Logic, Clarity, Simplicity, EthicsUriel Wittenberg
Current WritingsDeceit Culture (series)Deceit Culture #7: Diagnosing the Culture. (See also series index.) The Times Extends Warm Wishes to Urielw.comUriel is gratified to receive the Times's congratulations on his turn to personal advice-dispensing. The Times also undertakes to reflect and improve itself. Alito AngstUriel, warming to his new role, dispenses confidential personal advice to a reader facing trying circumstances. A Tool for Thought DeclinesA look at the world's dominant word processor, as of 6 years into the 21'st century. Uriel at CambridgeUriel describes his stay at Cambridge University. Inside China's Diplomacy SchoolDeath threats, contract breaches, petty larceny, at the unique university operating under the auspices of China's Foreign Ministry — the China Foreign Affairs University, an institution established to train China's diplomats. Dogmatic Scientists Fight Rational ChristiansOn mainstream science's surprisingly faith-based opposition to the Intelligent Design theory. Hamlet Does FundraisingLetter to Artistic Director Albert Schultz and others at Toronto's Soulpepper Theatre Company. Heart TroubleA medical devices company kept mum about a defect in a device that is surgically implanted within the chests of 24,000 people (as of June, 2005) — until the flaw caused a death and the New York Times reported the story. The day the piece appeared in the Times, a doctor with ties to the company solicited urielw.com's support in attacking the "biased" and "shoddily reported" article. "In the interest of creating headlines and another NYT scoop," the doctor charged, the Times "has likely caused harm to innocent people." Man-Corporate Interface: A True Parable of Our TimesA major communications company strives to cope with a communications challenge. Perp Sued After 10 Million TrespassesThe perpetrator was a publicly traded corporation, so law enforcement had to move gingerly. Issue RatatouilleA mixed salad of issues: Harvard University's president explanation for the low numbers of females in the sciences ("there are issues of intrinsic aptitude"); Olivia Judson's green spoon worms; the challenges to the theory of evolution and the ironically dogmatic responses of professional scientists; the New York Times's phony attacks on the blogosphere; and an idea from Times ombudsman Daniel Okrent that is actually ... wonderful. First Amendment Desecrated by New York TimesThe Times gags judges in its promotion of free speech falsehoods. Exchange with New York Times OmbudsmanAfter months of exasperating contacts with New York Times Ombudsman Daniel Okrent, I decided to write about him rather than to him. The result was "New York Times Ombudsman — A Dunce," which I forwarded to him along with a promise to join to it (at urielw.com) any response he cared to offer. The original piece and ensuing exchange are presented here. Pre-War News Coverage: Defective CriticismNot only did the administration use "deceptions and concealments" to bring the nation to war, a New York Review of Books article asserts; but the press also betrayed the nation by failing to report "abundant evidence of the administration's brazen misuse of intelligence." Unfortunately, the article, by Michael Massing, is a hodgepodge of illogic and irrelevancies. American democracy's dire state demands more competent examination and debate. The China Blogosphere (and the Berkeley Journalism School)Bloggers focussing on the world's greatest information-censoring regime, while maintaining the correct "we-love-freedom" posture, have a remarkable propensity to practice censorship themselves. Ending Dissent in AmericaThe downfall of a Major General who opposed torture hints at how the government may promote "harmony" in future.
Additional Writings
Social / Political CommentaryMistaken war: The two words seem oxymoronic, summoning incongruous fields of reference. We accept normal mistakes — forgetting surgical gloves inside the patient, bombing the wrong target, overlooking postwar security needs (despite prior warnings). But launching an unprovoked war by mistake? This is essentially the finding of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.... "Never again": That oft-heard reflection on the Nazi Holocaust is as wishfully unrealistic as the misplaced certainty that preceded it — that such barbarity could never flourish in the heart of civilized Europe. Irreconcilable Differences: Jon Stewart, The Matrix, and our unlinked pods. Delusion Carries Bush: A study concludes that Bush and Kerry supporters, just prior to the 2004 election, lived in "separate realities." Toronto Star Doesn't Shine: A Toronto Star story about a murderer's sentencing doesn't make sense. I emailed the reporter ... and her response didn't make sense. I emailed the paper's ombudsperson ... and he/she ignored me. (Published article and correspondence.) Two Trailer Park Moms: Thoughts on a winner at the 2005 Academy Awards. Cultural Incommensurability: Prof. Longxi Zhang of Hong Kong rebuts fallacies of unknowns; unknown author Nickolay Gurevich quotes self; and a former unknown's chronicle of China's diplomacy school is likened to Martin Luther's revolutionary Ninety-Five Theses (posted in Wittenberg). Deception Shapes Public Opinion: To uphold democracy, the deceivers must be exposed. The World's Last Remaining Ideology: It shares with the opposing ideologies it vanquished a rigidity of faith and a blindness to reason. Emperor's Nudity Remarked: Establishment news media organ briefly tolerates glasnost with respect to Microsoft Windows®. Descending into Barbarism: They ain't gon' stop us - they can't / We're stronger now, more then ever / They tell us "No", we say "Yeah" / They tell us "Stop", we say "Go" / Rebel with a rebel yell / Raise hell - we gon' let em know / Stomp, push, shove, mush... / Fuck Bush.... The future of our political discourse? Yearning for Mechanical Rule: U.C.L.A. law school professor and blogger Eugene Volokh, commenting on recent cases of journalists charged with contempt for refusing to identify sources, believes society's legitimate democratic interest in a news item should be irrelevant in determining the First Amendment protection to which the item is entitled. Deficiencies in the New York Times, an exemplar of American journalism:
· Journalistic violations contribute to national disaster · "Unfettered" Times ombudsman barred from addressing editorial errors: Responding to a reader's concern about a plainly wrong New York Times editorial that contradicts "legal experts" cited in a Times news article, Times Ombudsman Daniel Okrent states that editorials are not within his "purview." Yet, the new ombudsman position, created in the wake of the Times's Jayson Blair scandal, was to have "unfettered opportunity to address readers' comments." How high in Times management does knowledge of the restrictions on the ombudsman's purview reach? · List of New York Times-related items at urielw.com (including items not listed here). U.S. Presidential Election Debates, 2004:
· The Vice Presidential Debate: I have only one quibble really, concerning the lack of coordination between the campaigns for the Cheney-Edwards debate (Oct. 5, 2004). ACLU signs trick promise to keep government money: The American Civil Liberties Union shows how to uphold your principles, yet still get the money. 2009: The Nightmare is Here: A possible future for America. Our new blogosphere: A new mass phenomenon which may supplant journalism. Changing Course: A New Approach In Iraq: We may be entering an era of unstoppable, uncontrollable global terrorism. That could be what President Bush terms the "unthinkable" consequence of failure to stabilize and democratize Iraq. Bush contends that most Iraqis oppose the insurgency. This is very plausible, since they may reasonably fear the scenario L. Paul Bremer III, chief of the American occupation authority, has warned them about: a return to "the dark Iraq of the past where violence and fear rule, where power comes from a gun, and where only the powerful and ruthless are secure." (N.Y. Times, April 24, 2004.) If most Iraqis indeed oppose the insurgency, they might be expected to support the radical measures sketched here. If such support can be publicly established, these measures should be implemented, for Iraq's sake and the world's. Easy Answers to World Priorities: Science, medicine, law, engineering — these all have their little conundrums. But where human welfare is concerned, their potential payoffs are meagre. When it comes to our most important shared objectives, it is fair to say that all challenges but one are mere distractions from the central priority: the ancient, elementary problem of how to organize ourselves effectively. What is amazing is how intellectually easy it is to recognize feasible, practical initiatives that could upgrade the social conditions under which we all live. A functioning "marketplace of ideas," if only we had such a thing, might yield such directions. But as things stand, political debate is oblivious to rudimentary civic insights. Some are listed here. Journalism versus Capitalism: The bilious blogosphere ignores media expert Michael Wolff's insights on why the press isn't fulfilling its democratic role. Drowning in Deceit: Our democracy is operating without oxygen. Here are excerpts from a sampling of recent news stories reflecting how every major issue in our society — war; medicine; integrity in government, in journalism, even in elementary vote-counting in elections — is drenched in confusion. The World's Beacon of Democracy — Today: Harmony, goodwill, security. We would like our children to be headed towards that kind of world. And bland safety and comfort are not enough. Their future should also bring joy, excitement, human fulfillment. But our kids probably won't even get so much as safety and security.... Culture: Appealing Our Free-Speech Sentence: Since the influence of the entertainment industry has been deplored for decades, it is now safe to conclude that deploring something does not make it stop. If we persist in passivity, our essential culture — our values, ideals, and identity as a people — will be steamrollered by a powerful force we fully recognize as malign. The Age of Living Vicariously, by Bill McKibben. ALERT: U.S. Democracy Under Siege: In a recent Senate debate, one senator after another speaks of the impending demise of democracy in the U.S. Reflections on Corporate America: Series of letters from Uriel Wittenberg reflecting on Corporate America and some of his observations there. Shakespeare in Canada: In the summer of 2001, Uriel attended a course on Shakespeare at Dalhousie University, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This series of letters relates some of his experiences and observations. Notes on an Emperor's Nakedness: Observations of the high rate of software project failure in corporations lead this consultant to ask: is capitalism working? Flack Journalist's Defense Confirms Flackhood: "The Think Tank As Flack," an article appearing in The Washington Monthly, warns of a "mighty river of private money" which influences American politics by underwriting "a vast network of public policy think tanks and advocacy groups." Among the think tanks mentioned is The Reason Foundation, which bills itself as "a national research and educational organization that explores and promotes the twin values of rationality and freedom as the basic underpinnings of a good society." Reason's Jacob Sullum takes umbrage at the Washington Monthly piece — and leaves no doubt of his own flackhood. Software: Success through Sophistry: A fresh piece of technical claptrap in a computer magazine, promoting some new database product with misleading claims, prompts an exchange between Uriel Wittenberg and database consultants C. J. Date and Fabian Pascal. While differences are expressed, what is more noteworthy is the common viewpoint that emerges, implicitly or explicitly, from all three observers: that competition in the software market is more a matter of deception than of technological progress. Mission Unrealized: Criticisms of specific articles (from 2001) in the Globe and Mail, considered Canada's foremost newspaper by some. Ironies of education report reporting: an OECD report on education in various nations receives conflicting coverage in the Canadian press. Canada's Perennial Issue: Inexplicable as it is, Quebec's secession movement is no joke. In an October, 1995 referendum, a little over 49 percent of Quebec voters favored secession. Quebec's pro-secession government intends to put the question before voters again in a future referendum. In August, 1998, Canada's Supreme Court ruled that if a "clear majority" of the people in Quebec wanted to secede, the rest of Canada would be obliged to accept their wish. If the separation of Canada were actually to occur, it would involve a significant destabilization of this major neighbor, ally, and trading partner of the U.S. — with unforeseeable consequences. Respectable Evil: Manipulating a person; gaining their trust; abusing that trust and causing injury — all for selfish ends. Everyone recognizes this classic pattern of evil. In democratic societies, the most potent perpetrators of evil are those who follow this pattern on a large scale, practicing the arts of deception and misleading the public in pursuit of private gain. Remarkably, our society often permits prominent, successful people to maintain credibility and influence even when they are unmistakably revealed to have offended in this way. This would not be possible but for the misguided convention that constrains most commentators from characterizing such offenders bluntly. In a free and open society, this is a mistake. After September 11 (2-part article) China-RelatedTeaching Experiences:
· 2001-2002: Uriel's Return to China: A series of letters written by Uriel while teaching at Tsinghua University — the second period of time he spent living in China. · 2002-2003: Inside China's Diplomacy School: Death threats, contract breaches, petty larceny, at the unique university operating under the auspices of China's Foreign Ministry — the China Foreign Affairs University, an institution established to train China's diplomats. Wrongdoing by American Mormons in China: Utah's Brigham Young University has been on the censure list of the American Association of University Professors since 1998 for academic freedom violations. BYU is owned by the Mormon Church, which is rich and growing fast, both in the U.S. and abroad. BYU is active in China's top universities, including the one where President Bush delivered a speech during his China visit in February, 2002. Behind the scenes, while Bush was urging American-style liberties upon the Chinese, BYU's power and influence were battling academic freedom. American Culture — A Warning for China: Text of a lecture delivered at several leading Chinese universities, including Tsinghua University and Beijing University. Index pages for Uriel's students: · China Foreign Affairs University Computer / TechnicalWebsurfing Tips: If you're a proficient websurfer, chances are excellent you'll see things here you already know. Otherwise, this non-technical presentation of some aspects of the web might be helpful to you in your surfing. Mathematical Notation for Law Representation builds on earlier proposals for adopting symbolic, math-like notation as an overwhelmingly superior way to represent complex and intricate rules such as those found in many areas of the law. Despite ill-informed prejudices suggesting that anything involving symbols can only be deciphered by mathematicians, symbolic notation is a more effective means of conveying such rules to anyone. It is simpler, clearer, more concise and more precise. Not only is it beneficial in conveying existing rules; its advantages also yield decisive benefits in designing rules that effectively promote their objectives. Symbolic notation is nothing more than modern intellectual technology, long considered indispensable in representing complicated ideas in disciplines other than law. For those not of the view that legislation already fulfills its social function satisfactorily, this paper presents a compelling argument for fundamental progress. Hyper-Productivity: A New Approach for PowerBuilder Success gives a detailed description, with PowerBuilder examples, of a software development methodology that leads to radically faster development, cleaner programs, and easier maintenance. The paper also offers a consultant's candid observations on how Sybase, client companies, and developers contribute to the many pitfalls associated with software development. The Horror: WS_FTP Pro for Windows: Criticism of the widely used software application for transferring files between computers. Non-Microsoft Text Paste Avoids Freezing, Stealth Uglification: Introducing a "smart-paste" utility for Windows users hampered by Microsoft bugs in Word and Outlook Express. (It removes formatting from text.) MiscellaneousNorthridge / Bally Ethical Breaches: Gross ethical violations at Uriel's Toronto squash club, beyond those seen before, prompt him to look into Bally Total Fitness Holding Corp., the corporation behind the scenes. The violations turn out not to be isolated events. Toronto YMCA Mismanagement: Mismanagement, deceit, and abuse of power in the management of the YMCA of Greater Toronto, a 77 million dollar a year charitable organization. Squash (the sport): Some items about squash, including "Court Jester," a great article by Bruce Grierson about one-time world champion Jonathon Power; and a note about how the World Squash Federation's official rules are internally contradictory. Restaurateur's Heroism Tale Smells Fishy: Frédéric Geisweiller, proprietor of downtown Toronto's Le Select Bistro restaurant, advertises his alternate history of a legal defeat, in which he's no deadbeat but a defender of very important principles like francophone rights. More Art, Less Worldly Lamentation: urielw.com switches tracks for a while; offers a reading recommendation if you'd like to do likewise. Mainstream press absurdities rage on. Meeting Ian McEwan: The links between the great writer and myself continue to proliferate. Bolt from the Blue Smites Book Critic: Another public lecture, another cosmic happening! The Immortal Villain of Washington Square: An essay on the Henry James novel, written for a University of Toronto course on American literature. Amazon: Positive Reviews, Yes! Negative Reviews ... Sometimes: The pioneering online bookstore has long featured customer reviews. The downside of this popular feature for Amazon, of course, is that sometimes a review is negative. And that could occasionally prevent a sale. Clearly they can't openly ban reviews just because they're unfavorable — they'd be derided as online book burners. What's a company to do? Oxford Publishes Wrong Text, Declines Comment: Oxford University Press editions of Washington Square published in 1982 and 1998 do not reflect about thirty significant alterations made by Henry James shortly after the novel's initial publication, apparently because the editor was unaware of the alterations. Oxford University Press has not responded to repeated inquiries. |
