Just some comments on yesterday’s news:

The local paper runs a Sunday feature with stories about local teachers. The intro starts:
“The notion of having a high-quality teacher in every classroom is regarded by some education reformers as the single factor that would do the most to close the academic gap between white and black, rich and poor, that is such a crucial issue in Milwaukee and across the United States.”I’m all for high-quality teachers, but seems to me what you really need are parents who care about education. If the parents don’t care, the kids won’t care. And if the kids don’t care, how much of a difference can the teacher make?
[I can think of no way for the state to get parents to care, so I guess promoting teaching is the best they can do. Also, I don’t have any kids. Grain-of-salt alert.]

And then there’s this:
“A group dedicated to building the Counter Clinton Library -- a rebuttal to the Clinton Presidential Library -- has been granted status as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization.
Counterlibe Corp. of Washington, D.C., received word this month from the IRS that it had received the tax-exempt status to pursue its goal of responding to what it sees as "propaganda" planned for the official $160 million presidential library, which is scheduled to open November 18 in Little Rock.”I’ve said before that Clinton-hatred was just as virulent as Bush-hatred is. Here’s evidence. This is so stupid I can’t believe I’m wasting my time writing about it. The only reason it’s getting posted is because it’s not worth erasing.

Also, an AP story: “EU criticizes Bush endorsement of Sharon’s plans for Israeli settlements:”
At first I thought they were unhappy because Israel isn’t moving out of the West Bank, or because Bush agrees with Sharon on the ‘right of return.’ But actually the EU foreign ministers are distressed that Israel is unilaterally (there’s that word again) beginning to implement the road map. The map requires Israel to withdraw troops from occupied zones and freeze settlements. In return, the Palestinians are supposed to crack down on terrorist groups. Instead, Israel is partially implementing the first step by removing settlements (granted in only part of the area required). Couldn’t the Europeans and Palestinians view this as a positive first step? Then the Palestinians could reciprocate and at least part of the plan would be in place, for everybody to get used to while other negotiations go on.
Instead, they’re critical because Israel is going ahead and starting without them. I sense that 'internationalism' is getting a little out of hand in Europe. [It also occurs to me that their pique could be due to the fact that the Palestinians will never be able to hold up their end, even assuming they want to.]


- posted by Dactyl @ 1:18 PM