Midday Open Thread

Last time we included an item on racial differences in IQ (or, to be precise, the fact that they’re not inherent), the “scientific” racists came out to play in the comments. So let’s give it another spin. Last week, the New York Times had an excellent op-ed smacking the crap out of the idea that race differences in IQ are genetic. Hopefully by this time Will Saletan is in the fetal position in a dark room, too embarrassed to be seen in public.

John Bolton has a pity party on Fox News, saying that Al Gore and that lame bunch of nations across the Atlantic are mean to the US about climate change:

If anybody’s isolated here, I think it’s the Europeans and Al Gore. … This is a U.N. conference after all, and that’s principally what people like to do — blame us for all the problems.

Pervez Musharraf has amended the Pakistani Constitution several times to protect himself and replaced all the justices of the country’s Supreme Court – and, having done that, he lifted the state of emergency on Pakistan.

Google is going into competition with Wikipedia with “Knol.” Henry, Eszter and John Quiggin at Crooked Timber consider its strengths, weaknesses, and prospects for the future.

Rudy Giuliani has a Brand! New! Bold! Vision:

But the 30-plus minute speech hit on similar themes: a little Hillary Rodham Clinton bashing, some reflections on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a call to make energy independence as big a priority as landing on the moon was in the 1960s, and the need to fight terrorism so the United States can be safe and do more business in the Middle East.

Too-rare good news:

The number of states refusing federal money for “abstinence-only” sex education programs jumped sharply in the past year as evidence mounted that the approach is ineffective.

At least 14 states have either notified the federal government that they will no longer be requesting the funds or are not expected to apply, forgoing more than $15 million of the $50 million available, officials said. Virginia was the most recent state to opt out.