Do not make the mistake of thinking that because my conclusion is the same as another person's that my reasoning is the same
I said today's posting would be light because I had to work on a couple of posts for Open Source Politics. I thought I'd post a taste of them here. They'll be available tomorrow morning.
You have a choice: read the extended text, which will make you realize you MUST read the rest, or just cut to the chase. I'll still be here when you're done, trust me.
This is a review of a report analyzing several coalition building efforts. (It's not as bad as it sounds, really. But maybe that's just me.)
Like it or not, the United States of America is a multicultural nation. There are those who decry the fact, those who wish to change the fact. But it remains the fact, and any plan with more than local scope that denies the fact is destined
for failure.
The plans of human rights activists cannot be allowed to fail. However, the multicultural nature of our society makes planning difficult. Each subculture in each specific location has both subtle gross differences in priorities and needs that often make it difficult to even decide what to do next, much less how to do
it. There have been successes, though, and by studying them we
can gain insight into the possibility of a general approach to
building coalitions.
This is the purpose behind the "http://www.arc.org/index.html">Applied Research Center.
This one is more self explanatory, though the direction to other resources will take place in a future article, prolly next week.
That mathematical training needs to be improved in our public school systems is a commonly accepted idea. The usual reason given is the increasingly technical underpinnings of our daily lives, but that�s not actually correct. A small fraction of the population needs a familiarity with mathematical practices, and these people set up the technical supports for the rest of us�it�s the difference between being a mechanic and being a driver.
The real importance of mathematical training is not supportive, but subversive. Familiarity with mathematical practices enables you to better analyze events and understand your options on a day-to-day basis.