Re: US Science Education Sucks

From: Brian Atkins (brian@posthuman.com)
Date: Fri Aug 24 2001 - 17:06:49 MDT


Olga Bourlin wrote:
>
> From: "Brian Atkins" <brian@posthuman.com>
>
> > Eugene Leitl wrote:
> > >
> > > It is extremely difficult to stick to just pounding nails all your life
> if
> > > you live in the beginning 21st century. It would have been possible a
> few
> > > decades ago, but barely.
> >
> > Actually where I live, housing construction continues to boom to the
> > point where if we didn't have all those Mexicans moving here we'd be
> > in a real shortage of labor.
>
> Is this 2001, or are we still partying like it's 1899? "All those
> Mexicans" ...? Forgive me, but are you being facetious or supercilious or
> what ...? (Or maybe you're in a "wink-wink" mood - as in: let's ruffle a
> few of those politically correct whiny liberals' feathers?)

No I'm simply stating the truth. Here in Atlanta a lot of construction
work is done with the help of illegal immigrants from Mexico. So many
in fact that this area has become known in Mexico as a hotspot for work,
and many states around here (for instance TN) are starting to give out
driving licenses to them even though they lack INS documentation.

But this is all far off topic from what I was commenting on (hypothetical
lack of "nail pounding" jobs in the future if you'll recall...).

>
> A few weeks ago Natasha posted "I explain this by referencing other
> technologies such as the telephone, television, computers and cell phones.
> At first, only those with money or connections had them. Today, in downtown
> Los Angeles, there are more Mexicans using cell phones than executives."
>
> What are all these insinuations about "Mexicans"?

I think you're having a knee jerk reaction, spotting particular words
everywhere you see them, and in general steering discussion off topic. My
message had absolutely no focus on Mexicans, and made no judgements about
Mexicans, yet now I find myself being accused of "insinuations", and have
to waste my time writing this.

>
> And -- perhaps this is even more important -- what is the way you talk about
> a group of people say about you? This does not portend well for the future
> if you guys are going to be in it, IMHO.

I don't have time for PC crap. Why not take it somewhere else and waste
their time with it?

*plonk*

-- 
Brian Atkins
Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence
http://www.singinst.org/



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