Yes, my child's state school takes phones at reception with a travel exemption

Yes, that is what I am familiar and agree with

I had a linguistics prof (Hindi, also Urdu, Persian, Arabic, so not these languages) who related an apparently common joke

What's the difference between a language and a dialect?

A language is a dialect with an army

(And linked this to Scandinavia!)

I have had a very worrying experience with my child travelling, which having a phone made safe. Tho agree phones are no cure all (they can even make them more vulnerable to theft), that many responsible adults support children (our society isn't that broken) and there are other ways of managing it

Yes, my child's school takes the phone at reception, with a specific exception for travel

Thank you! That's a clear explanation, and also explains why my Icelandic friend can speak the others fairly well, which I didn't reflect may not be a 2 way proposition

One issue I haven't seen discussed:

A significant minority of children live with both guardians at least part of the time

For many, their child having a phone while travelling is not really negotiable

Why is Icelandic so different from Norwegian/Swedish/Danish?

There are times to have private or semi-public discussions abt the best strategy & tactics, the best arguments and actions for an effective, solidaristic anti-racist movement

That time is *not* when a group has been targeted for a racist attack

Full solidarity with my Jewish brothers and sisters

Similarly they are not interested in open debate/free speech

Those again are mere deflections where their primary object is the justification & further implementation of racist policies & outcomes in the world

They do know such arguments have limited public appeal, so offer cute attempts at reason

Disappointed they don't nip us as a problem in the bus by suggesting vasectomies/hysterectomies for all white ppl in relationship with a not-white person

It's irrelevant/pointless to ask questions about standard deviations or differential IQs in different countries or evidence at all

That is all just noise, noise that unfortunately works amg some/many because these racist stereotypes are so deeply embedded across decades, generations, and countries

That is, they are biological racists who think *all* Black ppl are of lower intellect & moral worth, and seek to justify discrimination v all not-white ppl

See also their attacks on not-white ppl in Europe: they seek to justify discrimination at home in the US by activating universal racist tropes

The only way to understand this is as a statement that biological racism is true and good

It's senseless to parse any evidence or rationality; you might as well debate a dodo

Somali and Haitian Americans are harmed by such talk

The racists *also* are being coy by referring only to migrants...

I can't make this but looks fascinating

1926 would have been the first Census my grandparents appear as young children, but also confirm a few of their siblings left Ireland just in advance of the US 1924 immigration restrictions (siblings my grandparents barely saw again)

We can’t stop individuals wanting to develop new technologies, but we don’t have to spend government money helping to speed their development, or hand political power and influence to those who intend to use them for evil purposes. (I’m talking on this topic at a workshop in Armenia next week.)

I’ve had the same editor since 1967. Many times he has said to me over the years or asked me, Why would you use a semicolon instead of a colon? And many times over the years I have said to him things like: I will never speak to you again. Forever. Goodbye. That is it. Thank you very much. And I leave. Then I read the piece and I think of his suggestions. I send him a telegram that says, OK, so you’re right. So what? Don’t ever mention this to me again. If you do, I will never speak to you again

Maya Angelou on the joys of being edited

literally every day my wife or I go outside with our daughter people go out of their way to be friendly, offer aid or a kind word, no matter where we've traveled. it's nice to remember that hostility as default mode of interaction is not destiny, much as it benefits some to pretend it is

i think folks might be unfamiliar with "the pharisees", so let's make it clear: he's saying the jews run the press, and that they are conspiring to undermine the military. it's not just antisemitism, it's indistinguishable from nazism.

We can point out that some ppl are selective in the racisms they condemn, that such selectively undermines a universal anti-racist approach/understanding, incl among the wider public

Nonetheless, they can be right that a particular instance of racism is racism & it's unreasonable & wrong to deny it

It seems increasingly common for ppl to dismiss a particular (or all) public criticism of something as antisemitic bc the critic in question hasn't similarly condemned other racisms

A speaker's hypocrisy or insincerity is however not the test of whether something is racist

At the same time...

Experiencing racism - having racism block your opportunities, security, health, housing, income and your children's - is not a personal 'identity' issue

The local authority with the largest increase in population between the 2011 and 2021 censuses was Tower Hamlets (+56k, or 22%)

The proportion that was foreign born dropped, from 54.6% to 51.5%

Though I accept many/most of the people making that comment don't think Londoners count as British...

"The University of California system, the California State system, the City University of New York — these are the institutions actually educating America’s workforce, actually moving first-generation students into the middle class, actually delivering on higher education’s democratic promise."

Bourdieu and Culture Buy Bourdieu and Culture 1 by Robbins, Derek (ISBN: 9780761960447) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

Just found out Olly Robbins' father Derek Robbins is professor emeritus at the University of East London in social theory, with an expertise in Pierre Bourdieu

www.amazon.co.uk/Bourdieu-Cul...

Sorry to have missed this, particularly the opportunity to see Bhikhu!

Great to host a panel on the impact of political theory chaired by Lord Parekh in the @houseoflords.parliament.uk and sponsored by the @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social

Engaging discussions and wonderful workshop.

Manchester, 1976, photo by John Bulmer. The shoes!

A related point: it is often argued that we should ordinarily prioritise universal policies, that targeted policies are less good, in terms of impact, cost, for equal citizenship

Some/many 'universalists', however, seem to endorse targeted education & skills policy on socio-economic status grounds

Proposals to tackle inequality in education & the labour market assume *different* pathways for disadvantaged young people & adults

On the one hand, we shd obviously ensure more diverse pathways given the range of human skills and interests

Otoh, why assume this tracks socio-economic background?