Monday, August 23, 2004
Leave No Professor Behind
I generally try to shy away from simply posting a link to an article without providing my input because, well, I feel lazy about it and that I am not offering anything value-added to the experience. With that caveat in mind, I intend to do just that by referring to this extremely worthwhile article appearing on BattleBunny.com which describes the duplicitous assault being waged by conservatives on the principles of academic freedom.
By way of very limited background, the author, Bryan Pfaffenberger, makes the case that the well-oiled right-wing opinion machine has introduced, disseminated and solidified the myth that the academia is a bastion of liberal demagoguery and indoctrination. This despite the fact that in 2000 more "college and university professors gave more money to Bush in 2000 than they did to Gore," and the fact that the current make-up of faculties nationwide represent a diversity of perspectives and viewpoints. With this fallacy enshrined as conventional wisdom, the right-wing has begun to propose solutions to the phantom problem. Pfaffenberger's examination of the proposed policy initiatives provides a frightening glimpse at the potential future of our vaunted academic institutions. The narrative is well worth the read.
By way of very limited background, the author, Bryan Pfaffenberger, makes the case that the well-oiled right-wing opinion machine has introduced, disseminated and solidified the myth that the academia is a bastion of liberal demagoguery and indoctrination. This despite the fact that in 2000 more "college and university professors gave more money to Bush in 2000 than they did to Gore," and the fact that the current make-up of faculties nationwide represent a diversity of perspectives and viewpoints. With this fallacy enshrined as conventional wisdom, the right-wing has begun to propose solutions to the phantom problem. Pfaffenberger's examination of the proposed policy initiatives provides a frightening glimpse at the potential future of our vaunted academic institutions. The narrative is well worth the read.
