discoveryinstitute--2020-06-01--Human Zoos — How “Science” Fueled the Racial Fire

Scorching images from across the country fill our screens , a reminder that the racial past remains an unhealed burn in America ’ s present .
The mood in our own area is shocked and anxious , as we watched violence and looting spread from Seattle to outlying cities like Bellevue and Tukwila .
It is getting very close to home .
Some have called racism America ’ s historical “ original sin.
” Where did many white people of the past get the wicked idea that their lives matter more than black lives ?
The question is complex but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fuel our present racial fire .
Comprehending the national burden of hatred is a task not only for scholars but for all Americans .
So too with understanding the origins of the opportunistic criminality that has piggybacked on heartfelt protests against racism and police brutality .
As others have pointed out , forcing young males to sit idle for months in an open-ended lockdown was to invite an eventual explosion .
But the history , of course , goes back much further .
The pandemic has been a seminar on how science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the cross-country chaos of the past few nights , a convulsion that has a stout tendril tracing back to scientific thinking .
It ’ s a good time to review that legacy by watching the documentary Human Zoos : America ’ s Forgotten History of Scientific Racism , written and directed by Discovery Institute Vice President John West .
As Charles Darwin conceived it , evolution posits a racial hierarchy .
That ’ s not surprising , since the theory sees all of life as a vast smudge , graduating from the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In any hierarchy , someone has to be at the bottom .
As Darwin stated explicitly in The Descent of Man , that place was occupied by Africans .
For generations , American public school children learned from their biology textbooks the pseudoscience that Caucasians are more “ advanced ” on the evolutionary ladder than Africans .
Yet this was the scientific consensus of its day .
“ Listen to the scientists , ” I imagine that 19th- and 20th-century racists might have instructed us .
In the multiple award-winning Human Zoos @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instructive chapter in that painful history .
As Wesley Smith noted here the other day , “ one of the tragic trends in thinking about evolution has been to blur the distinction between humans and animals .
History warns us not to regard this lightly.
” Indeed , dehumanizing Africans and others is not only part of America ’ s but of evolutionary biology ’ s terrible burden .
Near the turn of the last century , in New York City , St. Louis , Seattle , and elsewhere , Africans and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ zoos , as animals .
Human Zoos recounts , among other heart-breaking stories , the life of African pygmy Ota Benga ( 1883-1916 ) .
He was bought in a slave auction and displayed in 1906 alongside an orangutan in the Monkey House at the Bronx Zoo .
The organizers intended this as a lesson for the public illustrating the scientific truths of Darwinian theory .
African-American clergy at the time spoke out against the insult to their dignity , only to be dismissed by the New York Times , which explained that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the human scale.
” That may seem long ago .
But as Human Zoos also documents , present-day racists of the Alt-Right continue to drawn on Darwinian racial theory .
Over this past weekend , at the South Bronx intersection called The Hub , peaceful protesters called for racial justice , remembering George Floyd and his death at the end of Minneapolis police .
I wonder how many who came out to demand life — “ We deserve to live !
” — also remembered the horrific injustice that occurred , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ miles away .
Ota Benga ’ s own protest — “ I am a man !
I am a man !
” — summarizes the very best message of the Black Lives Matter movement .
Human Zoos reminds us that this history must not be forgotten .
What is going in our country at this moment can ’ t be grasped without it .
Please consider sharing the film , already seen by nearly a million viewers on YouTube , with your friends and family .
Photo : A peaceful protest in Minneapolis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Scorching images from across the country fill our screens, a reminder that the racial past remains an unhealed burn in America’s present. The mood in our own area is shocked and anxious, as we watched violence and looting spread from Seattle to outlying cities like Bellevue and Tukwila. It is getting very close to home.
Some have called racism America’s historical “original sin.” Where did many white people of the past get the wicked idea that their lives matter more than black lives? The question is complex but, without doubt, Darwinian theory helped to fuel our present racial fire.
Comprehending the national burden of hatred is a task not only for scholars but for all Americans. So too with understanding the origins of the opportunistic criminality that has piggybacked on heartfelt protests against racism and police brutality. As others have pointed out, forcing young males to sit idle for months in an open-ended lockdown was to invite an eventual explosion. But the history, of course, goes back much further.
A Forgotten Legacy? No Longer
The pandemic has been a seminar on how science intersects with culture. Now add to that the cross-country chaos of the past few nights, a convulsion that has a stout tendril tracing back to scientific thinking. It’s a good time to review that legacy by watching the documentary Human Zoos: America’s Forgotten History of Scientific Racism, written and directed by Discovery Institute Vice President John West.
As Charles Darwin conceived it, evolution posits a racial hierarchy. That’s not surprising, since the theory sees all of life as a vast smudge, graduating from the simplest to the most complex animal life. In any hierarchy, someone has to be at the bottom. As Darwin stated explicitly in The Descent of Man, that place was occupied by Africans. For generations, American public school children learned from their biology textbooks the pseudoscience that Caucasians are more “advanced” on the evolutionary ladder than Africans. Yet this was the scientific consensus of its day. “Listen to the scientists,” I imagine that 19th- and 20th-century racists might have instructed us. In the multiple award-winning Human Zoos, Dr. West unearths a forgotten but instructive chapter in that painful history.
“Very Low in the Human Scale”
As Wesley Smith noted here the other day, “one of the tragic trends in thinking about evolution has been to blur the distinction between humans and animals. History warns us not to regard this lightly.” Indeed, dehumanizing Africans and others is not only part of America’s but of evolutionary biology’s terrible burden. Near the turn of the last century, in New York City, St. Louis, Seattle, and elsewhere, Africans and other native people were put on exhibit in zoos, as animals. Human Zoos recounts, among other heart-breaking stories, the life of African pygmy Ota Benga (1883-1916). He was bought in a slave auction and displayed in 1906 alongside an orangutan in the Monkey House at the Bronx Zoo. The organizers intended this as a lesson for the public illustrating the scientific truths of Darwinian theory. African-American clergy at the time spoke out against the insult to their dignity, only to be dismissed by the New York Times, which explained that “the pygmies … are very low in the human scale.”
That may seem long ago. But as Human Zoos also documents, present-day racists of the Alt-Right continue to drawn on Darwinian racial theory.
Over this past weekend, at the South Bronx intersection called The Hub, peaceful protesters called for racial justice, remembering George Floyd and his death at the end of Minneapolis police. I wonder how many who came out to demand life — “We deserve to live!” — also remembered the horrific injustice that occurred, in the name science, just a few miles away. Ota Benga’s own protest — “I am a man! I am a man!” — summarizes the very best message of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Human Zoos reminds us that this history must not be forgotten. What is going in our country at this moment can’t be grasped without it. Please consider sharing the film, already seen by nearly a million viewers on YouTube, with your friends and family.
Photo: A peaceful protest in Minneapolis, by Fibonacci Blue / CC BY.


discoveryinstitute--2020-06-09--An Antidote to Despair

An Antidote to Despair

I am a biologist , a worker in a field with a sorrowful history of categorizing human beings by race , arranging them in a false hierarchy to dismiss some as less human than others .
That history seems very of the moment now , as anguish about interracial friendship and understanding has emerged as the dominant note in our culture .
The following story is true , though , and perhaps it is an antidote to despair .
I have a friend .
Let me call her Kia .
I met her when she was homeless and had just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place to stay — she didn ’ t want to take her baby back to a homeless shelter where smoke and foul language and worse were everywhere .
We had a spare room and had asked at church if there was anyone who needed a place to stay .
Kia was the answer .
She was an African immigrant , with no family , who had been working in adult home care .
One night she was raped .
When she got pregnant , abortion was not an option as far as she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being a single mother .
This came at some cost to her , even among members of her church .
Yet there was no question of her giving up the baby for she had been told she would never be able to have a child .
When her pregnancy was far advanced she could no longer do the work .
That left her homeless , living in a shelter .
We all agreed that she should move in .
It was a gesture of trust for both parties .
To share a home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vulnerability .
She came cautiously , bringing a friend along to evaluate the situation .
No one in her community could believe that anything like this could happen .
White people don ’ t open their homes to poor black people with no status , they all thought , and perhaps some said .
But move in she did .
There was soon a parade of visitors from her community .
They would stare as they walked by us on their way downstairs to the spare bedroom .
They did not approach that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of awkwardness and language barriers .
Over time I learned about all the ways of government subsidy — food stamps , WIC , subsidized housing , DSHS , Medicaid .
I was both impressed and horrified by what I saw .
On the one hand , the government gave food , medical care , childcare , cash , and even housing to the lucky indigent .
But they gave barely enough to live on , and reduced the benefits given according to the amount earned .
It was an incentive to earn just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you from the welfare roles .
And humiliations abounded .
Everything needed documented proof , and petitioners were made to paddle the chartless bureaucratic ocean by themselves , drifting from window to window , unless they had a good social worker to help them navigate the waters .
As time passed , Kia and I became family .
The little baby girl became like a granddaughter .
We shared faith , and stories .
We learned from one another — she learned to eat our bread and we learned to eat flat bread @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and we about using the bread as a delicate means to pick up a morsel of food and eat it .
But it was mostly I who was learning from Kia : what it was to grow up poor — indeed , what it was to be poor in a way most Americans have never experienced .
Kia told of sleeping four or more to a bed in one small bedroom , cooking over a fire outside , no indoor plumbing , walking everywhere , leaving school in eighth grade to care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and died .
No bureaucracy , but no safety net either .
Eventually the social interventionist U.S. government persuaded Kia to take a Section 8 apartment with her daughter .
Perhaps they had as much understanding as the Africans did of the arrangement between Kia and my family .
It seemed something that must be disrupted somehow .
Perhaps they were afraid we would grow tired of the experiment and deposit mother and child back on the street .
So Kia moved out .
Still , she would return for holidays and we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ birthday parties .
Then one day Kia became sick .
It got worse and worse .
She was in and out of the hospital for seven months — she could not keep down food .
The doctors thought it was first one thing , then another .
She was afraid it might be cancer .
She had no one to take care of her , she thought .
And in her culture , people with cancer just went back to their country to die .
But when I found out what she was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We will take care of you no matter what.
” From that time , I stayed by her side in the hospital .
Kia found she was treated better when I was with her .
The orderlies would say , “ Why is she doing this ?
” , meaning me .
The nurses and doctors would ask , “ How are you related ?
” And I would say , “ What , don ’ t we look alike ?
” Finally , the doctors determined that Kia did have cancer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout her body .
I said she should move in with us again .
I couldn ’ t do otherwise , I couldn ’ t let her go through this alone .
This time Kia moved in with a four-year old daughter , full of energy and life .
Our children had recently all moved out , so we were glad to have the house full of life again .
With the support of the local church , we were able to enroll the little one in pre-k. A local oncologist with an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s case .
And most stores and doctor ’ s offices took the government food stamps and Medicaid .
There still were barriers , though .
People in the mainly white suburban town couldn ’ t figure out why we were together .
So we sometimes got strange looks .
One time at the surgery suite the whole staff came to see Kia get an IV .
She was so sick and yet so beautiful and exotic to them .
This kind of treatment was revelatory for me , who was used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this time it was different .
There was a sense we really were family , truly committed to one another .
We would talk and talk and talk .
We would sing , and laugh .
I found a peaceful spirit in Kia , one full of trust in God .
Her whole life long Kia had practice saying , “ I am in your hands , ” so saying it now wasn ’ t hard .
We recognized a kindred spirit in each other , though our lives had taken different @ @ @ @ @ @ @ African people who came to visit also .
I made a point to sit and talk to these visitors , because I considered them my friends too .
I wanted to show them they were welcome , and that my intentions were good .
Kia began chemotherapy in September .
She was scheduled to go every other week .
The chemo seemed easy to bear the first time , aside from having to delay for low blood counts .
They removed one of her medications for the second round and pushed it back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kia was going through must be incredibly hard .
To enter into our house , to go through difficult medical treatment , to worry about her daughter — all of this was very hard .
But Kia never complained , and only sometimes hinted that this was a struggle .
Sometimes Kia and I would sit around the table and talk after dinner .
One night I asked , “ What has this been like for you ?
” Kia smiled and answered , “ Before I was lonely .
Now I am @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing that stood out most in my mind was how we had become family .
Others recognized it too .
Kia ’ s pastor said to us one day , “ Do you realize what you have done ?
You have broken racial barriers , social barriers , economic barriers , cultural barriers , all barriers.
” I was embarrassed and thought , “ Anyone can do this.
” After the third round of chemo Kia developed a tremendous headache .
It proved to be an old subdural hematoma , perhaps from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to have a hole drilled in her head to remove the old blood , and another stay in the hospital .
She went home after a few days , then had to go back for a new hematoma .
All of this delayed her chemotherapy .
She had another round of chemotherapy and another hematoma .
No one knew why .
Kia cried out , “ What do you want of me ?
” and then had her third brain surgery .
When she was out of the hospital , it was time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cancer was .
Together we went to the appointment to hear the results .
Both were worried that all the complications and delays might have made the treatment ineffective .
“ Your scan is clear.
” The doctor said it calmly .
Kia first shouted , then wept .
First the doctor , then I silently held her .
She praised God for his mercy .
Suddenly the future I had feared was gone .
It was December .
What happened next ?
The treatment continued to make sure all the cancer was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ after treatment finished and has continued to be clear .
Her daughter is now seven .
We continue as a black and white family .
We are knit together by trials and circumstances and grace .
When I said that anyone can do this , I meant it .
What is required is a leap of trust , from both directions .
The past errors of my scientific field notwithstanding , experience gives evidence of a healing truth .
We are all human together .

I am a biologist, a worker in a field with a sorrowful history of categorizing human beings by race, arranging them in a false hierarchy to dismiss some as less human than others. That history seems very of the moment now, as anguish about interracial friendship and understanding has emerged as the dominant note in our culture. The following story is true, though, and perhaps it is an antidote to despair.
I have a friend. Let me call her Kia. I met her when she was homeless and had just had a baby. She needed a place to stay — she didn’t want to take her baby back to a homeless shelter where smoke and foul language and worse were everywhere. We had a spare room and had asked at church if there was anyone who needed a place to stay. Kia was the answer.
She was an African immigrant, with no family, who had been working in adult home care. One night she was raped. When she got pregnant, abortion was not an option as far as she was concerned, despite the stigma of being a single mother. This came at some cost to her, even among members of her church. Yet there was no question of her giving up the baby for she had been told she would never be able to have a child.
When her pregnancy was far advanced she could no longer do the work. That left her homeless, living in a shelter.
An Act of Trust
We all agreed that she should move in. It was a gesture of trust for both parties. To share a home is an act of intimacy and of vulnerability. She came cautiously, bringing a friend along to evaluate the situation. No one in her community could believe that anything like this could happen. White people don’t open their homes to poor black people with no status, they all thought, and perhaps some said.
But move in she did. There was soon a parade of visitors from her community. They would stare as they walked by us on their way downstairs to the spare bedroom. They did not approach that “strange” white couple, out of awkwardness and language barriers.
Over time I learned about all the ways of government subsidy — food stamps, WIC, subsidized housing, DSHS, Medicaid. I was both impressed and horrified by what I saw. On the one hand, the government gave food, medical care, childcare, cash, and even housing to the lucky indigent. But they gave barely enough to live on, and reduced the benefits given according to the amount earned. It was an incentive to earn just enough, but not enough to remove you from the welfare rolls. And humiliations abounded. Everything needed documented proof, and petitioners were made to paddle the chartless bureaucratic ocean by themselves, drifting from window to window, unless they had a good social worker to help them navigate the waters.
As time passed, Kia and I became family. The little baby girl became like a granddaughter. We shared faith, and stories. We learned from one another — she learned to eat our bread and we learned to eat flat bread, she learned about knives and forks, and we about using the bread as a delicate means to pick up a morsel of food and eat it.
But it was mostly I who was learning from Kia: what it was to grow up poor — indeed, what it was to be poor in a way most Americans have never experienced. Kia told of sleeping four or more to a bed in one small bedroom, cooking over a fire outside, no indoor plumbing, walking everywhere, leaving school in eighth grade to care for family when her mother grew sick and died. No bureaucracy, but no safety net either.
“No Matter What”
Eventually the social interventionist U.S. government persuaded Kia to take a Section 8 apartment with her daughter. Perhaps they had as much understanding as the Africans did of the arrangement between Kia and my family. It seemed something that must be disrupted somehow. Perhaps they were afraid we would grow tired of the experiment and deposit mother and child back on the street. So Kia moved out. Still, she would return for holidays and we would go to her daughter’s birthday parties.
Then one day Kia became sick. It got worse and worse. She was in and out of the hospital for seven months — she could not keep down food. The doctors thought it was first one thing, then another. She was afraid it might be cancer. She had no one to take care of her, she thought. And in her culture, people with cancer just went back to their country to die. But when I found out what she was afraid of, I said, “We will take care of you no matter what.”
From that time, I stayed by her side in the hospital. Kia found she was treated better when I was with her. The orderlies would say, “Why is she doing this?”, meaning me. The nurses and doctors would ask, “How are you related?” And I would say, “What, don’t we look alike?”
Finally, the doctors determined that Kia did have cancer, stage 4 cancer. It was spread throughout her body. I said she should move in with us again. I couldn’t do otherwise, I couldn’t let her go through this alone.
This time Kia moved in with a four-year old daughter, full of energy and life. Our children had recently all moved out, so we were glad to have the house full of life again. With the support of the local church, we were able to enroll the little one in pre-k. A local oncologist with an excellent reputation agreed to take Kia’s case. And most stores and doctor’s offices took the government food stamps and Medicaid.
There still were barriers, though. People in the mainly white suburban town couldn’t figure out why we were together. So we sometimes got strange looks. One time at the surgery suite the whole staff came to see Kia get an IV. She was so sick and yet so beautiful and exotic to them. This kind of treatment was revelatory for me, who was used to being invisible.
A Peaceful Spirit
As we settled in, this time it was different. There was a sense we really were family, truly committed to one another. We would talk and talk and talk. We would sing, and laugh. I found a peaceful spirit in Kia, one full of trust in God. Her whole life long Kia had practice saying, “I am in your hands,” so saying it now wasn’t hard. We recognized a kindred spirit in each other, though our lives had taken different paths.
It was different with the African people who came to visit also. I made a point to sit and talk to these visitors, because I considered them my friends too. I wanted to show them they were welcome, and that my intentions were good.
Kia began chemotherapy in September. She was scheduled to go every other week.
The chemo seemed easy to bear the first time, aside from having to delay for low blood counts. They removed one of her medications for the second round and pushed it back a week.
I knew that everything Kia was going through must be incredibly hard. To enter into our house, to go through difficult medical treatment, to worry about her daughter — all of this was very hard. But Kia never complained, and only sometimes hinted that this was a struggle.
Sometimes Kia and I would sit around the table and talk after dinner. One night I asked, “What has this been like for you?” Kia smiled and answered, “Before I was lonely. Now I am not. I have peace.”
The thing that stood out most in my mind was how we had become family. Others recognized it too. Kia’s pastor said to us one day, “Do you realize what you have done? You have broken racial barriers, social barriers, economic barriers, cultural barriers, all barriers.” I was embarrassed and thought, “Anyone can do this.”
Humans Together
After the third round of chemo Kia developed a tremendous headache. It proved to be an old subdural hematoma, perhaps from a past fall. That meant she had to have a hole drilled in her head to remove the old blood, and another stay in the hospital. She went home after a few days, then had to go back for a new hematoma. All of this delayed her chemotherapy.
She had another round of chemotherapy and another hematoma. No one knew why. Kia cried out, “What do you want of me?” and then had her third brain surgery.
When she was out of the hospital, it was time for her scan to see how the cancer was. Together we went to the appointment to hear the results. Both were worried that all the complications and delays might have made the treatment ineffective.
“Your scan is clear.” The doctor said it calmly. Kia first shouted, then wept. First the doctor, then I silently held her. She praised God for his mercy. Suddenly the future I had feared was gone. It was December.
What happened next? The treatment continued to make sure all the cancer was gone. Kia passed her final scan after treatment finished and has continued to be clear. Her daughter is now seven. We continue as a black and white family. We are knit together by trials and circumstances and grace.
When I said that anyone can do this, I meant it. What is required is a leap of trust, from both directions. The past errors of my scientific field notwithstanding, experience gives evidence of a healing truth. We are all human together.
Photo by JOHN TOWNER on Unsplash.


discoveryinstitute--2020-06-06--Whose Lives Matter? Darwinism as Soil for Scientific Racism

On a classic but timely episode of ID the Future , Discovery Institute Senior Fellow David Klinghoffer discusses the move by National Review editor Rich Lowry in 2012 to sever ties with two regular contributors , John Derbyshire and Robert Weissberg , after discovering their connections to racialist groups promoting race superiority , eugenics , and other morally repugnant ideas .
Download the podcast or listen to it here .
Klinghoffer explains how Darwinian evolution has informed proponents of these ideas , and how important it is to identify and root out such thinking before it has a chance to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ideas are hardly the only possible source of racist thinking , and of course racism long predates Charles Darwin .
But Darwinism has proved fertile soil for scientific racism in the modern period .
That ’ s one more reason among many to take a hard , honest look at the growing scientific evidence against Darwinian theory .
For more on how Darwinism has contributed to the tragedy of scientific racism in America , watch the award-winning Discovery Institute documentary Human Zoos : America ’ s Forgotten History of Scientific Racism , now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Photo : A demonstration against racism , GoToVan from Vancouver , Canada / CC BY .

On a classic but timely episode of ID the Future, Discovery Institute Senior Fellow David Klinghoffer discusses the move by National Review editor Rich Lowry in 2012 to sever ties with two regular contributors, John Derbyshire and Robert Weissberg, after discovering their connections to racialist groups promoting race superiority, eugenics, and other morally repugnant ideas. Download the podcast or listen to it here.
Klinghoffer explains how Darwinian evolution has informed proponents of these ideas, and how important it is to identify and root out such thinking before it has a chance to pollute respectable institutions and publications. Darwinian ideas are hardly the only possible source of racist thinking, and of course racism long predates Charles Darwin. But Darwinism has proved fertile soil for scientific racism in the modern period. That’s one more reason among many to take a hard, honest look at the growing scientific evidence against Darwinian theory.
For more on how Darwinism has contributed to the tragedy of scientific racism in America, watch the award-winning Discovery Institute documentary Human Zoos: America’s Forgotten History of Scientific Racism, now with more than a million views:
Photo: A demonstration against racism, GoToVan from Vancouver, Canada / CC BY.


Anarchy in Seattle

Seattle ’ s hard-Left secessionist movement has claimed its first territory : six blocks in the Capitol Hill neighborhood .
For the past week , Black Lives Matter and Antifa-affiliated activists have engaged in a pitched battle with Seattle police officers and National Guard soldiers in the neighborhood , with the heaviest conflict occurring at the intersection of 11th and Pike , where law enforcement had constructed a barricade to defend the Seattle Police East Precinct building .
Hoping to break through the barricade , protesters attacked officers with bricks , bottles , rocks , and improvised explosive devices , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ At the same time , activists circulated videos of the conflict and accused the police of brutality , demanding that the city cease using teargas and other anti-riot techniques .
Then , in a stunning turn of events , the City of Seattle made the decision to abandon the East Precinct and surrender the neighborhood to the protesters .
“ This is an exercise in trust and de-escalation , ” explained Chief Carmen Best .
Officers and National Guardsmen emptied out the facility , boarded it up , and retreated .
Immediately afterward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black shirts , and armed members of the hard-Left John Brown Gun Club seized control of the neighborhood , moved the barricades into a defensive position , and declared it the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone — even putting up a cardboard sign at the barricades declaring “ you are now leaving the USA.
” On the new rebel state ’ s first night , the atmosphere was festive and triumphant .
Hooded men spray-painted the police station with slogans and anarchist symbols , renaming it the “ Seattle People ’ s Department East @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rapper with an AK-47 slung from his shoulder and a pistol attached to his hip , screamed , “ This is war !
” into a white-and-red megaphone and instructed armed paramilitaries to guard the barricades in shifts .
Later in the night , Simone was filmed allegedly assaulting multiple protestors who disobeyed his orders , informing them that he was the “ police ” now , sparking fears that he was becoming the de facto warlord of the autonomous zone .
A homeless man with a baseball bat wandered along the borderline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail stood ready for action .
Nikkita Oliver , a radical activist and former mayoral candidate , emerged as a critical voice of the protest movement and assumed a leadership role in the newly declared autonomous zone .
After night fell and a light rain began falling , she spoke to the crowd and outlined the ideological commitments behind the occupation .
“ [ We need to ] align ourselves with the global struggle that acknowledges [ that ] the United States plays a role in racialized capitalism , ” she told protestors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patriarchy , white supremacy , and classism.
” The following day , a coalition of black activists associated with the autonomous zone released a more specific list of demands , including the total abolition of the Seattle Police Department , the retrial of all racial minorities serving prison time for violent crimes , and the replacement of the police with autonomous “ restorative/transformative accountability programs.
” Activists pledged to maintain control of the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone until their demands are met — setting the stage for a long-term occupation and the establishment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city government has not developed a strategic response to the takeover of Capitol Hill .
According to one Seattle police officer with knowledge of internal deliberations , the city ’ s “ leadership is in chaos ” and “ the mayor has made the decision to let a mob of 1,000 people dictate public safety policy for a city of 750,000.
” The officer said that Chief Best had dispatched high-ranking police officials to the autonomous zone to establish a line of communication , but the officials were immediately sent away by armed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tide of public opinion is on the side of the activists and they ’ re pushing the envelope as far as they can , ” said the officer .
“ It ’ s not hyperbolic to say the endgame is anarchy.
” Politically , the Seattle City Council has already begun to champion the protesters ’ demands .
Socialist Alternative councilwoman Kshama Sawant declared the takeover a “ victory ” against “ the militarized police force of the political establishment and the capitalist state.
” Three councilmembers have signaled support for a 50 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with additional councilmembers likely to support a similar policy in the coming weeks .
Sawant also opened Seattle ’ s City Hall — which had been closed by the mayor — to protesters , who immediately occupied the building .
The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone has set a dangerous precedent : armed left-wing activists have asserted their dominance of the streets and established an alternative political authority over a large section of a neighborhood .
They have claimed de facto police power over thousands of residents and dozens of businesses — completely outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ matter of days , Antifa-affiliated paramilitaries have created a hardened border , established a rudimentary form of government based on principles of intersectional representation , and forcibly removed unfriendly media from the territory .
The Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone is an occupation and taking of hostages : none of the neighborhood ’ s residents voted for Antifa as their representative government .
Rather than enforce the law , Seattle ’ s progressive political class capitulated to the mob and will likely make massive concessions over the next few months .
This will embolden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rule of law in American cities .

Seattle’s hard-Left secessionist movement has claimed its first territory: six blocks in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.
For the past week, Black Lives Matter and Antifa-affiliated activists have engaged in a pitched battle with Seattle police officers and National Guard soldiers in the neighborhood, with the heaviest conflict occurring at the intersection of 11th and Pike, where law enforcement had constructed a barricade to defend the Seattle Police East Precinct building. Hoping to break through the barricade, protesters attacked officers with bricks, bottles, rocks, and improvised explosive devices, sending some officers to the hospital. At the same time, activists circulated videos of the conflict and accused the police of brutality, demanding that the city cease using teargas and other anti-riot techniques.
Then, in a stunning turn of events, the City of Seattle made the decision to abandon the East Precinct and surrender the neighborhood to the protesters. “This is an exercise in trust and de-escalation,” explained Chief Carmen Best. Officers and National Guardsmen emptied out the facility, boarded it up, and retreated. Immediately afterward, Black Lives Matter protesters, Antifa black shirts, and armed members of the hard-Left John Brown Gun Club seized control of the neighborhood, moved the barricades into a defensive position, and declared it the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone — even putting up a cardboard sign at the barricades declaring “you are now leaving the USA.”


discoveryinstitute--2020-06-12--Steve Forbes on Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain Technology

Jay Richards interviews Steve Forbes , Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media , regarding the future of cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies , and the implications of the technologies for global money , global security , and internet architecture .
Forbes views cryptocurrency as a “ high-tech cry for help ” as a result of the the instability of government printed money .
However , it ’ s chief flaw is is also a lack of stability , but Forbes believes it will one day become stable and will give people an alternative to government money .
Steve ’ s newest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Ahead , ” where he engages the world ’ s top newsmakers , politicians and pioneers in business and economics in honest conversations meant to challenge traditional conventions as well as featuring Steve ’ s signature views on the intersection of society , economic and policy .
Steve helped create the recently released and highly acclaimed public television documentary , In Money We Trust ?
, which was produced under the auspices of Maryland Public television .
The film was inspired by the book he co-authored , Money : How the Destruction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ – and What We Can Do About It .
Steve ’ s latest book is Reviving America : How Repealing Obamacare , Replacing the Tax Code and Reforming The Fed will Restore Hope and Prosperity co-authored by Elizabeth Ames ( McGraw-Hill Professional ) .
Steve writes editorials for each issue of Forbes under the heading of “ Fact and Comment.
” A widely respected economic prognosticator , he is the only writer to have won the highly prestigious Crystal Owl Award four times .
The prize was formerly given by U.S. Steel Corporation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the coming year proved most accurate .
In both 1996 and 2000 , Steve campaigned vigorously for the Republican nomination for the Presidency .
Key to his platform were a flat tax , medical savings accounts , a new Social Security system for working Americans , parental choice of schools for their children , term limits and a strong national defense .
Steve continues to energetically promote this agenda .
COSM is an exclusive national summit on the converging technologies remaking the world as we know it .
Learn more at https @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the conference sessions including keynotes Peter Thiel , Ray Kurzweil and George Gilder .
Get your virtual ticket here : https : //cosm.technology/2019/virtual-ticket Check out these other great videos : • Jay Richards on AI : Creative Freedom , Not Robots , Is The Future Of Work • George Gilder : Google Does Not Believe in Life After Google

Jay Richards interviews Steve Forbes, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media, regarding the future of cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies, and the implications of the technologies for global money, global security, and internet architecture. Forbes views cryptocurrency as a “high-tech cry for help” as a result of the the instability of government printed money. However, it’s chief flaw is is also a lack of stability, but Forbes believes it will one day become stable and will give people an alternative to government money.
Steve’s newest project is the podcast “What’s Ahead,” where he engages the world’s top newsmakers, politicians and pioneers in business and economics in honest conversations meant to challenge traditional conventions as well as featuring Steve’s signature views on the intersection of society, economic and policy.
Steve helped create the recently released and highly acclaimed public television documentary, In Money We Trust?, which was produced under the auspices of Maryland Public television. The film was inspired by the book he co-authored, Money: How the Destruction of the Dollar Threatens the Global Economy – and What We Can Do About It.
Steve’s latest book is Reviving America: How Repealing Obamacare, Replacing the Tax Code and Reforming The Fed will Restore Hope and Prosperity co-authored by Elizabeth Ames (McGraw-Hill Professional). Steve writes editorials for each issue of Forbes under the heading of “Fact and Comment.” A widely respected economic prognosticator, he is the only writer to have won the highly prestigious Crystal Owl Award four times. The prize was formerly given by U.S. Steel Corporation to the financial journalist whose economic forecasts for the coming year proved most accurate.
In both 1996 and 2000, Steve campaigned vigorously for the Republican nomination for the Presidency. Key to his platform were a flat tax, medical savings accounts, a new Social Security system for working Americans, parental choice of schools for their children, term limits and a strong national defense. Steve continues to energetically promote this agenda.
COSM is an exclusive national summit on the converging technologies remaking the world as we know it. Learn more at https://cosm.technology/.
And, watch all of the conference sessions including keynotes Peter Thiel, Ray Kurzweil and George Gilder. Get your virtual ticket here: https://cosm.technology/2019/virtual-ticket
Check out these other great videos:


discoveryinstitute--2020-06-11--Peter Singer Endorses Medical Discrimination Against Elderly in COVID Crisis

The utilitarian bioethicist Peter Singer does not believe that human life has intrinsic value based simply on being human .
Rather , he endorses a “ quality of life ” ethic in which some of us have greater value than others .
Such discriminatory thinking leads to immoral viewpoints .
Thus , Singer is best known for his support of infanticide because , in his view , babies — not yet being self-aware — aren ’ t “ persons.
” He also denigrates the moral worth of cognitively disabled people .
For example , he has said that people diagnosed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as subjects in experiments instead of chimpanzees in the development of the hepatitis vaccine .
It is thus no surprise that Singer endorsed Italy ’ s age-based discrimination against the elderly during the COVID crisis .
Wait a minute !
Isn ’ t COVID more dangerous to the elderly than the young ?
Yes , and that ’ s precisely the point of supporting age-based discrimination based on a bioethics system known as disability adjusted life year ( DALY ) .
From , “ Is Age Discrimination Acceptable ?
” ( my emphasis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the World Health Organization has set its priorities by assessing the impact of illnesses on what it calls “ the global burden of disease.
” The idea is to learn which diseases cause the most harm , and target them , where that is feasible and cost-effective .
While some diseases are more likely to kill children , others , like COVID-19 , pose the greatest risk to older people , and still others are equally likely to kill people at any age .
The WHO uses a tool called the “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to measure the years of life lost by premature death and the years of life lived in less than full health .
The more DALYs a disease causes to be lost , the greater its global burden .
In the DALY approach , the worth of the individual gets lost because the DALY judges populations .
It doesn ’ t just include years of life lost , but adds into the equation years of lost health or vitality .
In other words , whether you are dead , disabled , or elderly , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ costs and benefits .
In such a system , the elderly or disabled receive less attention than the young and able-bodied because saving their lives would lead to more people living in ill health or disabilities , and hence , impose a greater burden on society for less of a utilitarian return .
Singer justifies this approach by claiming that medicine isn ’ t really about saving lives : Denigrating attitudes like this explain orders in New York and elsewhere that required elderly patients infected with COVID to be placed in nursing homes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and death .
And we know the terrible toll that caused !
If one believes in the equal , objective value of all human life , that was an abomination .
But if one accepts the invidious DALY mindset , such orders made perfect sense because it left acute care hospitals freer to help those with better utilitarian scores .
This is why health-care rationing based on approaches such as the DALY ( or QALY , quality adjusted life year ) are immoral .
These fancy bioethical terms are veneers that obscure blatant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of universal human rights .

Center on Human Exceptionalism
The mission of Discovery Institute’s Center on Human Exceptionalism is to affirm and uphold the intrinsic nature of human dignity, liberty, and equality. In resistance to a growing movement against unique human personhood, we aim to revitalize a commitment to the traditional Western view of human rights and human responsibilities — summed up by the term “human exceptionalism.” Read more


discoveryinstitute--2020-06-05--The Darwin-Fueled Racist Ideas of John Derbyshire and Robert Weissberg

On this episode of ID The Future from the vault , Discovery Institute Senior Fellow David Klinghoffer discusses the move by National Review editor Rich Lowry in 2012 to sever ties with two regular contributors , John Derbyshire and Robert Weissberg , after discovering their connections to racialist groups promoting race superiority , eugenics , and other morally repugnant ideas .
Klinghoffer explains how Darwinian evolution has informed proponents of these ideas , and how important it is to identify and root out this kind of thinking before it has a chance to pollute respectable institutions and publications .
As @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hardly the only possible source of racist thinking , and of course racism long predates Charles Darwin .
But Darwinism has proved fertile soil for scientific racism in the modern period , one more reason among many to take a hard , honest look at the growing scientific evidence against modern Darwinism .
For more on how Darwinism has contributed to the tragedy of scientific racism in America , watch the award-winning Discovery Institute documentary Human Zoos : America ’ s Forgotten History of Scientific Racism , now with more than a million @ @

On this episode of ID The Future from the vault, Discovery Institute Senior Fellow David Klinghoffer discusses the move by National Review editor Rich Lowry in 2012 to sever ties with two regular contributors, John Derbyshire and Robert Weissberg, after discovering their connections to racialist groups promoting race superiority, eugenics, and other morally repugnant ideas. Klinghoffer explains how Darwinian evolution has informed proponents of these ideas, and how important it is to identify and root out this kind of thinking before it has a chance to pollute respectable institutions and publications. As Klinghoffer makes clear, Darwinian ideas are hardly the only possible source of racist thinking, and of course racism long predates Charles Darwin. But Darwinism has proved fertile soil for scientific racism in the modern period, one more reason among many to take a hard, honest look at the growing scientific evidence against modern Darwinism.
For more on how Darwinism has contributed to the tragedy of scientific racism in America, watch the award-winning Discovery Institute documentary Human Zoos: America’s Forgotten History of Scientific Racism, now with more than a million views.


discoveryinstitute--2020-06-15--Following the Evidence in Unearthing the Bible

We are excited to announce the release of a new book by our friend and archaeologist Dr. Titus M. Kennedy .
Some of you had the chance to join Dr. Kennedy last fall as he led tours to various archaeological sites in Israel during last year ’ s Insider ’ s Briefing event .
His book is called Unearthing the Bible : 101 Archaeological Discoveries that Bring the Bible to Life .
It ’ s a visual guide to 101 objects that provide compelling evidence for the historical reliability of the bible from the dawn of civilization through the early @ @ @ @ @ @ @ museums , private collections , and archaeological sites , these pieces not only reinforce the reliability of the biblical narratives , but also provide rich cultural insights into the ancient world .
The Bible has long been dismissed as a book of myths , legends , fairy tales , and propaganda .
Yet when we examine the archaeological evidence , its accuracy comes to light .
Far from being a boring textbook , Dr. Kennedy ’ s photographs and detailed descriptions in Unearthing the Bible enable you to examine each piece of fascinating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Meyer writes in the foreword to the book : “ Many in our elite media and academic culture reflexively reject the biblical message as factually and historically inaccurate , thinking that surely the relevant archaeological evidence supports such a judgment .
This book instead shows that a surprising array of evidence supports the historical reliability of the biblical text , and does so across different periods of biblical history.
” Just as a biological artifact can be evaluated for the presence of design , so also can archaeological artifacts be evaluated in light @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and people .

We are excited to announce the release of a new book by our friend and archaeologist Dr. Titus M. Kennedy. Some of you had the chance to join Dr. Kennedy last fall as he led tours to various archaeological sites in Israel during last year’s Insider’s Briefing event.
His book is called Unearthing the Bible: 101 Archaeological Discoveries that Bring the Bible to Life. It’s a visual guide to 101 objects that provide compelling evidence for the historical reliability of the bible from the dawn of civilization through the early church. Gathered from more than 50 museums, private collections, and archaeological sites, these pieces not only reinforce the reliability of the biblical narratives, but also provide rich cultural insights into the ancient world.
The Bible has long been dismissed as a book of myths, legends, fairy tales, and propaganda. Yet when we examine the archaeological evidence, its accuracy comes to light. Far from being a boring textbook, Dr. Kennedy’s photographs and detailed descriptions in Unearthing the Bible enable you to examine each piece of fascinating evidence for yourself.
As Dr. Stephen Meyer writes in the foreword to the book: “Many in our elite media and academic culture reflexively reject the biblical message as factually and historically inaccurate, thinking that surely the relevant archaeological evidence supports such a judgment. This book instead shows that a surprising array of evidence supports the historical reliability of the biblical text, and does so across different periods of biblical history.”
Just as a biological artifact can be evaluated for the presence of design, so also can archaeological artifacts be evaluated in light of the scriptural account of historic events and people.


Unearthing the Bible

Unearthing the Bible: 101 Archaeological Discoveries that Bring the Bible to Life, from Dr. Titus M. Kennedy, is a visual guide to 101 objects that provide compelling evidence for the historical reliability of the bible from the dawn of civilization through the early church. Gathered from more than 50 museums, private collections, and archaeological sites, these pieces not only reinforce the reliability of the biblical narratives, but also provide rich cultural insights into the ancient world.
The Bible has long been dismissed as a book of myths, legends, fairy tales, and propaganda. Yet when we examine the archaeological evidence, its accuracy comes to light. Far from being a boring textbook, Dr. Kennedy’s photographs and detailed descriptions in Unearthing the Bible enable you to examine each piece of fascinating evidence for yourself.
As Dr. Stephen Meyer writes in the foreword to the book: “Many in our elite media and academic culture reflexively reject the biblical message as factually and historically inaccurate, thinking that surely the relevant archaeological evidence supports such a judgment. This book instead shows that a surprising array of evidence supports the historical reliability of the biblical text, and does so across different periods of biblical history.”
Just as a biological artifact can be evaluated for the presence of design, so also can archaeological artifacts be evaluated in light of the scriptural account of historic events and people.
Endorsements


discoveryinstitute--2020-06-15--The Source of the Problem

The Source of the Problem

Racism and police brutality are one source of the problems we are facing today , but those problems have been exacerbated by government ’ s failure to demand excellence in the performance of their employees and their leadership .
If the Minneapolis Police had been properly managed , Derek Chauvin would never have been on duty that day .
He ’ d have been fired years ago .
Chauvin had been written up numerous times with little to no repercussions .
This situation is not unique to the Minneapolis Police Department .
It happens in every major city .
Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fired .
It is as hard to fire a cop as it is a teacher and it is impossible to fire a teacher .
Other government workers are equally protected , regardless of performance .
That comment is not meant to blame unions .
It is meant to point out that accountability for one ’ s actions or incompetence has been systematically removed from most government organizations .
Consequently , most of them fail to perform as effectively as they should .
We see that in our police departments , in our schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our cities and states .
We end up with excessive costs and poor performance .
Unions have three very specific missions ; to maximize member compensation , to protect member employment and to improve member working conditions .
This is what unions are set up to do and they do it very well .
In fact , unions are some of the most effective organizations we have , at achieving their mission .
However , those three mission statements say nothing about “ protecting citizens , ” “ providing taxpayers value for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” As a consequence , we tolerate ineffective and expensive police departments , inefficient government bureaucracies and failing schools .
None should be allowed to exist , and all have contributed to the issues we are facing today .
Racism is an insidious disease in our society .
So is poverty .
Much of the anger we are now witnessing has as much to do with the lack of opportunity that many , in the Black community constantly experience , as it does with systemic racism .
Much of this opportunity gap is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so many of their children .
Poverty has been shown to be the single biggest factor in a child ’ s ability to succeed in school .
It is bigger than race , nationality or gender .
However , a disproportionate percentage of our Black citizens , live in poverty .
A major reason is because so many of them , and now their children , have or are now attending failing schools .
That happens because we tolerate mediocrity in our teachers and principals .
The reason for that is because we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who should not be in the profession .
I recognize the vast majority of both our police , teachers and other government workers are competent and caring , but we have tolerated mediocrity and incompetence in these institutions for decades .
That tolerance is a cancer and it showed up on the streets of Minneapolis and it shows up in poorly run cities and failing schools .
Neither can be acceptable any longer .
George Floyd ’ s death , though a major loss for his family , need not be a loss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a clarion call for change .
For demanding excellence in our police force , in our government and in our schools .
That can only happen if we stop tolerating mediocrity in our Government sector .
We need to force a change in culture and accountability .
We need police that protect and safeguard our citizens , we need government departments that perform their function efficiently and effectively and we need schools that effectively educate every child .
Today , we have none of that .
Black lives do matter .
Black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ good schools .
Black citizens need to feel the same freedom and safety that the rest of us enjoy .
Black adults need to have the same opportunity to make a decent living .
They deserve to participate in the American Dream .
They need a good education , which they will never get if we keep tolerating failing schools , they need a good job which they won ’ t get without a good education and they need to be able to live in safe neighborhoods , which will require effective police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible , if we address the source of the problem and quit tolerating mediocrity in our police departments , in our government offices and in our schools .
It ’ s time to get rid of mediocrity and incompetence .
It ’ s time to address the source of the problem .
Let ’ s make sure George Floyd ’ s death serves at the catalyst for real and positive change .
If it does , he will not have died in vain .

Racism and police brutality are one source of the problems we are facing today, but those problems have been exacerbated by government’s failure to demand excellence in the performance of their employees and their leadership.
If the Minneapolis Police had been properly managed, Derek Chauvin would never have been on duty that day. He’d have been fired years ago. Chauvin had been written up numerous times with little to no repercussions. This situation is not unique to the Minneapolis Police Department. It happens in every major city. Police employment contracts virtually prevent officers from being fired. It is as hard to fire a cop as it is a teacher and it is impossible to fire a teacher. Other government workers are equally protected, regardless of performance.
That comment is not meant to blame unions. It is meant to point out that accountability for one’s actions or incompetence has been systematically removed from most government organizations. Consequently, most of them fail to perform as effectively as they should. We see that in our police departments, in our schools, and in many of the departments of our cities and states. We end up with excessive costs and poor performance.
Unions have three very specific missions; to maximize member compensation, to protect member employment and to improve member working conditions. This is what unions are set up to do and they do it very well. In fact, unions are some of the most effective organizations we have, at achieving their mission. However, those three mission statements say nothing about “protecting citizens,” “providing taxpayers value for money” or “effectively educating children.” As a consequence, we tolerate ineffective and expensive police departments, inefficient government bureaucracies and failing schools. None should be allowed to exist, and all have contributed to the issues we are facing today.
Racism is an insidious disease in our society. So is poverty. Much of the anger we are now witnessing has as much to do with the lack of opportunity, that many in the Black community constantly experience, as it does with systemic racism. Much of this opportunity gap is caused by our failure to effectively educate so many of their children. Poverty has been shown to be the single biggest factor in a child’s ability to succeed in school. It is bigger than race, nationality or gender. However, a disproportionate percentage of our Black citizens, live in poverty. A major reason is because so many of them, and now their children, have or are now attending failing schools. That happens because we tolerate mediocrity in our teachers and principals. The reason for that is because we can’t get rid of those who should not be in the profession. I recognize the vast majority of both our police, teachers and other government workers are competent and caring, but we have tolerated mediocrity and incompetence in these institutions for decades. That tolerance is a cancer and it showed up on the streets of Minneapolis and it shows up in poorly run cities and failing schools. Neither can be acceptable any longer.
George Floyd’s death, though a major loss for his family, need not be a loss for our Nation. It needs to be a clarion call for change. For demanding excellence in our police force, in our government and in our schools. That can only happen if we stop tolerating mediocrity in our Government sector. We need to force a change in culture and accountability. We need police that protect and safeguard our citizens, we need government departments that perform their function efficiently and effectively and we need schools that effectively educate every child. Today, we have none of that.
Black lives do matter. Black children deserve to be able to attend good schools. Black citizens need to feel the same freedom and safety that the rest of us enjoy. Black adults need to have the same opportunity to make a decent living. They deserve to participate in the American Dream. They need a good education, which they will never get if we keep tolerating failing schools, they need a good job which they won’t get without a good education and they need to be able to live in safe neighborhoods, which will require effective police protection.
All of the above is possible, if we address the source of the problem and quit tolerating mediocrity in our police departments, in our government offices and in our schools. It’s time to get rid of mediocrity and incompetence. It’s time to address the source of the problem.
Let’s make sure George Floyd’s death serves at the catalyst for real and positive change. If it does, he will not have died in vain.


Remembering Pat Baillargeon

Our pioneering friend , Pat Baillargeon , who was interviewed by Bruce Chapman in 2016 , died in Seattle last @ @ @ @ @ A survivor of polio in the 1950 ’ s , Pat became best known as @ @ @ @ @ Lady Eleanor Roosevelt .
Pat returned to Seattle in the early ‘ 60s to welcome @ @ @ @ @ World ’ s Fair , to campaign for an end to racial discrimination in housing @ @ @ @ @ establish the new international program of the Port of Seattle .

Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the most consequential figures in American politics and international relations over the past century. Here, Discovery Institute Chairman Bruce Chapman interviews Mrs. Roosevelt’s former assistant, Patricia Baillargeon. Ms. Baillargeon gives a first-hand account of someone who sees Eleanor Roosevelt from the standpoint of history, but also from that of personal friendship.


discoveryinstitute--2020-06-15--Scientific Racism and the Confederate Flag

The surreal quality of the present moment in American life is hard to miss .
One element in the dreamscape is discussions of the Confederate flag as a symbol still held dear by some Americans , 155 years after the Civil War .
NASCAR , for one , will now forbid displays of the flag at races , though it ’ s hard to see how that will be policed .
Who would fly such a thing in public , certain to cause pain to many who see it ?
No doubt a few diehard racists , but the rebel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the sneering coastal elite and with suffocating political correctness .
That seemed to be the significance when , on a recent family trip to the Oregon beaches , I noticed a surprising number of the flags , on poles and as bumper stickers , inland from the zone of vacation homes on the ocean .
The locals , it appeared , were communicating a message to the affluent Portland and Seattle progressives who drive through .
In my Seattle suburb , a near-neighbor had a Confederate flag on his dock , positioned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flag .
He prudently took it down when someone posted a photo on the social media app Nextdoor , and there were cries for doxxing him and setting fire to his property .
There are still other meanings to the symbol .
Some Southerners associate it with family history , “ Heritage not hate.
” A different and less familiar meaning , expressed in modern terms , would be “ Follow the science !
” Yes , that ’ s right .
It is interesting to remember the role of racial science in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Confederate politician .
Alexander H. Stephens was Vice President of the Confederacy .
In 1861 he delivered a famous oration , the so-called Cornerstone Speech , justifying slavery and rebellion on scientific grounds .
The name of the speech comes from Stephen ’ s ( arguably blasphemous ) appropriation of a verse from Psalms , “ The stone which the builders rejected is become the chief cornerstone.
” He took the corner “ stone ” to be the emerging scientific consensus , which America ’ s Founders had violated in holding all men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Stephens argued , Africans were not equal , and science proved it .
The Confederacy was the first scientific government , he said .
The South , unlike the North , merely sought to follow the science !
And this was why they would prevail in the end .
He attacked the “ error ” in the Constitution : Those ideas , however , were fundamentally wrong .
They rested upon the assumption of the equality of races .
This was an error .
It was a sandy foundation , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ storm came and the wind blew.
” Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea ; its foundations are laid , its cornerstone rests upon the great truth , that the negro is not equal to the white man ; that slavery — subordination to the superior race — is his natural and normal condition .
[ Applause . ]
This , our new government , is the first , in the history of the world , based upon this great physical , philosophical , and moral truth .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of its development , like all other truths in the various departments of science .
Stephens thought he saw justification for racism in science and religion , but he emphasized science .
It was the advance of science , in his mind , that secured his perverted reading of religion : As I have stated , the truth of this principle may be slow in development , as all truths are and ever have been , in the various branches of science .
It was so with the principles announced by Galileo .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his principles of political economy .
It was so with [ William ] Harvey , and his theory of the circulation of the blood .
It is stated that not a single one of the medical profession , living at the time of the announcement of the truths made by him , admitted them .
Now , they are universally acknowledged .
May we not , therefore , look with confidence to the ultimate universal acknowledgment of the truths upon which our system rests ?
It is the first government ever instituted upon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and the ordination of Providence , in furnishing the materials of human society .
Many governments have been founded upon the principle of the subordination and serfdom of certain classes of the same race ; such were and are in violation of the laws of nature .
Our system commits no such violation of nature ’ s laws .
With us , all of the white race , however high or low , rich or poor , are equal in the eye of the law .
Not so with the negro .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ by nature , or by the curse against Canaan , is fitted for that condition which he occupies in our system .
Stephens was an enthusiastic reader of current science works .
Which works , in particular ?
The historian and political scientist Harry Jaffa , in his book A New Birth of Freedom : Abraham Lincoln and the Coming of the Civil War ( p. 224 ) , wrote that he “ surmised ” that Stephens had Darwin in mind : I ’ m not aware of evidence that Stephens was familiar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( full title : On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection , or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life ) had come out two years before in England and in 1860 in America .
However , as Jaffa notes , the book contains no discussion of the human races .
That topic Darwin saved for The Descent of Man , published in 1871 , where he asserted a scientific racial hierarchy , with Africans at the bottom , that would have cheered Stephens and other Confederates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but his idea of a gradually branching Tree of Life left no obvious place for a divine image imprinted equally on every human .
On the contrary , even before he wrote The Descent of Man , an evolutionist might logically expect that humans of various races would have achieved different levels of advancement from their shared primitive ancestry , just as Darwin later made explicit .
From Human Zoos to the Alt-Right Even if Stephens never heard of Darwin , there were scientific racists before Darwin such as French writer Arthur @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the context of the scientific thinking of Darwin ’ s time , which was also Stephens ’ s time .
Darwin and Stephens were contemporaries and would have found much common ground , even as they disagreed about slavery .
In decades to come , at the very best universities , racist pseudoscience would gather even more strength and popularity with leading scientists and scholars .
As John West tells the story in the documentaries Human Zoos : America ’ s Forgotten History of Scientific Racism and The Biology of the Second Reich @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time led to shaming Africans by displaying them in zoos , thus educating the public about the truths of evolutionary theory , to eugenics , and to genocide .
Only with the revelation of the Holocaust did prestige scientists step back in shock from what they had done and try to sweep this past decorously under the carpet .
Today ’ s Alt-Right is not so shy .
As I have reported ( see here and here , for example ) , the Alt-Right invokes neo-eugenic theory , Darwinian evolution , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of America .
They have a twisted logic , or at least a consistency , on their side .
I don ’ t think you ’ ll see the Confederate flag floating overhead at the next March for Science .
But , from a historical perspective , it would not be out of place there , any more than at a rally of the Alt-Right .
It ’ s only because of a willed amnesia that we forget this .

The surreal quality of the present moment in American life is hard to miss. One element in the dreamscape is discussions of the Confederate flag as a symbol still held dear by some Americans, 155 years after the Civil War. NASCAR, for one, will now forbid displays of the flag at races, though it’s hard to see how that will be policed.
Who would fly such a thing in public, certain to cause pain to many who see it? No doubt a few diehard racists, but the rebel symbol may speak more to an impatience with the sneering coastal elite and with suffocating political correctness. That seemed to be the significance when, on a recent family trip to the Oregon beaches, I noticed a surprising number of the flags, on poles and as bumper stickers, inland from the zone of vacation homes on the ocean. The locals, it appeared, were communicating a message to the affluent Portland and Seattle progressives who drive through. In my Seattle suburb, a near-neighbor had a Confederate flag on his dock, positioned on a pole just below an American flag. He prudently took it down when someone posted a photo on the social media app Nextdoor, and there were cries for doxxing him and setting fire to his property.
The Cornerstone Speech
There are still other meanings to the symbol. Some Southerners associate it with family history, “Heritage not hate.” A different and less familiar meaning, expressed in modern terms, would be “Follow the science!”
Yes, that’s right. It is interesting to remember the role of racial science in the thinking of at least one prominent Confederate politician. Alexander H. Stephens was Vice President of the Confederacy. In 1861 he delivered a famous oration, the so-called Cornerstone Speech, justifying slavery and rebellion on scientific grounds.
The name of the speech comes from Stephen’s (arguably blasphemous) appropriation of a verse from Psalms, “The stone which the builders rejected is become the chief cornerstone.” He took the corner “stone” to be the emerging scientific consensus, which America’s Founders had violated in holding all men to be equal. On the contrary, Stephens argued, Africans were not equal, and science proved it. The Confederacy was the first scientific government, he said. The South, unlike the North, merely sought to follow the science! And this was why they would prevail in the end. He attacked the “error” in the Constitution:
Those ideas, however, were fundamentally wrong. They rested upon the assumption of the equality of races. This was an error. It was a sandy foundation, and the government built upon it fell when the “storm came and the wind blew.” Our new government is founded upon exactly the opposite idea; its foundations are laid, its cornerstone rests upon the great truth, that the negro is not equal to the white man; that slavery — subordination to the superior race — is his natural and normal condition. [Applause.] This, our new government, is the first, in the history of the world, based upon this great physical, philosophical, and moral truth. This truth has been slow in the process of its development, like all other truths in the various departments of science.
Stephens thought he saw justification for racism in science and religion, but he emphasized science. It was the advance of science, in his mind, that secured his perverted reading of religion:
As I have stated, the truth of this principle may be slow in development, as all truths are and ever have been, in the various branches of science. It was so with the principles announced by Galileo. It was so with Adam Smith and his principles of political economy. It was so with [William] Harvey, and his theory of the circulation of the blood. It is stated that not a single one of the medical profession, living at the time of the announcement of the truths made by him, admitted them. Now, they are universally acknowledged. May we not, therefore, look with confidence to the ultimate universal acknowledgment of the truths upon which our system rests? It is the first government ever instituted upon the principles in strict conformity to nature, and the ordination of Providence, in furnishing the materials of human society. Many governments have been founded upon the principle of the subordination and serfdom of certain classes of the same race; such were and are in violation of the laws of nature. Our system commits no such violation of nature’s laws. With us, all of the white race, however high or low, rich or poor, are equal in the eye of the law. Not so with the negro. Subordination is his place. He, by nature, or by the curse against Canaan, is fitted for that condition which he occupies in our system.
A Student of Science
Stephens was an enthusiastic reader of current science works. Which works, in particular? The historian and political scientist Harry Jaffa, in his book A New Birth of Freedom: Abraham Lincoln and the Coming of the Civil War (p. 224), wrote that he “surmised” that Stephens had Darwin in mind:
Stephens compares the great scientific discovery in regard to the Negro to the discoveries of Galileo, Adam Smith, and Harvey. He does not name the discoverer of Negro inferiority, nor does he even hint at what evidence had supposed this great discovery. One can only surmise that Darwin’s Origin of Species, published in 1859, may have been on his mind. Yet there is nothing in that work bearing directly upon the question of Negro equality.
I’m not aware of evidence that Stephens was familiar with Darwin. The Origin of Species (full title: On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life) had come out two years before in England and in 1860 in America. However, as Jaffa notes, the book contains no discussion of the human races. That topic Darwin saved for The Descent of Man, published in 1871, where he asserted a scientific racial hierarchy, with Africans at the bottom, that would have cheered Stephens and other Confederates. True, Darwin was against slavery, but his idea of a gradually branching Tree of Life left no obvious place for a divine image imprinted equally on every human. On the contrary, even before he wrote The Descent of Man, an evolutionist might logically expect that humans of various races would have achieved different levels of advancement from their shared primitive ancestry, just as Darwin later made explicit.
From Human Zoos to the Alt-Right
Even if Stephens never heard of Darwin, there were scientific racists before Darwin such as French writer Arthur de Gobineau. Darwinian evolution emerged from the context of the scientific thinking of Darwin’s time, which was also Stephens’s time. Darwin and Stephens were contemporaries and would have found much common ground, even as they disagreed about slavery.
In decades to come, at the very best universities, racist pseudoscience would gather even more strength and popularity with leading scientists and scholars. As John West tells the story in the documentaries Human Zoos: America’s Forgotten History of Scientific Racism and The Biology of the Second Reich, “following the science” of the time led to shaming Africans by displaying them in zoos, thus educating the public about the truths of evolutionary theory, to eugenics, and to genocide. Only with the revelation of the Holocaust did prestige scientists step back in shock from what they had done and try to sweep this past decorously under the carpet. Today’s Alt-Right is not so shy. As I have reported (see here and here, for example), the Alt-Right invokes neo-eugenic theory, Darwinian evolution, and, of course, the Confederate States of America.
They have a twisted logic, or at least a consistency, on their side. I don’t think you’ll see the Confederate flag floating overhead at the next March for Science. But, from a historical perspective, it would not be out of place there, any more than at a rally of the Alt-Right. It’s only because of a willed amnesia that we forget this.
Photo: Alexander H. Stephens, by Matthew Brady, via Wikimedia Commons.


discoveryinstitute--2020-06-16--The State of CHAZ

The State of CHAZ

The new state of CHAZ has evolved .
Over the past week , following Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan ’ s decision to abandon the Seattle Police Department ’ s East Precinct Building , left-wing protesters have transformed the surrounding neighborhood into the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone ( CHAZ ) , hoping to create a new political authority based on social-justice principles .
On its first night , the new micro-state was led by the armed paramilitaries of Antifa and the John Brown Gun Club , but after preventing the return of police and securing defined borders , the CHAZ has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediately , activists established a social structure based on a “ reverse hierarchy of oppression ” : Native American , black , and trans women are the highest authority ; diversity determines individual social status ; and whites are called upon to perform rituals of atonement .
Through a series of speeches and community gatherings , activists have sought to implement the social theory of “ decolonization , ” which , in the words of Black Lives Matter activist Nikkita Oliver , means overthrowing capitalism , eliminating the structures of “ patriarchy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and returning the land of the autonomous zone to displaced Native American tribes .
In practice , the CHAZ leadership has taken small steps toward reversing the power structure and redistributing resources .
Black and Native American speakers have been “ centered ” in leadership roles in all community meetings , with white audience members asked to “ move past guilt or fragility ” and “ commit to long-term action and accountability.
” At one evening event , an indigenous-rights activist with a purple bandana wrapped around his face announced a campaign for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you to give $ 10 to one African-American person from this autonomous zone , ” he said to a large crowd gathered on a baseball field .
“ White people , I see you .
I see every one of you , and I remember your faces .
You find that African-American person and you give them $ 10.
” Though activists have largely succeeded in creating a multiracial coalition , the CHAZ leaders have sometimes adopted policies of explicit segregation , with some spaces reserved for BIPOC— “ Black , Indigenous , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Henderson , an urban farmer with an engineering degree from Stanford , created a shared agricultural project in Cal Anderson Park with a sign announcing : “ THIS GARDEN IS FOR BLACK AND INDIGENOUS FOLKS AND THEIR PLANT ALLIES.
” As Henderson told reporters , the urban garden is a response to “ the question of how Black people have been disenfranchised for so long ” and a demonstration of “ collective land ownership , taking back property and really making it work for the people.
” A few days after CHAZ declared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the governance of the autonomous zone .
While the protesters were unified in opposition to the Seattle Police Department , competing factions have emerged within CHAZ and are now engaged in a struggle to represent the movement .
Black Lives Matter activists like Oliver want the protest to focus on racial inequality and defunding the police .
Socialist and antifascist groups have emphasized the radical political nature of the protests , with Socialist Alternative city councilwoman Kshama Sawant insisting that the occupation must be oriented toward the “ dismantling of capitalism itself ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ revolution.
” And finally , a third faction of predominantly white bourgeois young people has attempted to transform the CHAZ into a block party , with muralists , musicians , and small vendors providing entertainment with political overtones .
On June 10 , with the goal of building consensus and designating leadership for the movement , protesters organized the first CHAZ People ’ s Assembly .
After setting up a stage and PA system , one of the initial speakers raised the question of legitimate authority , asking the audience : “ What @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we going to achieve some sort of communal hierarchy that we all feel comfortable with ?
” The audience booed and insisted that the movement should remain “ horizontal ” and leaderless .
At the end of the People ’ s Assembly , racial-justice activist Julie Chang Shulman conceded that no leadership had been established but that the group had settled on the ideological principles of an “ abolitionist framework ” and “ commitment to solidarity and accountability to Black and Indigenous communities.
” With this vacuum of legitimate authority , the CHAZ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of violence—and the most heavily armed and aggressive factions have become the de facto police power .
Though the rhetoric of the autonomous zone emphasizes openness and freedom , the enforcers within the CHAZ have sometimes brutally opposed dissenting voices .
A revolving group of vigilantes , including the “ warlord ” Raz Simone , has forcibly removed conservative journalists and activists ; in another case , masked Antifa partisans confronted a Christian street preacher and provocateur , choking him unconscious and dragging him through the streets .
How will the CHAZ end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her willingness to provide up to $ 100 million in funding for “ communities of color ” and , according to one official familiar with internal discussions , city government is considering transferring ownership of the East Precinct building to local community groups .
But if the CHAZ leadership is unable to maintain the peace , city officials will be obligated to retake the zone by force .
Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best has suggested that serious crimes may be occurring within the CHAZ and that officers have not been able to respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ erupted into a wider conflict .
A man dressed in black broke into the Car Tender , a local business , allegedly stealing some items and setting the building on fire .
The shop ’ s owner and a heavily armed companion put out the fire and detained the alleged thief , prompting a mob of protesters to swarm the area , break down the fence , and confront the shop owners , believing a rumor that the thief was being held at gunpoint .
After a tense exchange , Raz Simone and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thief and forcibly detained him .
Despite multiple calls for service , the police refused to intervene .
In the end , activists may be more comfortable in the role of revolutionaries than that of state-builders .
In recent days , some have argued that the autonomous zone ’ s name should be changed , to the Capitol Hill Organized Protest , or CHOP—an onomatopoeia for the swift downward flight of the guillotine .
Whatever name activists choose , the governance of CHAZ/CHOP reveals a key flaw in social-justice theory : in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ society does not become immediately peaceable .
Instead , it can quickly descend into mob justice .
By empowering masked Antifa activists and armed vigilante leaders such as Simone , the CHAZ is playing with fire .
Unless a solution can be reached , it ’ s a strong possibility that this utopian experiment will end in tragedy .

The new state of CHAZ has evolved. Over the past week, following Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan’s decision to abandon the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct Building, left-wing protesters have transformed the surrounding neighborhood into the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ), hoping to create a new political authority based on social-justice principles. On its first night, the new micro-state was led by the armed paramilitaries of Antifa and the John Brown Gun Club, but after preventing the return of police and securing defined borders, the CHAZ has sought to implement civilian rule.
Almost immediately, activists established a social structure based on a “reverse hierarchy of oppression”: Native American, black, and trans women are the highest authority; diversity determines individual social status; and whites are called upon to perform rituals of atonement. Through a series of speeches and community gatherings, activists have sought to implement the social theory of “decolonization,” which, in the words of Black Lives Matter activist Nikkita Oliver, means overthrowing capitalism, eliminating the structures of “patriarchy, white supremacy, and classism,” and returning the land of the autonomous zone to displaced Native American tribes.