More on Lawrence Summers and the Innate Differences "Tsunami"

It is with a heavy heart that I report that the Lawrence Summers affair hasn't died down yet. Academicus lefticus does love to be outraged. In fact, in my experience, being easily offended is a badge of honor among A. lefticus. If, say, I am offended by a comment and you are not, this shows that my sensibilities are more finely-honed than yours. So, for example, I could demonstrate my moral and political superiority to Professor Denice Denton--who said "I think [Summers's comments] provoked an intellectual tsunami"--like so:

"I am offended [extra points for 'deeply offended'] by Dr.
Denton's comments, which show inexcusable insensitivity to the plight of Third
World people [extra points for 'persons'] affected by the recent tsunami."

Check out the link above for details about the pathetic arguments being offered against Summers.

Let me note that it isn't that I don't view the innate differences claim with suspicion, for I do, I do. I view it with very much suspicion indeed. But it's the lack of intellectual rigor combined with the carefully-cultivated hair-trigger offence reflexes that irritate me.

I might take the time to analyze the anti-Summers arguments in detail later, but at first glance they don't really seem to be worth it. At least some of them seem to boil down to "you may have hurt the feewings of some of our [radically overprivileged] students!" And life's too short to waste on such drivel.