[Paleopsych] Black-White-East Asian IQ differences

Thu Apr 28 17:31:11 UTC 2005

Hold on a moment, Greg. What is the issue being addressed? It's why the 
trillions of dollars taken from the taxpayers and spent on uplifting 
Blacks has not been very successful and whether innate racial differences 
constitute a large part of the explanation. Let me ask you, how much do 
you think it would cost to get a good answer? (I have worked in the 
program evaluation section of the U.S. Department of Education, and this 
is one question we dare not address.) And if you don't think a good answer 
can be had at a reasonable cost, do you think that no more money should be 
spent on this uplift and either returned to the taxpayers or spent on 
something that can be reliably evaluated? I am not sure what Mr. Mencken 
called the Uplift is an appropriate function of the government. Certainly 
not for the Federal government, since it is not among the 18 powers 
granted to Congress under the Constitution, Art. 1, Sec. 8.:

The United States Constitution: Article I, Section 8:

Clause 1: The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes,
Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common
Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties,
Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

Clause 2: To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

Clause 3: To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the
several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

Clause 4: To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform
Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

Clause 5: To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign
Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

Clause 6: To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities
and current Coin of the United States;

Clause 7: To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

Clause 8: To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by
securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right
to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

Clause 9: To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

Clause 10: To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the
high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

Clause 11: To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and
make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

Clause 12: To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to
that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

Clause 13: To provide and maintain a Navy;

Clause 14: To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land
and naval Forces;

Clause 15: To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws
of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

Clause 16: To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the
Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the
Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the
Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia
according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

Clause 17: To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever,
over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, byCession of
particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of
the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over
all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in
which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals,
dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And

Clause 18: To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for
carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers
vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or
in any Department or Officer thereof.

Perhaps you think the Constitution should be amended or ignored. The 
amazing thing is that http://www.ed.gov contains a statement that its 
activities are unauthorized!

Frank

On 2005-04-27, Greg Bear opined [message unchanged below]:

> Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 14:27:28 -0700
> From: Greg Bear <ursus at earthlink.net>
> Reply-To: The new improved paleopsych list <paleopsych at paleopsych.org>
> To: 'The new improved paleopsych list' <paleopsych at paleopsych.org>
> Subject: RE: [Paleopsych] Black-White-East Asian IQ differences 
> 
> Must intrude here. This sort of nonsense is so unscientific as to be
> laughable.
>
> Major undefined terms: IQ (what is it really measuring?)
> Intelligence: In what environment does your IQ give you an advantage?
> Nature, society, Mad Max country?
>
> "Genetic"--where is the gene for intelligence, or the set of genes? Do these
> genes differ between the races? We do not know.
>
> This general belief system, expressed with the utmost arrogance in THE BELL
> CURVE,  is generally held by a class of mathematically adept middle-aged and
> older white males with pretensions to an understanding of some of the major
> biological issues of our time. Their ignorance of genetics is profound. Most
> of their language and conceptual structure refers to outmoded genetics of
> forty to fifty years ago--and they've never heard of epigenetics, the study
> of how genes are switched on and off, activated and deactivated. Indeed--not
> only do we now know that "defective" genes can be corrected in non-Mendelian
> ways, having little to do with one's parentage, but even "perfect" genes can
> be switched off in certain environments, after development and birth.
>
> Population groups put under pressure--through war, prejudicial treatment,
> incarceration, or outright persecution--are likely to witness major
> differences in the EXPRESSION of certain (possibly) genetic traits, which
> could statistically help them adapt to a dangerous and stressful
> environment. These adaptations may result in a skewing of IQ results, even
> should such tests be culturally neutral--which they are not--by focusing
> their nervous reaction to stimuli and deemphasizing their ability to focus
> on tasks of less immediate importance--that is, a written test. Fight or
> write, so to speak.
>
> We cannot test the Irish in 1840's Ireland or New York, or the Hungarians
> pressed over centuries by various contending hordes, or poor white trash in
> the American South before the Civil War. Supposedly honorable white men in
> their day referred to these populations as "low" and cretinous, and believed
> that intermarriage would not be advantageous.
>
> IQ matters most among equal populations in a fair and civilized society, all
> things being equal socially; any other circumstance is skewed to those
> raised with various spoons of precious metals and family tradition firmly
> thrust into their mouths. 'Twas ever thus.
>
> So my questions of these researchers would be: "Which fifty percent of the
> genome would you blame? The right half, or the left? The one in the middle?
> Which genes are you pointing to? Are you speaking of generalities, or
> specifics? If the latter, what specifically are you trying to say?
>
> "And why does this sound so much like the same sort of ignorant, prejudicial
> crap promulgated throughout the ages by people of influence, to maintain
> their status through any means possible, fair or unfair?"
>
> White mathematically educated males of tested high IQ, trying to prove that
> IQ is inbred and important... hm. Sounds like a class in search of
> justification to me.
>
> I'd challenge these folks to a duel on the public commons any day of the
> week. Easy money. Facts and native charm versus their almighty IQs.
>
> Greg Bear
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: paleopsych-bounces at paleopsych.org
> [mailto:paleopsych-bounces at paleopsych.org] On Behalf Of Michael Christopher
> Sent: Wednesday, April 27, 2005 1:48 PM
> To: paleopsych at paleopsych.org
> Subject: [Paleopsych] Black-White-East Asian IQ differences
>
>>> Black-White-East Asian IQ differences at least
> 50% genetic, major law review journal concludes<<
>
> --If this is true, how should society change to deal
> with it? Also, what is the IQ difference for someone
> with a male or female parent of a different race, or
> for various blends?
>
> Michael