8 Comments

1. charlie orrock:

   stan, I just found your site over the weekend, & that made for a good day. I’m not too fimiliar with blogging,but from what I’ve seen in my limited experience, I think the world of left-blogging needs serious examples that could influence it in the direction of thoughtful analysis, genuine strategic approaches, & a committment to respectful dialog that would do the left a world of good. Your site does just that. Thanks. charlie (an old SF comrade who is determined to really practice “de oppresso libre” this time around. Hope to see you in Fayettenam.

   21 February 2005, 12:25 pm

2. eoinmonkey:

   I wonder if anyone has an opinion (OK, so that was a needless cliche of a way to start this) on what seems to me to be an ‘organised’ campaign against academic freedom of speech. Im thinking of O’Reallys(?) campaign against un(anti?)American academics, a la the Odious David Horowitz, and the (also Horowitz inspired) “academic bill of rights”, or bill 24 currently being considered in Ohio. Does this strike anyone as potentially the beginning of the end of openly “liberal” (or Radical) departments, such as Womens studies, Ethnic studies or American studies? What might be able to be done about this? It seems at the moment that the leg work of silencing people like Ward Churchill (laying aside whatever you think he actually said or why) is done by right wing christian c=groups with anonymous death threats and a barrage of complaints to the appropriate authorities. Im not under the impression that this is anything unprecidented, but I think its potential scope might be.
   Thoughts?

   22 February 2005, 1:46 pm

3. eoinmonkey:

   I perhaps should also have pointed out that I was somewhat of an academic, in Ohio no less, but that I agree with Mr Goffs point (made in Full Spectrum Disorder) that no-one ever changed the world by sitting around and talking, selling newspapers, or sticking to outdated dogmatic forms of “organisation and resisitance” in both thought and deed.

   22 February 2005, 1:48 pm

4. charlie orrock:

   If you’re something of an academic, is it appropriate to ask the question of what does the faculty union, or organization, think the danger is? Or are you not working at a school? I think the first step in considering any kind of campaign, or defense of rights is to find out what the fighting stance of the existing defensive organizations is. And if we are going to have an exchange on this, what do I call you? I know I’m not getting to the big picture of a national fightback against a nationally organized threat, but I generally start locally & go on from there. Charlie

   22 February 2005, 2:06 pm

5. eoinmonkey:

   Thats pretty much what my question was about. Is this an ‘organised’ campaign, or merely a response to stimulus within the larger culture. To put it more simply, are David Horowitz and his ilk actually formenting change, or are they merely the rash that tells you a disease took hold a long time ago and is only now showing symptoms?
   The danger I would think is obvious- when any pundit with the national ear starts to ask questions which sound like “is freedom of speech being taken advantage of?”, its obvious they neither understand the concept of, nor value the existance of said freedom. When the national media is loath to challenge anything which leans towards this kind of view, are we really that far from banning certain forms of speech, or certain kinds of comment, along the lines of the sedition act or various blasphemy laws?
   I am not currently working at a school, so I dont know how this is being viewed. I dont think the bill will pass in Ohio, but the fact that it is even on the books is worrying to me.

   23 February 2005, 1:06 pm

6. charlie orrock:

   this has been a campaign of the right that strethches back to when all the bull about “political correctness” started, with a lot of right-wing grass-roots spontaneity thrown in. There are a number of books and articles about this media assault, & you might want to use them to get some background. I’m certainly no expert. Monthly Review has published a book analysing the mainstream and right-wing media by John McChesny. Look it up on their web site. More mainstream critique is Eric Alterman’s “What Liberal Media”.. Good luck

   23 February 2005, 8:32 pm

7. Mike Hoffman:

   Bill and Ted? You always surprise me. See you in Fayetteville.

   9 March 2005, 11:12 am

8. Curt:

   Welcome back, your dreams were your ticket our of here.
   Welcome back to that same old place that you laughed about.
   Well Well the names have changed scince you hung around…………….

   30 December 2010, 7:14 pm

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