A new survey of students at the University of Wisconsin found that almost sixty percent of students are afraid to share their opinions in class due to the intolerance on campuses today. It is only the latest such poll on how the orthodoxy and intolerance of higher education is having a chilling effect on student speech and class discussions. Notably, this is almost identical to earlier polling at other schools.
UW-Stout’s Menard Center for Public Policy and Service conducted the survey.
The survey asked students if there have been times when they have wanted to express their thoughts in class but decided to remain silent. Almost 57% of respondents said yes. Thirty-one percent said that they feared that a complaint might be filed against them for expressing their views.
Another 37% said that they felt pressured by an instructor to agree with a specific viewpoint.
Liberal writers like Above the Law editor Joe Patrice have previously ridiculed students who fear speaking in class, dismissing the overwhelming majority in these polls as students who are “just… conservatives being sad that everyone else makes fun of them.” (Previously, Patrice defended “predominantly liberal faculties” and argued that hiring a conservative professor is akin to allowing a believer in geocentrism to teach).
These polls are an indictment of the entire teaching academy. We have converted our universities into echo chambers reflecting overwhelmingly (and sometimes virtually exclusively) liberal faculties. When these polls are raised, faculty often shrug off the concern for free speech and the complaints of rising viewpoint intolerance. It simply does not seem to matter that the vast majority of our students are consistently polling as being afraid to speak openly in classes.
This latest poll comes as states are moving to use the power of the purse to force greater choice in education and diversity on faculties. This is a state school system and the legislature has every reason to seek measures to address the lack of intellectual diversity and tolerance on campuses or reduce the level of state funding for these schools.
Sad. It was starting to be this way decades ago at university. I thrive on these atmospheres versus fear and love causing trouble against such mobs – I ‘d have a ball even more now.
My son dealt with it by writing papers that would try to communicate a Marxist point of view relative to whatever topic it was better than a professor could. He’d often get thrilling reactions from the instructors on his papers. It became almost a game to him, a running joke. While it is sad that in a “university” he felt he had to do this to get good grades, at very least he learned opposing ideology to his own and how to express it.
This study also showed results that 10% of the students identified as ” transsexual”…. I can’t imagine what garbage is being fed to these kids, and why are they so weak minded.
A far more dangerous issue as an overall context:
Real leaders try to unite and embolden their citizenry. Leaders that divide the citizens simply to win elections, only help our foreign enemies. It’s a highly unpatriotic tactic by any leader of any party.
Not that long ago, when many of us were growing up, you could sit down to the dinner table with part of the family supporting Ronald Reagan and the other side supporting Jimmy Carter – and have a civil conservation about what policies were best for the nation and our children and grandchildren. There are very few kids hearing this type of civility today.
Neither Reagan nor Carter were viewed as evil with bad intent. Both leaders were viewed as loving their country but just different “means” to do what’s best for it’s people. More voters respected the leader of the other party that we disagreed with.
Today, maybe due to non-stop election cycles (non-stop electioneering), America has very few real leaders. Even when we find good leaders, the voters sometimes destroy those good leaders trying to unite Americans of different ideologies – leaders trying to build bridges instead of creating enemies with our fellow Americans.
The late great John McCain was a great example, although he strongly disagreed with Obama’s policies, when a voter at a town hall event said Obama was a Muslim extremist – McCain responded that Obama was a good man that he simply disagreed with. The voter apparently forgot extremists previously attacked Obama’s Baptist (Christian) preacher, the same extremist group contradicting the Muslim slurs.
Fast forward to today. Maybe you disagree with Trump but does anyone believe Trump doesn’t love his country? You may disagree with Biden but does anyone believe he doesn’t love his country?
Our generation, the people on this site, need to properly educate the next generation of adults – our children and grandchildren. America has very few real leaders left in positions of power, so voters need to “lead by example” and start being civil – attack the policy not the person. America has 330,000 million people with 330,000 million opinions – we will never agree completely on everything. Driven by bad divisive leaders, America had an insurrection coup attempt on January 6, maybe we need a reset?
Demonizing those we disagree with, only benefits our foreign enemies and is very unpatriotic for any voter! Worst of all, we are teaching our kids and grandkids to be unpatriotic also. Maybe someday they won’t fear having a political conversation with someone they simply disagree with.
The UW system ( especially Madison) is rife with professors that could have easily fit in at the Frankfurt school. Many of the students become so brain washed in “wokeism” that it is extremely dangerous to have even a mild conversation with anyone within ear shot of these people. I was once dragged down to HR after a woke kid overheard a conversation where I called the terrain of Somalia a giant sandbox — apparently that is racist.
Public schools and most of academia refuse to even consider that a republican or conservative could ever have anything of value or anything positive to offer. Most college kids at UW have never been told anything remotely negative about anything liberal/ democrat related and certainly never been told that conservatives offer anything positive. Conservatism is cast is a horrible light in public schools. EDI is the propaganda mechanism being used to both silence opposing views AND punish those views if they are ever shared. And liberals wonder why parents are objecting to things like CRT, EDI, and SEL. They say, why do parents demand more conservatives in schools? Well, maybe because the next one that gets hired will actually be the first one? And EDI is weeding out future conservatives from even trying to enter academia/ teaching.
The great John McCain? I don’t think so
McCain is an actual hero.
I had serious problems with Trump’s attacks on his Vietnam SErvice.
That does NOT mean that McCain does not have serious political sins to answer for.
Brian Steven’s asks us to remember that people are not the worst thing they have ever done.
They are also not the best thing they have ever done.
I can respect McCain’s military service to the country while criticizing his political conduct.
McCain is responsible for destroying the flight deck of a US carrier that killed and wounded many sailors because of his cockey spoiled family tree. And spoke freely to his VC captors which cost the lives of service men on the ground. POSThey were suspect as well.
The navies investigation found that an electrical fault in a Zuni rocket caused it to lauch striking another aircraft.
McCain claimed in his book it struck HIS aircraft. The navy disagrees, Regardless, the rocket did not come from his aircraft.
There is no evidence at all that McCain was the cause of the Forrestal disaster.
McCain did not speak freely to the NVA – the VC are south vietnamese insurgents.
Like everyone after years of torture he eventually broke and read political statements provided by Hanoi.
As I recall the senior officer at the Hanoi Hilton gave ALL officers there permission to do so.
Regardless, McCain repeatedly refused the NVA the most important PR victory they were after from him.
He refused to leave before officers that had been captured before him.
He refused even when he was in very serious need of medical care that the Vietnamese could not provide.
He refused even when it is likely that the political consequences would have been mimimal – because he actually was very seriously injured.
There are those held by the NVA that were even more consequential heroes than McCain. But what he and most others endured and gave the NVA little in return is beyond what I or most of the rest of us could do much less even imagine.
McCaine’s family tree is amazing – it is NOT spoiled. His Grandfather is one of the senior admitals in WWII in the Pacific, who famously Disobeyed Halsey when Halsey was lured away from protecting the Leyette Gulf Landing.
Fortunately for Halsey a collection of old battleships, Jeep Carriers and destoryers fought with incredible valor and intensity against a vastly superior japanese force that they convinced the Japanese they were fighint a more powerful enemey than they were,
otherwise the japanese could have completely wiped out the Leyette Gulf landing force.
Though probably not – because by that time Adm. McCains forces would have arrived.
McCain’s father was CINPAC while McCain was in Hanoi – Comander in Cheif Pacific – the highest ranking military person of the Vietnam War.
Feel free to go after McCain’s political mistakes – and even his corruption – I will join you.
Further he had a reputation as a slackard and hot dog at the Naval Academy – graduating with possibly the worst record ever – Though I would note that Ulyses, S Grant had a similar reputaion at West Point.
Biden sold our country to the highest bidder. He loves what his country did for his bank account. Nothing more.
“Thirty-one percent said that they feared that a complaint might be filed against them for expressing their views.” (JT)
Self-censorship is an epidemic, caused by academia. And here’s the tactic: Make any word or opinion potentially taboo — depending on the mob’s feelings that week. Then you make the punishment unknowable. Will you get hauled before a DEI officer? Suspended? Kicked off social media? Ridiculed? Fired?
The overwhelming stench of fear achieves its purpose: Self-censorship.
Prospective students and their families must start voting with their bank accounts, loan applications, and feet. The laws of the market place still apply in these matters.
https://www.thefire.org/news/just-released-2022-2023-college-free-speech-rankings
Self-censorship is a two-sided coin. It’s a shame when students are afraid to speak up. On the other hand, one wonders whether those that force themselves to remain silent out of fear actually have anything valuable to contribute to the discourse.
Nobody “remain(s) silent out of fear actually have anything valuable to contribute to the discourse.” People that have nothing valuable to contribute are seldom quiet, as your post demonstrates.
White privilege is a physical axiom revealed by science subsequent to millennia of inexorably successful endeavor juxtaposed with the inevitable and immutable failure of its inverse.
That inverse, affirmative action, is an illicit communist political emulsifier employed to force a synthetic, fraudulent, and inequitable mixture of that which is physically impossible, and to legislate meritless success.
The lot of political emulsifiers derives from covetousness, a metastasizing malignant neoplasm, as a legal issue, something that must have been excised or struck down by the habitually absent Supreme Court a very long time ago.
___________________________________
“Whatever you have is enough.”
– Unknown
_________
Thou Shalt Not Covet
Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness
Thou Shalt Not Steal
George,
I have enjoyed privilege all my life: the privilege of having been born in America.
And that American exceptionalism is being methodically disarticulated.
European evolution resulted in the theory of relativity, a man on the moon and the most beneficent document in human history, the Constitution of the United States of America.
The Supreme Court must fulfill its sworn-oath duty and support its “manifest tenor.”
Citizenship must be withdrawn for those who disparage it.
Nations must adopt it.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion programs fly in the face of the Constitution. It is being used to do exactly what you stated. UW-Madison oozes hatred for American exceptionalism. It would love nothing more than to see our country adopt socialism and eventually communism. This saddens me given all of my degrees are from UW system colleges including my medical training from UW-Madison class of 97.
Joe Patrice believes bias does not play a part in academic grading procedures, but many have been left uncomfortable enough to be rightfully concerned otherwise. As too many universities demonstrate increasing partisanship and are majority staffed with administrators and professors who are markedly vociferous and doctrinaire when engaging others with their own, favored and undisputable ideology, it’s to be expected that so many will hesitate and even retreat. On that point Patrice might be forgiven for thinking everyone ought to agree with him, but when he goes on to quip that the hesitation and withdrawal one experiences is because of their fear of being ridiculed, he is being deceitful and petty. One only does that to cover the fact of their real intention, which is to constrain persons’ exchanges of thought and freedom of speech.
Joe Patrice was making a much simpler point. Turley left out the fact that those conservative students were law school students, future lawyers. Patrice made the obvious observation that these conservative students were complaining about being uncomfortable expressing their views for fear of being ridiculed or mocked. Not because they had conservative views, but because their conservative ideas or views were deemed stupid or outdated by others. He pointed out that these are prospective lawyers who are expected to make arguments in court regardless of what the views are. If they are uncomfortable and self censor over the possibility of being ridiculed or mocked they don’t deserve to be lawyers.
Free speech doesn’t protect anyone from criticism, mockery or derision.
“Joe Patrice was making a much simpler point. “
Joe Patrice is a mudslinger for Above the Law. He does a lot of their dirty work. Anonymous the Stupid is incompetent at mudslinging, so he lets Above the Law and Joe Patrice do it for him. ATS and Patrice share authoritarianism, something they both have in common.
Ahhh, I see your point, but the reality is these people have invested massive amounts of time and resources on their chosen path. When expressing your beliefs can get you way more than criticized but actually impact your grade and substantially alter your chosen path, that isn’t merely criticism, mockery, or derision. That is the woke mafia expressing its power. And now EDI is doing whatever it can to prevent said conservatives from even getting into a Law School, Medical school, or even college in the first place. You simply are mischaracterizing the problem without understanding the severity and consequences.
“A new survey of students at the University of Wisconsin found that almost sixty percent of students are afraid to share their opinions in class due to the intolerance on campuses today. It is only the latest such poll on how the orthodoxy and intolerance of higher education is having a chilling effect on student speech and class discussions. Notably, this is almost identical to earlier polling at other schools.”
******************************
If we raised this many wusses, we deserve what we get. This is the why the blue collar kids win all the wars or die in them. And, of course, then we’re left with these little sheets who think they scored a homer after starting on third base. We need to educate our kids that they are persona nongrata to the Left and to not backdown. We’re the wusses, too.
That said, my youngest son was in one of those woke classes while an undergrad and decided he had had enough, launching a tirade agianst phony diversity and mythical white privilege. I understand they still talk about that day at his fraternity and I was never prouder of him.
We are what we’ll accept from those who would do us harm. My kids were always taught that little family mantra.
Mespo: “If we raised this many wusses, we deserve what we get.”
***
I imagine you saw the Veritas video of the Pfizer ‘executive’ who learned he had been recorded spilling on Pfizer. He yelled, “Is this real?” And “I don’t feel safe!” Then came the complete dissolution. Pathetic. The emotional growth of a five year old. That’s what we are producing.
Mespo and Young– Whenever I run into young people in the teenage to early 20s years, if I can work it in I ask them, “do you have any heroes?” I’ve not yet had one say “yes.” The other night for entertainment I watched the 1981 remake of the Legend of the Lone Ranger (not the Johnny Depp version). I think it is significant and sad that they do not have anything like that in their lives. Perhaps that contributes to the ever increasing shortage of real men.
I am sorry to say that it is far, far worse than most realize. I interact with university students weekly, now that classes have begun again, who want to be physicians and scientists. I listen to their english utilization, their grammar, their vocabulary, sentence structure, observe their dress, their bodily posture, their physical appearance, the manner in which they communicate in groups and with me on a one-to-one basis. It’s all so concerning. I remember a Catholic Nun (originally from Spain) in grade school, all of us were Cuban kids, as were most of the priests/nuns/teachers, none of us were rich, barely middle class, but our parents sacrificed to enroll us in Catholic schools to thrive in America. One of the boys (5th grade) in my class forgot his belt at home. It was still early in the morning after classes started. I remember the reaction by the Spanish Nun like it were last week, and she was not going to have any of it. In Spanish she used forceful and demonstrative words, without ever mentioning the boy, to educate my entire class what it meant to be un hombre de Dios. In brief, the word hombre carried with it all of the alpha-ness, confidence, self-made, hard working, a well put together man, dressed so as to communicate how seriously he took himself, a man who walked/talked like he owned his space, his shoes, pants, shirt were all neat and clean, his hair groomed, he was clean shaven, he may be educated or a campesino (farmer), but he spoke purposefully, with vision for tomorrow and possessed a love of family, church and God that even the angels of the Lord would want to wait on him. I still remember that day vividly. For comparison, think of Rudyard Kipling’s famous “If” poem.
To drive the point even further, 2 weeks ago classes started. An attractive, bright, gifted young woman, registered in an upper level science course, had to make an introduction to the class about herself. All of the students did. For reasons I will never understand, many of the students used for their “intro”, a “zombie apocalypse”, and the 5 tools they would bring with them when that “event” occurred. I listened in disbelief when this bright female stated, without expressing any shame, that the 5 items she would bring with her when a “zombie apocalypse” occurred, would be in order:
1. anti-anxiety meds
2. sleeping pills
3. anti-depressants
4. parents, friends and dog to protect her
5. her blanket to console her
Her story was so concerning that it stayed with me for days. Thankfully none of the other students listed such worrisome items, but alas many of them also had made lists of items to bring for a “zombie apocalypse”.
When I was in grammar school, high school even through college, we had Catholic Saints to adopt as heroes, intercessors, biographies existed of them to inspire us, nay, role-model to us what it meant to be courageous, passionate about our beliefs, and if necessary, what it meant to be a martyr, instead of being easily tossed about as the waves on the seashore.
These kids did not fall from the tree, nor from the sky. As Mespo mentioned, they came from American parents who are older, who knew better, but produced offspring that clung to anti-anxiety meds when zombies struck.
Where are those parents today? Might they be here, on this forum, posting non-stop day after day, telling us how terrible the world is, but never looking inwardly at their own zombie-like life? What are they doing today, tomorrow, next week, to fix the world, to role-model to the world, how to live a courageous, honorable life with integrity, instead of doing with gusto what cowards do: kvetch.
The fruit does not fall far from the tree
Pope John Paul II wrote decades ago perhaps presciently of our world today:
If we deprive human freedom of this possibility, if man does not commit himself to becoming a gift
for others, then this freedom can become dangerous. It will become freedom to do what I myself
consider as good, what brings me a profit or pleasure, even a sublimated pleasure. If we cannot
accept the prospect of giving ourselves as a gift, then the danger of a selfish freedom will always be
present. Kant fought against this danger, and along the same line so did Max Scheler and so many
after him who shared his ethics of values. But a complete expression of all this is already found in
the Gospel. For this very reason, we can find in the Gospel a consistent declaration of all human
rights, even those that for various reasons can make us feel uneasy.
Crossing the Threshold of Hope
By Pope John Paul II
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/132431/crossing-the-threshold-of-hope-by-pope-john-paul-ii/
Amen
Estovir– well said. We need more Spanish nuns and committed parents,
Amen! Estovir
Good to see you post. 😉
Fm Pres John Adams said this was a nation built for no one but a moral people (sic)
A lot of us are trying real hard to be good persons.
That said, I feel very strongly among the reasons there’s so many Zombies walking around among us today here in the USA is directly caused by Vaccine Damage from pre-birth & on going through life & then they end up with ailments including things like anxiety, then the docs recommend their hospital’s protocol of ssri rat poison type drugs that further turn them into zombies, as that’s the only option they have.
I think those people are gone, not much we can do & the best we can do for now is to stop the ph’in vaz programs until they can be proven safe! That was the promise in writing to us in 1986!!!
Why do I give a crap? Those like this little girl below link. Every day the list of victims is growing exceptionally.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/02/killing-us-now-argentinian-mother-outraged-losing-8-year-old-daughter-receiving-covid-vaccine/
-please stop reco’ing the mRNA shots to anyone.
For people like me that have a heart way to big we won’t be let up any time soon & we’re almost there as the people are now behind us.
I’m not picking on you, we’re asking you guys to help the rest of us.
Thank you for your consideration.
https://www. xxxxxxxxxxxxx youtube.com/watch?v=klP5dwGh88U
The’ Horse with a big heart, SECRETARIAT
Estovir,
Great post.
While I am not religious, I can appreciate what Pope John Paul II wrote.
Terrific comment!
Not only don’t they have heros, but they are intent on destroying those anyone else has.
I am sure the Lone Ranger is sexist, racist and mysoginist.
I never expected to be alive at a time when the left agree with the KKK and disagreeed with Martin Luther King.
That a man should be judged by the content of their character not the color of their skin.
MLK had his flaws – as do ALL of our hero’s. We should not forget their clay feet – While celebrating their greatness.
There are many reasons that is important.
One of which is that their flaws prove that we too can aspire to greatness – despite our flaws.
The hard left was never there to protect those being discriminated against. Their intention was to destroy the fabric of our nation which they hate with passion. That is why we saw them screaming about sexism, going overboard while suddenly they are now causing harm to females in athletic competitions, dressing rooms, toilets and everywhere else.
If you can’t pull something straight out you bend it back and forth until it breaks.
Jordan Peterson on Joe Rogan recently addressing some of the things you raised.
https://youtu.be/L_dIaeNu0JI
Tanks John, those two deserve a listen.
S. Meyer: “If you can’t pull something straight out you bend it back and forth until it breaks.”
What a great [metaphoric] analogy!
Thanks Lin, that is the historic nature of the Marxist Revolution.
Another Peterson Short on Trump and his foreign policy.
I have also been watching alot of Peter Zeihan who I do not completely agree with but who has ALOT fo very good points regardless.
One thing he claims – which is PARTLY correct is that Biden and Trump are actually incredibly similar.
They are BOTH populists.
They are BOTH anti-globalists – even if Biden often Cozy’s up to globalists.
And that with Few exceptions Biden has actually keppt – and even solidiified Trump’s Foreign Policy – particularly the anti-globalist aspects.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/5W5nObldr_I
I have to digress because “globalist” is another of those words that has magically radically changed meaning in a very short time frame.
I have recommended the PBS series “The commanding heights:The battle for the global economy” many times in the past – and it is excellent.
In that context – and through to the start of the 21st centure “Globalist” meant people spreading Global Free Trade, the entire purpose was to free trade from government and to diminish the power of government.
I am absolutely a globalist in that sense.
Today a Globalist is those supporting the Cabal for essentially global governance by “experts”.
Zeihan’s videos on Youtube are interesting because he is declaring that Globalism – however you define it is DEAD.
That Demographics primarily – but other factors also, that are all far past any chance of reversing now, are already in the process of and will inevitably end globalism.
In his thesis the US declines from a global superpower to a Hedgemon in the Wester Hemisphere plus the Pacific Rim.
And returns to being the largest economy in the world – but through the failure of other major economies.
That the Failure of the US to continue to act as a global superpower makes unfettered global trade impossible.
China as an example has a rapidly collaping demographic, AND is by far the most completly dependent on foreign trade for absolutely everything.
It is much like Japan was at the start of WWII – only worse. It is dependent on the world to supply it with raw materials, and dependent on the world to buy its product, and actually dependent on the US to secure sea lanse throughout the world.
The US already is no longer able to do that. But the problem will become worse quickly.
We have already seen Drones in the persian gulf harrasing oil shipments in the gulf.
China is absolutely dependent on Oil from the gulf.
Anyway I would recomend viewing all of Peter Zeihan’s video’s on Demographics and economics, and goepolitics.
He also touches on Ukraine and Russia.
Again you do not have to agree with everything he claims to glean alot of valuable information.
I think he is overstating the degree and rapidity of future change – much of which will be happening in the next 10 years.
But broadly I do not think he is wrong.
The US is best positioned to benefit from the changes that are inevitable.
While we have our own demographic problems, they are the least bad int he developed world.
The US is also the most resource rich of all developed nations – we are the only major power that could possibly “go it alone”.
But even if we did not – which we likely will not, What we do not get at home, we can easily get nearby.
Whether driven by Trump or just ridden to conclusion by trump the Global refocusing of US power and interests that occured under Trump has been maintained by Biden.
The US is increasingly univolved in the MidEast.
Despite our involvemet in Ukraine it is Stil obvious that beyond spending lots of money to fight a proxy war with Putin, that increasingly the US views Europe as on its own.
Conversly we are actively involved in Asia – and particularly the Pacifi Rim.
If Zeihan is correct over the next Decade the world generally and the US particularly will reshore critical industries.
Partly do to antiglobalist trends partly do to economic considerations – as the major economies that we trade with falter.
John Say, I watch Peter Ziehan and George Friedman religiously. They’re great.
I have probably seen Freidman, But I do not recall.
Zeihan is informative, and his analysis is good. But I am highly inclined to suspect malthusian claims of inevitable failure.
That does not mean his arguments do not have a great deal of merit.
“One thing he claims – which is PARTLY correct is that Biden and Trump are actually incredibly similar.
They are BOTH populists.
They are BOTH anti-globalists – even if Biden often Cozy’s up to globalists.”
This is not a good advertisement for the link. Trump is somewhat of a populist. Biden is a petty thief, and no other adjectives need to be applied.
“And that with Few exceptions Biden has actually keppt – and even solidiified Trump’s Foreign Policy – particularly the anti-globalist aspects.”
I don’t think so. Think Afghanistan and the middle east.
“I am absolutely a globalist in that sense.”
If you wish to slice up what a globalist is into little pieces, you can make globalism look glorious, but today’s globalism has to be seen for what it is.
“Globalism – however you define it is DEAD.”
At one point, socialism was declared near dead. Memories exist for ~80 years but only about 40 of the are useful in this regard.
Again – I have not universally accepted anything Zeihan has claimed.
But I agree that Biden and Trump are BOTH populists – thought here are radical differences in PARTS of their populist agenda.
There are many Trump policies that Biden 180 reveresed on day one and shortly there-after.
But there are some that he did not.
Biden has been far quieter on Trade than Trump.
But I am not aware of a single Trump Trade policy that Biden has reveresed.
And Zeihan is claiming – and I suspect correctly that Biden is formalizing many of them.
There is a Difference between Trump and Biden on this.
I think Trump is Fundimentally a free trader.
But has used Tarrif’s and the US power over Trade as a weapon for political/forwign policy purposes.
Trump did not work to codify his Trade policies – because he did not intend them to be detailed sets of trade rules for all time.
They were just one hand in a poker game with other countries.
Trump wanted to be able to quickly disown his own policies if he thought that was beneficial.
Trump is a highly skilled negotiator and wants as much flexibility as he can have.
This is also why all Trump deals were conducted eitehr by Trump himself or by those very close to him.
That is the fastest and most effective way to negotiate a deal.
That is NOT how foreign policy traditionally works.
The norm is armies of bureacrats tie everything in knots for years and those with the actual power to consumate a deal are kept apart almost forever.
There are advantages – and disadvantages to that approach.
Regardless it is an approach NOT an ideology.
While there are many many reasons one would beleive Biden to be a modern globalist.
His actual policies are not globalist.
You cited Afghanistan. That is an example of failure – not Policy failure, but just plain failure.
Biden DID stick to the decision to leave. Trump’s decision.
The result was a disaster that made the US look weak – but not because we left, but because we left badly.
The Iran deal has effectively died. I was deeply suspicious that would occur from early in the Biden admin.
Biden and the admin paid lip service to it. But they did not do the things the Obama admin did to assure that it happens.
Days ago Israel Attacked Iran – with near certainty with the US blessing.
Biden has continued to keep the screws to China. And China is incredibly vulnerable.
Biden has F’d up US energy policy – which has global consequences.
But weirdly he is MOSTLY trying to stick to the Consequences of Trump;s energy policy while tying one hand behind his back.
The US is the major supplier of LNG to Europe – keeping Trump’s promise to guarantee Europes energy in the face of Russian threats.
It is near certain that eithe rthe US destroyed the Nordstream Pipelines or that we gave another country (poland) assistance and permission.
I beleive the former is more likely than the later.
That is a huge deal – If the war ended tomorow and all sanctions were lifted, it would be years before Russian pipelines could be repaired
Aparently Russia has another massive energy problem coming. They have nearly filled all of their storage capacity, and will shortly have to shutdown internal pipelines and wells. And most experts are not sure Russia has the technical ability to shut them down safely and certain they can not bring them back up safely.
There is lots of suggestions that in myriads of different ways Russia is within Months of a variety of failures that it can not recover from without massive western help.
One of the other things about Current “sanctions” – that has scared China, is that beyond the mandatory,
US Companies have Voluntarily LEFT Russia. McD’s has left Russia, and so have nearly all US Businesses
Oil companies have removed their technicians. Russia is not only cut off from world trade and money systems.
But also all western “experts”.
They are facing some of the same problems Venezeual had after they nationalized oil – and western companies left.
We are rapidly learning that outside of a few select national prestige areas – Russia is not technologically adept.
And without help they can not even run their own country.
China is actually more fragile – it is likely that China is overall more technologically adept – though still much farther behind the west,
But unlike Russia China is far more dependent on Western Trade.
And I am back to Biden continues to put the screws to China.
“But I agree that Biden and Trump are BOTH populists ”
No. Trump is somewhat of a populist, but Biden is a petty thief and blows with the prevailing winds.
“Biden has been far quieter on Trade than Trump.”
Biden is absent when the creation of a new road is needed.
“But I am not aware of a single Trump Trade policy that Biden has reveresed.”
That would require complex thinking.
“I think Trump is Fundimentally a free trader.
But has used Tarrif’s and the US power over Trade as a weapon for political/forwign policy purposes.”
I agree, but he will use trade value, when necessary, to protect Americans and America. That is the America First agenda.
“I think Trump is Fundimentally a free trader.
But has used Tarrif’s and the US power over Trade as a weapon for political/forwign policy purposes.”
When dealing with commerce, agreements cause changes in the marketplace that need to be adjusted. Gradually stability arises, but not all at once.
“This is also why all Trump deals were conducted eitehr by Trump himself or by those very close to him.”
That is one of the reasons small groups or a single person gets better results. I would rather face many than one in a negotiation.
“Regardless it is an approach NOT an ideology.”
That is correct and one of the reasons Trump isn’t a true populist.
“His actual policies are not globalist.”
Biden is a mouthpiece and a petty thief. If he were in private business, he would fail, even as a thief.
“That is an example of failure – not Policy failure, ”
It is a policy failure. The demonstration of strength is a policy.
“Biden DID stick to the decision to leave. Trump’s decision.”
Biden has no understanding of policy. He is a thief.
” we left badly.”
Aside from the obvious failures, he left the Bagram airbase, and I think Trump would have kept it. He has a policy of strength where China is concerned. Bagram is a part of that policy.
“he is MOSTLY trying to stick to the Consequences of Trump;s energy policy while tying one hand behind his back.”
Biden likes the color Green, but he has no self-generated oil policy. Biden is a petty thief.
“It is near certain that eithe rthe US destroyed the Nordstream Pipelines or that we gave another country (poland) assistance and permission.”
It could have been Russia, but if it would take many years to fix the pipelines, then it is less likely. I am unaware of the damage and have no idea why it would take years to repair.
“Oil companies have removed their technicians.”
The loss of western expertise is a big deal but not discussed. Such ideas are probably too complex for the media to handle.
“China is actually more fragile ”
Be careful in that type of assessment. The appearance of weakness and fragility is part of China’s historical playbook.
“And I am back to Biden continues to put the screws to China.”
Using screws to create strength requires careful placement. Biden is not capable of that. He is a petty thief.
“but Biden is a petty thief and blows with the prevailing winds.”
True but he is also governing as a populist.
And an anti-globalist.
He has different policies – he seeks a different populist group.
“I agree, but he will use trade value, when necessary, to protect Americans and America. That is the America First agenda.”
Trump’s policies and rhetoric are not in perfect alignment.
“When dealing with commerce, agreements cause changes in the marketplace that need to be adjusted. Gradually stability arises, but not all at once.”
If the objective is commerce, the correct policy is pure free trade.
“Biden is a mouthpiece and a petty thief. If he were in private business, he would fail, even as a thief.”
True but that does not change the fact that he is a different form of populist and anti-globalist than Trump.
““That is an example of failure – not Policy failure, ”
It is a policy failure. The demonstration of strength is a policy.”
This is just incorrect – Trump’s policy was to leave afghanistan and to reduce the US presence and interest in the Mideast.
Biden continued that policy.
His implimentation was poor. That is NOT the same as the policy was bad.
““he is MOSTLY trying to stick to the Consequences of Trump;s energy policy while tying one hand behind his back.”
Biden likes the color Green, but he has no self-generated oil policy. Biden is a petty thief.”
All that is correct, it does nto alter the fact that even thought he has deliberately made it harder on himself,
He is trying to preserve the consequences of Trump’s energy policy while modifying the actual policy to make that harder.
One of the interesting things about Zeihan’s prediction that the world is deglobalizing and that the US will be the least negatively impacted by that, Is that it presumes that the US will return to extracting resources that it needs rather than importing them without major obstacles from the green police. We are seeing some of that in Germany right now – which has fired up its coal plants and is digging and burning Lignite which produces the MAx CO2 despite having been as “green” as California.
“It could have been Russia,”
I am sorry SM that is a ludicrously bad claim. The US has done everything Short of admit it.
Russia probably does not have the capacity to do so in those waters.
And it would be an incredibly stupid action for Russia.
Putin likely is inside a bubble where he gets advice from yes men who do not tell him the cold hard truth – also likely a problem for Xi.
This is the consequence of purging disenters and competitors, is the quality of your information declines.
But there is a difference between making stupid choices based on bad information,
and making choices that are not at all in your self interest.
Russia is the one country that did NOT take out the pipelines.
“but if it would take many years to fix the pipelines, then it is less likely. I am unaware of the damage and have no idea why it would take years to repair.”
Because within a short time after the lines flood they start to corrode. I recall after the attack occured exerts noting that if they were not fixed in a few weeks repairing them would become a monumental task.
““Oil companies have removed their technicians.”
The loss of western expertise is a big deal but not discussed. Such ideas are probably too complex for the media to handle.”
Yes, but they have massive consequences.
This is one of the differences between the US and China and Russia – the latter have very high levels of expertise in specific areas.
They may even have large numbers of very capable university STEM graduates.
But they do not have broad expertise.
The US can reshore much of what it now imports. We saw some of that with early Covid – shortages of PPE and other things that we got exclusively from China were for a few weeks at most.
Zeihan noted that Russia is like Venezuella – they can not run their own oil and gas infrastructure without foreign assistance.
You would think that a nation that until recently launched more tons into space than any other, could manage energy drilling and transport.
But they can’t.
Russia is drilling more oil than it can export. It is filling storage rapidly. When it is ful, it must reduce production
Zeihan does not beleive they are able to do that without problems.
And they also do not have the skills to restart it.
He claims we have seen Russia’s lack of skill in this area in past events. So we actually know this is the case.
We have certainly seen it in Venezeulla.
““China is actually more fragile ”
Be careful in that type of assessment. The appearance of weakness and fragility is part of China’s historical playbook.”
“playbooks” do not change facts. China strongly resembles the UK for centuries – Without the worlds most powerful navy,
And Japan now and at the start of WWII.
No Playbook can change that.
China does not have the energy or raw materials to sustain its economy – even if people would buy from them.
It can not even feed itself.
It can not protect the trade routes it would use to get raw materials and energy.
And even if that we not a problem – as other countries – particularly the US reshore and restructure their supply lines,
China will not be able to compete for those raw materials.
Whether you atribute this to planning by Trump or just an inevitable thing that occured during Trump.
The US is returning responsibility for Europe to the Europeans.
Responsibility for the Mideast to the Europeans.
The US is refocusing on, the western hemisphere, and the pacific Rim.
This significantly shortens our supply chains.
The western hemisphere is energy independent today.
It could easily be resource independent of the rest of the world.
North america is energy independent and to a very large extent resource independent.
The US could be energy independent.
That means that the entire mideast is no longer a national security concern of the US.
While the US is the most significant force in the Ukraine War. It is still self evident that
Russia can not defeat any two significant EU countries combined.
As an example the West could beg off the entire Ukraine conflict – With Only Poland fully committing Men and material to Ukraine and
Russia would be stopped. The character of the War would change, But Russia can not defeat Ukarina and Poland combined.
And the situation will get worse over the next decade.
The US no longer needs to lead NATO.
Our big concern must be dealing with Russian Nukes when Russia falls apart – which it will.
And possibly thwarting China from trying to take over much of eastern Russia – Which they will likely want for reasources – like energy.
John,
“True but he is also governing as a populist.
And an anti-globalist.”
You can believe that if you wish, but Biden indeed throws bones at the public, but they are fake recognized by intelligent people.
Biden voters come from the elites and those who receive entitlements. Of course, maybe you consider entitlements part of the populist platform, though the middle-class working folk does not support him. The embrace of past populist actions, because one has no policy, is not populism. It is ignorance.
Look at a few things supported by the WEF (globalist) climate change, centralized power,
censorship, Covid type management policies. If you think these things aren’t globalist policies, then the Brooklyn Bridge is for sale again. Shall we compromise and call Biden a panderer? P is the first letter in Populist and Panderer.
“True but he is also governing as a populist.
And an anti-globalist.”
That is an impossible level to reach. The policy takes time to produce the desired results, and many have more than one fork in the road, leading to the same end.
Populism is not an ideology – it is more a style.
Nor is populism inherently good or bad.
This is not a question of what I beleive.
Biden is a disasterous president. Possibly worse than Buchannon.
But that does not mean he does not share some style, as well as policies designed to appeal to lots of people with Trump.
Just saying everyone who belives one way is samrt and the other stupid – does not get us very far.
You rant at me about this.
Do you want to be right – while those who are wrong get the majority of votes and control the country ?
I am still trying to digest 2022. What did Democrats and Biden do that worked – and why ?
While there are obvious factors:
Roe
Election integrity,
Weaponizing Government against political enemies
And those will resolve themselves over time.
Are there other factors that can be addressed ?
I do not understand it.
But Biden successfully demonized the GOP.
Republicans have to figure out how to deal with that.
Ultimately you can not keep lying to people to the extent the left is without eventually people ceasing to beleive you.
But so far they have succeeded.
It is my judgment that once the lefts efforts fail, the failure will be a cascade failure.
“But that does not mean he does not share some style, as well as policies designed to appeal to lots of people with Trump.”
I think you are trying to stretch a point. What has Biden done? He says he controlled the border but didn’t. He said he increased gas production, but you can observe the results. He said he stopped inflation and balanced the budget, but the budget grew, and inflation is high. Is that what you mean when you say he shares style?
“Just saying everyone who believes one way is samrt and the other stupid – does not get us very far.
You rant at me about this. ”
You are making things up.
“It is my judgment that once the lefts efforts fail, the failure will be a cascade failure.”
You can say the same about the French Revolution. Did they end up with a Constitutional Republic?
I am not stretching a point.
I have not claimed Biden was a good president
or that what little he has accomplished is not crap.
What I am saying is that he RAN and to an extent is governing as a populist.
That while some of that populism is different from that of Trump,
And even where it is the same Biden’s policies vary from similar to radically different.
John, we disagree on terms and whether they apply to Biden. There is no clear-cut answer, but using the word populist where Biden is concerned confuses issues rather than enlightens people.
John,
“If the objective is commerce, the correct policy is pure free trade.”
The purity of human endeavors leads to failure more frequently than success. ‘Perfection is the enemy of good.’
“True but that does not change the fact that he is a different form of populist and anti-globalist than Trump.”
You can say that if you wish, but as I suggested earlier, Biden is a panderer, not a populist.
“This is just incorrect – Trump’s policy was to leave afghanistan and to reduce the US presence and interest in the Mideast.”
Then you lack understanding of Trump’s policy.
He looks for a reduced presence based on strength which permits the reduction. That is in line with classical thinking followed by many.
“Biden continued that policy.
His implimentation was poor. That is NOT the same as the policy was bad.”
Biden had short-term policies that lasted as long as it took to refer to his notes. I am sorry, but your comment sounds …..
“even thought he has deliberately made it harder on himself,
He is trying to preserve the consequences of Trump’s energy policy while modifying the actual policy to make that harder.”
That doesn’t prove your point.
Is, populism by accident, populism?
“Russia is the one country that did NOT take out the pipelines.”
I will respond using your words. You have made ‘a ludicrously bad claim.’ I don’t know who blew up the pipeline, yet you are convinced it was the US. Some with access to excellent intelligence sources appear much less sure than you. However, the diminishing ability to quickly repair the pipeline makes Russia the less likely culprit, but one cannot hold either opinion as a certainty.
Russia lacks competence in many areas, but one expects that with leftism and those promoting it.
You are trying to pretend that populist is a term of merit.
It is not.
As to the rest – you are engaging in rhetorical debate.
I honestly do not care about.
I am interested in substance.
Are you able to do a compare and contrast of Biden v. Trump without presuming that on EVERY policy Biden is 180 degrees from Trump ?
Further I am not interested in the distinction between Biden himself and the children running the government.
For the purposes of policy it does not matter.
John,
“You are trying to pretend that populist is a term of merit.
It is not.”
Where did I say that? Are you trying to mindread? If so, you are bad at it. If not, you failed to link what I said to your reply.
“As to the rest – you are engaging in rhetorical debate.
I honestly do not care about.”
Since you talk a lot about many of those things your sudden change in what interests you must mean you lack answers. That is understandable.
“I am interested in substance.”
So am I, but based on your statements presently one has to wonder if what you say is true.
“Are you able to do a compare and contrast of Biden v. Trump without presuming that on EVERY policy Biden is 180 degrees from Trump ?”
Since we both agree that Biden has not let go of some of Trump’s policies, your statement is proven wrong.
“Further I am not interested in the distinction between Biden himself and the children running the government.
For the purposes of policy it does not matter.”
It doesn’t matter if you don’t want to understand how policy is created in this administration. Such understanding can help in understanding what comes next.
John,
““playbooks” do not change facts. China strongly resembles the UK for centuries ”
I do not know what you are talking about, but my comment about China playing weak can be noted, by listening to the experts and China while observing the results.
I won’t delve into Ukraine right now or the rest of what you wrote except to say without nukes, Russia is weak mostly everywhere.
In 40 years I will be dead. In 80 years my kids will be dead.
I am not interested in predicting that far ahead.
I would further note that Whether we are at the highwater mark of Woke (or socialism) in the US or not,
We are not the rest of the world. MOSTLY – though more “socialist” than the US – Europe has NOT gone through the bat$hit crazy nonzense we have. Canada has. But really nowhere else in the world has. The UK was likely significantly ahead of us in Woke nonsense.
And it peaked there and is slowly fading already.
In my view we are at Peak Woke in the US, We are at Peak socialism in the US,
We will slowly start the downslope, but that will slowly accelerate.
That is the near term – much of the rest of my life.
What happens in another 40 years – that is my childrens problem.
“In 40 years I will be dead. In 80 years my kids will be dead.”
That is my argument against some of your libertarian positions. To wait 200 years for things to change means everyone is dead. There is another point, which is the one I was making. Our understanding of the free market system and other systems requires generation-to-generation contact. Waiting 40-80 years without it (like what happened in Russia) means it has to be relearned.
Your missing the point.
The pendulum is swinging away from the woke left NOW.
In 40-80 years it MIGHT swing back. I can not claim that we will NEVER forget the disasters of leftism.
But for the moment it is my view that we are at Gettysburg – Apomatox is next.
The world is complex – lots of things are happening at once – some good some bad.
The collapse of modern globalism will harm my wishes on free trade.
But it will also harm those who coopted globalism to seek a form of global world government.
The good comes with bad.
There are good things happening and bad things at the same time,
The net end result of which I am not sure of.
I beleive we are headed into a global recession – possibly even a global depression.
But inarguably it will be mildest in the US.
In 2009 many “monetarists” were predicting that QE was going to produce significant inflation
It did not – not in the US, it actually did in poorer parts of the world, It is near certain that US QE caused the “arab spring”
basically violence accross the mideast.
We are seeing the same thing – economically right now, only much worse.
We have mild inflation – major portions of the world have significant inflation. Much worse than 2009.
I have been worried abotu the cost of US debt/. But much of what I am finding is that between the insecurity of the developing world – whee inflation is high and political instablity is bad, and the demographic problems of the developed world, capital is flowing into the US massively.
US Debt prices are remaining low – because everywhere else in the world either risk is very high or yeilds are very low – in some places negative.
This too means global economic problems.
For many reasons the US economy – regardless of our current problems – and we have lots, is still going to outperform that of the world and that is likely to accelerate.
Most of the world hates the fact that the Dollar is the worlds reserve currency.
But there is absolutely nothing they can do about it.
And the US will reap benefits from that – whether we deserve them or not.
We would have to screw up more than Biden is capabld of.
“Your missing the point. The pendulum is swinging away from the woke left NOW.
In 40-80 years it MIGHT swing back.”
I got the point. You are missing the greater one. Our type of government requires energy and intellectual development passed from one generation to the next. A sudden break in that chain lasting 40 (maybe 60) years means the direct transfer of knowledge disappears. That can mean starting from scratch.
Countries develop more freedom by energizing the population slowly. It doesn’t come from reading a book.
You assume a lapse of time does not affect the future. It does, which is why strict adherence to libertarian policy can lead to a void.
The Woke generation is not that large. The left as a whole is much larger.
The left as a whole is not so brain dead as the woke.
I am not so concerend at the knowledge problem you are addressing.
While real, it is not so large as you paint.
We are not even close to the point were all productive people in all domains are brain dead.
We have specific institutions that have been destroyed.
Mostly ones like the media and journalism where there is not a gradual building of a body of knowledge and skill over centuries.
Some of our STEM and similar fields where what you discuss matters, have SOME signs of peripheral problems.
It is still true in productive fields that you must actually be productive to succeed.
If that were not true we could not sustain GDP.
Productivity requires lots and lots of things to go right.
This also relates to your fallicious purity argument.
The Big difference between big government and individual liberty – regardless of ideology,
Is that MOSTLY greater freedom means we are better off. Less means we are worse off.
You rant about purity and perfection.
Greater freedom means higher standard of living.
Lessor freedom means lower standard of living.
You can take big steps and get big changes or little steps and get little ones.
But the direction with positive outcomes is clear.
As is the one with nargative ones.
We are discussing variables so strong that purity does not matter
John,
“I am not so concerend at the knowledge problem you are addressing. While real, it is not so large as you paint. ”
You don’t see the gravity because we still have generations alive that have direct knowledge of history. I think you are making a mistake. History has shown that with time the culture cannot regain much of its prior abilities.
“We are not even close to the point”
Historically many of those that waited for the bitter end died. Whether you believe what I say is not crucial though I note your agreement in subsequent sentences.
“This also relates to your fallicious purity argument.”
I think the statement ‘perfection is the evil of good, is well established.
“Greater freedom means higher standard of living.
Lessor freedom means lower standard of living.”
With time, and as a generalization, that is reasonably true.
SM even in the woke generation there are more than enough who are not F’d up.
The left has ALWAYS been the loudest voice int he room. Far disproportionate to their numbers.
They are especially damaging today – because they have taken over control of myriads of our institutions, and because many businesses and wealthy oligarchs are using them.
But most people – even on the left are not these clueless woke idiots. Not even in the generation they dominate.
This ties to another problem – we increasingly know every bad thing that happened everywhere.
That distorts our picture of reality.
The most dangerous things are NOT what we know all about but what was hidden from us.
The involvement of government in supression of speech is HUGE. And until recently we did not really know about it.
Conversely LibsOfTikTok assures us all that every single stupid woke teacher gets their nationwide moment of infamy.
While our teachers are too far to the left – they are not all or even mostly these CRT preaching sexualizing idiots.
Again the danger is not in the teachers themselves – but in the administrators etc. Who are determining what ALL teachers will teach.
Just to be clear – I am not saying – relax sit back all will be fine.
But I am saying that we can tolerate a very large amount of destruction and recover.
“But I am saying that we can tolerate a very large amount of destruction and recover.”
True whether it be financial, educational or almost anything. It is a toilet phenomenon. One flushes the toilet and the water circles the drain for an unknown length of time. Then suddenly the circling stops and everything is gone.
Mario Savio and the Berkeley Free Speech movement were the “hard left” in a different era.
The “hard left” today is different, and more dangerous.
That is your interpretation. Of course, things are different, people died, and others were born, but some of the same are still pulling the strings from one generation to the next.
Circumstances change, is the danger due to the people or the environment they live in that is more accepting of their activities?
If Antifa were to do what they did summers ago would the country have permitted that in the 1950s? Opportunity changes things. Those that rioted and killed today are professors at universities. Do you think there is no connection?
You write, “The “hard left” today is different, and more dangerous.”, but what does that mean? I do not believe you are connecting the dots.
Political alignments and values have changed radically since the 60’s.
That things change is not new.
But it is false to pretend that the left of the 60’s and that of today are the same.
Just as it is false to pretend that the right of the 60’s and today are the same.
Some similarities ? Maybe. There certainly were marxists among the left in the 60’s. But not that many.
Conversely though much of the left might not identify as marxist – intersectionalism modren progressivism and CRT are all marxist mutations.
The bad news for the country is that the proportion of marxists is much larger than the 60’s.
The good news is that actual liberals of today and yesterday can only choke down so much marxism before revolting.
“Political alignments and values have changed radically since the 60’s.”
Superficially.
“But it is false to pretend that the left of the 60’s and that of today are the same.”
From year to year, nothing can be the same. It’s a continum.
“There certainly were marxists among the left in the 60’s. But not that many.”
Proportionally there were many. One could say there were less after WW2 and even less before WW2. Some even say when the left lost it won.
“The good news is that actual liberals of today and yesterday can only choke down so much marxism before revolting.”
You always find good news when the bad news has destroyed things. Is your mindset on gluing things back together so that you can say they are whole and back to normal?
“”Political alignments and values have changed radically since the 60’s.”
Superficially.”
Nope they are pretty extreme shifts – both left and right.
We are in the end of the begining of a huge political realingment in the US.
““But it is false to pretend that the left of the 60’s and that of today are the same.”
From year to year, nothing can be the same. It’s a continum.”
Often, but the recent shift is not part of a continum.
Haidt, FIRE, Peterson, many many others beleive that there was a RADICAL change in the US with the advent of the social Media generation hitting College.
The good news is it appears to be a one time bubble,
“”There certainly were marxists among the left in the 60’s. But not that many.”
Proportionally there were many. One could say there were less after WW2 and even less before WW2.”
Post Solzenietsen marxists on Campus became incredibly scarce.
This is when the intellecual foundations of the modern mutant marxist left began, this is when CRT and Intersecutionality and the shift from class warfare to disadvantaged group warfare occured.
But this took Decades to mature and most of the left during that maturation – was Liberal – not marxist.
“Some even say when the left lost it won.”
No one I care about.
““The good news is that actual liberals of today and yesterday can only choke down so much marxism before revolting.”
You always find good news when the bad news has destroyed things. Is your mindset on gluing things back together so that you can say they are whole and back to normal?”
I constantly remember what I beleive it was Llyod Benson said early in the Clinton admin about Healthcare.
Things that can not go on forever – Don’t.
Things will improve. Then when we have forgoten again they will get worse.
The more we need to forget the longer it will take.
I have posted lots of Malthusian claims – such as By Zeihan.
I do not want to say none will come to pass.
Nor that the will not be really bad in many places.
But the end result will still ultimately be a better world – noth specifically because of the bad things, but because
The history of humans is inexorably towards improvement
My major concern is how bad will things be for ME in the here and now at this place,
And then for my children.
>>>“”Political alignments and values have changed radically since the 60’s.”
>>Superficially.”
>Nope they are pretty extreme shifts – both left and right.”
The alignment of the left in the 1930s was the destruction of America by destroying its unity. It was the same in the 50s and 60s up to today.
“RADICAL change in the US with the advent of the social Media generation hitting College.”
Yes, but the object and methodology are the same using newer technology.
My mother was a child during the depression. She read just about every single “the coming crash” book there was.
But amazingly when things actually got bad – she was happy. When things were bad, she knew what she had to do, and did not worry about the future.
I find I have to resist her tendency to get depressed by malthusian predictions most of which never come to pass.
But I have inherited her obtimism when things are bad.
And everything I have read about history and economics reinforces that.
“When things were bad, she knew what she had to do,”
When things are bad, I build. When things are better I grow or cash out. I think I made the best future income during times that were bad. When I first got married we lived in a slum. We were happy. I was lucky and now live quite well. We are happy. I don’t see much of a difference. I believed in my future success so there was no need to be unhappy in the early years.
Then there were the emotional reactions of members of the squad today after one of their own was removed from the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
And that guy is a physician, believe it or not!
The remaining 40 percent are probably afraid to share their opinion that they are afraid to share their opinions. Darkness At Noon.
We’ve had the Stone Age, Bronze Age, Industrial Age, and the Age of Aquarius but none compare to the this current age. Whatever it may end up being called, it is the silliest, infantile, deceitful attempt to subvert the foundations of our union. Banning free thought and expression is the greatest determent to a functioning republic, and can only be successful when applied with force. As exampled almost daily this or that individual takes a jab from the subverts.
I swear this movement has corrupted Teddy’s “No Nothings” into their lexicon and stand proud of their accomplishments thinking they are enlightened like Francis or Rene. Their ostentatious notions must be voided and avoided.
Dear Prof Turley,
I never said much in class .. . I didn’t want to scare anybody.
*I’m a little shy .. . but it don’t last long.
Unfortunately this tendency of professors to be arrogant and browbeating of their students is not new. It was there at Emory University 1966-1970 when I was an undergraduate but mainly limited to the Social Sciences but has now spread. I do not advocate silence. If you have the argument and supporting literature then shout it out and tell the professor to refute it. I would suggest that UpstateFarmer’s daughter should have demanded an apology to be given in front of the class and written and given to her for her records. Otherwise I would suggest she threaten and follow through and file a sexual harassment complaint and infliction of severe emotional distress when she was simply asking for elucidation of the professors argument and that said professor responded in a thoroughly unprofessional manner.
My education and career was one long argument with colleagues, professors, department chairs and others who did not like to be questioned. I was threatened, blasted but never fired because you have to be “prepared when you argue”. I have no regrets about those arguments. The greatest regrets are when I stayed silent. That is subjective because many friends thought I was never silent. Stand Strong but be prepared for the cost.
GEB,
I was not made aware of what had transpired till well after the fact.
She did learn from it, and as long as she has the facts to back up her stance on a given subject, she sticks to her guns.
Jonathan Turley wrote, “students are afraid to share their opinions in class due to the intolerance on campuses today”.
This comes as no surprise to me and it’s not the only place where fear is taking hold in our nation.
The political left (aka progressives) has been engaging in pure persecution (hostility and ill-treatment, especially on the basis of ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation or political beliefs) of those that oppose their ideological shift towards totalitarianism for many years. It’s time to face the facts staring us in the face, our entire culture is under assault and fear has taken hold of our population and society.
Fear Is A Hammer & We’re Nails
And yet these brain-dead young people will vote Democrat in order to continue the trend toward totalitarianism. Biblically speaking: The Great Delusion.
Not much difference between this and burning books…freedom is on the wane.
And the more liberal the school is, the more fearful one is to speak openly
What would the “free speech advocates of the 60’s from Berkeley” say about the lack of free speech today?
They obviously would say they’re curtailing rampant hate speech. However, hate speech is now broadly defined as anything the left disagrees with.
Jeff: Those people from Berkeley are now in charge. Look at where Bill Ayers wound up. They don’t mind at all if the opposing side’s speech is shut down.
Still, it is somewhat encouraging that such a large percentage of students have such viewpoints, and are managing to preserve them, in spite of their leftist professors’ efforts to indoctrinate or bully them. In other words, the leftists are failing. Students are remaining silent until they have the diploma in their hands.
Cionnath,
My daughter witnessed and experienced that first hand when she pointed out a non-leftist POV in class. The professor basically told her to shut up, and my daughters opinion did not matter. My daughter said it was like the air was sucked out of the room as everyone felt the professor had stepped over the bounds of civility. It must of been quite evident as the professor later apologized to my daughter, but not in front of the class.
As a result, my daughter said for the rest of her undergrad, she kept her head down, studied hard, and got out of there as fast as possible.
She graduated 3rd in her class and one semester early.
UpstateFarmer– In a Tennyson course in the 1960s, we studied Morte d’Arthur. Each student had to write and deliver a paper drawn from the poem. My thesis was that men who reflected King Arthur’s ideals have appeared many times through our history. I picked three examples: Dag Hammarskjöld (UN), Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King. My professor, a brilliant elderly lady with two earned PhDs, was an unreformed product of the south. When I finished talking about Martin Luther King she looked at me and her only comment was “very interesting.” She gave me an A on the paper. Those were the days when a university welcomed thoughts with which they did not agree, even from a young mind. I am so very sorry that students like your daughter may never experience that type of education. But, third in her class is a good way to stick her finger in the professor’s eye.
honestlawyermostly,
Thank you for sharing that story with us.
And thank you for your kind words about my daughter.