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The latest manifestation of the conservative targetting of academia is the Professor Watchlist, created by the "activist organization" Turning Point USA, founded by rising star Charlie Kirk. It's stated purpose is to "watch" professors "who discriminate against conservative students and advance leftist propaganda in the classroom"
Of course, this is not new. David Horowitz has written a book called The Professors: The 101 Most Dangerous Academics in America . HeterodoxAcademy.org has rational articles discussing the liberal slant to modern college campuses. Nicholas Kristoff writes an interesting piece on the same topic. However, with the election of President Trump, the stakes may have been raised. A professor in California has gone incognitio after criticizing Trump in the classroom and receiving death threats.
But more important is how the attempt to blacklist liberal academics has actually backfired. George Yancy [not the George Yancey from the Kristoff piece above] published a response, "I Am a Dangerous Professor" in the New York Times, and since then it seems to have become de rigueur for all academics to get their name on the Professor Watchlist in order to cement their tenure. An entire hashtag on Twitter has taken form: #trollprofwatchlist! People have taken to mocking the list by suggesting candidates such as Thomas Jefferson, Gandhi, and Jesus, not to mention Socrates, who obviously belongs.
Charlie Kirk may not be dangerous, but he did start this list. I am watching him now.
[Editor note - This story was substantially rewritten for balance. As always, the original submission is available at the link below.]
(Score: 1) by tr077hunt3r on Tuesday December 20 2016, @09:03PM
To say "criticize" implies an opinion with some resemblance of a factual basis. This professor did not simply "criticize Trump" as the article suggests. Rather he equated Trump supporters to terrorists. Terrorists drive trucks through crowds, blow up spectators at marathons, shoot ambassadors in the back, and shoot up night clubs and office parties. Where is this professors "facts" to compare people with a political opinion that simply differs from his and the monsters that commit atrocities? I have no problem with people expressing opinions and forming arguments from factual premises. If he is going to blindly equate a group of people, who simply disagree with him to violent murdering terrorists, and do so from his position of authority as a professor, then he should absolutely expect a backlash in kind. As a father who pays to have my child go to university, I would definitely want to know which faculty teach critical thinking based in fact and which professors proselytize with extreme hyperbole.
(Score: 2) by turgid on Tuesday December 20 2016, @09:27PM
Trump supporters pulled the pin out of a hand grenade, dropped it in a crowd and ran away. It's about to go off Real Soon Now(TM). Same as the deluded fools who supported Farage's Brexit folly. Let's just hope the French don't do the same and vote for Le Pen.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 20 2016, @09:59PM
... pulled the pin out of a hand grenade? Presumably, you mean by electing Trump. What the hell was the great alternative? I mean, I don't even like Trump at all, but I'm capable of recognising that Hillary "more of the same" Clinton wasn't offering anything that wasn't discredited by the practice of years. Bernie? Effectively sidelined (justly or not - hardly relevant) by the democratic establishment. Stein? Johnson? Where were they supposed to cast their votes?
"...and ran away." Really. They ran away. They're not living in the USA any more, they just cast their vote and headed for ... Siberia, or Canada, or some place. Who even knows? Wait, hang on, that's not right. They stuck around.
I think it's understood that you disagree with them. But let's not equate a vote for a major party candidate, founded in some well-established grievances (dismay at the implementation and/or effects of globalism, perceived corruption in the political centre, regulations spinning out of control, government becoming too intrusive, encroaching dictatorialism by the incumbents) with violent terrorism. There are marked differences.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by turgid on Tuesday December 20 2016, @10:26PM
See, Americans were faced with two choices, neither of which was ideal. Those choices were more of the same (Clinton) or change (Trump). British voters do this too and they call it, "Time for a change." And that's as far as their reasoning goes. American voters, by the narrowest of margins (just like the Brexit loonies) voted for change, apparently not realising that there can be "good" change and "bad" change. See, they were labouring under the misapprehension that all change is good. So they made the wrong choice.
Trump is a monster and an idiot.
Is that clear and simple enough?
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday December 21 2016, @02:06AM
Obama's slogan: Hope and Change
Trump's slogan: Change and Despair
(Score: 2) by Phoenix666 on Wednesday December 21 2016, @02:43PM
Hillary's slogan: In place of a Dark Lord, you would have a queen! Not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Treacherous as the sea! Stronger than the foundations of the earth!
Washington DC delenda est.
(Score: 2) by turgid on Wednesday December 21 2016, @08:09PM
Farage's slogan: Spare any change (for a can of beer)?
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 1) by tr077hunt3r on Tuesday December 20 2016, @10:03PM
Thank you. You just helped make my point about people who launch opinions in the total absence of facts. The second point you have helped demonstrate is the very dangerous precedent that was set in America's recent election. In their history, both sides have launched vicious attacks against the opposition candidates. And their "free" press has refereed. However, this time the leftists in America went after the voters, and the liberal press piled on.
(Score: 2) by turgid on Tuesday December 20 2016, @10:20PM
Go and play with the trains, sonny.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 20 2016, @09:40PM
As a father who pays to have my child go to university
You monster! University is for adults! Why are you sending an innocent child? And why are you such a sucker and cuck that you pay for it?