Noam Chomsky ***** ***** *** ******* ***** - [ PFKR ] SciAmerican: Google Engineer Fired for Sexist Memo Isn't a Hero

[Razer]

On 08/21/2017 08:12 AM, Mirimir wrote:
> On 08/20/2017 03:48 PM, Razer wrote:
>>
>> On 08/20/2017 06:35 PM, ZeNazi wrote:
>>>> Because the only people who would really care are people with agendas,
>>>> and that's the truth.
>>> Yep, the only people who really care about facts, have an agenda, so
>>> STFU about these particular facts, or face the wrath of Razer, the
>>> intellectual fraud.
>>
>> Example: the only people who promulgate holocaust denial are those who
>> have something to gain from denying it.
> Data is neutral. And you can't have a meaningful discussion without it.
> Re agendas, just about everyone has them. But the ones that we agree
> with tend to be less obvious. To the extent that we agree, anyway.
>
> So about racism, for example. Some argue that various measurables are
> distributed differently in various races. Now of course, "race" is a
> nebulous term. More accurately, one would say population groups.
>
> Allegations about such differences have clearly been exploited horribly.
> By slavers. By Nazis. By eugenicists in various cultures.
>
> However, recognition of increased incidence of serious recessive
> mutations among the Ashkenazim has been very helpful medically.
> Likewise, the increased incidence of hypertension among
> African-Americans. Indeed, it may well turn out that medical practice in
> general ought to be optimized by gender and genetics.
>
> Even solid data on differences in measurables that have been exploited
> by racists could arguably play beneficial roles. For example, in the
> design of educational curricula.
>
> Anyway, advocating for ignoring some classes of data is dishonest, and
> ultimately counterproductive. In my opinion, as a scientist.

I would like to think he's not claiming people should ignore data, but
that in his opinion it isn't highly relevant to his field of work, and
speaking as an Ashkenaz, about Tay-Sacs... (wikipedia)

>  ...It has been hypothesized that being a carrier may confer
> protection from another condition such as tuberculosis...[5] 

Like GMO crops... The potential for REALLY FUCKING UP by, not misuse,
but simply trying to 'repair' or 'improve' (some people consider
herbicide resistance 'improved') a natural genetic 'defect' may outweigh
the potential for any significant benefit.

and there's the scapegoat effect Chomsky alluded to:

>
> Jewish immigration to the United States peaked in the period
> 1880–1924, with the immigrants arriving from Russia and countries in
> Eastern Europe; this was also a period of nativism (hostility to
> immigrants) in the United States. Opponents of immigration often
> questioned whether immigrants from southern and eastern Europe could
> be assimilated into American society. Reports of Tay–Sachs disease
> contributed to a perception among nativists that Jews were an inferior
> race.[43]


Rr


>
>> Rr
>>
>> Ps. I've never claimed to be an 'intellectual'. Ever.
> Whatever that is ;)