Steve Kelman on Politics, Culture, and Life, 4.2.24
Steve Kelman, Harvard Kennedy School prof, moderate Dem, pro free speech/anti cancel culture, pro tax rich, pro-Israel. Research improving gov performance, China interest. Blog reprints Facebook posts
Feds working on DEI in my exec ed class
Going over the class bios for a Kennedy school executive education program where I'm about to teach. The participants are senior managers in the US federal government at the GS-15 or military counterpart levels. I am somewhat amazed at the quite large number of participants whose job responsibilities basically are DEI. I may have missed this in the past, but my impression is that the number of participants in this program with those job responsibilities was noticeably less even in the recent past.
Boycotting Jewish James Bond
There have been efforts to "boycott James Bond" after a British Jewish actor was chosen to play the role. More sad and hideous antisemitism.
Charitable giving among Jews and Muslims
An article on African immigrant communities in Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn discusses charitable giving among Muslims, using the Arabic word zakat. The Hebrew word for the same thing is tzedakah.
Health food in Mexico
I just saw an ad on Mexican TV for a brand of blueberry juice called "Live to 100."
Xi Jinping writings in English
Just in case you missed it, the first two volumes of 'selected readings from the works of Xi Jinping" has now been published in English.
Chinese Communist Party tongue twister
The Chinese Communist Party committee in charge of economic policy is called the Central Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission. This turn of phrase just rolls off the tongue.
US curbing Hong Kong special status after Beijing crackdowns
The US will not grant visas to Hong Kong puppet officials who have taken a leading role in suppressing freedoms there. And the preferred trading status Hong Kong enjoyed in the US will not be renewed. These actions both seem very appropriate.
Student absenteeism
The Times has a disturbing article about the dramatic growth in student absenteeism. Since 2019 chronic absenteeism has increased from 15% to 26%.
Beach disappears at mansion in Nantucket
An amazing story in the Boston Globe about a mansion in Nantucket that over a few months lost most of its value as its beach disappeared to erosion that may be due to climate change.
“American fries”
At the airport restaurant where I ate lunch recently in Mexico, the french fries at Johnny Rockets are called "American fries."