[source]
On the eve of the election in Iraq, the Associated Press went around the world, looking for people who didn’t think anything good would come of the democratic process there. The AP’s article, datelined Paris, is titled “Skeptics Question Worth of Iraq Election.”
[…]
But who exactly are these “skeptics?” The AP quotes a handful of individuals and a couple of newspapers—not exactly a meaningful sample of world opinion. Let’s take the AP’s “skeptics” one at a time.
It’s worth reading, but the skeptics consist of
What’s really depressing is the distinct possibility that in fact, compared to the AP staff, these guys really are better informed and objective.
Some caliphascists reported that they had captured a US Marine as a hostage and posted a picture of him. Fortunately, it turns out to have been a GI Joe doll. Really. Check it out and see.
At some point I have to wonder if Old Media isn’t on the other side because they’re not sufficiently aware to actually have a side. Could they simply be masses of prejudices and shallow opinions masquerading as human beings?
Iraqis have clashed with demonstrators against the election outside a polling station in Manchester.
About 200 demonstrators were chased by another group who burned their flags, while other Iraqis clashed with police.
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The demonstrators were from Hizb-ut-Tahrir - an Islamic group which is against the elections in Iraq.
David Kahrmann, from the Iraq Election Team, said the protesters “were not even Iraqis”.
“The Iraqi community here were saying, ‘Why are these people who are not even from Iraq protesting against these elections?’,” he said.
The anti-election, anti-invasion factions in Britian have consistently excluded Iraqis, why change now?
The Obsidian Order reports on some strong evidence that terrorist attacks are being staged in Iraq for the purpose of generating news in the West. Gosh, color me surprised!
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New York students can pass the Math A Regents exam by answering 31 percent of questions; 40 percent earns an “honors” pass.
The exam, the simpler of two math tests and a requirement for graduation, is comprised of 30 multiple-choice questions worth 2 points each and nine computation questions worth up to 4 points.
Answering just 13 of the multiple-choice questions right — each question provides four possible answers — guarantees a passing grade.
“It is unreasonable that a student who gets the minimum passing score has achieved only slightly better results than a student who guesses,” said Stanley Ocken, a math professor at City College of New York and a critic of the grading system.
In 2003, two-thirds of students failed the exam, so the passing score was adjusted.
Apparently the unreasonableness of being able to pass by doing slightly better than guessing is less unreasonable that the test pointing out the failing educational system.