Further stories on Chinese Students Cheating

Over the past several years there has been a recognition that academic fraud amongst Chinese students has reached critical levels.  In the past five years, Chinese students have increased their undergraduate representation in American colleges from a mere 10,000 students to over 57,000.  While there is no reason to believe that the most successful Oriental students currently enrolled in North American schools engage in any of the documented modalities of fraud, sufficient data continues to accumulate that the average applicant is less than accomplished than what he or she is portraying.  For example, an article in the IHT titled "Sneeking into Class from China" points out the following:

Zinch China, a consulting company that advises American colleges and universities about China, published a report last year that found cheating on college applications to be “pervasive in China, driven by hyper-competitive parents and aggressive agents.

The consulting company told American colleges,

Our research indicates that 90 percent of recommendation letters are fake, 70 percent of essays are not written by the applicant, and 50 percent of high school transcripts are falsified.

Colleges in response are finding the following:

American college recruiters in China feel overwhelmed by the proliferation of cheating, lying, and fraud: Study abroad big business in China, and young Ivy League graduates write essays for Chinese applicants while many a Chinese public school fakes transcripts and recommendation letters.

In 2010 a Centenrary College, located in NJ, decided to shutter each of its satellite campuses in China and Taiwan, subsequent to discovering "rampant cheating among local student".  The extent of the fraud was so ubiquitous that the college was forced to

[withhold] degrees from all 400 Chinese-speaking students in its master’s of business administration programs in Beijing, Shanghai and Taiwan, said Debra Albanese, Centenary’s vice president for strategic advancement.

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In 2009 the GMAT testing agency discovered a wide-spread scandal in which Chinese companies were collecting and selling GMAT questions online.  In response to that and a growing demand from Chinese students for the test, the testing agency has introduced a fourth part containing integrated reasoning questions, in addition to the current verbal and mathematical skills and analytic writing ability sections.  A NY Times article stated that the, "rise in applications to U.S. schools from overseas students has been accompanied by a reported rise in fraudulent credentials"  The new analytic section is meant to handicap memorization and assess the ability of the student to

synthesize information from multiple sources in order to solve complex problems... They also wanted candidates to be able to indicate what information was relevant, and not relevant, and to be able to evaluate which among a set of possible outcomes were the most likely.

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Despite all these harsh criticisms and unfavorable reviews, China's institutions appears to be still very much centered around polices and practices that maintain acceptable levels of fraud and corruption.  The Economist magazine stated,

Scholars, both Chinese and Western, say that fraud remains rampant and misconduct ranges from falsified data to fibs about degrees, cheating on tests and extensive plagiarism.

This pervasive and continuous levels of fraud not only diminish the value of honest Chinese students who participate in Western universities -many of whom I personally knew to be excellent students- but leads one to question the entire system of data collection, research, and scientific publication that is present within China.

The implications of widespread academic misconduct could be great. Denis Fred Simon of Penn State University argues that growing evidence of fraud “calls into question the overall credibility of the entire scientific enterprise in China-and unfortunately feeds negatively into the related concerns about the safety of Chinese products and the integrity of information coming out of China.”

Whereas this slavish affection for deception will allow a few to prosper, eventually the system will collapse from the weight of fraud, incompetence, and indifference to empirical fact.

The Other Fame Monster

I'm not a twelve year old girl, so I'm not really sure what Justin Bieber is about.  Although, I understand he's an androgynous teenage singer from Ontario, Canada.  Regardless, an interview in today's Guardian newspaper illustrates that perhaps the concept of young people manufactured to be a global media stars without the benefit of having a strong family framework, probably isn't very good for the developing child. To illustrate consider the following excerpt:

A few days after the Sunrise incident, Justin was in New Zealand, being interviewed by a presenter with a strong Kiwi accent. He asked Justin if Bieber was the German word for basketball.

"German?" Justin asked.

"German," said the interviewer. Justin looked blank-faced. "German," said the presenter. "You know? German."

"I don't know what that means," said Justin.

"Here," said the interviewer, showing him the word German written on his card.

"I don't know what that means," said Justin. "We don't say that in America."

It's one thing not to be able to understand multi-varable calculus at the age of 14 or not to have a grasp of global political forces driving the Basel III accord even if you're much older, but not to know what Germany is? 

I'm sorry, but the child is clearly a moron, just like his backwater and hick parents.  Where do these assholes come from?  Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan...etc, they're all white-trash morons whose money-grubbing parents catapulted them into a world in which these children barely understand and clearly in the case of the latter two stars, unable to cope with.  Teenage actors, singers, and entertainers rarely do well in life.  Education is one of the ways that allows these young people to make better decisions and hopefully salvage themselves in the upcoming years, when their lives start to disintegrate around them.  However, if you read the Guardian's article, it's pretty clear there's not much in this kid's head and what education he's getting is useless.

Thomas Friedman on Why America is Floundering!

Thomas Friedman comments in his op-ed piece -called "We're No. 1(1)!"- on why he thinks America no longer is the world leader that it once was.  While I think he skirts some of the obvious contributing factors, he does hit the nail on the head in referring to American society as one that has become intellectually incurious, slothful, and where individuals are driven towards instantaneous gratification in both their careers and personal lifestyles.

With regard to why American children consistently score so low internationally, despite the enormous sums of money to reform and improve the education system, he refers to another piece written by the Washington Post's Robert Samuelson in Newsweek.  Samuelson contends that the dearth of progress on the educational frontier emanates not from lousy teachers and administrators, but from lazy, coddled, and unmotivated students, who no longer attempt or even care to achieve academic excellence.

The larger cause of failure is almost unmentionable: shrunken student motivation. Students, after all, have to do the work. If the students aren’t motivated, even capable teachers may fail. Motivation comes from many sources: curiosity and ambition; parental expectations; the desire to get into a “good” college; inspiring or intimidating teachers; peer pressure. The unstated assumption of much school “reform” is that if students aren’t motivated, it’s mainly the fault of schools and teachers...

Motivation has weakened because more students (of all races and economic classes, let it be added) don’t like school, don’t work hard, and don’t do well. The conflict between expanding “access” and raising standards goes against standards. Michael Kirst, an emeritus education professor at Stanford, estimates that 60 percent of incoming community—college students and 30 percent of freshmen at four-year colleges need remedial reading and math courses.

The best part of Friedman's analysis relates to the wretched Baby Boomers, who I call "The Greediest Generation!"  In contrast, as he points out to the World War II generation who sacrificed, struggled, and saved to overcome the Great Depression, defeat both Nazi German and the Japanese Empire, and rebuilt Europe and expanded America's industrial prowess, the baby-boomers:

leaders never dare utter the word “sacrifice.” All solutions must be painless. Which drug would you like? A stimulus from Democrats or a tax cut from Republicans? A national energy policy? Too hard. For a decade we sent our best minds not to make computer chips in Silicon Valley but to make poker chips on Wall Street, while telling ourselves we could have the American dream — a home — without saving and investing, for nothing down and nothing to pay for two years. Our leadership message to the world (except for our brave soldiers): “After you.”

When India, China, and many developing countries are turning out more ambitious, fit, and intellectually competent students, employees, and businessmen, how far does anyone think the fatties and professional victims of America's culture wars are going to get in the great competition of life?  As conservatives like to bemoan, "Culture matters!"

Fanatics and the Undermining of Israel

Much ink has been spilt in the last several weeks over Israel's embargo over the Gaza Strip and dueling arguments regarding the influence Jewish-American political action groups have over Washington's foreign policy.  Very little however, has been said in what may actually be the greatest threat to Israel in the long term.  That threat is the growing power of the ultra-orthodox Jews, who currently reside within Israel, and their determination to engage in their fundamentalist beliefs exclusively.

Over the past several years, tensions between ultra-orthodox Jews and secular and moderate Jews have increased to the point where Israel's future as an inclusive state for all Jewish persons is now in question.  The Haredi Jews, in particular, pose a substantial economic strain on the finances of the state, as many men choose years of subsidized religious study over paid employment.  With their third-world like birth rates, the ultra-orthodox sects are predicted to form a majority of Jerusalem's half million population by the end of the decade.  Their religio-political views are anathema to that of any liberal democracy.  For example, Haredi leaders have denounced reform and conservative synagogues as “reeking of hell” and have repeatedly said that democracy has no place in Judaism.  One leader was imprisoned for 10-months after a plot to attack the Knesset (Israeli parliament) was uncovered.  Violence in Haredi communities against all entities not belonging to their sect has become so widespread that police won't enter these areas out of fear of retaliation.  Their growing influence has pulled the political center of the country to the far-right.  Kadima, the party formed by Ariel Sharon and which is by all definitions a center-right party, now occupies the left wing in the Knesset.

On Thursday the latest installment of this culture-war was made apparent in the streets of Jerusalem.  According to the Independent UK newspaper, more than 100,000 ultra-Orthodox Jews took to the streets of central Jerusalem to protest the country's Supreme court decision on school integration policies.  Parents of Ashkenazi ultra-orthodox sects were demanding that their daughters be educated in different classrooms from schoolgirls of Middle Eastern and North African descent, or Sephardim.  They claim that the ultra-orthodox Sephardim are not as religious.  The Guardian newspaper elaborates:

Underlying the case is the rejection of what the ultra-Orthodox community's sees as state interference in their religious practice and life. "We don't give our girls all the knowledge that there is in the world," said Esther Bark, 50, a mother of seven daughters watching the male-only demonstration today. "We shelter them, and that's why they need a sheltered school. We can't mix a whole assortment of girls in one school."

The NY Times outlines the court's decision which equates the segregation policies employed by the Ashkenazi Haredi as racist and discriminatory.  Other Israelis have far sharper words about the Haredi.  The Independent article quotes a Haaretz editorial that states, "Such groups... demand state funds to strengthen the independent education system that serves their children, but are unwilling to give in on even a single convention that governs their lifestyle."   Secular Jews are enraged by the willingness of the ultra-orthodox sects to dismiss laws.

"The ultra-Orthodox community is getting stronger and stronger," said Yitzhak Brudny, a political scientist at Jerusalem's Hebrew University. "The tensions between the religious and secular communities have become especially pronounced. It's both a class war and a cultural war. The ultra-Orthodox are dirt poor. Among secular Israelis and moderate Orthodox Jews, they are seen basically as parasites. And they have no desire to integrate with other communities." (Guardian UK)

Other religious persons in the country have also condemned the actions and misbehavior of the Haredi. Rabbi Yuval Sherlo, stated that "I cannot take part in the racism and discrimination that is taking place, which is just the tip of the iceberg... It's impossible to claim that this is Jewish law or that it is sanctifying the name of God."

Many others are describing the actions of the Haredi as nothing less than a struggle for the very existence of Israel.

Yossi Sarid, a former member of the Knesset, wrote in the Ha'aretz newspaper. "Now it is happening; the war has erupted. The great Haredi [ultra-Orthodox] rebellion has begun and is raging on several fronts … It will destroy basic values, without which a democratic, developed state cannot exist. It will be lost unless it fights back." (Guardian UK)

German Evangelical Christians find Asylum in USA

American conservatism, as espoused by so-called "social-conservatives" has long been described as being ideologically affiliated with right-wing authoritarianism.  Modalities of thought include the following attitudinal and behavioral motifs:  a high degree of submissiveness to establishmentarian authorities; a hyper-aggressiveness "against deviants, outgroups, and other people that are perceived to be targets according to established authorities"; and a high-level of adherence to" traditions and social norms that are perceived to be endorsed by society and its established authorities."  Coupled with these authoritarian themes is a theological framework that claims that its adherents are oppressed and victimized by elite powers that emanate from Western secularism and liberalism.

In 2008, a German family with Evangelical Christian roots, abandoned the Fatherland to seek political asylum in America.  According to Der Spiegal online, the Romeikes sought refuge in the United States, because the German state prevented them from withdrawing their five elementary aged children from school altogether and "home-schooling" them.

The Romeikes also wanted to spare their children from the "un-Christian goings-on" at German schools. They said that their children were being "educated according to an anti-Christian worldview" in public schools, and that textbooks are filled with obscene language, swear words and blasphemy. "They're more about vampires and witches than about God," says Uwe Romeike.

Despite their desires, courts in Germany have confirmed that it is the "government's responsibility to provide education in a pluralistic society" and therefore the "public has a rightful interest in preventing the formation of  'parallel societies' based on religion or worldview" through home-schooling.  Furthermore, "the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Germany's mandatory school attendance policy, along with the corresponding ban on homeschooling, is compatible with both European law and the European Convention on Human Rights."

For the flat-earth believers and self-appointed moral-police of America, it wasn't enough to pollute America with indolent and regressive half-wits intent on converting all of America to their bigoted quackery.  The Romeike family was resettled in Tennessee with the assistance of an evangelical Christian lobbying group called the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA).  On the claim that they believed that there was "a well-founded fear of persecution" based on their religious convictions, they were awarded political asylum.

HSLDA attorney Mike Donnelly claimed, "This is simply about the German state trying to coerce ideological uniformity in a way that is frighteningly reminiscent of past history."  Judge Lawrence Burman, who adjudicated the case, stated that, "We can't expect every country to follow our constitution," and opined that it was his belief that the family's basic human rights were being violated.  

It is always nice to hear from conservatives, who claim to strongly believe in the rule of law and constitutional prerogatives, that the US constitution has applicability to non-citizens.  Oddly enough these laws don't apply to citizens of their own country who see their homes being searched by government officials, their phone calls llegally listened to, or holding them indefinitely without charge, when issues of the global war on terrorism arise.  Nor does it seem that the US constitution is applicable to non-citizens held in concentration camps where they are subject to torture.  The level of hypocrisy of America's social-conservatives is always admirable.

Becoming More Stupid: Climate Change Disbelievers

Once again, the forces of human ignorance and absolute stupidity are on the march. According to:

The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Sept. 30-Oct. 4 among 1,500 adults reached on cell phones and landlines, finds that 57% think there is solid evidence that the average temperature on earth has been getting warmer over the past few decades. In April 2008, 71% said there was solid evidence of rising global temperatures. Over the same period, there has been a comparable decline in the proportion of Americans who say global temperatures are rising as a result of human activity, such as burning fossil fuels. Just 36% say that currently, down from 47% last year.

That is a startling drop of common sense. It means that 14% of the US population, despite thirty years of research, innumerable scientific studies, irrefutable empirical evidence, and the Nobel Prize for Peace being given to the IPCC (Intergovermental Panel on Climate Change), have in the period of a year changed their minds. The only possible answer to this disturbing regression is that the forces of corporate propaganda coupled with the mainstream media's indifference to articulating facts about the subject and the persistent aloofness of the general population to basic science have given ample opportunity to dissuade the ignorant masses that it is once again acceptable to pollute their way to prosperity.

I've exhausted all patience with these evolutionary dead-enders who shriek at the slightest increase in taxes and the cost of beer, yet are incapable of rationalizing the simplest of scientifically determinable facts. I expect nothing of substance to come out of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in December and furthermore expect that those who prevented change, impeded consensus, and disseminated propaganda will once again be amongst the first to demand that government save them and their businesses when the full effects of climate change occur.

Harvard, Harvard, Uber Alles!

The Harvard endowment fund was an institutional behemoth that at its peak was twice that of Yale University's endowment and historically was a proven winner. Between 1990 and 2008, Harvard’s endowment had an impressive average annual growth rate of 14.3%. The linked article by Vanity Fair, beyond providing another example of a big investing fund going bad in the Great Recession, illustrates some of the worst elements of greed, incompetence, and political correctness that have come to dominate academia.

Over-zealous expansion, bloated academic budgets, balkanized departments, jealousy emanating from both staff and alumni, and the upsetting of the cozy incestuous relationships that all large-scale institutions tend to favor, lead to an unprecedented $8 billion or 22% decline in the endowment fund. A risky investment strategy in the bubble days coupled with a revolving door of management has lead this once glorified university to fall into disarray.

Radical change is coming to Harvard. Fewer professors, for one thing. Fewer teaching assistants, janitors, and support staff. Shuttered libraries. Less money for research and travel and books. Cafe's replaced by vending machines. Junior-varsity sports teams downgraded to clubs. No raises. No bonuses. No fresh coats of paint or new carpets. Overflowing trash cans.

To address this systemic problem, they have elevated (after the Larry Summers "women are stupid" debacle) Dr. Drew Gilpin Faust, who was formally the dean of Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, as president. Her ambitions in the face of this game-changing event are to retreat from Summers once lofty goals of scientific and technological advancement and rededicate the school to the arts.

The article lists a hedge-fund manager, who has Harvard as one of his clients, succinctly describing the school as being “completely fucked.” Having produced such heralded alumni as former AG Alberto "torture is acceptable" Gonzales from their law program and George W. Bush from their MBA program, their failure is now complete.