Last night in the NYT:

In Raising the World’s I.Q., the Secret’s in the Salt
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. 17 minutes ago
Kazakhstan’s iodized salt campaign is an example of how a country can achieve a remarkable public health success.

From my 4/4/04 VDARE article:

“The survey notes, for example, that iron shortages are driving down national GNPs by lowering national IQs:

“In most developing countries today, iron deficiency is now estimated to be preventing 40% to 60% of children from growing to their mental potential… In the last 10 to 15 years, iron deficiency has assumed even greater importance as evidence accumulates linking iron deficiency with mental impairment. In various tests of cognitive and psycho-motor skills, for example, lack of iron has been found to be associated with significant levels of disadvantage—affecting IQ scores by as much as 5 to 7 IQ points.”

“Similarly, iodine shortages cause the swelling of the thyroid gland called goiter, which can lead to what the U.N. report calls “cretinism.”

“In the U.S., these two problems were almost completely solved decades ago—by fortifying salt with iodine and flour with iron and other micronutrients. Similar methods should work in the Third World.

“Of course, the expense and organizational challenges are greater. In Pakistan, for example, there are 600 commercial salt producers. Getting each to iodize is a sizable undertaking.

“Yet it can and must be done.

“Even if we all have to start mentioning the dread letters “IQ.”"

Indians (dot, not feather) have a high opinion of their compatriots’ importance in American society, like we couldn’t possibly get along without them. Some imagine Silicon Valley as an Indian creation that somehow drifted over to San Jose. Indophiles are upbeat about India’s prospects, in particular that this will be “Indian Century” despite the nation’s massive problems, including a growing AIDS crisis, a level of superstition not appropriate to a first-world culture and crushing gender discrimination.

Given the degree of misogyny present in Indian society, it’s curious indeed that residents of the subcontinent are so excited about the new astronaut (shown), whom they regard as one of theirs. The only genuine girl Indo-astronaut, Kalpana Chawla, came to a tragic end in the Discovery break-up. Apparently Indians appreciate independent women more when they live thousands of miles away, like the United States. Anyway, the new astronaut-girl was born and raised in America, but that detail seems to matter little [Indo-US astronaut follows Kalpana's footsteps, 12/11/06] .

Sunita Lyn Williams, flight engineer for Nasa’s 14th expedition, is one of seven crew members for the mission.

Sunita’s parents were there to witness the first flight of their daughter into space from Cape Canavarel in Florida.

And countless Indians were among those who watched her first flight with excitement and hope.

Ms Williams is a second generation Indian-American and has been with Nasa for the past eight years.

NASA has been laying the diversity angle on thick, so you have to wonder whether Sunita got picked as the Indo-Asian female: Discovery’s 7 Astronauts a Diverse Bunch…

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Discovery’s seven astronauts are among the most culturally diverse of any space shuttle crew. There are two African-Americans, an astronaut of Indian descent, the soon-to-be first Swede in space, a British-born mission specialist, an Alaskan and a Jersey Boy.

Considering the anti-female diversity still rampant in her ancestral home, Sunita Williams should be very grateful that her father left girl-murdering India to come to America [Feticide means 7,000 fewer girls a day in India, Washington Post, 12/12/06].

The problem of female feticide has significantly worsened since 1991, UNICEF said at the India launch of its “State of the World’s Children 2007″ report.

Out of 71,000 children born every day in India, just 31,000 are girls — giving a sex ratio of 882 girls to 1,000 boys.

But the global sex ratio — which is 954 girls to 1,000 boys — suggests that 38,000 girls should be born in India every day.

Yes, and India fancies itself a “spiritual” civilization, even as it uses ultrasound imaging, a technology developed to improve the health of mother and fetus, in order to get rid of unwanted females.