In 1912 a book published in New York provided the American public with a diverting detailed account of a family with a strange name and an unsavory past. The book was titled: The Kallikak Family: A Study in the Heredity of Feeble-Mindedness. The author, Henry Herbert Goddard (1866-1957), was an educator and a psychologist already well-known in professional circles--and an ardent eugenicist. In his new book, and in later lectures, he proposed that the feeble-minded inherited their constitutional inferiority, that they were a dangerous source of criminality, and that if sterilization of such people was impractical, segregation should be instituted to protect the rest of society. And how were the feeble-minded to be recognized in order to be segregated? When their physical appearance was not conclusive, he had the instrument: an intelligence test perfected by a Frenchman named Binet.
In the decade that preceded the Great War, in the dying days of Victorian blustering about class, destiny, and patriotism, social Darwinism coupled itself to eugenics, a nasty marriage that would bring misery to two generations in Europe and America. Henry Goddard was not the first American eugenicist, but he was the most influential eugenicist in education, clinical psychology, and public policy in his time. His book on the Kallikak family was an instant commercial success. Professional journals were particularly impressed. The Journal of the American Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology published an adoring review that began, "This is a book whose value in the study of heredity cannot be overestimated. The standing of the author and of the school with which he is connected are such guarantees of the authenticity of its data and the correctness of the work as to make it invaluable."
More...
March 12, 2010
March 11, 2010
Peaceful Revolution: EU: Don’t Force Women to Stay Home!
The European Union Commission has proposed a new directive, to be voted on in March, that would make maternity leave compulsory for the first six weeks after a woman gives birth. You read that correctly -- compulsory. As in, women would be forced to stay home, regardless of their own wishes, if they have children.
Beyond the obvious affront on personal free will, the problems with this proposal are so numerous and egregious it's making our heads spin. Firstly, Europe as a whole already suffers from low female labor participation rates; continent-wide, only six out of ten women work. This is a major problem for the region, as it turns out women have been the key factor driving economic growth worldwide in recent years ("women have contributed more to global GDP growth than have either new technology or the new giants, China and India," according to a pre-mancession article in The Economist). Stigmatizing women by telling employers outright that women will not, by law, be as committed to the workplace as men is a foolish and self-defeating move.
More...
Beyond the obvious affront on personal free will, the problems with this proposal are so numerous and egregious it's making our heads spin. Firstly, Europe as a whole already suffers from low female labor participation rates; continent-wide, only six out of ten women work. This is a major problem for the region, as it turns out women have been the key factor driving economic growth worldwide in recent years ("women have contributed more to global GDP growth than have either new technology or the new giants, China and India," according to a pre-mancession article in The Economist). Stigmatizing women by telling employers outright that women will not, by law, be as committed to the workplace as men is a foolish and self-defeating move.
More...
March 10, 2010
Google Books Reaches Deal With Italy: Will Other Countries, Including The US, Follow Suit?
Google Books has extended its presence in Europe with a deal reached Wednesday to digitize "up to one million" ancient Italian texts from libraries in Rome and Florence, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The agreement comes at a time when Google is struggling to maintain its Google Books foothold internationally. In December, the company was involved in a lawsuit in France, where a court determined that the digital books service was a violation of French copyright law.
More...
The agreement comes at a time when Google is struggling to maintain its Google Books foothold internationally. In December, the company was involved in a lawsuit in France, where a court determined that the digital books service was a violation of French copyright law.
More...
Upstairs, Downstairs — A Tale of Two Continents
Cross-posted from National Journal's National Security Blog.
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is touring Europe cajoling government leaders to do more for the team. Augmented European contributions are the means to the overriding end of prosecuting the multiform 'war on terror.'
More...
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is touring Europe cajoling government leaders to do more for the team. Augmented European contributions are the means to the overriding end of prosecuting the multiform 'war on terror.'
More...
March 2, 2010
The Crisis in Turkey?
In the past week, several alarmist pieces, including Soner Cagaptay's "What's Really Behind Turkey's Coup Arrests?' and Daniel Pipes' "Crisis in Turkey," have warned of a mortal crisis that threatens Turkey's future and its relationship with Europe and the US. Both are particularly exasperated by the continued arrest and indictment of senior military for conspiring to commit acts of terrorism in a plot to overthrow the government and the what they see as an alliance between the ruling AK party and Fetullah Gulen's movement. As Pipes puts it at his most alarming hyperbolic best: "The arrest and indictment of top military figures in Turkey last week precipitated potentially the most severe crisis since Atatürk founded the republic in 1923. The weeks ahead will probably indicate whether the country continues its slide toward Islamism or reverts to its traditional secularism. The denouement has major implications for Muslims everywhere." Not to be outdone, Soner Cagaptay warns: "All signs point to Fethullah Gülen, whose shadowy Islamist movement is rapidly extending its tentacles into all aspects of Turkish political life."
What of the two culprits: the ruling AK Party democratically elected two times and the Gulen Movement are denounced as the major culprits. Their influence, it is charged, signals the current titanic clash between secular and Islamist or religious forces. The legacy of Attaturk's secular state and society and its elites are under siege. What are the ominous signs that have brought Turkey to this precipice? Turkey's entrenched secular establishment, whose status, power and privilege have been challenged by a rising class of well-educated bumpkin from Anatolia, who have been democratically elected and dominate parliament. AK's founders are now prime minister and president. Members of AK and the Gulen movement, emerging alternative elites, have "penetrated" the military and police that like many institutions of society had excluded them. Moreover, the Gulen movement is now a significant presence through its impressive network of schools in Turkey and globally that emphasize modern scientific education and religion. They also run prominent media outlets and are a formidable force in the business community.
More...
What of the two culprits: the ruling AK Party democratically elected two times and the Gulen Movement are denounced as the major culprits. Their influence, it is charged, signals the current titanic clash between secular and Islamist or religious forces. The legacy of Attaturk's secular state and society and its elites are under siege. What are the ominous signs that have brought Turkey to this precipice? Turkey's entrenched secular establishment, whose status, power and privilege have been challenged by a rising class of well-educated bumpkin from Anatolia, who have been democratically elected and dominate parliament. AK's founders are now prime minister and president. Members of AK and the Gulen movement, emerging alternative elites, have "penetrated" the military and police that like many institutions of society had excluded them. Moreover, the Gulen movement is now a significant presence through its impressive network of schools in Turkey and globally that emphasize modern scientific education and religion. They also run prominent media outlets and are a formidable force in the business community.
More...
February 25, 2010
The Real Risk for Europe is Social
Over the past few weeks, we have seen social unrest reappear throughout Europe. This is often spontaneous and not instigated by the trade unions. While there were expectations that the fragile recovery would generate jobs, it appears obvious that unemployment will remain very high for the foreseeable future.
More...
February 22, 2010
As Economy Trails, Women Can Propel U.S. to the Leaderboard
The Olympics aren't the only races for the gold. There is an important global competitiveness challenge one you probably haven't heard about and the U.S. hasn't even entered the starting blocks. The race is to create balanced leadership for better outcomes. Across Europe, led by far-sighted women, countries and companies race to tap the talents of women and men as decision-makers. Seen as smart business and good politics, the call for at least 30% women at power tables is a mainstream issue.
I'm just back from London on a book tour for Women Lead the Way: Your Guide to Stepping Up to Leadership and met with women leaders in Parliament, corporations and civil society. The progress in Europe blew me away. Here's a thumbnail sketch of what is happening.
More...
I'm just back from London on a book tour for Women Lead the Way: Your Guide to Stepping Up to Leadership and met with women leaders in Parliament, corporations and civil society. The progress in Europe blew me away. Here's a thumbnail sketch of what is happening.
More...
February 20, 2010
Under-taxed Americans are Too Broke to Finance Sustainability Infrastructure
As America struggles to make its cities more energy efficient and build mass transit, electric car charging stations, smart grids, sources of renewable energy, modern water systems and even schools and roads, we face financial challenges in every way. Travel through Europe or Asia and you will see high tech airports and state-of-the-art bullet trains; come to New York City and you see a run-down JFK Airport and the converted warehouse we call Penn Station. While we can certainly blame our current infrastructure finance crisis on the Great Recession, the longer-term problem, with apologies to any Tea Partiers, is that Americans are under-taxed, and they do not save enough of what they earn. I admit, I dislike paying taxes as much as the next guy - and I spend lots more than I save. But the reality is that there is insufficient money for infrastructure because we are unwilling to invest in the future
One of the central issues for sustainable cities is who will pay for the transition to a green urban economy? How is public infrastructure in particular to be financed? To some degree this should be merely a continuation of the role that local governments in the United States have long played in financing infrastructure projects. Taxes and user fees generated at the local level can be used to create the revenue streams needed to pay off debt from capital expenditures. More creative approaches to financing have developed in recent years. In both California and New York, surcharges on electric utility bills fund energy efficiency and renewable energy expenses. In a number of American states Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) bonds have been developed to fund energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. PACE programs enable property owners to pay for these energy improvements over 15-20 years via an increase in their annual property taxes. If they move before the debt is retired, future owners must pay for the cost of the home improvement.
More...
One of the central issues for sustainable cities is who will pay for the transition to a green urban economy? How is public infrastructure in particular to be financed? To some degree this should be merely a continuation of the role that local governments in the United States have long played in financing infrastructure projects. Taxes and user fees generated at the local level can be used to create the revenue streams needed to pay off debt from capital expenditures. More creative approaches to financing have developed in recent years. In both California and New York, surcharges on electric utility bills fund energy efficiency and renewable energy expenses. In a number of American states Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) bonds have been developed to fund energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. PACE programs enable property owners to pay for these energy improvements over 15-20 years via an increase in their annual property taxes. If they move before the debt is retired, future owners must pay for the cost of the home improvement.
More...