The Left in American Academia

I know, Ray and I tend at times to be a bit ... critical of German media, German politics, German institutions.

So, for a change, here's an anti-American critique.

Actually, a critique of American academia, as found in Frontpagemagazine:

Confessions of a Politically Incorrect Professor

I am European and came to America in 2002, where I teach at an elite Liberal Arts College. My native country is among the most socialized in the world, with

strong leftist parties, from democratic socialists to outright communist. All across Europe the left – the far left, somewhere between Dennis Kucinich and Howard Dean – has a very strong political position, as well as a clearly visible presence on university campuses.

Despite my European background I found myself deeply surprised by the political bias on college campuses here in America. Left-wing bias is almost undetectable among European college faculty compared to America’s academic institutions. The bias that I have encountered has so many facets that I am still encountering new ones. (...)

It is time for America’s conservatives to form a genuine, coherent and coordinated strategy to bring fairness, balance and an Academic Bill of Rights on to the college campuses. Academia will not change from the inside – only outside pressure, and dollars, can get the job done. One way toward real change is that we begin to demand fairness, balance and rights for our students as we consider to whom we should write the tuition checks.

It is a good idea to attach similar demands to donations when you get a call from the fundraisers at your local college. After all, America is still a relatively free economy where money can speak a clear language that everybody understands.

Including liberal college professors.

(Hat tip John T.)

Comments

[Jabba the Tutt]

I'm glad you picked up on this David and Ray. My impression is that Europeans are mostly clueless about the true situation in the States, due to the media bias. So, American Academia is dominated by far left (even in European terms), intolerant, indoctrinating, stalinist professors. American Universities have a low profile in Europe, except in the hard sciences, but whenever a reporter in the Germna Media goes out, finds a professor and quotes the professor, the reader ought to know, where the professor is coming from.

The German Media has propagated the fantasy, that the American Media has been crushed and is now filled with Bush Administration toadies. The word 'gleichgeschaltet' has even been used. The American Media, especially the part quoted by German reporters is pretty close to the same situation as the American Academia.

[kid charlemagne]

For some real madness in the halls of U.S. academia, check this out: http://www.zombietime.com/churchill_in_bay_area/churchill_forum_uc_berkeley_march_28_2005/

[kid charlemagne]

Oops, I thought it would be turned into a link automatically. Here: Ward Churchill at Berkeley

[ic]

"it is easy to take the word of so many Ph.D.’s for truth "
Don't worry, Americans are born rebels, they always rebel against the establishment. In the 60's conservatives were the establishment, now liberals are the establishment (at least in campuses and MSM). As soon as the students figure out who those have power are, they would start rebelling against them. It takes time, but it'll happen.

[Phil]

On a more positive note for conservatives: Because many of their intellectuals do not want to be part of such universities they join conservative think tanks. The result is that in the last decades the Republican party has been a lot more successful in terms of developing and promoting new policies. Liberal intellectuals stay at their unis and the Democratic Party seems absolutely clueless.

[Kenneth Greenlee]

I don't disagree with the Herr Professor's observations, but I do disagree with his conclusions:

So long as political indoctrination continues on America’s college campuses the gradual transformation of America will continue. Bit by bit, step by step, the liberal college professors educate new generations into believing that liberal values are better, more refined, more logical, than conservative values. The end result is a slow but steady reform of America, away from what it once was and into something it was never meant to be: a second Europe. Gradually, more and more young Americans graduate from college and vote for more leftist candidates. Issue by issue, state by state, the will of the radical college professors is allowed to increase the presence of government and roll back individual freedom.

I do not believe that what we are witnessing is an incremental creep towards liberalism but an incremental discovery of liberal dogma on the campuses. Just as the MSM can no longer "get away with" liberal bias, in an incremental two steps forward one step back manner, the same destiny awaits liberal academia.

Furthermore, this "correction" is not just a rebalancing of equal poles of thought, but a trend towards a superior philosophy, one of strong individuals and less government (and secular "governing") in general.

Kenneth Greenlee

[Clifford]

As an American Conservative Academic who teaches in exile in Poland cause there were no jobs open to people like him in the states, its a breath of fresh air to teach and work in an open and relative tollerant academic environment.

The only thing that saves America young from being turned into the left is the anti-intellecutal and overly practical aspect of the typical American's attitude towards edcuation and the people who teach. Via la red neck...

[Andrew]

I think this editorial, allegedly by a European academic teaching at an "elite" university, is a fake. I live in Europe and teach at a European university, so I know a few things about European academics.

I think it's fake for several reasons: the English is too good, the point of view is not European, the statements are too black-and-white, and the author uses words like "liberal" and "socialist" in a way that is completely the opposite of how they would be used by a real European. Near the end, the author even starts talking about what "we" should be thinking about when "we" pay tuition. Why on earth would a visiting professor from Europe use the word "we" here?

I have sent a letter to Frontpage.com expressing this view, and asking them to provide me with proof that this piece is genuine. So far I have received no answer.

So keep this in mind as you read the piece.

[Jabba the Tutt]

@Andrew: "I think it's fake for several reasons: the English is too good, the point of view is not European, the statements are too black-and-white, and the author uses words like "liberal" and "socialist" in a way that is completely the opposite of how they would be used by a real European."

Ah, Andrew, you're basically saying that a European professor can't learn English well enough. Also, Andrew, consider that he was writing for a American audience and uses terms that will be understood by that audience, perhaps with the help of a Frontpage Magazine editor. You don't agree with someone, so they're fake. Go to Frontpage and challenge them.

[Jabba the Tutt]

@Andrew: Oops, sorry I didn't see that you'd written Frontepage Magazine already. Horowitz is a good guy, I can't see that he would put up a fake academic. Wouldn't happen.

[pst314]

"...perhaps with the help of a Frontpage Magazine editor."

Good point. I am casually acquainted with a well-known author who is severely dyslexic. His manuscripts require diligent editorial work to made readable readable, something he himself forthrightly admits.

[Andrew]

Your point about the editing is well-taken; but I have other doubts about the authenticity of the piece. You can read them here:

http://andrewhammel.typepad.com/german_joys/2005/04/the_next_intern.html#more

[Luk Verbelen]

Andrew, your articles show YOUR lack of understanding on the issue. It is painfully obvious that you lack much knowledge about European politics. Your discussion about the differences among liberals, socialists, and communists was hilarious.

Stick to a subject you know, especially before accusing someone to be a fraud.