9.28.2009

How the SAT's Destroyed America

It's true - it's obvious. The analogy section of the SAT's has been co-opted by spin doctors to corrupt American minds. The analogous positioning of descriptive phrases in constant proximity to ones' opponents, in time, creates the association in many minds.

Think about it; consider an example of the SAT analogy format used to create political indoctrination:

Horse is to herd, as whale is to...
Seemingly benign, but NO!

Examine how this format it is used politically.

Conservative is to good, as liberal is to...
a) evil
b) sodomy
c) hateful
d) enemy

Of course all are true but only 'a' is the truly comparable analogy.
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Or this example:

Good government is to Republican as Healthcare reform is to....
a) death panels
b) socialism
c) Democrats
d) avoiding national bankruptcy

It's all in how you write the question. 'a' is correct but not a equivalent analogy (many students would miss this one because of the subtle distinction). 'b' is also correct but again is just off of 'c' which is a true analogy. Remember that it is already a given that Republican and good are implicitly linked as are evil and Democrat. Since healthcare reform is bad government and Democrats are evil, 'c' is the only correct choice. 'd' is wrong both philosophically and as a comparable analogy so it is included only as filler to catch those who probably can't afford college without a scholarship anyway.
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Try this one at home.

Democrat is to shrill as atheist is to...

a) hateful
b) rude
c) beligerent
d) irrational
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(S)atire. No real SAT questions were harmed in the making of this post ;)

2 comments:

Stacy S. said...

What made you think about that, Pliny? Those weren't real questions were they?

Pliny-the-in-Between said...

"What made me think about that"

My mind is a wandering enigma. Something over at Mors Dei, made me think of how these repetitive analogies (atheists need to be nice, etc.) are used to deride opposition. I naturally returned to the place we all first encountered those things...

I was in a mood.