It is mind-boggling how some academics willfully ignore a clear distinction between free expression and impermissible disruption of university operation, vandalism, and even violence.
"Throughout history the emergence of antisemitism has been an indicator of social decline. Once Jews are targeted, no minority is safe..." (sorry to quote your prior comment)
And how do these things happen? The cowardice and collapse of the liberal class, which is the source of so much of our modern campus (and cultural) insanity.
Our liberal class is the the last place in America to look for courage or for a principled defense of liberalism. The same people who've been given both the gift of liberal democracy and the charge of transmitting our culture, history and civics etc—teachers educators admins even curators and librarians—have completely abdicated their roles and failed the rest of us.
Imagine if a prior iteration of protestors—maybe those kids who spat in the face of Christakis at Yale or those kids at Berkeley who shout down every conservative speaker ever invited to campus—had been expelled instead of awarded, if good-faith discourse and free speech were prized and protected instead of replaced with WHO/WHOM, at the very least our academic class would have a shred of dignity instead of their constant anxious equivocation.
America's liberal class have proved themselves to be cowardly conformists who only have existential worries about their careers, paychecks and status, who are congenitally incapable of discipling a single child (especially if they're paying full tuition!) and whose only other concern is: No enemies to the Left, because that may cause uncomfortable conversations or risk losing a promotion, and besides, they "just want to make the world a better place"🤮—all lazy cop-outs.
If liberal society survives it won't be because academics suddenly recognized the "clear distinction between free expression and impermissible disruption of university operation, vandalism, and even violence," it will only be because other people and institutions step in where they failed and arrive to clean up their messes.
I want to bring your attention to our new substack called Voices Against Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism at USC (https://voicesagainstantisemitism.substack.com/) where we document USC-specific instances of antisemitism and anti-Zionism. We also discuss what is going on beyond USC and more general implications to society. We believe that antisemitism is not a Jewish issue—it is a symptom of a much deeper and broader problems in our society. Throughout history the emergence of antisemitism has been an indicator of social decline. Once Jews are targeted, no minority is safe.
People seem to forget how capricious these popular categorizations like "oppressor" and "oppressed" can be. One group can be "sacrosanct" one moment. And then a tiny event can precipitate a "sea change" in what the activist class is "thinking" or how it behaves. Clearly, these sorts of social phenomena could be studied with our nonlinear dynamics machinery.
Some of us, such as Elon Musk, had long noted that DEI is inherently antisemitic and can be directed at other "enemies" of the "mob" at the drop of a hat. However, some Jews who were activists and followers of the critical social justice movement felt "safe" until relatively recently. I had some disputes over this with a few of my Jewish colleagues who wanted to climb on board and aggressively promote the "woke movement", or at least be apologists for it. It was a huge shock to many when the mob turned on them, seemingly turning on a dime. Some Jews, wanting to remain in the good graces of the mob, appear to even openly advocate for their own obliteration. This is understandable, but troubling of course.
No group or individual is inherently "safe" against this kind of rampant irrationality. People forget the lessons of the French Revolution and the Russian Revolution and the Nazi phenomenon and the Khymer Rouge in Cambodia and Mao's Cultural Revolution and the problems in Rwanda and many other similar events. These should serve as a warning about human nature and the threat of these kinds of "movements". Allowing them much purchase in society can lead to serious trouble of all kinds.
Once any minority is targeted, no minority is safe. Some Jews feel they are a special minority, God's chosen, and in this age of wokeness now feel they have the power/money to enforce their 'specialness' within a US government that finds this convenient for its agendas.
The physical evidence is consistent with the conclusion that the aause of the anti-semitism is for a "complex" physical system is mistaken by the anti-semites for a "non-complex" physical system,. as re[prted in the book that is entitled "The Psychology of Totalitarianism" by Prof. Mattias Desmet, a clinical psychologist and statisitican.
I had not realized that the University of Chicago, which so often stands as a sort of beacon of sanity, had succumbed to this current fad. People have to realize that this sort of activity is being fomented by powerful outside forces with deep pockets. There are professional agitators who are behind a lot of these encampments. And it can seem exciting and maybe potentially fulfilling to young people to join in. So, not knowing any better, they are lured in, as "useful idiots".
But, at its core, these protests are sort of shallow distractions and anti-intellectual examples of street theater, sound and fury signifying nothing.
I probably have the honor of publishing the first Substack to quote this one, though only in a footnote. I had to modify what I said about the University of Chicago being the only university I know to handle the encampments in the sensible way of punishing students who break the rules (unlike MIT and most others) but not punishing students who *don't* break the rules (unlike my own Indiana, and Texas). https://ericrasmusen.substack.com/p/the-sniper-crackdown-at-indiana-university
That's a very impressive list of faculty who have signed. Maybe letters like this should have links to the curriculum vitaes of the signers. I always look to the names of the signers first, since quality matters vastly more than quantity.
Excellent letter! Our group at USC has also issued a letter to our academic senate:
https://voicesagainstantisemitism.substack.com/p/open-letter-to-the-usc-academic-senate
It is mind-boggling how some academics willfully ignore a clear distinction between free expression and impermissible disruption of university operation, vandalism, and even violence.
"Throughout history the emergence of antisemitism has been an indicator of social decline. Once Jews are targeted, no minority is safe..." (sorry to quote your prior comment)
And how do these things happen? The cowardice and collapse of the liberal class, which is the source of so much of our modern campus (and cultural) insanity.
Our liberal class is the the last place in America to look for courage or for a principled defense of liberalism. The same people who've been given both the gift of liberal democracy and the charge of transmitting our culture, history and civics etc—teachers educators admins even curators and librarians—have completely abdicated their roles and failed the rest of us.
Imagine if a prior iteration of protestors—maybe those kids who spat in the face of Christakis at Yale or those kids at Berkeley who shout down every conservative speaker ever invited to campus—had been expelled instead of awarded, if good-faith discourse and free speech were prized and protected instead of replaced with WHO/WHOM, at the very least our academic class would have a shred of dignity instead of their constant anxious equivocation.
America's liberal class have proved themselves to be cowardly conformists who only have existential worries about their careers, paychecks and status, who are congenitally incapable of discipling a single child (especially if they're paying full tuition!) and whose only other concern is: No enemies to the Left, because that may cause uncomfortable conversations or risk losing a promotion, and besides, they "just want to make the world a better place"🤮—all lazy cop-outs.
If liberal society survives it won't be because academics suddenly recognized the "clear distinction between free expression and impermissible disruption of university operation, vandalism, and even violence," it will only be because other people and institutions step in where they failed and arrive to clean up their messes.
Great observations.
thanks!
I want to bring your attention to our new substack called Voices Against Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism at USC (https://voicesagainstantisemitism.substack.com/) where we document USC-specific instances of antisemitism and anti-Zionism. We also discuss what is going on beyond USC and more general implications to society. We believe that antisemitism is not a Jewish issue—it is a symptom of a much deeper and broader problems in our society. Throughout history the emergence of antisemitism has been an indicator of social decline. Once Jews are targeted, no minority is safe.
Excellent.
People seem to forget how capricious these popular categorizations like "oppressor" and "oppressed" can be. One group can be "sacrosanct" one moment. And then a tiny event can precipitate a "sea change" in what the activist class is "thinking" or how it behaves. Clearly, these sorts of social phenomena could be studied with our nonlinear dynamics machinery.
Some of us, such as Elon Musk, had long noted that DEI is inherently antisemitic and can be directed at other "enemies" of the "mob" at the drop of a hat. However, some Jews who were activists and followers of the critical social justice movement felt "safe" until relatively recently. I had some disputes over this with a few of my Jewish colleagues who wanted to climb on board and aggressively promote the "woke movement", or at least be apologists for it. It was a huge shock to many when the mob turned on them, seemingly turning on a dime. Some Jews, wanting to remain in the good graces of the mob, appear to even openly advocate for their own obliteration. This is understandable, but troubling of course.
No group or individual is inherently "safe" against this kind of rampant irrationality. People forget the lessons of the French Revolution and the Russian Revolution and the Nazi phenomenon and the Khymer Rouge in Cambodia and Mao's Cultural Revolution and the problems in Rwanda and many other similar events. These should serve as a warning about human nature and the threat of these kinds of "movements". Allowing them much purchase in society can lead to serious trouble of all kinds.
Once any minority is targeted, no minority is safe. Some Jews feel they are a special minority, God's chosen, and in this age of wokeness now feel they have the power/money to enforce their 'specialness' within a US government that finds this convenient for its agendas.
The physical evidence is consistent with the conclusion that the aause of the anti-semitism is for a "complex" physical system is mistaken by the anti-semites for a "non-complex" physical system,. as re[prted in the book that is entitled "The Psychology of Totalitarianism" by Prof. Mattias Desmet, a clinical psychologist and statisitican.
Sidney Oldberg Engineer/Scientist/Public Policy Researcher
Los Altos Hills, California
1-650-518-6636 (mobile)
terry_oldberg@yahoo.com
Bravo! It's always the scientists who come to the rescue!
Thank you all for writing this letter.
Outstanding.
I had not realized that the University of Chicago, which so often stands as a sort of beacon of sanity, had succumbed to this current fad. People have to realize that this sort of activity is being fomented by powerful outside forces with deep pockets. There are professional agitators who are behind a lot of these encampments. And it can seem exciting and maybe potentially fulfilling to young people to join in. So, not knowing any better, they are lured in, as "useful idiots".
But, at its core, these protests are sort of shallow distractions and anti-intellectual examples of street theater, sound and fury signifying nothing.
I applaud this letter.
I probably have the honor of publishing the first Substack to quote this one, though only in a footnote. I had to modify what I said about the University of Chicago being the only university I know to handle the encampments in the sensible way of punishing students who break the rules (unlike MIT and most others) but not punishing students who *don't* break the rules (unlike my own Indiana, and Texas). https://ericrasmusen.substack.com/p/the-sniper-crackdown-at-indiana-university
💯Hear Hear! Harupmph and Huzzah!🏆
That's a very impressive list of faculty who have signed. Maybe letters like this should have links to the curriculum vitaes of the signers. I always look to the names of the signers first, since quality matters vastly more than quantity.
Great letter. Concise and to the point. Best wishes from Ireland 👍
Amen!