Elsewhere (295)
Rod Dreher on Bad Whitey, Corrupter Of All Things:
In New Jersey, two high school boys stand accused of racially harassing and intimidating four younger black girls. The accused are of South Asian (Indian) descent. You might think that this ugly display is a reminder that the sin of racism is a universal part of the fallen human condition. You would be wrong, according to Princeton historian Nell Irvin Painter. Writing in the New York Times, the L’Osservatore Romano of the Cult of Social Justice, Painter tells us that it’s really whitey’s fault… Even when racist harassers are brown-skinned, they’re really white, and their alleged actions are the fault of white people… I remind you that this racist screed was written by a Princeton professor, writing on the op-ed page of the most important newspaper in the world.
You see, when members of one racial minority assault and degrade members of another racial minority, they are, we’re told, merely “enacting American whiteness,” something seemingly akin to demonic possession. This, and only this, is apparently “what matters.” Such, then, are the standards of Princeton employees.
And Steve Salerno on woke education – and mediocrity for all:
It should be apparent that implementing [‘Social-Emotional Learning Theory’] necessarily presupposes some dilution of the traditional nuts-and-bolts curriculum — the diversion of finite class time to topics and methodologies that have nothing to do with mastering, say, long division. The gurus of SEL make no apologies for this. Rather, as [New York mayor, Bill] de Blasio insists in his Fortune piece, “These are hard skills… just like reading and math, that must be taught, practised, and strengthened over time.” SEL’s unflinching emphasis on the so-called “non-cognitive factors” in cognition is bad news for all supporters of no-nonsense education — that is, the kind that doesn’t encourage students to devote class time to communicating their current emotional status to their peers via emojis, as has happened in some SEL implementations.
Because the way to encourage mastery of a subject is to do away with red-pen corrections, which are “stigmatising,” and to embrace “individual” spelling – as opposed to the stuffy and outdated kind, with its rules and whatnot, and thus the possibility of being wrong. Presumably, on grounds that being precise, articulate and in possession of one’s thoughts – or just knowing the difference between ask and axe – is terribly racist.
Update, via the comments:
I’ve mentioned before how at my own state school there were several educators who felt that teaching basic grammar was insufficiently forward-looking and therefore unnecessary, positively beneath them. Consequently, at secondary school, my long-suffering German teacher was amazed to find that his ‘A’ stream students had no idea what a subordinate clause was and had almost no formal knowledge of grammar at all. As a result, the poor chap ended up spending large chunks of every lesson, for months, providing remedial English tuition to some of the brightest kids in school. So that we could eventually learn some German.
Similar views are still propagated by, among others, the Marxist, poet and BBC regular Michael Rosen, who tells fellow Guardian readers that “there’s no such thing as correct grammar.” For Rosen – whose own grammar is of course carefully crafted – learning the rules of the national language is both oppressive and inegalitarian and should therefore be frowned upon. Presumably, Mr Rosen doesn’t believe that other people – poorer people or people with browner skin – should be offered the same tools to get on in life – the tools he employs. Perhaps they’re expected to compensate with proletarian gusto and ethnic charm.
And this is the standard posture, the inevitable dishonesty. Readers may recall the taxpayer-funded race hustler Dr Caprice Hollins, who was paid $86,000 a year to tell Seattle educators that “students of colour” needn’t learn the grammar and fluency that she herself enjoys and with which she signals her own intellectual status. Apparently, those job applications needn’t be grammatical, and any spelling will do, however incomprehensible. Basic skills and attitudes, including foresight and punctuality, are apparently “white values,” and expectations thereof constitute “cultural racism.” We must, she said, see brown people as “racial beings,” but we mustn’t expect them to turn up on time.
I’m trying to imagine how the conscientious parents of a “student of colour” might feel on learning that this is the kind of attitude being propagated in many state schools, at their expense. And at the expense of their children.
As usual, feel free to share your own links and snippets, on any subject, in the comments.
The ‘Indy’ has a column today on how transphobia is really down to capitalism, and I can’t even….
Heather Mac Donald on Harvard’s racial bean-counting and the dance of excuses.
… knowing the difference between ask and axe…
I was just about to ax about that.
[ducks]
Incidentally, I never thanked whoever it was who was kind enough to post the McCain review of Valenti’s memoir a few threads ago.
I remind you that this racist screed was written by a Princeton professor…
Her again.
It was awfully white of the Indians to have developed their caste system a couple thousand years before wypipo showed up.
Oh, wait, an “elite” school professor, “the caste system only shows the awesome yet terrifying Power Of Yte™ that they can project Rayciss Rays back through time and space and corrupt an entire sub-continent”. Maybe I can get tenure.
the awesome yet terrifying Power Of Yte™… can project Rayciss Rays back through time and space and corrupt an entire sub-continent.
Again, I suspect that the conclusion – Bad Whitey – was arrived at well in advance of any actual thinking. The only question being which rhetorical dance is required to get there.
By The Power of Wypipo I Compel Thee…

encourage students to devote class time to communicating their current emotional status to their peers via emojis
Time for a hard reset.
Time for a hard reset.
Ah, but the answer to all maths questions is “Ow, my feelings hurt.”
It’s pedagogic science, people.
Time for a hard reset.
Somewhat related.
And because a cake needs icing.
The ‘Indy’ has a column today on how transphobia is really down to capitalism, and I can’t even….
This bilge isn’t confined to the usual suspects, but is metastasising at an alarming rate. We are not to be allowed to think about anything else. Dearly Beloved received the latest edition of Music Teacher magazine this morning. It includes an article on ‘Teaching transgenders to sing’. I haven’t read it, and probably won’t as I’d sooner lick the skirting boards clean, but I wonder if it’s going to touch on the burning injustice of stubble-chinned basso profundo-voiced hulks not being given soprano roles. Nothing would surprise me in Current Year.
“Mediocrity for all”
“The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning”
That name doesn’t have any nouns in it. Yeah, let’s listen to what those guys are saying about edumacation…
(Yeah, okay. “Learning”. I’m not an educator.)
Time for a hard reset.
I’ve mentioned before how at my own state school there were several educators who felt that teaching basic grammar was insufficiently forward-looking and therefore unnecessary, positively beneath them. Consequently, at secondary school, my long-suffering German teacher was amazed to find that his ‘A’ stream students had no idea what a subordinate clause was and had almost no formal knowledge of grammar at all. As a result, he ended up spending large chunks of every lesson providing remedial English tuition to some of the brightest kids in school. So that we could eventually learn some German.
Similar views are still propagated by, among others, the Marxist poet and BBC regular Michael Rosen, who tells fellow Guardian readers that “there’s no such thing as correct grammar.” For Rosen – whose own grammar is of course carefully crafted – learning the rules of the national language is both oppressive and inegalitarian and should therefore be frowned upon. Presumably, Mr Rosen and those who think like him don’t believe that other people – poorer people or people with browner skin – should be offered the same tools to get on in life. Perhaps they’re expected to compensate with ethnic charm.
Our host has said it before, but if you wanted to actively sabotage the life prospects of a minority group I’m not sure what you would do differently
… at my own state school there were several educators who felt that teaching basic grammar was insufficiently forward-looking and therefore unnecessary …
I envy you. At my primary and secondary schools I don’t think was a single ‘educator’ who didn’t cleave to these ideas.
News items like this one are hardly unheard of. But hey, feelings.
But hey, feelings.
Related: the baby seal du jour.
Well, there are more”>https://www.thecollegefix.com/teachers-union-instructs-members-how-to-push-identity-politics-on-students/>more important things to teach in school than spelling and grammar.
Oh, krep, I forgot the quotation marks. That’s what I get for talking with my daughter about her Halloween-themed fingernails instead of minding my HTML.
talking with my daughter about her Halloween-themed fingernails instead of minding my HTML.
Or afternoon drinking. Whichever it was.
There’s a table I have somewhere showing the mapping of cause and effect.

White man kills black: Racism
Black man kills white: Gun control
Black man kills black: Poverty caused by racism
White man kills white: Gun control
And let us not forget the ultimate cause and effect relationship:
woke education – and mediocrity for all
The curriculum is bad enough, but here’s betting it doesn’t get taught. Because nothing is taught at these schools.
The wife, who is a 5-year veteran of the
Kabuki Childhood Detention CenterPublic School System came home last week totally broken, having been kicked hard in the shin and not given an ounce of sympathy by the admin or even her fellow teachers. After 15 minutes of crayons the offendingcretinchild was returned to class, having not suffered a negative phrase much less a punishment, refused to apologize and so sat on the floor breaking and throwing pencils while the rest of the class took note of the incentives at hand.So we finally looked up local private and charter schools for our own spawn. We both cried – actual, unable to hold back tears cried – when we toured a charter dedicated to Classical Education. You will find no bigger critic of government schools than me but even still I hadn’t grasped the chasm between an actual, serious education and public “school”. God help us.
Related: the baby seal du jour.
Okay, Peter Kyle has dylexia and it can’t be helped that’s true. But he’s also lazy and that’s something he can control. There is no shortage of electonic aids Mr. Kyle could use to deal with his dylexia including spoken word programs where he doesn’t have to rely on any visual input. Instead he has chosen to play the victim and use his disability as a crutch to beat the rest of us over the head. We’re often told that the disabled don’t want our sympathy but that is contradicted by Mr. Kyle’s actions.
There is something about the very concept of personal agency that the Left is Hell-bent on denying.
At my primary and secondary schools I don’t think there was a single ‘educator’ who didn’t cleave to these ideas.
I think I’ve also mentioned the regularity with which I see ‘of’ being used instead of ‘have’ – “He should of done such-and-such,” etc. I see this written so often, and widely, I can only assume that in some schools it’s no longer being corrected.
Instead he has chosen to play the victim and use his disability as a crutch to beat the rest of us over the head.
What, he had a stroke or head injury, or just so thick he doesn’t know what “acute” means ?
He should of done such-and-such,” etc. I see this written so often, and widely, I can only assume that in some schools it’s no longer being corrected.
I’ve seen the misuse of to/too/two, there/their/they’re, its/it’s, and your/you’re so often that it has started to slip into my own writing. Not that my writing is all that great, but stuff so basic, so logical, so easy to comprehend (unlike say, subjunctive past perfect participial agnostic) was never an issue for me in my school days. When I got into the “real” world of reading my managers’ and directors’ and such direct emails (heh…when they did away with secretaries sooo much was revealed), I was stunned by seeing these words misused. Oooh, and don’t get me started on “infamy”. And of course there’s “literally”. And so on.
I think I’ve also mentioned the regularity with which I see ‘of’ being used instead of ‘have’ – “He should of done such-and-such,” etc.
I presume that it’s the aural transcription of ‘should have’ — should’ve. Language changes. I was going to say ‘evolves’ but evolve has the connotation of progressing/improving, and this is just mindless change.
My bête noire is the use of ‘impact’ in place of affect. I really noticed this waaay back while watching the Watergate hearings and thought it was used by pencil-necked lawyers to sound tough and muscular.
Impact should only be used to describe eirher a meteor strike or an artillery barrage.
your own snippets
(Fwiw) click-bait (no, I didn’t click) –
Woman killed in gender reveal explosion was 45 feet away from device, died instantly
Family members were looking for ways to make a fun announcement of a child’s gender, but inadvertently created a pipe bomb.
(Today’s “yahoo!”)
“utilize” vs “use”
“utilize” vs “use”
“Methodology” instead of “method”, (unless one is studying methods).
My bête noire is the use of ‘impact’ in place of affect.
I do sometimes find myself twitching when TV presenters say ‘begs the question’ despite meaning ‘raises the question’, which is something else entirely. Also, using ‘nemesis’ to mean ‘enemy’ or ‘arch-enemy,’ thereby eroding the word’s more poetic meaning.
(unlike say, subjunctive past perfect participial agnostic)
Had I been going to comment on that, I should have been wasting your time and mine, respectively.
(Important disclaimer: I couldn’t resist using the wretched “respectively” there; consider it morbid sarcasm and please don’t emulate. The needless up-cropping of respective/respectively is a noir-ish bête of mine. As in; “The police told the onlookers to go to their respective homes.” – Lest we think they were to go to each others’ homes, or to the police’s homes, or something.)
“utilize” vs “use”
“Endeavor”, especially the British spelling “Endeavour” when used in the US, vs. “try”
Had I been going to comment on that, I should have been wasting your time and mine, respectively.
I’m not really sure whether or not ISWYDT.
I’m not really sure whether or not ISWYDT.
That’s how you can tell it’s working.
‘Teaching transgenders to sing’
Is this where music teachers are to advocate the return of castrati?
“utilize” vs “use”
I’m surprised at how much this one is misused to ironic effect: “looser” for “loser.”
The words “evacuate” and “evacuated” are often used incorrectly leaving one with a very unpleasant image. Buildings, areas and objects are evacuated people not such much, unless, of course, their bowels are not functioning properly. I couldn’t be a firefighter for that reason. I’m horrified when I read headlines like, “Firefighters evacuated 7 people.” Talk about a sh!tty job.
“Higher” and “lower” are often used when people mean “more” or “less.” The local rag used to say, “$1, Higher in Outlying Areas.” My copy editing instructor told us that suburbanites had to stand on tip-toes to purchase the paper.
My bête noire …
You’ve gorn and done it now. Where to begin? I agree with all the examples given thus far (top choices, chaps and chapesses). The misuse of words in order to sound clever, for example simplistic rather than simple (and obviously gender rather than sex) is particularly irksome. One of my favourite YouTubers is guilty of something similar: seemingly incapable of using a simple adjective without adorning it with at least one suffix, he would probably describe the likes of Jelly Bean King and Martina Ratnaffallover as ‘lesbianistical’. Then we come to business/corporate jargon: some thirty years after first hearing it, I still despise those who use that diabolical locution ‘deliver on‘. Horse-whipping’s too good for them.
One of my pet peeves: “Irregardless” …
[ Wanders towards kitchen, muttering. ]
Lousy kids, with their jeans and their rap music…
‘of’ being used instead of ‘have’
‘Than’ and ‘then’. *shakes fist angrily at the sky*
It’s gotten so bad that I start questioning my own certainty when I see some of these malapoopisms.
My pet peeve is really trivial. It is the use of “factoid” to mean minor fact, when the term originated to describe something that looks like a fact, but isn’t. I coined “factlet” to cover the “minor fact” meaning, but no one uses it. Sob.
Dear host, is the sun over the yardarm yet?
Also, what is it with German teachers? Back in the ’70s I had a Czech guy teaching French and German to 15-18 year old kids, who actually berated the English department faculty about their non-teaching of grammar. He told them to their faces they should pay him part of their salaries for this service. He was also known for having responded to an English teacher who stated “The subjunctive is dead.” with “No, you merely wish it were.”
There was a line I liked in the recent movie Greta*, where the heroine’s roommate is recommending a spa day of avocado-juice colonics: not just bodily cleansing but good for the mind too: she says, So-and-so “was dyslexic, now he can say the alphabet backwards.”
*A psycho thriller, not about the current publicity hog.
for example simplistic rather than simple
For the matter of that, “is problematic” instead of “bothers me.”
Dear host, is the sun over the yardarm yet?
With the windows painted over, it’s hard to tell.
If you’re a sports fan, you’re tire of this one too, “physicality” instead of “physical.”
I’m not sure when Don King went from object of riducule to vocabulary wizard.
The words “evacuate” and “evacuated” are often used incorrectly leaving one with a very unpleasant image. Buildings, areas and objects are evacuated people not such much…
Dustoff says hello; medical evacuation can mean either removing a person or persons from a site (geographical, not anatomical) of injury, or your definition, but you’d be hard pressed to find a dictionary that doesn’t include the first definition (or words to the same effect, e.g., removing a person from a place of danger).
Dustoff says hello;
I don’t believe that definition is inconsistent with what I said. People can be the “evacuant” in the case of a medical or emergency evacuation. Still it is technically incorrect to say that people were evacuated. The site is the thing that was evacuated not the people.
One of my pet hates, and it’s ubiquitous, is “one of the only”. Its the “only one” or “one of the few”, not “one of the only”.
Still it is technically incorrect to say that people were evacuated.
If one person of many is removed from a place where his injury occurred, the place is not evacuated because everyone else is still there, the person is evacuated, as in the first definition in the Cambridge dictionary, or the Oxford, if you don’t like Cambridge.
If all the people are evacuated (singly or in a bunch), then the place becomes evacuated.
A person evacuated is an evacuee, an evacuant is something that causes evacuation, e.g., an enema, which some people may be, but is generally not polite to call them.