Books reviews, current events, and other musings

 
I'm off to Hawaii (the Big Island) for a week. A week away from everything (including computers) should be relaxing. Aloha!
posted by Julian at 10:21 PM

 
During the war in Afghanistan, the Taliban reported a larger civilian death toll than actually occurred (from Red Rock Eater Digest):

In fact, said [Afghan journalist] Mehrin and three other former Taliban reporters, the Taliban routinely altered their reports to inflate civilian casualties and minimize military losses.
...
The Taliban's misinformation campaign put the Pentagon on the defensive early in the war. It also helped fan resentment and outrage among Muslims worldwide that persist months later.

According to the LA Times article, the Afghan government estimates a death toll of 1,000 to 2,000. News reports during the war, using the Taliban's figures, suggested 3,000 to 3,500 civilian deaths, about twice as many.

Even with the smaller amounts, American bombs killed a significant number of civilians. At least the American military killed fewer civilians than the 9/11 terrorists. It looks like the actual civilian casualties were midway between the claims of the Pentagon and the Taliban.
posted by Julian at 11:30 PM

 
Many colleges are biasing their admissions to accept more men. More women than men are applying for college, especially at liberal-arts schools, and the colleges want there to be comparable numbers of male and female undergrads. An article and follow-up appeared in the Christian Science Monitor a year ago, but I just heard about it.

The standard rationales for affirmative action don't apply here. Present-day bias and historical injustice are the main justifications for preferences favoring women and minorities, but white men don't face either of those concerns. Instead, the proponents of the policy claim that a gender-balanced student body provides an ideal social environment.

That argument doesn't convince me. It's true that a 50-50 ratio makes it easier for everyone to find a boyfriend or girlfriend. However, ease of dating isn't a sufficiently strong reason to accept a less-qualified guy. Besides, most work environments have a gender ratio skewed worse that 40% / 60%, one way or the other, and achieving equal numbers is a distant dream, not an immediate objective.

There might be a deeper reason driving this push for gender balance. Some people may be uncomfortable with women exceeding men in higher education, traditionally a male area of accomplishment. That's pure speculation; nobody in the articles mentions anything like that.
posted by Julian at 7:09 AM

 
It seems like a weekend would be the ideal time to search the web for interesting items to mention here. However, I've found that I'd rather spend my time immersed in a book. An hour of book reading is so much more rewarding that an hour of web surfing.

The reasons are similar to those expressed in Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman's excellent condemnation of television. Postman explains how the literate culture conveyed subtle and profound ideas, while even the best of television shows was unable to accomplish that goal.

You can, as you all know, discover all kinds of fascinating writings on-line. Still, a book is far more amenable to contemplation than a mouse, screen, and high-speed Internet connection. Of course, a pile of processed dead trees shouldn't distract you from keeping up with Julian's Jabberings.

FYI, I'm currently midway through Studs Terkel's Race: How Blacks and Whites Think and Feel About the American Obsession and Edward Wilson's Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge. I'll discuss those books after completing them.

posted by Julian at 11:31 PM