Ignorance in the Young

Those who don't know history are in danger of being led around by the nose by dangerous ideologues.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Students for Justice in Palestine at Columbia University

Here is the sub-headline:

At Columbia University

From 𝕏, by Eyal Yakoby, 16 December 2024, 8:17 AM.

Here is the posting on 𝕏:

Students for Justice in Palestine at Columbia University revealed they are "fighting for the total eradication of Western civilization."

Why are taxpayer dollars going to Columbia University when they are teaching students to take down Western civilization?

cuapartheiddivest  —  FOLLOW

• •• We are Westerners fighting for the total eradication of Western civilization. We stand in full solidarity with every movement for liberation in the Global South. Our Intifada is an internationalist one-we are fighting for nothing less than the liberation of all people. We reject every genocidal, eugenicist regime that seeks to undermine the personhood of the colonized.

As the fascism ingrained in the American consciousness becomes ever more explicit and irrefutable, we seek community and instruction from militants in the Global South, who have been on the frontlines in the fight against tyranny and domination which undergird the imperialist world order. "Biplob Cholbe" (Revolution must continue)

Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD)  —  "The Palestinian cause is not a cause for Palestinians only, but a cause for every revolutionary, wherever [they are], as a cause of the exploited and oppressed masses in our era." - Ghassan Kanafani.

The problem with not knowing history is that one is likely to fall for any rubbish that comes down the road.  Judging by student reactions on campus one can only assume that these students learned little history, and no economics before graduating from high school and this ignorance was not corrected in college.

It is sad.  Very Sad.

I blame Ms Randi Weingarten.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Ignorant Students

For John, BLUF:  Asw a college graduate I am embarrassed at the way students at Columbia University, and elsewhere, are acting toward Israel and their Jewish Classmates.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Columbia's Student Protesters Really Have Embraced Hamas

From Hot Air, by Opinionator John Sexton, 8:40 PM, 10 October 2024.

Here is the lede plus seven:

I touched on this earlier this week when Columbia's anti-Israel group, Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD), held a walkout/protest on the anniversary of 10/7, but I think it probably deserves more attention.

You may remember this guy, Khymani James, one of the student organizers at Columbia who made news earlier this year when a video circulated of him saying, "Zionists, along with all white supremacists, need to not exist." He added, "Be glad, be grateful that I'm not just going out and murdering Zionists."

After this made news in April, James was suspended and CUAD put out a statement, apparently from James himself, apologizing for his comments.

“CUAD and the Gaza Solidarity Encampment have made clear that my words in January, prior to my involvement in CUAD, are not in line with the CUAD community guidelines. I agree with their assessment,” the apology read. “Those words do not represent CUAD. They also do not represent me.”

This week, CUAD reversed course, not only saying it regretted its earlier statement but making it plain that the group supports violence, i.e. it supports Hamas.

The pro-Palestinian group that sparked the student encampment movement at Columbia University in response to the Israel-Hamas war is becoming more hard-line in its rhetoric, openly supporting militant groups fighting Israel and rescinding an apology it made after one of its members said the school was lucky he wasn’t out killing Zionists.

“We support liberation by any means necessary, including armed resistance,” the group, Columbia University Apartheid Divest, said in its statement revoking the apology.

The group marked the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by distributing a newspaper with a headline that used Hamas’s name for it: “One Year Since Al-Aqsa Flood, Revolution Until Victory,” it read, over a picture of Hamas fighters breaching the security fence to Israel. And the group posted an essay calling the attack a “moral, military and political victory” and quoting Ismail Haniyeh, the assassinated former political leader of Hamas.

One wonders what is happening at Columbia University.  From a cultural point of view there students seem to have slipped away from American, into some new grouping.  It is one thing to be against Zionism, or evewn the return of Jews to their ancesteral home, now Israel.  It is another to call for killing of Zionists.

Further, the student protestors seem to not give a fig for the 7 million Israelis.  What is to become of them.&nsp; To not care about them is to betray the progress our Western Culture has made in accepance of Jews.  It would be like the United States standing by and saying nothing as Liberia was buldozed into the Atlantic Ocean.  Morally unacceptable.

There is no doubt we need peace in the Middle East.  To get there e need to recognize the underlying animosity of Iran toward israel and the United States.  Not Irran as a whole, but the Mullahs of Iran, from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, on down.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

University Indoctrination

For John, BLUF:  We have thought of higher eductioin as being about expanding one's knowledge, but now it appears to be about indoctrination.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Samizdata quote of the day – The American University Madrassa System

From Samizdata, by Samizdata Illuminatus (Arkham, Massachusetts), 21 July 2024.

Here is the lede plus two:

You might be wondering, where does all this come from, can we blame those French thinkers?  Is Foucault to blame?  No, not really.

It’s the American University that has whipped up this dish, and it all really started to take shape and form in the early nineties, so about 40 years ago.  The second generation “thinkers” then were building on Neo-Marxist and Post-Modern ideas sourced from the 60s and 70s, but those ideas would not have had the influence they have today without a second and third generation of thinkers and professors in American Universities that have ended up influencing a generation that has then gone out into the world and redesigned that world along those ideas.  We are all paying the price today.

The right way to think about the American University as a generator and propagator of these ideas is the way that you already think about The Madras as a potentially indoctrinating breeding ground for Islamic Extremism.

And there is more ar the link.

I do think this theory explains univerity student response to the Hamas attack on Israel, back on 7 October.  Not every university student, but quite a few amongst the Ivy league.

One wonders about the future of our democratic experiment, given the ignorance of those being groomed to join our elites.  On thw other hand, Senator J D Vance, and his Wife, Usha Chilukuri Vance, are both graduates of Yale Law School and seem to have turned out OK.

Regards  —  Cliff

What is Behind the Protests

For John, BLUF:  We, the Citizens of these United States, are being gaslighted by those who are using the Israeli response to the 7 October 2023 attack to justify demonstrations in the halls of academia.  Yes, people should be free to demonstration what they see as oppression, but we, the Citizens, need to understand that the movement behind the demonstrations is bigger than Gaza and the Palestinians.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Student activists or pro insurgents?

Here is the sub-headline:

The terrorism that's infiltrated the most elite US college campuses

From The Cosmopolitan Globalist, by Ms Eve Barlow, 4 May 2024.

The article linked is dated 4 May, but I became aware of it from an EMail this morning, from The Cosmopolitan Globalist (Claire Berlinski) (at 9:45 AM).

Here is the lede:

Last night I gained access to a GoogleDrive (see below) obtained by social media account Israel War Room via a source who is allegedly within the UPenn “anti-war” encampment. It contains over 200 documents linked below that are pro-terrorism, with guidelines on how to riot and cause disruption, how to make weapons and take over buildings. Israel War Room highlight that the drive lists Carrie Zaremba as the owner of all files, who is reportedly a spokesperson for National Students for Justice in Palestine, aka SJP.

This reovew of documentzs on-line leads to some interesting discoveries.

This is from an X posting, by Ms Laura Powell, a Blue Check, @LauraPowellEsq:

One of the spokespeople for the UCLA protesters explains their end goal is for "more than divestment." She says, "Given that the University of California is founded on colonialism, it's inherently a violent institution." She argues the UC system is linked to both foreign wars and domestic police brutality and demands this be addressed.

She's saying the quiet part out loud. They intend to dismantle our domestic institutions. The Palestinian cause is just a warmup.

When the unnamed spokesperson says "the University of California is founded on colonialism", is she talking about Spanish colonialism of Alta California out of Mexico, or was it the Bear Flag Republic revolt in June of 1846?  Or was it on 9 July 1846, when U.S. Navy Lieutenant Joseph Revere raised the United States flag in Alta California.  And what is the payback being demanded?  Should the University of California sytem be abolished and all diplomas revoked, back to 1866?

In another part of the documents there is a call to, apparently, eliminate some of the leading Western Nations.  It calls for "NO MORE ISRAEL", naturally.  But it also calls for "NO MORE USA" and "NO MORE UK".  It goes on to call for the elimination of Italy, France, Canada, Germany and Australia  Why not Chile or Venezuals or Mexico?  This is a Marxisst like movement that is designed to destory Western Europeans ideas.  Then we will be left with the Paternalism of organizations like the World Econommic Forum and the People's Republic of Chinz.

Those who think that the Pro-Hamas movement we see is just a collection of sympathetic students hoping to ease the suffering of Palistinians in Gaza, a deeper dive is needed.  For eample, what does it mean that there is a Gays for Gaza movement?  Do they not understand the rules in Gaza?  Or are they just riding on the issue of the hour to push their own agenda?

It is time for our political leadership to step up and fight back to save our Republic.

Regards  —  Cliff

Pleasantly Surprising Vote

For John, BLUF:  Amidst all the turmoil amongst the Ivy League schools, it turns out the students at Columbia elected an israeli Jew as Student Body President.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Israeli student elected by Columbia for role of student president as protests surge

Here is the sub-headline:

The election comes as the Columbia campus experiences an overwhelming wave of anti-Israel protests and student encampments.

From The Jerusalam Post, by The Staff, 28 April 2024 06:47, Updated: 28 April 2024 08:45.

Here is the lede plus two:

Columbia University has elected Israeli student Maya Platek as Columbia student government president for the 2024-2025 school year, the organization Students Supporting Israel (SSI) announced Friday.

The election of an Israeli student for the role comes as the Columbia campus experiences an overwhelming wave of anti-Israel protests and encampments.

Platek has been determined to speak up for Jewish students on campus as a member of SSI, an organization that, according to its website, aims to allow for a pro-Israel voice on college campuses.

Law Professor Glenn Harlan Reynolds commented;  'SECRET BALLOTS ALLOW THE SILENT MAJORITY TO SPEAK".

I mentioned this to someone and used the term Australian Ballot.  They drew a blank.  However, Wikipedia recognized this term for the Secret Ballot  While the Secret ballot is as old as ancient Greece, in the United States it didn't start until after the Presidential Election of 1884 (Democrat Governor Grover Cleveland of New York vs Republican James G. Blaine of Maine),♠ with Kentucky being the last state to adopt it, in 1891.

Per Wikipedia the four components of an "Australian ballot" were:

1. an official ballot being printed at public expense,
2. on which the names of the nominated candidates of all parties and all proposals appear,
3. being distributed only at the polling place and
4. being marked in secret.

There are those of us who are dubious as to if a Secret Ballot can be sustained in an era of no excuse mail-in ballots and ballot harvesting.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Wikipedia characterized the election as being "set apart by unpleasant mudslinging and shameful personal allegations that eclipsed substantive issues, such as civil administration change."

College Protests Run Amok

For John, BLUF:  I am probably slow, but when in college I didn't have time to take off for protests.  I needed to be cracking the books, as we used to say.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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“This is an openly anti-American movement, which is using Israel as the scapegoat”

Here is the sub-headline:

“Academia, particularly at the level of Columbia and the Ivy League, is completely broken. I don’t think it can be repaired internally. They have created over 20 to 30 years a unified monoculture which is hostile to western values, which is hostile to capitalism, and which exploits and singles out Israel as the object of their ire as a mobilizing tactic…. People need to understand that there is no internal opposition left.”

From Legal Insurrection, by Professor William A. Jacobson, Tuesday, 23 April 2024 at 08:30pm.

Here is the lede plus three:

There is a plus-side to the vile anti-Israel and antisemitic encampments at Columbia and several other universities – the anti-American side of the movement is on full display.  As I’ve been saying for years, the racialized and radicalized campuses are a threat to our nation, now they have shown their hand for all to see.

When they burn American flags, and when they chant for the destruction of the U.S., they are showing us who they really are.

It’s going to get worse.

After spending months screaming for an Intifada (the suicide bombing campaign against Israel), don’t be surprised when some of them try to fulfill their sick fantasies.

I know a former Professor from Columbia and have had numberous conversations with him about various issues in the Middle East (his area of expertise).  I have never thought of him as radical or anti-semetic.  I learned, and at the same time I felt my views were respected.  But, he retired a decade ago.  There are, or at least, have been, intelligent, thinking adults in academia.  But, they seem absent today, and that is bad for our Republic.

The current state of the Ivy League and other elite schools makes me think the smart, informed, parent of a high school senior would consider two years at a community college and then a state university.  Or a known non-radical school, such as Franciscan University of Steubenville.

There is also the view of opinionnater Stephen Kruiser, "Let the Protesters Stay Until Academia Burns to the Ground."  As Professor Glenn Reynolds says from time to time, "what can't go on won't."

I defend the right of the college campus protesters to protest.  I do not condone their intimidating fellow college students, such that those students do not feel safe going to class.  I defend the right of the college campus protesters to be ignorant slobs.  I don't have to accept their uninformed views.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Supporters of Hamas

For John, BLUF:  As an American I am saddened by masses of college students exercising their First Amendment rights in support of Hamas, a terrorist organization.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Columbia Protestors Clarify They Only Want Death To America After America Is Done Paying Their Student Loans

From BabylonBee, 23 April 2024.

Here is the lede plus two:

NEW YORK, NY — As pro-Palestine groups continued to gather on campus following the establishment of the Gaza Solidarity Encampment, Columbia University protestors clarified that they only want "Death to America" after America is done paying their student loans for them.

"Death to America… in like, 3 or 4 years when I graduate!" shouted one student protestor. "America truly is the ‘Great Satan' that ravages and oppresses other countries and deserves to be wiped off the face of the earth…as soon as the American taxpayers finish paying off our tuition loans!

"But as soon as that's done, then, yeah, totally, death to America!"

Over the top?  Maybe.  But, it is The Bee.

On the other hand, these student protestors are both ignorant and over the top.  They are an embarrassment to freedom loving people.  Further they seem oblivious to the attitudes of Hamas and like groups toward women and those who identify as LGBQT+.  Where are they getting their education on various societies around the world?

Finally, these demonstrators seem oblivious to the fail of those living in what is now Israel, Jews, Palestinians and Beduins alike.  Should they just die?  Should they all be "transported far beyond the northern sea!"  Likely, if there is not another Holocost, those people would end up in America.  While I would be sad to see the demise of Israel, I would be happy to welcome those 9.9 million new Citizens to our melting pot.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Goodbye President Gay

For John, BLUF:  What will be the long term consequence of Dr Claudine Gay stepping down from bzeing President of Harvard.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Claudine Gay Has Gone Away

Here is the sub-headline:

Is this the dawn of a new day?

From InstaPundit, by Professor Glenn Harlan Reynolds, 2 January 2024.

Here is the lede plus two:

Harvard President Claudine Gay has resigned.  She follows Penn’s president Liz Magill, and leaves only MIT President Sally Kornbluth surviving among the three university presidents who disgraced themselves in their testimony over campus antisemitism.

So what’s next?  And what should be next?

I’ll approach those in reverse order.  Kornbluth should resign too.  Her performance was just as bad as the other two, and the plagiarism charges against Gay, while apparently well-founded, aren’t why Gay resigned.  She resigned because she sounded like a gray bureaucrat when confronted with the bloody reality of terrorism and antisemitism abroad, and shameless support for terrorism and antisemitism at home.  Kornbluth sounded no better.  University presidents are supposed to be leaders, and you don’t lead by retreating, squid-like, behind a cloud of gray technicalities and evasions.

I agree, 7 October may be the day DEI took a fatal blow.  But that does not mean the Faculty and Administrators at Harvard have seen the light.  The are probably still teaching the old lines (Prof Reynolds mentions in the article Frantz Fanon and Hebert Narcuse).

Only when our betters, such as the staff at Harvard, realize what our two and a quarter centuries have done for the world, and acknowledge its progress, will we be able to move on in the direction of progress, acknowledging our problems, but thankful for those who went before us and hopeful for the future.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Hamas University Chief Change?

[Merry Christmas!]

For John, BLUF:  I admit I think she should go, but then I also think the faculty needs a lot of pruning also.  And the Administrative Staff  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Rumor on President Gay

From ✘, by CEO Bill Ackman, 24 December 2023, 6:22 PM.

Here is the text message:

Bill Ackman
@BillAckman

I have heard from a source that is reliable but a step or two removed from the situation that the @Harvard Corporation has asked President Gay to resign and she has refused.

Gay has apparently said that if she is fired, she will sue. Gay has retained her own counsel.

I can’t 100% confirm the above is true, but if it is, I am sure the Board is concerned about what may emerge in legal discovery in the event of litigation.

At this point, however, what choice does the Board have?

If the Board makes an inappropriate deal on severance or gives Gay a guaranteed position at Harvard, it will look like a payoff to keep her quiet. I can’t see how she stays at Harvard in any capacity.

President Gay’s performance and her academic record issues provide plenty of cause for termination without compensation.

But at every step so far, the Board has made the wrong call and dug a deeper hole for themselves and Harvard.

As we all know, the best time to start making good decisions is now.

The sooner Gay is gone, the sooner repairing the damage can begin.

this is, apparently, an age thing.  People of my age, and a couple of decades younger, find the pro-Hamas demonstrations at Harvard and other high class Universwities in the Northeast to be disgusting.

And, frankly, I find it ridiculous to clasify all of Europe as one culture and call it Western.  I blame President of the American Federation of Teachers Randi Weigarten, and her ilk.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Don't Send Your Kid to Harvard

For John, BLUF:  Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi pointed out that change will come ot Harvard when the Menorah doesn't have to be packed up every night.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Harvard forces a Jewish student group to hide its menorah each night after its lighting over fears of vandalism that “won’t look good” for the Ivy League school, the rabbi of Harvard Chabad said.

From Hot Air, on 14 December 2023.

Not the actual headline, which is a bit too outrance.

Harvard is an embarrassment.  Brown, however, is on the correct path.  Rudi Dutschke warned us, but we didn't listen.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Collegiate aconfusion

For John, BLUF:  It is a bad sign that University Presidents worry about pronoun errors but not virulent antisemetism.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Why you can be a free speech absolutist and still think the presidents of Harvard, MIT and UPenn should resign in disgrace

Here is the sub-headline:

From Samizdara, by Ms Natalie Solant.

Quoting from Iowa Hawk Blog, by Law Professor David Burge.

Here is the X Post:

Fun facts:

(A) calling for genocide against Jews, if not delivered to incite a mob to violence, is 100% Constitutionally protected speech- only in the sense it can't be punished by government.

(B) You are not the government, you are a cowardly college administrator and in no way does the 1st Amendment force you to accept brain dead neo-Nazis in your student body.

Pretty much sums it up.

We can,t be getting in a twist over pronouns while folks are urging genocide and inciting it.  Hurt feelings are not as permanent as death.

Hat tip to the Samizdata.

Regards  —  Cliff

Striving to be Better

For John, BLUF:  The author makes the case that the Constitution changed government by providing room for Jews to participate.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Christian Support for American Jews Began at the Founding

Here is the sub-headline:

The Hamas terror attack of Oct. 7 triggered an overwhelming display of support among American Christians for Jews and for Israel.  This continues a long history.

From The Epoch Times, by Constitutional Law Professor Rob Natelson, 12 Recember 2023 12/12/2023

The Author notes that on 18 August 1790 President G Washington wrote to the congregation of the Touro Synagogue in Newport, RI.  President Washington’s letter concluded:

May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and figtree, and there shall be none to make him afraid.  May the father of all mercies scatter light and not darkness in our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in his own due time and way everlastingly happy.

President Washingon has several nice turns of phrase.  Credit to him or his Clerk who might have helped him draft the letter.

Not that the road to today was always smooth. , For example, there was the lynching of Leo Frank in Marietta, Georgia, in 1918.  Historians are generally agreed he was wrongfully convicted for a crime he didn't commit, and when his sentnce was commuted, he was lynched.

We should all strive to eliminate religious intolerance.  The recent demonstrations and actions of students (and faculty) at Harvard and MIT are a blot on our record, and as a resident of Middlesex County I am disgusted.

Regards  —  Cliff

False Elites

For John, BLUF:  Higher Education has left the path of the Enlightenment, and like Tootle, is lost in a field.  And they can't even see the Red Flags waving.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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How Were the Universities Lost?

From The Sword of Perseus, by Professor Victor Davis Hanson, 7 December 2023.

Here are the last five paragraphs:

The Ivy league and their kindred so-called elite campuses may soon go the way of Disney and Bud Light.

They think such a crash in their reputations is impossible given centuries of accustomed stature.

But the erosion is already occurring—and accelerating.

At the present rate, a Stanford law degree, a Harvard political science major, or a Yale social science BA will soon scare off employers and the general public at large.

These certificates will signify not proof of humility, knowledge, and decency, but rather undeserved self-importance, vacuousness, and fanaticism—and all to be avoided rather than courted.

"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18 [King James Bible (The one Paul used).]

As an American, I am embarressed.  However, Professor Victor David Hanson bnails it.

Hat tip to my Classmate, Joe Griffith.

Regards  —  Cliff

Supporting Each Other

For John, BLUF:  In this time of troubles for Israel (and Gaza) we should all be standing together, but we are not.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Actress Julianna Margulies Speaks Out About Black Antisemitism and Feels the Backlash

From Hot Air, by Reporter Karen Townsend, 1 December 2023, 1:31 pm.

Here is the lede plus three:

Actress Julianna Margulies is feeling the heat after making some comments on the antisemitism she sees from black Americans.  She dared to express her opinion about the lack of support by the Black and LGBTQ communities for Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.

Now she must be punished.  I don’t make the rules.  Margulies is Jewish.  She was a guest on the Back Room podcast hosted by Andy Ostroy.  Margulies commented that “the entire black community” may have been “brainwashed to hate Jews.”  She pointed out that they would likely be the first people to be beheaded in a Muslim country.  She went on to say that their heads would be used like soccer balls.  Tough stuff, to be sure, but she didn’t say anything ground-breaking.

Her sweeping generalization that the entire black community is conditioned to hate Jews was what probably got her into trouble.  White people aren’t allowed to criticize black people on just about anything.  When making an argument, it is best to avoid generalizations because they are easily debunked.  Are all black people antisemitic?  Probably no more than all white people are antisemitic.  We’ve seen people of all colors participating in anti-Israel demonstrations.  Sadly, the massacres by Hamas in October and Israel’s right to defend herself have unleashed a wave of antisemitism that few realized was lurking just under the surface of civil society.

The antisemitism seen since October 7 has been an eye-opener.  Most offensive is the general ignorance displayed by young people, college students, and those who will one day lead America.  Decades of liberal power grabs on American higher education campuses has taken a toll.  To some extent, Margulies is right about the brainwashing of Americans against Jews.

Yes, I agree that Ms Margulies should not have made a sweeping generalization about blacks.  It is important to see all people as individuals, and not assume that as one group or another they all act in unison.  On the other hand, Ms Margulies is spot on to say that Jews marched with Blacks over the issue of civil rights and now many Blacks are turning their backs on Jews, as Antisemitism raises its ugly head.  And, for the LGBT Community to support Palestine and Hamas is just blind ignorance.  The sign bearing "Queers for Palestine", mentioned in the article, jumped out at me weeks ago.  The Islam of Hamas is not tolerent of the LGBT agenda.

In a desire to prove themselves morally superior to their Grandparents, the youth of today have abandoned morality and rational thought.  It is tragic.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

"What utter pukes."

For John, BLUF:  When I was in high school, contemplating college, the only institutions in the Northeast I thought of were the Coast Guard Academy (accepted) and Webb Institute (rejected).  I had no idea about the Ivy League.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Ain't No Privilege Like the Harvard Privilege

From Hot Air, by Beege Welborn, 24 October 2023, 2:01 PM.

Here is the lede plus three:

Once upon a time, there was a hallowed aura about even the word, “Harvard.”

People might kind of snicker at replicating that atrocious, grating Massachusetts accent while saying it, but it was still “Harvard.”

And you weren’t getting anywhere near it.

It was one of those special places nestled firmly in American lore.  One of those iconic giants so established in the collective national picture where even just the word conjures up deep thinkers of the past.  The birthplace of movers, shakers and a incubator for brilliance.  John Adams – those kinds of guys.

I will say, the one Harvard Graduate I know, my Wife's Cousin, is a fine fellow, engaging to talk with and very educated.  On the other hand, he was there with another student from Illinois, Ted Kaczynski.

Someone referred to Harvard as a Hedge Fund with a University Attached.

The good news is Harvard is down county.  Down in Cambridge, with strange people, with strange ideas.  We live in the North end of the County, almost on the New Hampshire border.  Praise God.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Corruption of the Mind

For John, BLUF:  There are signs that Academia has become a hotbed of Anti-Semitism.  Why would we send our children there?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Yet Another Anticolonialist Professor Getting a Plum Job After Attacking Israel

From , by Mr David Strom, 6 November 2023, 6:31 PM.

Here is the lede plus six:

I have been incredibly (and justifiably) harsh on most of the anti-Israel protesters and academics, but I do believe that there is plenty of room for debate about Israel’s response to the 10/7 attacks. People of goodwill can disagree on the best path forward for Israel.

But damn, there really are few people of goodwill out there. Most of the protesters and Israel-bashers as just antisemites and/or anti-White/anti-Western.

This is true both of the protesters in the streets and the academics who have openly sided with Hamas or at least Palestinian radicals. Most of them just hate Jews, almost all make it clear that they want Israel wiped off the maps. “From the river to the sea” means that precisely.

For some reason, New York City is not just the home of more Jews than any other city in the world but is also antisemitism central in academia. I just wrote about how the City University of New York is filled with vile antisemites, and now I see that NYU just hired a professor who felt “affirmed” by Hamas’ rape and murder rampage on 10/7.

“Affirming.” How nice.

NYU announced the appointment of Eve Tuck, a professor of critical race and indigenous studies at the University of Toronto, on Oct 9 — just two days after Hamas terrorists massacred 1,400 Israeli civilians.

Though her work is focused on native peoples, she has found common cause with Palestinian terrorism — including defending Hamas’ deadly rampage.

What has happened ot higher education?  I guess I could settle for the students not learning history in their K-12 education.  Not learning about World War II, about the Holocost, about the Holodomor, about pograms against the Jews  But, it seems to be spreading across the teaching faculty.  That is scary.  It wuld radicsally change this nation, as Natoinsl Socilism did Germsny after World War I, and not for the better.

Higher Education was, I thought, about explore all aspects of an issue and coming to a reasnoable set of conclusions.  It appears I was wrong.  It appears to be bout imposing one's prejudices on young minds, changing the path of Western Civilization of Democracy.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Free Speech on Campus

For John, BLUF:  Free Speech is our right, but it can carry consequences for the utterer.  The author Mr Ken Tashjy, who served as General Counsel for the Massachusetts Community College System for over 21 years.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Campus unrest over Hamas attacks on Israel offers students tough lessons on free speech in higher education

Here is the sub-headline:

Many students are coming to the vivid realization that their speech, although free, may carry with it consequences they never contemplated.

From Campus Reform, by Mr Ken Tashjy, 19 October 2023, 12:00 pm ET.

Here is the lede plus four:

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel, there has been much attention focused on America’s colleges and universities and the profoundly conflicting views expressed by students over the origins of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the justification for Israel’s declaration of war and strong military action in respond to the attacks.

Following a call for a ”Global Day of Jihad” by a former Hamas leader, and a “Day of Resistance” by the National Students for Justice in Palestine, protests erupted on campuses with many students not only expressing support for Palestinians, but also endorsing the deadly Hamas attacks.

Other students stood with Israel, denouncing the murder by Hamas of more than 1,200 innocent people and the rape and kidnapping of dozens more, including many Americans.

In the wake of these campus protests, renewed attention has been focused on the right of free speech in higher education, the right to protest, and the authority and responsibility of campus leaders to limit or prohibit certain speech.

Many students are coming to the vivid realization that their speech, although free, may carry with it consequences they never contemplated. For other students, these events have crystalized the glaring disconnect that exists between their views and the views of institutional leaders and faculty.

Mr Tashjy's three lessons learned are:.

1. "Students have no First Amendment protections for illegal conduct."
2. "While a person may have a right to free speech and expression, they have no right not to be criticized, ridiculed, or held to account for their opinions."
3. "Those who support Israel and have witnessed the anti-Israel protests on their campuses should expect no support or assistance from their institution’s so-called Bias Response Teams."

I admit to taking some private pleasure in seeing Pro-Palistinian protestors finding near future employment opportunities shrinking as a result of their protests.  As retired National War College Dean of Faculty Cynthia Watson titles her Blog, Actions Create Consequences.  Is this Cancel Culture come home?

And the question in the background is how our vision of ourselves and others has drifted from that of the Silent Generation to the current group of college students.  A recent CNN Poll shows the stark contrasts by age regardsing the Israel/Palestine imbroglio.

Regards  —  Cliff

Voltaire Weeps

For John, BLUF:  Free Speech is on the docket.  The right to hold an unpopular view is being refuted.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Professor Amy Wax—The Disciplinary Committee’s Decision Is Expected By September 5, 2023: What Is At Stake?

From New Reform Club, by Blogger Seth Barrett Tillman, 10 August 2023, 1:51 PM.

Here is the last paragraph:

I do not know Professor Wax.  I cannot and do not speak to the remainder of your “charge sheet.” I do know something about Powell.  On that basis, I state that should Wax be disciplined, in whole or in part for assigning the Powell interview, or for voicing her unpopular opinions in a non-discriminatory fashion, I tremble in regard to what the consequences will be for freedom of speech, thought, and conscience in your university, in the United States, and elsewhere.

Blogger Tillman nails it.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Change the Voting Age?

For John, BLUF:  We won't let an 18 year old buy a gun, but we let them vote.  Weird.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Ramaswamy proposes raising voting age to 25, unless people serve in military or pass a test

From ABC News, by Reporter Meg Kinnard, 9:04 PM EDT, 11 May 2023.

Here is the lede plus two:

Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy on Thursday voiced support for changing the overall U.S. voting age to 25, unless younger Americans fulfill at least six months of service in the military or as a first responder — or pass the same citizenship test administered to those seeking to become naturalized citizens.

Ramaswamy’s campaign announced the biotech entrepreneur and “anti-woke” activist’s push for a U.S. Constitutional amendment promoting “civic duty voting,” which he announced in a news release and detailed during a campaign event in Urbandale, Iowa.

Revising the Constitution is no simple task, requiring overwhelming support in Congress and in state legislatures.  Still, Ramaswamy said in his release that the “absence of national pride is a serious threat to the future of our country” and argued his proposal “can create a sense of shared purpose and responsibility amongst young Americans to become educated citizens.”

Law Professor Glenn Harlan Reynolds chimed in, noting he had proposed something similiar in USA Today.

I agree with Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Professor Reynolds.  Observing college canpus life from afar, I am not impressed with the capacity of college students to engage in spirited, yet civil, discussion.  Throw in AntiFa, to furthur erode civil discourse.  And what about those who never went to college.  How many of them are registered to vote and understand the issues?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Seeing the Problem

For John, BLUF:  zthe cost of a college education has gone up dramatically since 2970.  Are there alternatives?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Curtailing University Graft Can Prevent Student Debt Debacle

From The Lid Blog, by Writer Ari Kaufman, 13 July 2023.

Here is the lede plus two:

Conservatives and common-sense Americans cheered last month when the Supreme Court correctly ruled that Joe Biden’s abominable attempt to “forgive” $430 billion in college debt for over 25 million borrowers was unlawful.

The White House plan was purely unconstitutional and insulting to Americans.  Legislation that Congress designed for a small number of military members in the wake of 9/11 should not be applied to a large portion of the population two decades later.

It was also regressive, robbing blue-collar workers who saved their money and giving to wealthier doctors, lawyers, and teachers. Biden engaged in left-wing class warfare on behalf of the affluent.  Or, as Senate Leader Mitch McConnell said, a way for Biden to “pad the pockets of his high-earning base and make suckers out of working families.”

I have wondered about the debt issue, comparing it to college education costs in California in the 1960s and 1970s.  In those days my Father would complain about the several hundred dollars it would cost for tuition, fees and books each semester.

The writer gets to this point in the article:

What have colleges done with this influx of cash? Start with Harvard and Yale.

In the last 35 years, Harvard’s tuition has seen a 90% increase in adjusted dollars.  Has the school grown its faculty and course offerings to match that increase? No.  It dramatically expanded its population of administrators.  Harvard now employs over 7,000 full-time administrators.  That’s more people than the school’s entire undergraduate population and three times the number of faculty members.

Most administrators take large salaries and benefits while contributing little, especially in the odious DEI realm.

Over at Yale in the last two decades, they went from five vice presidents to an astounding 31, while many administrative units during that same time saw a 150% increase in size, with surging salaries.

If Secretary of the Department of Education, the Honorable Miguel Angel Cardona, wants to reduce the cost of higher education he should move to reduce the Administrative Overhang in colleges.  It requires us to decide if at 18 years of age students are grown up, ready to drive and vote and live away from home, or if they are still fragile children, who need coddling.  And what do we think of those who graduate from High School, but don't go on to college.  Do they need a special collection of social workers to protect them from life?  I hope not.

Here is a chart of Heritage's sense of the situation:

Let us find other work for these added Administrators.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff