2 ms·
I don't dispute the general findings of the study summarized by the article, but who's choosing the images that go along? The article opens with a mention of th
by skywhopper 12y ago
I don't dispute the general findings of the study summarized by the article, but who's choosing the images that go along? The article opens with a mention of the "deep South" and is accompanied by a photo of a rusted bus in a field?
The middle picture with the caption "There is a complacency about mainstream US education standards" shows an anonymous residential street. And the final picture captioned "Massachusetts has high results by international standards" shows a gleaming, gated, gold-domed building [Update: turns out its the Massachusetts State House--that's a fair comparison with a rusty bus in a Mississippi field].
So kids in Mississippi attend school in rusty old buses, whild kids in Massachussetts go to pristine palatial academies, I guess? Also, it turns out there are streets with houses in the US.
- esbranson 12y agoI think your comment is a case of rational irrationality. The theory of rational irrationality holds that people often choose—rationally—to adopt irrational beliefs because the costs of rational beliefs exceed their benefits. In this case, the cost of admitting (including to yourself) that the article's surmise makes a valid point is greater than you are willing to accept. (Likely related to the denial that the article discusses.) So you are being irrational, attempting to impeach the article by drawing ludicrous conclusions from its incidental and irrelevant choice of picture aids. Simply: you are being absurd.