Whiny tattle-tales grow up to be stick-in-the-mud Conservatives

Remember the whiny, insecure kid in nursery school, the one who always thought everyone was out to get him, and was always running to the teacher with complaints? Chances are he grew up to be a conservative.

At least, he did if he was one of 95 kids from the Berkeley area that social scientists have been tracking for the last 20 years. The confident, resilient, self-reliant kids mostly grew up to be liberals.

The study from the Journal of Research Into Personality isn't going to make the UC Berkeley professor who published it any friends on the right. Similar conclusions a few years ago from another academic saw him excoriated on right-wing blogs, and even led to a Congressional investigation into his research funding.

But the new results are worth a look. In the 1960s Jack Block and his wife and fellow professor Jeanne Block (now deceased) began tracking more than 100 nursery school kids as part of a general study of personality. The kids' personalities were rated at the time by teachers and assistants who had known them for months. There's no reason to think political bias skewed the ratings — the investigators were not looking at political orientation back then. Even if they had been, it's unlikely that 3- and 4-year-olds would have had much idea about their political leanings.

A few decades later, Block followed up with more surveys, looking again at personality, and this time at politics, too. The whiny kids tended to grow up conservative, and turned into rigid young adults who hewed closely to traditional gender roles and were uncomfortable with ambiguity.

The confident kids turned out liberal and were still hanging loose, turning into bright, non-conforming adults with wide interests. The girls were still outgoing, but the young men tended to turn a little introspective.

Block admits in his paper that liberal Berkeley is not representative of the whole country. But within his sample, he says, the results hold. He reasons that insecure kids look for the reassurance provided by tradition and authority, and find it in conservative politics. The more confident kids are eager to explore alternatives to the way things are, and find liberal politics more congenial.

In a society that values self-confidence and out-goingness, it's a mostly flattering picture for liberals. It also runs contrary to the American stereotype of wimpy liberals and strong conservatives... Continued

It figures that the annoying kids, who clung to the teacher and said stuff like "hey you forgot to give us homework!" would grow up to be the same idiots who feel like they have to regulate everyone else's moral compass in adulthood.

Wal-Mart army poised for global domination

Wal-Mart newest target: China. As a major supplier of its products, China is seen as a key region for its international store growth. It now has 56 stores in China with about 30,000 employees and plans to open 20 more stores this year with plans to hire up to 150,000 employees in China over the next five years, five times its current work force there, as it expands its number of stores.

The news comes less than a week after Wal-Mart moved to expand in another fast-growing region, Central America, by taking a majority stake in a regional retail chain that it first bought into last September. Wal-Mart took over Central American Retail Holding Co., also known as CARHCO, for an undisclosed price...

The region is a key part of Wal-Mart's strategy of growing internationally, where it is active in 15 countries including China, Japan and Korea in Asia, Britain and Germany in Europe, Canada, Mexico and eight countries in Latin America...

But Wal-Mart's international division is growing faster than its larger U.S. operations. In 2005, the international business saw net sales and operating income rise 11.4 percent, compared to 9.4 percent for sales and 8.2 percent for operating income at the U.S. division minus Sam's Clubs.

When the people of Beijing, Mexico City, London, Seoul, and Paris start looking exactly like the fat housewives from Wisconsin, sporting elastic mom-jeans, baggy cat sweaters and bedazzled fanny packs, then Wal-Mart has truly won.

(Thanks Maria for the tip.)

Are People Finally Realizing the Truth?

Here's a pretty scathing article from the Washington Post about the quickly diminishing public opinion of Dubya. Most of all, it highlights the continuing nature of this administration's disconnect (or disregard) of popular concerns. One example: Instead of laying out strategies for moving forward, they are trying to tell us how well things have been going so far in Iraq and that our negative opinions are just a matter of perception. Now before you Republicans get your tighty whiteys in a bunch, keep in mind a lot of the assessments public opinion come from nonpartisan polling organizations.

Three years of upbeat White House assessments about Iraq that turned out to be premature, incomplete or plain wrong are complicating President Bush's efforts to restore public faith in the military operation and his presidency, according to pollsters and Republican lawmakers and strategists.

The last two weeks have provided a snapshot of White House optimism that skeptics contend is at odds with the facts on the ground in Iraq.
...
Michael Dimock, associate director of the nonpartisan Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, said a recent survey by his group showed the public skeptical toward Bush, about both his administrative competency and his personal credibility. Only 40 percent of respondents said Bush was trustworthy, a 22-point drop from September of 2003, six months after the invasion of Iraq.
...
Frank Newport of the nonpartisan Gallup polling organization said White House efforts to turn around public opinion are complicated now because Bush is waging the wrong argument. His polling shows a majority of Americans agree with Bush that troops should not be pulled out immediately and that Iraq is better off now and will be in the future as a result of the invasion, two points the president made yesterday. Yet 6 out of 10 said the war was not worth it because, Newport said, the public does not see an upside for the United States. "The focus for Americans is Americans," he said.

Great timeline on the war here.

All Hail Xenu!

By now everyone's heard of the controversy with South Park and Scientology, Best. Episode. Ever! In response to Issac Hayes (a.k.a. Chef) quitting the show, the creators of South Park have issued the following statement through their lawyer:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Scientology, you may have won THIS battle, but the million-year war for Earth has just begun! Temporarily anozinizing our episode will NOT stop us from keeping Thetans forever trapped in your pitiful man-bodies. Curses and drat! You have obstructed us for now, but your feeble bid to save humanity will fail! Hail Xenu!!!

-- Trey Parker and Matt Stone, servants of the dark lord Xenu

Watch the entire episode here!

Must be this liberal to ride Netherlands

I'm going to let the article speak for itself. Feel free to comment:

The camera focuses on two gay men kissing in a park. Later, a topless woman emerges from the sea and walks onto a crowded beach. For would-be immigrants to the Netherlands, this film is a test of their readiness to participate in the liberal Dutch culture.

If they can't stomach it, no need to apply.

Despite whether they find the film offensive, applicants must buy a copy and watch it if they hope to pass the Netherlands' new entrance examination.

The test — the first of its kind in the world — became compulsory Wednesday, and was made available at 138 Dutch embassies.

Taking the exam costs $420. The price for a preparation package that includes the film, a CD ROM and a picture album of famous Dutch people is $75.

As of today, immigrants wishing to settle in the Netherlands for, in particular, the purposes of marrying or forming a relationship will be required to take the civic integration examination abroad," the Immigration Ministry said in a statement.

The test is part of a broader crackdown on immigration that has been gathering momentum in the Netherlands since 2001.

Anti-immigration sentiment peaked with filmmaker Theo van Gogh's murder by a Dutch national of Moroccan descent in November 2004.

Both praise and scorn have been poured on Immigration Minister Rita Verdonk, the architect of the new test and other policies that have reduced immigration by at least a third.

"If you pass, you're more than welcome," Verdonk said. "It is in the interest of Dutch society and those concerned."

Not everyone is happy with the new test.

"Today is a black day for the people intending to bring their partners to Holland," said Buitenlandse Partner, a lobbying group for mixed Dutch/immigrant couples.

Dutch theologian Karel Steenbrink criticized the 105-minute movie, saying it would be offensive to some Muslims.

"It is not a prudent way of welcoming people to the Netherlands," said Steenbrink, a professor at the University of Utrecht. "Minister Verdonk has radical ideas."

But Mohammed Sini, the chairman of Islam and Citizenship, a national Muslim organization, defended the film, saying that homosexuality is "a reality."

Sini urged all immigrants "to embrace modernity."

A censored version with no homosexual and nude material had been prepared because it is illegal to show such images in Iran and some other countries, filmmaker Walter Goverde said.

"With all the respect I have for all religions, I think people need to understand that Holland has its own liberal side as well," he said.

After viewing the film, which is available in most languages, applicants are then quizzed on important Dutch factoids such as the number of provinces that make up the Netherlands; the role played by William of Orange in the country's history; and Queen Beatrix's monarchial functions.

There are some major exemptions. EU nationals, asylum-seekers and skilled workers who earn more than $54,000 per year will not be required to take the 30-minute computerized exam.

Also, citizens of the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Japan and Switzerland are exempt.

Small Town USA to Bush: "We want you out!"

In five Vermont communities, a centuries-old tradition of residents gathering in town halls to conduct local business became a vehicle to send a message to Washington: Impeach the president.

An impeachment article, approved by a paper ballot 121-29 in Newfane Tuesday, calls on Vermont’s lone member of the U.S. House, independent Rep. Bernie Sanders, to file articles of impeachment against President Bush, alleging he misled the nation into the Iraq war and engaged in illegal domestic spying.

“It absolutely affects us locally,” said Newfane select board member Dan DeWalt, who drafted the impeachment article. “It’s our sons and daughters, our mothers and fathers, who are dying” in the war in Iraq.

At least four other Vermont towns, spurred by publicity about Newfane’s resolution, endorsed similar resolutions during Tuesday’s meetings: Brookfield, Dummerston, Marlboro and Putney...

Gotta love them maple-loving white folk. Ben & Jerry's anyone?

Treasury using government employee pensions to pay the bills

The Treasury Department has started drawing from the civil service pension fund to avoid hitting the $8.2 trillion national debt limit. The move to tap the pension fund follows last month's decision to suspend investments in a retirement savings plan held by government employees.

In a letter to Congress this week, Treasury Secretary John W. Snow said he would rely on the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund to avoid bumping up against the statutory debt limit. He said the Treasury is suspending investments and will redeem a portion of the money credited to the fund.

Once Congress raises the debt limit, the Treasury will "restore all due interest and principal" to the pension fund as soon as possible, Snow said...

Colleen M. Kelley , president of the National Treasury Employees Union, said last month that federal employees should not have their pension accounts "used as a rainy day fund...

Blogging for The Man

We bloggers take some pride in the fact that we are independent. We don't get paid, therefore we don't owe anything to anyone. Mostly we do this cause it's fun and feel like we went to spread a message or reach out to people in the way that the mainstream media can't. Just To The Left started as two friends emailing back and forth about the news of the day and then discussing the crap out of it. Our in-boxes started to get cluttered, so we thought, hey wouldn't it be fun to post our thoughts on a blog and see if anyone else wants in on the discussion?

But as with all things on the fringe that have a following, corporations are jumping on the blog bandwagon and using them to spread their own agenda.

Brian Pickrell, a blogger, recently posted a note on his Web site attacking state legislation that would force Wal-Mart Stores to spend more on employee health insurance. "All across the country, newspaper editorial boards — no great friends of business — are ripping the bills," he wrote.

It was the kind of pro-Wal-Mart comment the giant retailer might write itself. And, in fact, it did.

Several sentences in Mr. Pickrell's Jan. 20 posting — and others from different days — are identical to those written by an employee at one of Wal-Mart's public relations firms and distributed by e-mail to bloggers.

Under assault as never before, Wal-Mart is increasingly looking beyond the mainstream media and working directly with bloggers, feeding them exclusive nuggets of news, suggesting topics for postings and even inviting them to visit its corporate headquarters.

But the strategy raises questions about what bloggers, who pride themselves on independence, should disclose to readers. Wal-Mart, the nation's largest private employer, has been forthright with bloggers about the origins of its communications, and the company and its public relations firm, Edelman, say they do not compensate the bloggers.

But some bloggers have posted information from Wal-Mart, at times word for word, without revealing where it came from Instapundit.com, one of the oldest blogs on the Web, said that even in the blogosphere, which is renowned for its lack of rules, a basic tenet applies: "If I reprint something, I say where it came from. A blog is about your voice, it seems to me, not somebody else's."

Companies of all stripes are using blogs to help shape public opinion.

Before General Electricannounced a major investment in energy-efficient technology last year, company executives first met with major environmental bloggers to build support. Others have reached out to bloggers to promote a product or service, as Microsoft did with its Xbox game system and Cingular Wireless has done in the introduction of a new phone...

We here at Just To The Left can assure you, our trusted reader(s), that we will never sell out. (But for the right price... come talk to us.)

Jesus Saves, God Loves, Wal-Mart owns your ass.