More Fox Stupidity: Eric Bolling: Schools ‘pushing the liberal agenda’ by teaching algebra

[MrScorpio]

Fox News’s Eric Bolling: Schools ‘pushing the liberal agenda’ by teaching algebra

(The Raw Story) - Fox News host Eric Bolling on Wednesday accused some schools of “pushing the liberal agenda” for teaching an algebra lesson about the distributive property.

During a segment about “indoctrination in schools,” Bolling reminded viewers of a 2009 video of children chanting, “Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Barack Hussein Obama,” which outraged conservatives at the time.

“But even worse is the way some textbooks are pushing the liberal agenda,” the Fox News host explained, pointing to an algebra worksheet that Scholastic says gives students “nsight into the distributive property as it applies to multiplication.”

“Distribute the wealth!” Bolling exclaimed, reading the worksheet. “Distribute the wealth with the lovely rich girl with a big ole bag of money, handing some money out.”

Co-host Kimberly Guilfoyle explained that the algebra worksheet had put her on “high alert” for the liberal agenda in her 6-year-old son’s curriculum.

Snip

I would say the ignorance on display here here is astounding, but in all honesty, I’m not astounded. This seems pretty par for the course when it comes to Fox.

This is a blatant example of exploiting the ignorance of viewers by taking a concept with a name that is similar to a concept that conservatives fear (wealth redistribution) and associating it even though they have absolutely NOTHING to do with each other and vilifying education in the process.

The Distributive Property is an elementary concept in algebra that refers to rules of placement and has no relation what so ever to wealth redistribution.

http://abaldwin360.tumblr.com/post/40184438090/fox-newss-eric-bolling-schools-pushing-the-liberal

[samsingh]

1. kick

[spanone]

2. the more education people have, the less they will watch faux.

[valerief]

96. +1

[Phlem]

98. Perfectly framing

our current state of education.

p

[arcane1]

3. Wait till they trace the etymology of a word like "algebra"

[Richardo]

4. Verily.

[Aristus]

7. SHARIA LAW IS TAKING OVER AMERICAN MATH EDUCATION!!!

Yep, that's probably next...

[JHB]

18. Well, where do you think the word "algebra" came from?

WooooOOOOoooooo!

The word algebra is a Latin variant of the Arabic word al-jabr. This came from the title of a book, Hidab al-jabr wal-muqubala, written in Baghdad about 825 A.D. by the Arab mathematician Mohammed ibn-Musa al-Khowarizmi.

The words jabr (JAH-ber) and muqubalah (moo-KAH-ba-lah) were used by al-Khowarizmi to designate two basic operations in solving equations. Jabr was to transpose subtracted terms to the other side of the equation. Muqubalah was to cancel like terms on opposite sides of the equation. In fact, the title has been translated to mean "science of restoration (or reunion) and opposition" or "science of transposition and cancellation" and "The Book of Completion and Cancellation" or "The Book of Restoration and Balancing."

Jabr is used in the step where x - 2 = 12 becomes x = 14. The left-side of the first equation, where x is lessened by 2, is "restored" or "completed" back to x in the second equation. Muqabalah takes us from x + y = y + 7 to x = 7 by "cancelling" or "balancing" the two sides of the equation. Eventually the muqabalah was left behind, and this type of math became known as algebra in many languages.

It is interesting to note that the word al-jabr used non-mathematically made its way into Europe through the Moors of Spain. There an algebrista is a bonesetter, or "restorer" of bones. A barber of medieval times called himself an algebrista since barbers often did bone-setting and bloodletting on the side. Hence the red and white striped barber poles of today.

http://www.und.nodak.edu/instruct/lgeller/algebra.html

[Aristus]

20. Exactly!

It always amuses me to know that when Christian Europe was in the throes of the Dark Ages, living lives of ignorance, superstition, fear, & mistrust, the Arab world was excelling in mathematics, medicine, astronomy, engineering, architecture, etc.

[arcane1]

21. Neil Degrasse Tyson does a great job talking about this in a lecture...

about the history of intelligent design. It's worth watching all the way through, but the Arabic-related stuff is in the 2nd half:

[tnlurker]

24. To find later

[truth2power]

73. Yes, so i can watch later.

[SheilaT]

86. Thank you so much for posting this.

[whathehell]

26. Does it amuse you to consider

that they've now traded places?

[Aristus]

31. No. Religious fanaticism is the great destroyer of all great religions.

We may be about to switch back.

Right-wing Christian fanaticism is debasing scientific education is this country, while overseas, liberal and moderate Muslims are starting to gain ascendancy over the fundamentalist fanatics. We'll see what happens...

[Lordquinton]

100. Want to point out that you are wrong here

They were called the "ark ages" because renascence Italians didn't know much about it, kinda like darkest Africa. There was still a lot of innovation going on at the time, they were just under lots of pressure by plagues, and invaders (the Moors you were talking about) we've found out a lot about the time frame sense the 1600s

[1StrongBlackMan]

23. Stop spreading myths ...

everyone knows that the that mathematic concept was named after some white guy in Europe by the name of Albert, Prince of Gebra!

[Sadiedog]

69. Oh! Thank you for that just made me smile after a long stressful work day!!!!

[Jack Rabbit]

32. Not only is the word Arabic, but

It means coming together. What kind of a rugged individualist can endorse that message? What would Ayn Rand say?

And how will Pam Geller all the other sectarian and racist bigots preach their massage of hate and igorance if we know that Arab Muslims made scientific and mathematical breakthroughs at the same time that Europeans wallowed in a giant pig sty during the dark ages?

[Recursion]

55. Kitab al-jibr w'al muqabal

"The book of coming together and reducing".

Though the Muslims got most of their math from the Hindus, themselves.

[kardonb]

65. algebra

I went to High School in East Berlin , then under communist control . And guess what ? we had "liberal " algebra on our class schedule ! Who would have thunk then that pure math is a political matter , not a science one . Guess we did not have Faux News around to know better .

[Initech]

112. al'Gebra

[Recursion]

13. Or algorithm: "Now he's claiming to have invented math, too!" (nt)

[Jackpine Radical]

25. I thought "algorithm"

was something said by a previous Democratic Vice President and quoted by someone with a lisp.

[mimi85]

53. These two posts

made my day. Algorithm. Guess I'm easy to please today. After listening to news about yet another school shooting, I desperately needed a laugh!

[starroute]

43. "Algorithm" actually comes from al-Khowarizmi's name

So he's not just responsible for "algebra."

[Recursion]

47. Yup. Surprisingly unrelated to logarithm

I love math history.

[msanthrope]

52. I laughed at that 'til I nearly peed myself. Well played, sir, well played. nt

[Jackpine Radical]

16. I've pointed that out to My Favorite Wingnut on more than one occasion.

Along with all those star names--Algol, Aldebaran, and AlChemy-->chemistry.

And of course Arabic numerals. (Although I think they stole the idea of the zero from the Hindus.)

[arcane1]

22. See my post #21, a great video on that topic

Including a section called "Naming Rights" in the latter half

[yardwork]

104. Zero seems to have been invented by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia (Iraq!!!) and the Mayans

before being invented for a third time in India.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=what-is-the-origin-of-zer

[Jackpine Radical]

105. I knew about the Mayans, not about the Sumerians.

[yardwork]

108. The Sumer culture was amazing. Goddess only knows what we destroyed in Iraq.

The beginnings of civilization, for one thing.

[regnaD kciN]

29. Damn that al-Gebra movement...

...and their Weapons of Math Instruction!

[arcane1]

38. LMAO

[Initech]

85. You owe me a monitor!

[liberal N proud]

5. God, Guns and FOX

That's all kids need!




Maybe Eric failed Algebra.

[CBGLuthier]

6. Our Sketch Comedy Universe is biting us in the Ass

[lpbk2713]

8. It never ends with these mouth breathers.

The faux outrage just keeps on coming.

[Recursion]

9. I will say I find the worksheet kind of odd

"distribute the wealth" doesn't really make sense, and doesn't have anything to do with the distributive property as far as I can tell.

[Scuba]

10. Read more carefully. "Distribute the wealth" came from Bolling, not the algebra class.

[Recursion]

12. Nope. It's right there at the top of the worksheet.

http://teacherexpress.scholastic.com/subject/math/multiplication/distribute-the-wealth-understanding-the-distributive-property-scholastic-success-with-multiplication-grade-5#

*shrug*

[Scuba]

15. Excellent! Good on the teachers and others who prepared the materials!!!

[intaglio]

42. It's also a teacher joke

The "Distributive Property" describes how multiplication has this property but division does not.

2 x (3 + 4) = (2 x 3) + (2 x 4)

but 2 / (3 + 4) =/= 2/3 + 2/4

[Recursion]

46. division is distributive when you take its binding into account

There's actually some elegant stuff you can do with compilers for curried languages based on that.

But, yeah, as a complex operation (inversion composed with multiplication) it's not generally distributive.

[muriel_volestrangler]

61. It's only a teacher joke

because there's nothing about 'wealth' in any of the sums, which are pure numbers. Whoever wrote the worksheet seems to have decided to troll the Fox News types by saying "'distribute'? Well, the only thing that comes in is 'distribute the wealth'!" And I would question whether the fun of waiting for complaints to come in is worth the possibility of confusing the pupils, some of whom are going to ask "why is this talking about 'wealth'?"

[Flatpicker]

94. It may not even be a joke

The thought of using money as the backdrop for the assignment gives the kids a concept they can visualize when remembering the distributive property.

It's a memory aid I think.

[JHB]

11. It would explain a lot, if a commodities trader and NYMEX board member is THAT bad at math...

Effectively, Eric Bolling has made himself proof that the financial industry is populated by grasping dumbasses (a proposition which apparently is still in doubt in "pro-business" and FOX circles).

[redstatebluegirl]

14. Red States Are Always At the Bottom for Math and Science Education

We fight it all the time in Oklahoma, if they had their way these kids would come out of school unable to think at all.

An article in Huffington showed the list and it was very telling. If I remember correctly only one Red state showed up average, none above average.

I could not find the link or I would share it.

[Recursion]

17. I think we'd bristle if a math worksheet on parabolas was called "Draw the Laffer Curve"

A worksheet on the distributive property titled "Distribute the Wealth" (which doesn't really relate to the distributive property at all) is, to say the least, kind of puzzling.

[MedicalAdmin]

34. These kind of things are based in the writing requirement for submission ...

... that are set up by text book companies. And as we all know those companies pay attention to such intellectually vapid bodies such as the Texas Textbook Commission (or whatever they are calling it these days).

And some of the guidelines that might have affected this are: must have a theme, must have be able to have a graphic attached that matches the theme, must have a unique theme, must have a theme that can be related to something in the students lives.

Thus the use of money and the play on words. Actually that looks like a pretty good worksheet to me.

[Recursion]

35. I like the selection of problems

I tutor math and make my own worksheets; I like the actual problems on that one.

[AlinPA]

19. Oh my God. Fox 'news' stupidity is unbelievable.

http://www.algebra.com/algebra/homework/Distributive-associative-commutative-properties/

[Demo_Chris]

27. William F. Buckley would be horrified at what his party has become.

I disagreed with Buckley on virtually every issue, but I respected his intelligence and knowlege.

THIS is what his party has become: a party that prides itself on its ignorance and hate.

[Viking12]

28. Beware of the transitive property, too

Next, thing you know....transfer of wealth, sex changes, the list is endless

[wandy]

30. In order to grow up to be good republicans, kids should not learn math....

Just going to need more signs like this.....

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=15+is+this+many+walmart+sign&hl=en&sa=X&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=879&tbm=isch&tbnid=5DlImJUq9PvMcM:&imgrefurl=http://www.funnysigns.net/shopping-for-dummies/&docid=JlMp0L9BvC0N7M&imgurl=&w=400&h=315&ei=lSbvUOSaKIL7qAHlk4C4Bg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=442&vpy=126&dur=392&hovh=199&hovw=253&tx=144&ty=114&sig=111695121554140341362&page=1&tbnh=147&tbnw=175&start=0&ndsp=30&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0,i 0

Yes, I know it's a hoax.
http://www.snopes.com/photos/signs/expresslane.asp
At least for now.

[Aerows]

33. How hard do you have to work

to be that stupid? Next we'll be hearing that water isn't made up of Hydrogen and Oxygen, and that Chemistry is a liberal invention to take God out of our water supply.

[Dirty Socialist]

36. Republican Math

Sweatshop Math: Multiplying by zero and minute fractions.

[VA_Jill]

37. OMG

How dumb do you have to be to work at Faux Noise? Never mind, don't answer that.

[TxDemChem]

39. Fox has spewed enough BS in the past

But I never thought math lessons, especially for non-word problems, could be a problem. They will make anything into an outrage! Crazy

[mgardener]

40. Here is what in means in algebra terms

"Simplifying Using the Distributive Property Lesson

The Distributive Property is an algebra property which is used to multiply a single term and two or more terms inside a set of parentheses. Take a look at the problem below.

2(3 + 6)

Because the binomial "3 + 6" is in a set of parentheses, when following the Order of Operations, you must first find the answer of 3 + 6, then multiply it by 2. This gives an answer of 18.

2(3 + 6)
2(9)
18 "

These people are certifiable.
how stupid do they want our kids to be?
And how stupid are the adults that watch them?

[caseymoz]

41. Again, Fox beats The Onion to a joke.

I guess there's no limit to laughs to be found in WingnutLand.

[SummerSnow]

44. More bullshit

[Lucky Luciano]

45. Wow. Severe burning stupid. I actually have a PhD in algebra, so I have a special kind of face palm

...for these morons and their believers.

[Mutatis Mutandis]

49. Fox, a truly POS network, but here's the actual test, which does put things in a bit more context

as to the reactionary troll's outrage.




This all said, income inquality will be one of the chief reasons for the collapse of Pax Americana. It is one of the ultimate societal pathologies.

[KamaAina]

50. Math has a wel-known liberal bias.

Amazingly, Kimberly Guilfoyle is CA Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D)'s ex-wife. He sure dodged a bullet there!

[BlueNoteSpecial]

51. Mmm. Mmm. Mmm...A Salaam Alaikym, Mmm. Mmm. Mmm.

[ReRe]

54. He thinks this about algebra...

...because algebra, usually first presented in Jr High or first year of high school, is one of the first classes which they actually develop the ability to think! Eric Bolling, from Foxed up News, simply doesn't support teaching children to think. Perhaps he was helping his youngster with his algebra lesson and that word stuck out to him like a sore thumb, since he sees everything through his red-tinted winger glasses? Wonder what he would have to say about science? Bet he's a Creationist too.

[Coyotl]

56. OMFG, we are doomed for certain because teachers

"get their ... antiperspirant from a health food store"
frikkin' commie pinkos, what next, co-ops?

[Botany]

57. Fox news fighting the good fight

Algebra comes from Egypt ........
in Egypt they have the Muslim Brotherhood

Algebra = radical Islamic terrorists trying to kill Americans

[adieu]

58. The distributive property of multiplication:

a * (b + c) = (a * b) + (a * c). That's all.

Commutative property of addition and multiplication (nothing to do with communism):

a + b = b + a; a * b = b * a

Associative property of addition and multiplication (nothing to do with unionizing or forming a subversive group)

(a + b) + c = a + (b + c); a * (b * c) = (a * b) * c

These are properties of the operands, addition (+) and multiplication (*).

Oh, and a, b, and c are elements for which the operands apply. (Generally, we consider a, b, and c to be elements of a number field like the complex numbers or the real numbers, or even an integral domain like the integers.)

[ladjf]

59. Ignorance is a terrible condition. nt

[Bill USA]

60. Jesus Christ! Middle Ages here we come.

recommended.

[Dont call me Shirley]

62. No wonder Reagan shut down the mental institutions, so his buddies wouldn't be

institutionalized.

[davesliberal1977_gg]

63. The stupidity of FOX never ceases to amaze me.

Honestly, what ISN'T a "liberal agenda" to those fools? It's because of these idiots, that our schools are being dumbed down more and more. At this rate, students won't learn algebra until they're in college. Jeez.

[ck4829]

64. Onion check... Nope, not Onion. Wow. K&R.

[yellowcanine]

102. I thought it was Onion or Borowitz. Unbelievable.

Some things you just can't make up.

[santamargarita]

66. To quote Orwell:

Ignorance is Strength’ means that in keeping the people ignorant of the facts, distracted or numbed down.

[Android3.14]

67. Speechless

How do you respond to something so stupid?

[drm604]

68. Wow.

That's pretty friggin stupid.

[rocktivity]

70. Here's the culprit

If only Bolling had contained his outrage long enough to read the entire worksheet. Is He smarter than a fifth grader?


rocktivity

[Coyotl]

71. This is what happens when you forget to

consult a sixth grader first

[drm604]

72. Here's the worksheet he was complaining about.

So I guess it's not quite as stupid as we thought, but it's still a stupid thing to rail against and I doubt that it was created with any intention of pushing a political viewpoint.

[muriel_volestrangler]

74. It does seem a dumb cartoon and sheet title

They have nothing to do with the concept or exercise. At best, the pupils will ignore them; at worst, they could get confused by them. As I said in #61, I'd guess the author did it to annoy right wingers.

[JHB]

75. It's on par with Glen Beck's rant about "socialist art" in Rockefeller Center

They never stop to think "y'know, even if that's true, it's not working very well."

[Beartracks]

76. Conservatives think learning, itself, is part of a left-wing conspiracy.

Why know things yourself when you can just be told stuff instead?



===================

[Beartracks]

77. I used to think MSM conservative talking heads just took advantage...

... of an ignorant viewership. I've come to the conclusion, however, that most of them are ignorant as well.

They do not need microphones.

======================

[kestrel91316]

78. Why do teabaggers hate algebra??

That ought to be pretty obvious.

It was invented by Arabs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algebra >>>>>> الجبر al-jabr translates to "restoration"

[Iris]

79. 6 year olds do algebra?

[Robb]

80. Kids are doing more, sooner.

And they're good at it. We were pretty stupid by comparison, I've decided.

[Iris]

81. Not algebra, though.

I read that wrong. The co-host said she is becoming more aware of the liberal agenda in her 6 year old's curriculum.

[Robb]

82. Still, lots of curricula include algebra in 1st grade now.

[WinkyDink]

90. Really? Before they know the multiplication tables? Highly dubious.

[Robb]

91. Yep.

http://www.doe.sd.gov/ContentStandards/documents/Algebra_K-2.pdf

http://suite101.com/article/algebra-taught-in-first-grade-a87424

It's not advanced, of course, but it's more than we ever did.

[Taitertots]

83. Reality has a liberal bias

We now know that this includes algebra too.

[Initech]

84. So let me get this straight:

By teaching kids about the distributive property - a critical element to be able to pass algebra - somehow we are teaching our kids socialism because it's akin to distributing wealth?

What are they smoking and where might I obtain some?

[Recursion]

87. No. He's complaining about the title of the worksheet, which is "distribute the wealth"

not about teaching kids the distributive property.

[Rex]

88. Proof that you can become rich without ever contributing a single thing

to society.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

89. Holy shit!

I bet they think physics tell the future. (Well, it does, probably).

[grantcart]

92. Wait until they find out that Algebra was invented by Muḥammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī a Persian.

and it sounds so much like Aljezeera.


Dumbing down of America continues unabated.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

93. Your headline is a Fox News kind of headline. Please do not indulge in such alarmist tactics.

Fox News is not against "teaching algebra".

Fox News is not claiming that "Schools ‘pushing the liberal agenda’ by teaching algebra".

We can be better than Fox. It's not hard. It starts with things like honest headlines.

[MrScorpio]

97. My part is "More Fox Stupidity"

The rest of the title is from the article.

[kentauros]

95. If these "some textbooks" were written by the Texas State Board of Education

then perhaps our SBoE has finally done something right!

[samsingh]

99. now fox news hates math

they really should move to iraq or algeria

[yellowcanine]

103. Bolling also discovered bias in his child's history book. Check it out.

Bolling made one last appeal to parents to check their children's textbooks, particularly their history books. He said he was once looking through his child's history textbook and read a section on the war in Iraq. "They were very, very liberally biased, saying George Bush went in there because he heard there were weapons of mass destruction and they were never found. It was a very liberal bias to the history books," Bolling said.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/11/eric-bolling-the-five-liberal-agenda-math-homework_n_2455583.html

[yardwork]

109. Gasp. How dare we keep saying that Bush invaded Iraq because of weapons of mass destruction

and they were never found! Why the nerve of us liberals!!

What is Bolling's explanation for why Bush said that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? Does he have a spin on Colin Powell's presentation too?

[maggiesfarmer]

106. The headline and your thread title are misleading.

The worksheet in question does have "Distribute the wealth!" in bold letters at the top with a graphic of a girl with a bag of money in one hand and the other with a stack of bills in an offering gesture.

No, I'm not suggesting that Fox is right regarding the school promoting a liberal agenda, but honestly, I'd believe the creator of the worksheet was trying to tweak the noses of some conservatives. The Raw Story author is correct, the concept of multiplicative distribution has nothing to do with political/economic concepts of redistribution. However, the worksheet author is the one who appears to be trying to draw the connection, not Baldwin. It's also interesting that beyond the graphic and the headline, the worksheet has nothing to do with monetary distribution (e.g. it doesn't have word problems testing the mathematical concept based on "distributing the wealth&quot -- it appears the graphic and headline are completely unrelated.

Fox does a great job of spinning stories and finding small details to get their base fired up and this is an example. It's not an example of ignorance of the mathematical concept, however.

if anyone at DU finds a follow up story that tracked down the worksheet author and got their comments, please link it back here.

[MrScorpio]

107. Kindly read post #97

Thank you.

[maggiesfarmer]

110. I did. I realize that you copied the headline from the article into your headline, that's why I

stated my post the way I did.

Assuming you carefully read and considered that article before posting it here, you had a choice to either:
1. create a thread, with a link to the article with your thread title the same misleading information that The Raw Story used
2. create a thread, with a link to the article with a more accurate title (e.g. Fox makes a big deal out of an algebra worksheet)
3. not create a thread

I was only acknowledging that you went for #1. it's possible that my assumption is incorrect and that you didn't consider the aspects of the situation that I pointed out before posting -- not a cardinal sin by any means.

peace

[MrScorpio]

111. I don't make it a habit of editing other people's shit

So be it.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

113. Even better would be not making a habit of copying other people's "shit".