, so this is a contradiction. Therefore, the attribution of other human characteristics to the gods, such as human faults, is also false.

Greek mathematicians proved fundamental propositions utilizing reductio ad absurdum. Euclid of Alexandria (mid-3rd – mid-4th centuries BCE) and Archimedes of Syracuse (c. 287 – c. 212 BCE) are two very early examples.

The earlier dialogues of Plato (424–348 BCE), relating the discourses of Socrates, raised the use of reductio arguments to a formal dialectical method (elenchus), also called the Socratic method. Typically, Socrates' opponent would make what would seem to be an innocuous assertion. In response, Socrates, via a step-by-step train of reasoning, bringing in other background assumptions, would make the person admit that the assertion resulted in an absurd or contradictory conclusion, forcing him to abandon his assertion and adopt a position of aporia. The technique was also a focus of the work of Aristotle (384–322 BCE). The Pyrrhonists and the Academic Skeptics extensively used reductio ad absurdum arguments to refute the dogmas of the other schools of Hellenistic philosophy.

TARTUS & FLATUS

Merry Superstitions from the [Worst Family] - Spit > .  

Laura Benanti confides escape plan to Stephen Colbert > .

Satan's 2020

Satan's Busy Year of Sneaky Tricks - BeBo > .

Fitting observations

Intelligence and Religious and Political Differences Among Members of the U.S. Academic Elite. 

"There is sound evidence of a negative correlation between intelligence and religiosity and [a negative correlation] between intelligence and political extremism. This makes it unlikely that these results are a statistical fluke. Therefore the most probable reason behind elite social scientists being more religious than are elite physical scientists is that [on average] social scientists are less intelligent [than are physical scientists]. Intelligence is also a factor in interdisciplinary differences in political extremism, physicists, who have high IQs, being among the least extreme and lower-IQ scholars being among the most extreme. Future research using larger academic samples would be extremely useful in exploring these areas in greater depth."

Physics & Astronomy: average IQ = 133
Social Sciences: average IQ = 115

Mean IQ score of persons in various occupations, taken from a variety of Western studies

Professors and researchers.......131, 134
Physicians and surgeons............128
Lawyers........................................128
Accountants..................................119, 128
Engineers (civil and mechanical)125
School teachers............................121, 123
General managers in business...122
Education administrators............122
Stenographers..............................119, 121
Pharmacists..................................120
Nurses...........................................119
Senior clerks................................118
Managers, production.................118
Clerks (general)...........................118
Managers, miscellaneous...........116
Cashiers.......................................116
Foremen, industrial......................114
Salesmen.....................................114
Clerks...........................................112
Electricians..................................109
Policemen....................................108
Mechanics....................................106
Machine operator........................105
Store managers..........................103
Shopkeepers...............................103
Butchers.......................................103
Carpenters, construction............102

Warehouse men...........................98
Carpenters and cabinet makers.97
Machine operator.........................97
Cooks and bakers........................97
Drivers, truck and van...................97
Laborers........................................96
Small farmers................................96
Gardeners.....................................95
Unskilled laborer...........................90
Factory packers and sorters........85

https://www.iqcomparisonsite.com/occupations.aspx .

More homoauthoritarian bile

"Such A Surprise" - Dr. Jill Biden Reacts To [Puerile] Attack On Her Doctorate > .

In September 1970, Harper's Magazine published an article by Joseph Epstein called "Homo/Hetero: The Struggle for Sexual Identity" that used the N-word to describe being gay and was criticized for its perceived blatant homophobia. Epstein wrote that he considered homosexuality "a curse, in a literal sense" and that his sons could do nothing to make him sadder than "if any of them were to become homosexual." 

[Clearly, Epstein was ignorant of realities. Individuals are born with innate sexual proclivities. Although they might choose not to act on their urges, they do not "become homosexual". Unsurprisingly, research has demonstrated that many of the most virulent homophobes struggle against their own homoerotic urges. Hm.] 

Gay activists characterized the essay as portraying every gay man the author met, or fantasized about meeting, as predatory, sex-obsessed, and a threat to civilization. In the essay, he says that, if possible, "I would wish homosexuality off the face of the earth", a statement that was interpreted by gay writer and editor Merle Miller as a call to genocide. A sit-in took place at Harper's by members of the Gay Activists Alliance.

In 2015, Epstein wrote an article for the Washington Examiner in which he mentioned the Harper's article from 1970. He wrote, "I am pleased the tolerance [not "acceptance, but "tolerance"] for homosexuality has widened in America and elsewhere, that in some respects my own aesthetic sensibility favors much homosexual artistic production [rather an insult to "homosexual artistic production", a term not used widely because it is inherently homophobic] ... My only hope now is that, on my gravestone, the words Noted Homophobe aren’t carved."

In an opinion piece published online on 20-12-11 in Wall Street Journal, Joseph Epstein, addressed Dr. Jill Biden as “kiddo” and offered her advice on “what may seem like a small but I think is a not unimportant matter.”

“Any chance you might drop the ‘Dr.’ before your name?” he wrote. “‘Dr. Jill Biden’ sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic.”

He also critiqued the title of Biden's dissertation, "Student Retention at the Community College Level: Meeting Students' Needs", calling it "unpromising". His former employer, Northwestern University, released a statement condemning Epstein's opinions, writing, "Northwestern is firmly committed to equity, diversity and inclusion, and strongly disagrees with Mr. Epstein’s misogynistic views," and noted that he had not been employed to teach a course there since 2002.

If the reaction from Dr. Biden’s spokesman and from legions of women in academia is any indication, the answer is: not a chance.

“Some men are so threatened by educated women,” said Audrey Truschke, an associate professor of South Asian history at Rutgers University, who called Mr. Epstein’s piece a “misogynist, self-absorbed screed.” On Saturday, she was among a number of women who added Dr. to their names on Twitter in solidarity with Dr. Biden.

Michael LaRosa, a spokesman for Dr. Biden, called Mr. Epstein’s piece a “disgusting and sexist attack” and urged The Journal to remove it and apologize to Dr. Biden. Mr. Epstein declined to comment for this article. The Journal did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday evening.

The raw nerve touched by the piece underscored the enduring power of the title — two letters that convey accomplishment, respect and authority.

In the 19th century, the title was widely contested, and people were sued for using “doctor” on calling cards or advertisements if they hadn’t graduated from a recognized medical school, according to Naomi Rogers, a professor of the history of medicine at Yale University.

[If Epstein, who does not boast a PhD, had cautioned Jill Biden for (unlike many with PhDs) confusingly using a term which the public associates with a particular profession, he might have appeared less of a jealous boor.] 

[Homoauthoritarianism (updated neologism) = non-erotic or erotic preference for own sex exhibited by power-hungry, authoritarian males who regard women variously as recreational vehicles, brood mares, and/or fit only for domestic servitude.]

I see DUPED malcontents

As Bids to Overturn Vote Fail, Cheat-in-Chief Supporters at Protests Stick With Him: A crowd of thousands in Washington cheered as LIAR-in-Cheat flew overhead in a helicopter. Many said they remained convinced that the election was stolen, no matter what the courts say.

[CONned malcontents who function below the 50th percentile on a rationality scale.]

Why not Meryl Streep?

Why not? Easy. She's not black, indigenous, or ethnic.

Meryl Streep Isn’t on Our List of Greatest Actors. Here’s Why. The Times’s co-chief film critics explain their rationale for some surprising inclusions, and exclusions, on their list of the greatest actors of the 21st century (so far).

There are few better ways to court the internet’s ire than to publish a list ranking the 25 greatest actors of the 21st century that does not include the words “Meryl” or “Streep.”

Encouraging natural selection?

Joe Biden: Covid vaccination in US will not be mandatory.

DUHnocchio's excessive numbers

Why DUHnocchio keeps outperforming the polls ...

Cheating? Too many Americans are dimmer than we feared? Inaccurate polling?

And another homoerotic homophobe

Jozsef Szajer: Hungary MEP quits after allegedly fleeing gay orgy: An MEP from Hungary's ruling party, which is hostile to LGBT rights, has quit after he was caught attending what Belgian media describe as a gay sex party in Brussels on Friday.

Jozsef Szajer, a top member of Prime Minister Viktor Dicktator Orban's Fidesz party, was stopped by police after reports of a house party violating lockdown rules. Prosecutors say he was found with drugs as he tried to flee the gathering, reportedly shinning down a drainpipe.

And another attention-seeker

 At least he's not claiming to be "they": Elliot Page: Juno star announces he is transgender. "I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer."

[Queer? Has he left his girlfriend for a man? Good luck to him, but I cannot help but worry that some drastic decisions might end in misery when underlying issues are not resolved by hormones +/- surgery.]