Re: Hard Sci-fi?

Harri Tavaila <en.sano@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> Michael Ash <mike@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in
> news:1211008828.741456@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 
> 
>> Harri Tavaila <en.sano@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> 
>>>> "Modern secular states" include such scientific wonders as North
>>>> Korea and Cuba.
>>> 
>>> In 1953 the literacy rate in Cuba was 23,6% - in 1961 it was 96,9%.
>> 
>> Because Communist countries *never* lied in official statistics.
> 
> Which number do you find unreliable? The one from 1953 or the one from
> 1961? One can of course use the current figure (about 97% I believe -
> and as reliable as you can expect any official statistic to be). 

I find the delta to be highly implausible. If those numbers are correct, 
then over the course of merely eight years (only two of which had 
Communists in power), three quarters of the population of the entire 
island was taught to read. This simply makes no sense. Even with a massive

education effort, even with every child who had ever been in school during

that period being taught to read, you simply won't get improvement to 
happen that quickly. Especially not in a poor agrarian society which spent

most of that period enduring corrupt governments, military coups, and 
revolution.

I'd really love to see the figure for 1958.

> One feels you are avoiding the issue: "modern secular states" have been
> able to rise literacy rates and general level of education in both 
> countries you named as examples and numerous others. If you distrust 
> their statistics, feel free to do so, though you really should state an 
> alternative source to have any credibility. Nevertheless I don't think 
> that you can deny that literacy has improved all over the world after 
> introduction of state provided basic education. 

Please, I'm not avoiding anything. My entire claim is based around the 
idea that these things aren't as im****tant as everyone is saying. Religion

is not an automatic science-killer. Secular states aren't an automatic 
science-helper. Both are essentially orthogonal to the issue of carrying 
out science, building spacecraft, and educating people.

-- 
Mike Ash
Radio Free Earth
Broadcasting from our climate-controlled studios deep inside the Moon