For the first time in 30 years, Harvard University is overhauling their curriculum!

If your thinking is anything like mine, you might assume this means they are making it tougher—you know, don’t most people expect Ivy League schools to maintain rigorous academic standards?

Yeah, not so much.

Get a load of this: the school is putting new emphasis on sensitive religious and cultural issues. Oh yeah, they want to overcome American parochialism.

According to an article by Reuters, the school has been criticized for “focusing too narrowly on academic topics instead of real-life issues.”

Harvard in biggest curriculum overhaul in 30 years By Jason Szep 2/07/07

Well yeah, nobody goes to college to focus on academic topics! It’s all about cultural…you know…stuff.

“One of the eight new required subject areas — “societies of the world” — aims to help students overcome U.S. “parochialism” by acquainting them with the values, customs and institutions that differ from their own.”

What’s wrong with math, science, foreign languages and I don’t know…history?

I know this much, I won’t ever (ever!!) pay $50,000/year for my kids to learn the “values” and “customs” of other societies. Why? Because knowing (for example) the marital customs of the say, the Basari people, won’t help my kid get a job!

At the risk of sounding parochial, I want my kids to stick with essentials…they can read about African tribes on their own time!

George Mason U. economist Tyler Cowen writes on his Marginal Revolution blog:

“I do understand the concerns raised by Steve Sailer and others against immigrants, and I readily grant that the idea of open borders is a non-starter. But is the United States today in a position where Latino immigrants are tearing us apart? I think not.

“Yes I know your anecdotes, but here is what it would take to budge me. Do a study of real estate prices in San Diego, Santa Ana (a largely Mexican part of Orange County), and the relevant sections of Houston, among other locales. Show me that real estate values in those areas are falling or even plummeting, and yes I do mean in absolute terms and no the recent collapse of the real estate bubble doesn’t count. Then I’ll give the issue another look. Otherwise the worst I am going to believe is that “things are not getting better as rapidly as they might otherwise be,” and that, whether or not you like such a possible state of affairs, does not represent the sky falling.”

I’m fascinated by how economists forget everything they know about economics when it comes time to defend immigration. Here are four Econ 101 concepts Tyler is ignoring:

1. Supply and Demand: Why would increased demand from immigration cause lower real estate prices?

2. Actual, Not Nominal, Costs: The standard way economists think (about everything except immigration) is to adjust for cost of living. Minnesota has the highest standard of living, at least in terms of things money can buy (i.e., not weather). At the bottom are Washington D.C., Hawaii and California.

3. Risk vs. Return: What is the risk that America is headed for a Netherlands-style immigration disaster? 20%, say? And what is the risk we’re headed for a Kosovo-style catastrophe? 2%? Now, exactly what is the enormous upside to illegal immigration that compensates for risks that bad?

4. Opportunity Costs: Tyler writes:

“Otherwise the worst I am going to believe is that “things are not getting better as rapidly as they might otherwise be,” and that, whether or not you like such a possible state of affairs, does not represent the sky falling.”

That’s a particularly bizarre standard for judging public policy for Tyler of all people to advocate in the light of his own blog posting of August 20, 2004:

“The importance of the growth rate increases, the further into the future we look. If a country grows at two percent, as opposed to growing at one percent, the difference in welfare in a single year is relatively small. But over time the difference becomes very large. For instance, had America grown one percentage point less per year, between 1870 and 1990, the America of 1990 would be no richer than the Mexico of 1990…. But in my view, if you are not supporting growth-maximizing economic policies, you better had a pretty good reason in your pocket.”

What would LA be like today without 30 years of illegal immigration? Seattle with sunshine? With its enormous advantages, LA ought to be one of the finest cities in the world by now. Trust me, it’s not.

Click to watch a 22-minute powerpoint presentation that gives an overview of the North American Union, its background in NAFTA and other trade agreements, the structure as envisioned by Council for Foreign Relations honcho Robert Pastor and the cost to Americans in terms of sovereignty lost and citizen control transferred to unelected bureaucrats.

This is annoying–no actual references to race are found in any of this graffiti, nor to Hispanics, nor to legal immigrants. Only illegals. And it’s “racial graffiti.”

Note how the referee (a) says “We do not condone these types of messages,” and (b) says “We encourage all people, whether legal or illegal, to participate in our league.”

I don’t condone that kind of message. I also don’t condone graffiti of any kind, even it says “God Bless America,” because because it’s wrong to write on other people’s property, but I really don’t condone messages that say it’s OK for illegals to invade someone else’s country.

Racial graffiti mar fountains

Words are visible at DeMuth Park

Willian Avila
The Desert Sun
February 4, 2007
Several Coachella Valley residents attending an AYSO area tournament on Saturday were met with what appeared to be racially charged messages written in bold black letters on drinking fountains throughout a Palm Springs park.

The words “Illegals must go!” and “No illegals” were visible at four locations at DeMuth Park, where hundreds of young players and their families spent the day.

AYSO officials said they were not aware of the offensive messages that stirred many Latinos in attendance but notified the city once a complaint was made.

“We do not condone these types of messages,” said Cindy Langley, [Send her mail.]an AYSO area referee administrator. “We encourage all people, whether legal or illegal, to participate in our league.”

Some speculate that the messages were written for Sunday night’s predominantly Latino adult soccer league, while others believe it was done before the start of the youth tournament.

“When people think of soccer, they associate it with Mexicans,” said Jorge Meza, [Send him mail]a coach from La Quinta, who added that a large proportion of soccer players in AYSO are Latino.

Palm Springs police said there were no reports made on Saturday but that action may be taken to patrol the recreation area more often.

“This is a park where people come to support their kids, to have a good time,” Roberto Mendoza, 30, who came from Cathedral City to see his two daughters play, said in Spanish. “Somebody racist offended people who came here peacefully. Not just Mexicans, but everyone.”

AYSO officials said they hope the graffiti will be removed before next weekend, when the four-week tournament is scheduled to continue. Efforts to reach city officials for comment were unsuccessful.

“We are offended. This is the example that is being made?” Obdulia Gonzalez, 40, of La Quinta said in Spanish. “This, at a kids game. What a shame.”