Republicans Pounce!

[LDAHL]

I saw part of the hearing with the three elite university presidents, where they seemed to dance around the question of calls for genocide in the most condescending way possible, trying to explain to the ignorant congresspeople about "context" They seemed to be groping toward a free speech argument, despite their extensive history of thought policing on campus. We saw the result. Close to universal condemnation. Angry donors, angry boards, etc. The President of Penn sacked and the President of Harvard's future being discussed. A general blow to the mystique of elite schools and an icy blast of reality felt in the academic hothouse.

But over the weekend our cultural gatekeepers rushed to the defense. SNL did a skit attempting to mock the original questioners. The New York Times emitted one of those "Republicans Pounce" pieces they reflexively do whenever someone the Left likes screws up. But I don't see the general revulsion was at all limited to Republicans in this case.

[iris lilies]

This is the issue I’m looking at this morning. I signed on to National Review to get their take on it.

I do not entirely buy the significance of Jewish students “not feeling safe” since I don’t buy that as a measure of a significant problem from college students when they too often yammer about it. On the other hand, one cannot deny the antisemitism on these college campuses. Or I guess one can deny it, depending on one’s ideological leanings.

[LDAHL]

This is the issue I’m looking at this morning. I signed on to National Review to get their take on it.

I do not entirely buy the significance of Jewish students “not feeling safe” since I don’t buy that as a measure of a significant problem from college students when they too often yammer about it. On the other hand, one cannot deny the antisemitism on these college campuses. Or I guess one can deny it, depending on one’s ideological leanings.

I liked what Jim Geraghty said about the presidents cutting themselves on the plate glass when they stepped through the Overton Window. I was also amused by the poll he cited about the percentage of students who couldn’t identify which river and which sea they were chanting about.

[jp1]

It’s intriguing that free speech folks would be in favor of, checks notes, shutting down free speech by encouraging those engaging in free speech to be cancelled. I wonder if they’ll be just as excited when democrats pounce on the cancellation of X by advertisers who stop buying ads because they don’t want to be shown beside antisemites and other Nazis.

[iris lilies]

To be fair, when Rep. Foxx asked all three Ivy League presidents specifically “do you support Israel’s existence” they all said yes.

but this doesn’t make me think that any sort of balanced points of view are being promoted on these college campuses.

That reminds me, LDahl, did you hear Barry Weiss’ interview recently with the author of the book that shows two parent households to be infinitely superior in raising children? I will probably start a thread on that one of these days.

A serious issue with that interview is the author confirming how difficult it is to pursue certain research topics because the social supports are not there in academia. These are forbidden topics because they are literally not politically correct.

Science is not free and open to inquiry after all. What a surprise, not.

[bae]

When I went to Princeton, the percentage of Jewish students was twice what it is today.

There is current quite a bit of kerfuffle on campus, protests, identity politics, and people feeling unsafe.

https://jewishjournal.com/commentary/opinion/362013/has-princeton-returned-to-its-antisemitic-roots/

When I was in Cambridge a couple of weeks ago, there were sizeable pro-Palestine/anti-Israel protests in the streets, and the place did not at all feel safe.

https://i.imgur.com/9BqeAB1.png

[LDAHL]

It’s intriguing that free speech folks would be in favor of, checks notes, shutting down free speech by encouraging those engaging in free speech to be cancelled. I wonder if they’ll be just as excited when democrats pounce on the cancellation of X by advertisers who stop buying ads because they don’t want to be shown beside antisemites and other Nazis.

Me, I’m pretty much a free speech absolutist in the same sense as the ACLU used to be but is no more. But when the presidents of schools where so many other ideas are treated as outside the bounds of reasoned dissent, I have to smile when they start channeling John Stuart Mill. Apparently you can cheer on terrorists as long as you don’t misgender them.

I think I first heard about the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression from Iris Lillies. They publish a ranking of schools by their commitment to free speech. Harvard and Penn ranked last and second to last respectively.

[iris lilies]

It’s intriguing that free speech folks would be in favor of, checks notes, shutting down free speech….

Wrong. No one is suggesting first amendment rights be discontinued.

The congressional inquiry centered on behavior that is acceptable on campus according to stated campus policies.

In other words, are the college presidents carrying out their own policies, and if not, why not?

If you said, these two concepts are intertwined in a slippery slope way – – I would agree.

If you said, this is really the business of the Board at the universities, not the business of Congress— I would agree.

But of course we all know congressional hearings take place all the time over much that is not the business of government. I am sick of it.

Honestly, if they would cut out all this congressional hearing stuff, they could save themselves a lot of work time in DC and be home doing whatever they do in their home districts.

[LDAHL]

To be fair, when Rep. Foxx asked all three Ivy League presidents specifically “do you support Israel’s existence” they all said yes.

but this doesn’t make me think that any sort of balanced points of view are being promoted on these college campuses.

That reminds me, LDahl, did you hear Barry Weiss’ interview recently with the author of the book that shows two parent households to be infinitely superior in raising children? I will probably start a thread on that one of these days.

A serious issue with that interview is the author confirming how difficult it is to pursue certain research topics because the social supports are not there in academia. These are forbidden topics because they are literally not politically correct.

Science is not free and open to inquiry after all. What a surprise, not.

I did catch that podcast. “Honestly” is on my Spotify list. I found it interesting that so many people who talk about “privilege” can’t (or refuse) to make the connection between growing up in an intact family and success in later life.

[iris lilies]

….Apparently you can cheer on terrorists as long as you don’t misgender them.

Hilarious!

I heard the rainbow flag was pulled right down at a Pro-palestine rally in London, so that respect doesn't go two ways.


I think I first heard about the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression from Iris Lillies. They publish a ranking of schools by their commitment to free speech. Harvard and Penn ranked last and second to last respectively.

I still have to write my check to FIRE, along with a couple other end of year donations to empty out my budgeted donation account. Bari Weiss promotes the FIRE organization.

[littlebittybobby]

Okay---I tell you what---you kids are very brilliant, to carry on such a highbrow discussion about such a nothing subject. Yup. I could care less about Anya them people, except how that PC hah-vahhd president looks ree--diculous. Hope that helps you kids some.

[LDAHL]

When I went to Princeton, the percentage of Jewish students was twice what it is today.

There is current quite a bit of kerfuffle on campus, protests, identity politics, and people feeling unsafe.

https://jewishjournal.com/commentary/opinion/362013/has-princeton-returned-to-its-antisemitic-roots/

When I was in Cambridge a couple of weeks ago, there were sizeable pro-Palestine/anti-Israel protests in the streets, and the place did not at all feel safe.

https://i.imgur.com/9BqeAB1.png

One man’s diversity is another’s ethnic cleansing.

[LDAHL]

I see the second University president has fallen, although more for looting other people’s work like a San Francisco CVS than for the contextualizing genocide thing. But I suppose that particular rock might not have been turned over otherwise.

[pinkytoe]

Check out this video re God and Trump on his website...scary stuff:
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/111703421569603715

[iris lilies]

I see the second University president has fallen, although more for looting other people’s work like a San Francisco CVS than for the contextualizing genocide thing. But I suppose that particular rock might not have been turned over otherwise.
I like Christopher Rufo who’s a trained journalist in front of several of these hot button issues, he seems not too sleazy to me.

But that said, I really wondered how serious the plagiarism charge was against this Harvard professor. More importantly, I think the series of plagiarism charges follow on her inability to be an effective leader. She’s just not. She’s not able to speak convincingly about the Muslim/Jewish conflict on her campus, she can’t tamp in down because she is so obviously partisan.

I’ve skimmed writing about her plagiarism and not surprisingly, there are some that think it’s far more important than others do. Here’s an article about the actual plagiarized parts of her writing.

https://freebeacon.com/campus/this-is-definitely-plagiarism-harvard-university-president-claudine-gay-copied-entire-paragraphs-from-others-academic-work-and-claimed-them-as-her-own/

[LDAHL]

I like Christopher Rufo who’s a trained journalist in front of several of these hot button issues, he seems not too sleazy to me.

But that said, I really wondered how serious the plagiarism charge was against this Harvard professor. More importantly, I think the series of plagiarism charges follow on her inability to be an effective leader. She’s just not. She’s not able to speak convincingly about the Muslim/Jewish conflict on her campus, she can’t tamp in down because she is so obviously partisan.

I’ve scimmed writing about her plagiarism and not surprisingly, there are some that think it’s far more important than others do. Here’s an article about the actual plagiarized parts of her writing.

https://freebeacon.com/campus/this-is-definitely-plagiarism-harvard-university-president-claudine-gay-copied-entire-paragraphs-from-others-academic-work-and-claimed-them-as-her-own/

I was impressed with the creativity of some of the defenders. From “we use such formulaic language in our hebetudinous field that its hardly surprising you see large amounts of duplication” to the tediously familiar “systemic racism”. To my mind, if such scholarly pilferage is unacceptable for undergraduates it should be unacceptable for university presidents. It was reassuring to me that despite the best efforts of the majority of the media, at least one former US president and any number of the academic elite that simple truth prevailed.

Fortunately for Claudine Gay, she will continue collecting her same salary at Harvard teaching students who will no doubt puzzle over the proper attribution of sources.