"In high school, my homeroom had an exercise where we made a T-chart dividing various ethnicities, religions, and other identities into the categories of “oppressor” and “oppressed.”" Dividing groups into oppressor and oppressed is not something we should be teaching in school. That's propaganda not education.
It’s become patently obvious that the crazy left wing played the long game and unfortunately it was very effective for their desires. They became the vast majority academia, journalists/media and entertainment. This has allowed them a far outsized influence on young people who don’t understand the real world nearly as much as they want to believe. Now the minds of so many of this generation can do mental gymnastics to allow themselves to think killing Israeli civilians (including women and children) is perfectly fine.
Forgive me but was there anything "hidden" about what they were seeking to do going back decades? Did they hide how they were going to go about achieving their ends? Point of fact! We got our hands on their playbook decades ago & apparently we didn't give it much credence and/or we chose to devote our energies and attention to matters that struck closer home.
Then there was the seemingly perpetual and reflexive impulse to exalt of our public schools as though they were doing hero's work but we didn't bother to notice how the requisities for a degree in education were evolving in our universities... So now we are in entrenched in a generational conflict that is decades in the making. It will cleave families and relatives leading to estrangement, bitterness and perhaps hatred. And that whole getting rid of the "nuclear family" thingy??? Yeah that was on the menu a long time ago along with "Heave Ho Western Civ Has Got To Go"... Welcome to the age of cognitive incoherence and unhinged emotions.
Bill, you are right on target! We have been watching it happen and we did nothing to stop it. Maybe, because the ideas are so patently wrong and incredibly bad, we could not believe that anyone would take them seriously - I don't know. But here we are, and a large portion of academia has spread cancerous ideas throughout the youth of the country. It is hard to see how this ends well.
Well as a person of faith, my view on all of that is pretty much settled and difficult times are ahead. That said, I'm not suggesting throwing our hands up in the air in despair and resigning ourselves to watching Rome burn while Nero plays his fiddle. Academia has already collectively shot themselves in the foot. They're a vivid demonstration of absurdity and lunacy that they've put on public display for the rest of us to see. A realignment is already well underway. What follows is going to be messy because those who want to impose an oppressed vs. oppressor model on the rest of us - that would be those who subscribe to the doctrines of that malignancy known as Marxism - are going to do what they've always done because that is the only talent they possess. For the rest of us, we can either seek out healthier answers and alternatives or we can allow the high priethood of social justice fanatics have their way foisting some ever new and evolving intersectionality excrement on us. To put it bluntly, they only win should the majority of us become content to be cowards... The verdict is still out on that as far as I'm concerned.
Activism? I recommend something simple but hard, I guess. Stop being sheep. With a smile on your face and in a non-threatening voice, disagree with propaganda.
I don't go for activism because talk is cheap and it often doesn't come with a consequence for those we elect to office - see incumbency rates. And for the right - more specifically Republicans in DC - they're often content for their principles to resemble shifting sands for the sake of appearing "reasonable." Every 2 years I get a barrage of political gibberish from Republicans telling me to join them in gaining a political majority in the "most important election in this country's history." SO every election season, it begins again... Charlie Brown => Lucy => Football = Charlie Brown sprawled out on his back again. People are not persuaded with cheap talk, they are persuaded by results that are defined by criteria that any person who possess critical reasoning skills would see as a positive.
And those outcomes are not defined as solely left or right. They are defined by outcomes that the vast majority of us (excluding the lunatic fringe ) would say is a desirable outcome. Education might be a good starting point? Under Federalism, you have 50 states that should be incubating new ideas on tackling problems and replicating what works and presenting the data that validates/supports the results... or they can do what they normally do... plow more money in the "status quo" answers that haven't seen progress in 50 years... but if mess with that kind of "success"... well you know what that makes you out to be? As for the expression "lies, lies and statistics"? No people lie and that's a reflection of their own character... not a reflection of truth. If you are transparent on what worked and what didn't (p.s. when's the last time you heard ANY politician admit their idea didn't work?), you don't give opportunity for cynicism and skepticism to take hold. And one had better not be seeking solutions that bear any resemblance or perception that of stacking the deck in favor on group or another. There are plenty of places to point to of things that work but it entails tipping over some sacred cows.
I think it was allowed because the Left, not just the fringe, believes this. Anyone condemning it, as the Right has for years, werr called racist and and anti-intellectual and driven from the debate while the Left doubled down. This is the natural conclusion of leftist identity politics.
Well did the right introduce better answers that actually worked? If so, was the right prepared to go to mat defending the principles that their ideas were founded on or did they simply prefer to scurry away when the accusations of bigotry and racism were thrown around with the ease of drinking a glass of water? Or better yet, did the right put themselves on Sunday talk shows so as come off more socially palatable rather than being perceived as right wingers? Did the right abdicate their principles? How many "3rd rail" issues did the right steer away from for fear of being perceived as callous eager to push granny in a wheelchair over a cliff vis.a.vis Social Security? At some point, you defend your principles with better answers and solutions or your can spend most of your time trying to appease the people eager to foist a binary model of oppressors and oppressed on all of us. The right basically sucks at communication and they do a lousy job of marketing their answers with empirical evidence.
Correct, Bill. W called lowering school academic and conduct standards the soft bigotry of our time. He even proposed a bipartisan education bill, then was called a racist and backed down. W pointed out the folly of interest-only loans with no credit, was called a racist, backed down leading to the 2008 housing crash. Betsy deVos was appointed Education Secretary and everything she (and her boss) did was called racist. Did they do all they could? Maybe not, but hard to go on the Sunday shows when every statement is parsed and found, without evidence, to be racist by the Left. Few watch the Sunday shows but the left force-feeds out-of-context clips to their supporters. How to speak to America when the term American is derided as racist? The right needs to stand up more, I agree. But I heap a whole lot more of the blame on the Left.
"Anyone condemning it, as the Right has for years, were called racist and anti-intellectual and driven from the debate while the Left doubled down. "
Step number one: You know you are not a racist, so don't pay any attention to name-calling. Call them names right back. Let's think of some right here. And don't be defensive, getting caught up in defending oneself and one's people. Go on the offensive, as they do. If they make an accusation, make one of your own. Study the history of Islam; it is all on Wikipedia, easily accessible, and it really is guilty of every single charge that they throw at Israel. Every single one. think outside the box gthey have put you in. These are bright students--the brightest in the country; but they have to also be creative in your thinking.
Perhaps some adults from the next to greatest generation need to go onto the campuses and show them how it is done. I'm surprised the storied organizations are not doing just that. What ARE they doing?
They were buying into the BS. They bought the whole idea of not studying Aristotle b/c he was dead white guy when they should have been forcing the younger "enlightened" generation to show why their philosopher of choice (of course from an African lineage) was better, for reasons besides he wasn't white. They abdicated reason and now are hoisted on their own pitard.
Because as a society the majority quietly all agreed this was a good thing. To bring vengeance upon the evil oppressors of the past. To punish anyone born after the year 2000 with white skin and a Y chromosome for the audacity of being born. Or, the way they would frame it, for "equity".
Equity, we are told, is the most important thing; it's been enshrined in a number of laws, government programs, hiring policies, etc. However, the majority of those in power are still the ultimate oppressors - straight white* men. The people in power obviously don't want to give up their power. So to achieve equity, we must punish kids.
The scariest part to me is that we've enshrined this not just based on an attempt to reach parity between races/genders/etc, but "within a historical framework". I was skimming the Biden AI bill, which is basically saying "AI should be discriminatory for now and forever because of the evils of the past". It's a "sins of your father" type of argument. The very same argument that, for example, Christians used to persecute Jewish people in the middle ages is now being weaponized. If any group had power before 2023, we now must enshrine in silicon algorithms designed to discriminate against them. Welcome, new robot overlords: https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/ai-bill-of-rights/
(* They've also decided to throw Asians into the oppressor class. For example, look at IBM's new internship hiring policy which excludes anyone white or Asian who identifies as male. Which is quite ironic given California in particular's history with de jure attacks on the Chinese community. But I guess that's how the Wheel of Oppression turns).
I'm white and born before 1970. I got a Masters degree for my first career and a second Masters degree in my 50s for my current career. I have paid for all of it, including a student loan I have now.
No one gave me anything except good values and the necessity of the need to work hard.
Agreed. Got my BS and then went on to get a doctorate. Paid for it myself, and never, even once, did I feel “oppressed” as a woman. FFS those in their 20s now think they are completely oppressed and suffer a huge gender pay gap and all that goes with the victim mentality while simultaneously saying women of our generation have “internalized misogyny”. I swear to fucking god we are living in the Upside Down!
So while we’re standing up for our values, I agree with your comments except for the part about “f…… god.” Of course you may not be a believer but I and many here are, and your point would be just as strong without your irreverence towards him and your disrespect towards us…
Kamala Harris's family is quite well off and held in high regard in Jamaica, largely because they descend from a major slave-owning plantation owner. In the US she would be mortified every time someone brought up that white slave-owning ancestor.
As long as people continue to vote for democrats, they will continue to support that culture.
It has always been one of the most destructive parties in the history of the world; it is busy today, trying to stay in power by attacking other countries.
Serious question... from the river to the sea is cited here as "eliminationist". How do people feel about the fact that the right wing forced Netanyahu to take the position that all of Judea and Samaria (i.e. the West Bank) will be owned, governed, and settled by Israelis? There was plenty of coverage of this in Dec 2022 as it was a necessary platform plank to even form the governing coalition. So official policy of the governing coalition right now is not dissimilar from "from the river to the sea".
When Hamas and its supporters chant from the river to the sea, they are not just promoting the size of a Palestinian state. Hamas’ goal to the eliminate/remove/kill all Jews living between the River and the Sea. However if Israel were to formally annex the West Bank, which I am not saying is the right move, it would not kill/eliminate the Palestinians living there. Arab-Israelis have full civil rights in Israel and currently make up over 20% of the population.
Exactly right, the Palestinians in the West Bank would have equal rights and would be be the best opportunity for a better life for them. Quite different from wanting to to kill the Jews.
Hamas actually already changed its charter away from "river to sea" in 2017. But they stated support only for Palestinian control to 1967 borders, formally allowing for other control beyond but not committing to recognize Israel.
Of course they will never get there as Israel has a dominant advantage and will slowly take over West Bank. Clearly Hamas doesnt intend to get there by negotiation given their evil attacks, but the outcomes here seem predestined to me. it is simply a matter of what path is taken to that outcome.
It is all similar to US westward expansion, as I said. We all should reject these college kids' universal anticolonialism and not be apologetic for what is normal clash of civilzations simply because our civilizations win.
The words of the 2017 charter do not speak as loud as Hamas’ actions. The vague language of the 2017 charter also can be interpreted in line with all other propaganda and their actions. They will not accept anything less than one Islamic state free of all Jews, Christians, LGBTQ+ people, and anyone else who does not agree with their radical extreme Islamic ideology.
Clearly Hamas doesn't intend to get to their goals by negotiation given their evil attacks. Since there will never be an Islamic state like they dream of, they must and will simply be eliminated or pounded into near non-existence. Israel has drawn a connecting line between them and ISIS to make a point to Americans about the nature of this beast, and in this sense they are correct that it's that kind of fight with that kind of enemy - root out and destroy. The challenge for Israel is to do it in ways that limit collateral damage, to avoid simply strengthening Hamas.
And yet, Katherine, the American Left finds something there in all that intolerance to tolerate --despite trying to funamentally change America because there once was slavery.
Where did the '88 Charter ever mention "river to sea"? Many believe the Charter change away from that was mere window dressing, not a true change in policy.
But not recognizing Israel is the basis for endless future warfare, as it was the basis for the original attack on the new born state--and it is grounded in Article Eleven's explanation in the '88 Covenant, which no Westerner troubles to read.
"Clearly Hamas doesn't intend to get there by negotiation " Of course not; read Article Thirteen of their '88 Covenant.
If Israel rules from the river to the sea, the Arabs will be citizens just as they are in modern Israel, where 20% of the population is Arab. If Hamas rules from the river to the sea, the Jews will be dead. Even you can see this slight difference in outcome.
Lol. I think Israel will rule from the river to the sea, as they will be the clear victor with certainty. But there's no future where the 4 million Palestinians have a vote. Israel is not that dumb. Mizrahi birth rates are higher than Ashkenazi, but neither near Palestinian, so Israel would never dilute the Jewish vote that much. Shimon Peres said this was one reason for full disengagement, the value of Gaza versus the vote dilution wasn't attractive even without the Hamas problem (West Bank was different, larger/more land value/more settlers at that time).
How do people feel about it? For over 32 weeks (right up until Oct 7) hundreds of thousands of Israelis went into the streets to protest the coalition government and its policies
What's your source? The only source I can imagine is the coalition agreement between the Likud and Smotrich's "Religious Zionist" party from Dec. 28 2022. Par. 118 states, "The Jewish People possess a natural right to the Land of Israel. In light of [this belief] the Prime Minister will [implement] a policy whereby sovereignty will be extended in Judaea and Samaria." Note that the paragraph does not say "over" Judaea and Samaria, which would imply all of it. Netanyahu - and indeed 95% of Jewish Israelis - could not be brought to sign an obligation that could be interpreted as requiring the extension of Israeli sovereignty over the Arab population of Judaea and Samaria; 95% of Jewish israelis want nothing to do with those Arabs, certainly not to absorb them in the Jewish state. Now you can argue that the "natural right to the Land of Israel" does not draw such a distinction, but in fact the historical position of the Likud and the mainstream Israeli right has been that the Jewish people possess a right to the Land of Israel that is not inferior to any other claim. Reading this as Netanyahu and 80% of his coalition read it (far less the Israeli left), it a) claims that Jews may settle within Judaea and Samaria, not that they can exclude anyone already living there, and b) calls for the annexation to Israel of communities thus created. That's as far as this coalition's commitments.
However, to my mind the events of the last 30 years and especially since October 7th prove beyond reasonable doubt that Israeli and Palestinian nationalism cannot coexist, because no Palestinian can actually accept the presence of Jews in the Land of Israel, whatever they write in documents notwithstanding. This is a security, not a legal-possession argument. I believe that leaving the civilian population within Gaza will inevitably lead to the rise of another Hamas and another massacre, and that it is in Israel's vital interest that this population be moved elsewhere. The same I believe will be shown to be true in Judaea and Samaria. This is an extremely unpopular and particularly unprogressive view but I believe that to think anything else is sustainable in the long term is to believe in the kind of pipedreams that led to October 7th.
A respectful question always deserves a respectful answer! I, for one, am glad you asked your original question because I leaned something in the process.
I had the distinct feeling, Kelly, that the Israelis came to the conclusion some time ago that no matter what they did--if they did nothing or everything--Islamists
So why not? They already were under attack just for existing.
The T-chart lesson is either heart breaking or infuriating or maybe both. Please tell me that this lesson (probably taught in an advance placement class) went on to challenge your conclusions with follow up questions. How do you think Louis Farrakhan would complete this chart? Where would you place Albert Schweitzer on the chart? If you are an oppressed person can you be a bully? How would a Hutu or Tutsi chart the other tribe and the impact on the brutality of their war? The questions need to drive home the point that it is incredibly lazy and poor judgement to categorize groups of people or a person without careful evaluation and impart the idea that people and events are complicated defy binomial definitions.
How many times are we told students are being taught “critical thinking”? If this lesson is just defining oppressed vs oppressor then students are being taught to be asinine and simple and “critical thinking” is a lie. The can’t think students are the useful idiots and puppets for the pro-Palestine agitators.
Several years ago, my daughter was attending an "elite" Northeastern school that was hosting a talk by Ibram X. Kendi on "reparations." Prior to the talk, she called me (an attorney) to ask "what's the counter-argument to reparations?" I responded that (at $75K/year) I was sure those would be presented during the College's discussion surrounding the issue. She laughed.
My friend just heard Ibram X. Kendi speak at the Health Law Advocates breakfast in Boston a couple of weeks ago. She said that it was a friendly crowd (all attendees work in healthcare in one capacity or another; the goal of the organization is to close healthcare gaps in Boston’s underserved communities), and that she was really looking forward to hearing Kendi speak. Apparently, he gave an absolutely dismal address, and she left the event confused as to how he could be the subject of so much adulation. #IntellectualCharlatan
Glad that your daughter understood that there was a counter argument. The loss of the idea that there is a point and counter point on most issues is tragic. Wondering how future citizens will make judgements in a courtroom or in their life if they can't do the simple calculation of pros and cons or understand that person can be both good and bad.
This teacher talks about an entire school staff learning how important it was to teach this idea. You can clearly hear she felt it was beneficial. My daughter was in her class. This teacher was incredibly bubbly and warm and personable. My daughter loved her. Thankfully we were engaged parents while it was being passed into the classroom. We explained why classifying people this way always ends badly.
Thank you for sharing. The teacher is charismatic, knows the buzz words, and is probably a very engaging as a teacher. The upside of these teachers with children who are sharing what is being taught in the classroom is that engaged parents like you can encourage your child to think deeper and evaluate. The child will encounter these philosophies in college or in many work places that have DEI classes and they need to be able to handle themselves with panache and teflon.
The step off the cliff moment is not incorporating better representation of different races, etc. in the curriculum and library, but assuming that the person next to you is a supremacist or oppressed because of their race, country of origin, religion, etc. This classification is why there are books published by Duke and Stanford that show an "oppressed" connection linking LGBTQ and Palestinians and allow Ahmad Abu Marhia kidnapping and beheading to be ignored.
Maybe it is "old and tired dog that can't learn new trick definitions" syndrome?
The craziness is that "inclusiveness" is being taught with a T chart that draws lines between people rather than a Venn Diagram that shows connections.
That kind of dualism is also at work in the simplistic understanding of Americans about this topic. Many college students being asked "Israel or Hamas" are actually answering "Israel or Palestine". So, not good at all to me that they side opposite Israel but it's ignorance rather than an evil nature that makes them do so.
They. Are. Brainwashed. We need to get this in our thick skulls. Trying to reason with these folks or talk facts is futile. They remind me exactly of the members of the Manson Family. They are a brainwashed cult, indoctrinated by our K-graduate schools education system, funded by our taxpayer dollars. We need to destroy this pathology now and we will live (and unfortunately die) with the consequences.
Some are, but it's sufficient for the majority to be young and clueless. They simply conflate things, lacking good info. Clearly the young woman in the article wasn't "brainwashed" into thinking river to the sea meant the Tigris to the Black Sea.
As someone who has collected three degrees from schools not quite as prestigious as Stanford, but not too far behind, I have a few stray observations on this point:
First, I have no doubt that my wife's microbio/chemistry degree from a Cal State was a lot more challenging than my history degree from a top UC. I think it highly probable that her degree was also a lot more rigorous than any "fuzzy" degree from Stanford. Valences can't be graded on an ideological curve.
Second, when I was an undergrad in the early 2000s, there were already a few stray intersectionalist classes in the course catalog. By the time I got to law school a few years later, these classes had metastasized, and formed a dominant part of the curriculum. (As a harbinger that I wasn't prescient enough to recognize, my 1L crim law class skipped the unit on property crime so we could cover issues related to transgenderism and critical race theory.)
Third, Rob Henderson has written convincingly about how many of these ideologies are luxury beliefs. And given that Stanford and its ilk are largely populated by people who have only vicariously experienced actual violence or deprivation (luxury schools?), and given that these students are particularly unlikely to be injured by the practical consequences of their vacuous beliefs (they are, after all, right-thinking STANFORD students; someone will hire them), and given that adhering to "social justice" precepts is the social currency of the day, is it any wonder that these ideas have taken root?
I share the beliefs professed by many on these threads that we need to create alternate universities that adhere to traditional principles of intellectual inquiry. It's not going to happen at Stanford or Harvard. The 70s radicals who received grace (and jobs) from the academy were clever enough to play the long game and worm their ways into administrative positions and hiring committees, and they have winnowed away any semblance of ideological diversity. Better to move on and do it better somewhere else.
It is also possible to support Israel and also be sympathetic to the non-combatant Palestinians. Hamas is using many of them as human shields. Also, separating people into racial or gender groups doesn't take into account that there is a wide variability of opinions within each group.
Perhaps. But this is war, and Gaza has become a war zone, thanks to Hamas. Everyone there, including civilians, is at risk. Israel never targets civilians, but civilians caught in the war zone are in real danger. That’s the horror of war—a war that will end only once Hamas is destroyed.
Mari, be careful, be very careful. Keep going the way you are and you may become a thinker, someone who's capable of serious, independent, quality reasoning. We can't have that now, can we? We don't want the idiots to feel bad about themselves!
When ignorance leads to evil choice, doesn't that imply and inherently evil nature or a nature incapable of distinguishing between good and evil?
Intellectually, I can parse the choices made by Hamas and the terrorist cadre that has ruled Gaza by graft and fear.
But there is no way, either intellectually or morally, can I side with their choice and the disregard for the very rights of others that they are claiming for themselves.
They are evil in intent and deed, and there is no other humanistic way to assess them.
Not at all. Ignorance is simply not knowing something. It is not evil to help your neighbor with taking a big load of trash to the dump when you were ignorant of the fact that the bags contained a dismembered human body.
But by this point it’s not ignorance, but conscious avoidance. If the bag is reeking of human flesh, covered in blood and a hand is hanging out, you’re complicit in the evil
That’s so sad, but also infuriating. All I can say is these vile little antisemites better not ask the rest of us to pay off that student loan for a degree I wouldn’t line my cat’s litter box with.
And that, my friend, is the correct answer. Do you know why Hamas is in charge in Gaza? Because they are the ones with the guns.
My suggestion is to airdrop hundreds of thousands of cheap pistols into Gaza and seal it off. When they finish taking out their own damn trash we'll come in and help them rebuild. They need to excise their own cancer first.
Fortunately, or not, I grew up when the draft led most of males to military service. As a result, I am proficient on three different weapon systems and hope I never have to pull a trigger again. I will, if necessary to protect my family.
You should read “Social Justice Fallacies” by Thomas Sowell. It just came out. Fun fact the Eugenics movement of the 1910’s and 20’s was pushed by left wing progressives from elite universities. They used the term Social Justice back then too. They also had the same air of moral superiority and the believe that history is on their side.
It’s the exact same the thing just an adjustment in ideology.
This evil comes from the pit of hell and smells of smoke. I am older (65), and am stunned by the breadth and vehemence of anti-Jew sentiment. As a military “brat” I learned a lot from growing up in a variety of locales and cultures. I am a Christian, who understands that G-d chose the Jewish people to shine a light and lead all others to Him; I cannot claim to be a Christian without honoring His chosen people.
I appreciate your explanation of how “identity politics” have led our youth to this generation’s Kristellnacht. I hope it is not too late to course-correct.
I will continue to pray for, and do what I can, to support Israel and all Jews.
Jews are taught that they are not supposed not to spell out the full name of the Almighty in Hebrew or, by extension, English. That’s why many people say HaShem (literally, “the name”) instead of G-D.
That concept was fully embraced by American Christians for two centuries until democrats destroyed public display of religion in any form. It is still fairly common in other countries although certainly “old-fashioned.”
It’s a nod to the Jewish tradition of respecting the name of the Almighty. And the commandment about not taking the Lord’s name in vain. I do it too on this site because Bari is Jewish.
I used “G-d” out of respect for Jewish custom and practice, but more specifically in this instance because I was referring to the Lord in relation to the Jews. In my other writings, I just spell the word out.
Welcome to the most racist generation -- at least in my 65 years.
Really, I doubt there is a time in the past 100 years where 1/2 of all college students would have supported the kkk and its objectives. hamas is more virulent and bigoted than the kkk. In one day, hamas murdered more Jews than the kkk murdered in any decade.
So yeah, this is a substantially failed generation. A generation which, ironically, considers itself the most moral.
Sadly true. This generation has been hoodwinked into believing that we should define ourselves and others primarily by immutable characteristics. A far cry from judgment based on the contents of our characters. I can't help but think that we've failed them.
Cancel the check to Stanford, denounce them, leave, and finish at a state school. You'll save money and likely get a better education. Anyone smart enough like yourself to get into Stanford will be successful with or without the brand name diploma.
Exactly. We need to create an entirely new education system in this country. University of Austin and Ralston are great starts, but we need many, many more. Also, please send your children to parochial schools (it has nothing to do with religion).
Yes. My son is a freshman at a very small Lutheran college in a red state. Guess what ? None of this institutional capture sick woke-mind-virus garbage insanity is going on at his school. He’s probably, sadly, in the minority of Jewish kids on college campuses who actually feel comfortable on their campus right now.
Students at state schools generally come from less entitled backgrounds, so garbage "studies" majors aren't pursued in favor of more practical areas of study. But I see your point.
Thank you Julia. Thoese pro-Hamas (pro-rape, pro-beheading) people at Stanford are vile and evil.
But I'm afraid I have some harsh words for you: If you're at Stanford, paying them money, you're part of the problem.
Drop out NOW and finish your degree at San Jose State University. Or even De Anza College -- the nearby community college. Why are you going to Stanford anyway? So you can tell people the rest of your life you went to Stanford? A morally bankrupt institution. I will never hire anyone out of Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, or any other "elite" school. What has Stanford brought us lately? Theranos?
It's a real tragedy that once great institutions, who were all founded by WHITE MEN and still carry their names, are overrun with people who hate white men and everything that the West has achieved as a result of them, while enjoying a life made possible by them. All I can say is at least my alma mater, which is the best of them all, is still safe. Go MIT!
I am glad my daughter turned down Columbia to go to MIT. I was pleased with the MIT president's statement condemning the Hamas terrorist attacks. But even at MIT there have been pro-Hamas intifada demonstrations. Antisemitism, unfortunately, is everywhere.
That was a wise move . I went to MIT in the 70's . It sadly has gone pretty woke and is pushing some fake climate science but its still much better than the Ivy League. MIT has always had an open attitude towards Jews while IVY league schools in most of the 20th century had quotas. Richard Feynman went to MIT at a time when spots for physicists were limited to Jews at Princeton and other places.
Its funny that the favorite movie shown at Kresge Auditorium back then was Dirty Harry. My have things changed. MIT just hired a sociologist as president . IMO it was a very poor choice.
DeAnza? Where they fired DEI co-ordinator Tabia Lee for including anti-Semitism in her work?
"One alleged instance resulted in Lee being called "a dirty Zionist" for having certain speakers on campus, which reverberated up to the college's Board of Trustees.
"I was elevating the wrong people," others allegedly said, according to Lee. "They called and referred to Jewish people as white oppressors. I had brought speakers into the campus to do antisemitism education and Jewish inclusion education, based on community members coming directly to us and saying they had concerns about our Jewish students at our school."
Not quite! Just his parents.---who teach _ethics_ at Stanford! And their hands aren't clean either -- money was funneled through them. We may see indictments. The whole school is rotten.
SBF was a Stanford grad too wasn't he? Or do I have that confused? To clarify, I was agreeing with the sarcastic comment about what Stanford grads contribute. Though I'm sure there are some incredible achievers coming out of that school, the rot of woke politics appears to be setting in there or the long term.
And never let your kids have a smart phone. The TikTok stat is horrifying, for fucking up everyone's brains, but also for national security (b/c it's - all the screens and socials, really - fucking up our brains, in addition to the hacking potential).
The idea that Tik tok is a "national security threat" is beyond ridiculous. It's no more a "threat" than Facebook, Google, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Angry Birds, or Solitaire. The whole national security threat concept was cooked up by Americans angry that China has a popular social media site competing with the others, which are all American. It's a complete lie.
Very naive. Our government, tech and media companies have done some reprehensible things censoring and tweaking social media content, but at least we can investigate and work to change that. Not so with the CCP. No whistleblowers, no FOIA, no accoutability, no recourse…
I recently saw an interview with two college students spouting CSJ theory (incl. intersectionality). One of them was wearing large dangling earrings in the shape of guillotines. They've already awoken the tactics of the Jacobins. Give them power and the real guillotines will soon follow.
Thank you Julia for this very important message that needs to be read widely. It’s a tragedy what has taken hold of our educational system and through social media. We need action against this and your essay is a valuable contribution.
Julia, nice work here on an awful subject. It is terrifying that "smart" people are so stupid and that so many of our youth--and adults-- are so lazy and easily led. I have been putting together a primer of links for my own teens/early 20 year olds because I cannot bear to try to discuss when they really DONT KNOW WHEREOF THEY SPEAK. I make sure to select sources they can't say are crazy people conservative sites so my evidence isn't undermined before it is even evaluated (which is pretty sad because their estimation and mine of said sites do differ). Of course now I have overloaded my primer so I have to select the most important and get them out so we can have an actual discussion because I cannot bear for my children to parrot racist genocidal idiocy. The links comprise a range of specific subjects such as the creation of the modern Israeli state and Hamas' role in Gaza and the history behind it coming into existence (PLO etc etc) as well as accounts and video evidence from the horrific terrorist attack on 10/7. Because these kids are fed a lot of stuff and doubt the truth -- and these are MY kids whom we raised to question and be open minded and who went to a charter where the education is based on the Great Books and the emphasis is on America (as represented by our diverse sending districts) as melting pot, and so on. UGHHHH.
None of my business but I have been reading some accounts by other students here and there and I wonder, will you continue on there? I mean it is a huge deal to have gotten into Stanford and kudos to you all the way. But will there come a point where you will feel unsafe to the point that it isn't worth returning and/or the return? Or would you view leaving as giving the ideologically warped a win? I think this is going to become an issue sooner than later for many . The fact that you have vehement protestors who have no idea what they are actually saying or sticking on their computers tells me that these sheep can be led and are being led and no end of trouble as you know can come from this. I am very very scared for our world.
Anyway Julia very nicely done please keep up the good work and incidentally, how did that in-person meeting with Nellie go for your "performance project"? w(°ｏ°)w Looking forward to proof of life in the form of her TGIF tomorrow (kidding, I'm kidding, if we can't laugh here together although in the midst of nothing funny at all where can we-- I hope you agree...) Stick to your convictions and stay true to your faith and know that you are not alone even though it may certainly feel like that on campus. Be safe and God bless.
The modern liberal is morally bereft. He rejects the Biblical notions of evil and focuses on Hitler. Hitler was indeed evil in the extreme, but no one man can embody the manifold expressions of evil in the world. The devil is a seducer and a deceiver. He appeals to your best nature and perverts and debases it. Many of the vectors of this evil are identity-oriented leftist groups that Hitler would have hated merely for their ethnicity, so the modern liberal is blind to the evil within them.
So very superficial are the liberal's moral sentiments. It's all about feelings and slogans and social approval. So quick to condemn the use of the wrong pronoun, but so clueless in the face of actual genocide. So quick to ridicule those Americans that he deems unsophisticated. They try to deny and excuse this in public, but those of us who knew them when we were young and unguarded know what they really think.
“In high school, my homeroom had an exercise where we made a T-chart dividing various ethnicities, religions, and other identities into the categories of “oppressor” and “oppressed.”
God help us all. We are being slowly destroyed from within. And anyone who falls into these so-called oppressed groups should consider how they would be treated in any Arab nation not named Israel.
"In high school, my homeroom had an exercise where we made a T-chart dividing various ethnicities, religions, and other identities into the categories of “oppressor” and “oppressed.”" Dividing groups into oppressor and oppressed is not something we should be teaching in school. That's propaganda not education.
It’s become patently obvious that the crazy left wing played the long game and unfortunately it was very effective for their desires. They became the vast majority academia, journalists/media and entertainment. This has allowed them a far outsized influence on young people who don’t understand the real world nearly as much as they want to believe. Now the minds of so many of this generation can do mental gymnastics to allow themselves to think killing Israeli civilians (including women and children) is perfectly fine.
Forgive me but was there anything "hidden" about what they were seeking to do going back decades? Did they hide how they were going to go about achieving their ends? Point of fact! We got our hands on their playbook decades ago & apparently we didn't give it much credence and/or we chose to devote our energies and attention to matters that struck closer home.
Then there was the seemingly perpetual and reflexive impulse to exalt of our public schools as though they were doing hero's work but we didn't bother to notice how the requisities for a degree in education were evolving in our universities... So now we are in entrenched in a generational conflict that is decades in the making. It will cleave families and relatives leading to estrangement, bitterness and perhaps hatred. And that whole getting rid of the "nuclear family" thingy??? Yeah that was on the menu a long time ago along with "Heave Ho Western Civ Has Got To Go"... Welcome to the age of cognitive incoherence and unhinged emotions.
Bill, you are right on target! We have been watching it happen and we did nothing to stop it. Maybe, because the ideas are so patently wrong and incredibly bad, we could not believe that anyone would take them seriously - I don't know. But here we are, and a large portion of academia has spread cancerous ideas throughout the youth of the country. It is hard to see how this ends well.
Well as a person of faith, my view on all of that is pretty much settled and difficult times are ahead. That said, I'm not suggesting throwing our hands up in the air in despair and resigning ourselves to watching Rome burn while Nero plays his fiddle. Academia has already collectively shot themselves in the foot. They're a vivid demonstration of absurdity and lunacy that they've put on public display for the rest of us to see. A realignment is already well underway. What follows is going to be messy because those who want to impose an oppressed vs. oppressor model on the rest of us - that would be those who subscribe to the doctrines of that malignancy known as Marxism - are going to do what they've always done because that is the only talent they possess. For the rest of us, we can either seek out healthier answers and alternatives or we can allow the high priethood of social justice fanatics have their way foisting some ever new and evolving intersectionality excrement on us. To put it bluntly, they only win should the majority of us become content to be cowards... The verdict is still out on that as far as I'm concerned.
What kind of activism do you recommend?
Activism? I recommend something simple but hard, I guess. Stop being sheep. With a smile on your face and in a non-threatening voice, disagree with propaganda.
I don't go for activism because talk is cheap and it often doesn't come with a consequence for those we elect to office - see incumbency rates. And for the right - more specifically Republicans in DC - they're often content for their principles to resemble shifting sands for the sake of appearing "reasonable." Every 2 years I get a barrage of political gibberish from Republicans telling me to join them in gaining a political majority in the "most important election in this country's history." SO every election season, it begins again... Charlie Brown => Lucy => Football = Charlie Brown sprawled out on his back again. People are not persuaded with cheap talk, they are persuaded by results that are defined by criteria that any person who possess critical reasoning skills would see as a positive.
And those outcomes are not defined as solely left or right. They are defined by outcomes that the vast majority of us (excluding the lunatic fringe ) would say is a desirable outcome. Education might be a good starting point? Under Federalism, you have 50 states that should be incubating new ideas on tackling problems and replicating what works and presenting the data that validates/supports the results... or they can do what they normally do... plow more money in the "status quo" answers that haven't seen progress in 50 years... but if mess with that kind of "success"... well you know what that makes you out to be? As for the expression "lies, lies and statistics"? No people lie and that's a reflection of their own character... not a reflection of truth. If you are transparent on what worked and what didn't (p.s. when's the last time you heard ANY politician admit their idea didn't work?), you don't give opportunity for cynicism and skepticism to take hold. And one had better not be seeking solutions that bear any resemblance or perception that of stacking the deck in favor on group or another. There are plenty of places to point to of things that work but it entails tipping over some sacred cows.
I think it was allowed because the Left, not just the fringe, believes this. Anyone condemning it, as the Right has for years, werr called racist and and anti-intellectual and driven from the debate while the Left doubled down. This is the natural conclusion of leftist identity politics.
Well did the right introduce better answers that actually worked? If so, was the right prepared to go to mat defending the principles that their ideas were founded on or did they simply prefer to scurry away when the accusations of bigotry and racism were thrown around with the ease of drinking a glass of water? Or better yet, did the right put themselves on Sunday talk shows so as come off more socially palatable rather than being perceived as right wingers? Did the right abdicate their principles? How many "3rd rail" issues did the right steer away from for fear of being perceived as callous eager to push granny in a wheelchair over a cliff vis.a.vis Social Security? At some point, you defend your principles with better answers and solutions or your can spend most of your time trying to appease the people eager to foist a binary model of oppressors and oppressed on all of us. The right basically sucks at communication and they do a lousy job of marketing their answers with empirical evidence.
Correct, Bill. W called lowering school academic and conduct standards the soft bigotry of our time. He even proposed a bipartisan education bill, then was called a racist and backed down. W pointed out the folly of interest-only loans with no credit, was called a racist, backed down leading to the 2008 housing crash. Betsy deVos was appointed Education Secretary and everything she (and her boss) did was called racist. Did they do all they could? Maybe not, but hard to go on the Sunday shows when every statement is parsed and found, without evidence, to be racist by the Left. Few watch the Sunday shows but the left force-feeds out-of-context clips to their supporters. How to speak to America when the term American is derided as racist? The right needs to stand up more, I agree. But I heap a whole lot more of the blame on the Left.
The right did everything right that you describe
"Anyone condemning it, as the Right has for years, were called racist and anti-intellectual and driven from the debate while the Left doubled down. "
Step number one: You know you are not a racist, so don't pay any attention to name-calling. Call them names right back. Let's think of some right here. And don't be defensive, getting caught up in defending oneself and one's people. Go on the offensive, as they do. If they make an accusation, make one of your own. Study the history of Islam; it is all on Wikipedia, easily accessible, and it really is guilty of every single charge that they throw at Israel. Every single one. think outside the box gthey have put you in. These are bright students--the brightest in the country; but they have to also be creative in your thinking.
Perhaps some adults from the next to greatest generation need to go onto the campuses and show them how it is done. I'm surprised the storied organizations are not doing just that. What ARE they doing?
They were buying into the BS. They bought the whole idea of not studying Aristotle b/c he was dead white guy when they should have been forcing the younger "enlightened" generation to show why their philosopher of choice (of course from an African lineage) was better, for reasons besides he wasn't white. They abdicated reason and now are hoisted on their own pitard.
We? Not I !
Care to clarify?
Seriously, why as a society are we doing nothing to stop this?!
Because as a society the majority quietly all agreed this was a good thing. To bring vengeance upon the evil oppressors of the past. To punish anyone born after the year 2000 with white skin and a Y chromosome for the audacity of being born. Or, the way they would frame it, for "equity".
Equity, we are told, is the most important thing; it's been enshrined in a number of laws, government programs, hiring policies, etc. However, the majority of those in power are still the ultimate oppressors - straight white* men. The people in power obviously don't want to give up their power. So to achieve equity, we must punish kids.
The scariest part to me is that we've enshrined this not just based on an attempt to reach parity between races/genders/etc, but "within a historical framework". I was skimming the Biden AI bill, which is basically saying "AI should be discriminatory for now and forever because of the evils of the past". It's a "sins of your father" type of argument. The very same argument that, for example, Christians used to persecute Jewish people in the middle ages is now being weaponized. If any group had power before 2023, we now must enshrine in silicon algorithms designed to discriminate against them. Welcome, new robot overlords: https://www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/ai-bill-of-rights/
(* They've also decided to throw Asians into the oppressor class. For example, look at IBM's new internship hiring policy which excludes anyone white or Asian who identifies as male. Which is quite ironic given California in particular's history with de jure attacks on the Chinese community. But I guess that's how the Wheel of Oppression turns).
I'm white and born before 1970. I got a Masters degree for my first career and a second Masters degree in my 50s for my current career. I have paid for all of it, including a student loan I have now.
No one gave me anything except good values and the necessity of the need to work hard.
My children are the same.
This is bad parenting.
Agreed. Got my BS and then went on to get a doctorate. Paid for it myself, and never, even once, did I feel “oppressed” as a woman. FFS those in their 20s now think they are completely oppressed and suffer a huge gender pay gap and all that goes with the victim mentality while simultaneously saying women of our generation have “internalized misogyny”. I swear to fucking god we are living in the Upside Down!
So while we’re standing up for our values, I agree with your comments except for the part about “f…… god.” Of course you may not be a believer but I and many here are, and your point would be just as strong without your irreverence towards him and your disrespect towards us…
I'm a Christian. Her comment doesn't bother me. It's not aimed at denigrating God, it's just the use of the f-word as emphasis.
Furious about all of it! I wasn’t even political until my fifties.
Hysterical that being an Honorary White in South Africa privileged one and in the US it's a kiss of death
Kamala Harris's family is quite well off and held in high regard in Jamaica, largely because they descend from a major slave-owning plantation owner. In the US she would be mortified every time someone brought up that white slave-owning ancestor.
Oh Goodie! Let's!
As long as people continue to vote for democrats, they will continue to support that culture.
It has always been one of the most destructive parties in the history of the world; it is busy today, trying to stay in power by attacking other countries.
Serious question... from the river to the sea is cited here as "eliminationist". How do people feel about the fact that the right wing forced Netanyahu to take the position that all of Judea and Samaria (i.e. the West Bank) will be owned, governed, and settled by Israelis? There was plenty of coverage of this in Dec 2022 as it was a necessary platform plank to even form the governing coalition. So official policy of the governing coalition right now is not dissimilar from "from the river to the sea".
When Hamas and its supporters chant from the river to the sea, they are not just promoting the size of a Palestinian state. Hamas’ goal to the eliminate/remove/kill all Jews living between the River and the Sea. However if Israel were to formally annex the West Bank, which I am not saying is the right move, it would not kill/eliminate the Palestinians living there. Arab-Israelis have full civil rights in Israel and currently make up over 20% of the population.
It's worse than that. Hamas supports the elimination of all Jews worldwide. The only thing stopping them from pursuing that goal is lack of resources.
I agree with all of that.
Exactly right, the Palestinians in the West Bank would have equal rights and would be be the best opportunity for a better life for them. Quite different from wanting to to kill the Jews.
The Palestinians can have a two-state solution any time they are willing to accept a two-state solution, i.e., the existence of Israel.
Hamas actually already changed its charter away from "river to sea" in 2017. But they stated support only for Palestinian control to 1967 borders, formally allowing for other control beyond but not committing to recognize Israel.
Of course they will never get there as Israel has a dominant advantage and will slowly take over West Bank. Clearly Hamas doesnt intend to get there by negotiation given their evil attacks, but the outcomes here seem predestined to me. it is simply a matter of what path is taken to that outcome.
It is all similar to US westward expansion, as I said. We all should reject these college kids' universal anticolonialism and not be apologetic for what is normal clash of civilzations simply because our civilizations win.
The words of the 2017 charter do not speak as loud as Hamas’ actions. The vague language of the 2017 charter also can be interpreted in line with all other propaganda and their actions. They will not accept anything less than one Islamic state free of all Jews, Christians, LGBTQ+ people, and anyone else who does not agree with their radical extreme Islamic ideology.
Clearly Hamas doesn't intend to get to their goals by negotiation given their evil attacks. Since there will never be an Islamic state like they dream of, they must and will simply be eliminated or pounded into near non-existence. Israel has drawn a connecting line between them and ISIS to make a point to Americans about the nature of this beast, and in this sense they are correct that it's that kind of fight with that kind of enemy - root out and destroy. The challenge for Israel is to do it in ways that limit collateral damage, to avoid simply strengthening Hamas.
And yet, Katherine, the American Left finds something there in all that intolerance to tolerate --despite trying to funamentally change America because there once was slavery.
I think whatever they write in documents is as irrelevant as Hitler's signature on the Munich accords. They want the Jews dead and act accordingly.
Where did the '88 Charter ever mention "river to sea"? Many believe the Charter change away from that was mere window dressing, not a true change in policy.
But not recognizing Israel is the basis for endless future warfare, as it was the basis for the original attack on the new born state--and it is grounded in Article Eleven's explanation in the '88 Covenant, which no Westerner troubles to read.
"Clearly Hamas doesn't intend to get there by negotiation " Of course not; read Article Thirteen of their '88 Covenant.
Too bad Netanyahu kept funding Hamas to make sure that a Palestinian state would never happen.
If Israel rules from the river to the sea, the Arabs will be citizens just as they are in modern Israel, where 20% of the population is Arab. If Hamas rules from the river to the sea, the Jews will be dead. Even you can see this slight difference in outcome.
Lol. I think Israel will rule from the river to the sea, as they will be the clear victor with certainty. But there's no future where the 4 million Palestinians have a vote. Israel is not that dumb. Mizrahi birth rates are higher than Ashkenazi, but neither near Palestinian, so Israel would never dilute the Jewish vote that much. Shimon Peres said this was one reason for full disengagement, the value of Gaza versus the vote dilution wasn't attractive even without the Hamas problem (West Bank was different, larger/more land value/more settlers at that time).
How do people feel about it? For over 32 weeks (right up until Oct 7) hundreds of thousands of Israelis went into the streets to protest the coalition government and its policies
What's your source? The only source I can imagine is the coalition agreement between the Likud and Smotrich's "Religious Zionist" party from Dec. 28 2022. Par. 118 states, "The Jewish People possess a natural right to the Land of Israel. In light of [this belief] the Prime Minister will [implement] a policy whereby sovereignty will be extended in Judaea and Samaria." Note that the paragraph does not say "over" Judaea and Samaria, which would imply all of it. Netanyahu - and indeed 95% of Jewish Israelis - could not be brought to sign an obligation that could be interpreted as requiring the extension of Israeli sovereignty over the Arab population of Judaea and Samaria; 95% of Jewish israelis want nothing to do with those Arabs, certainly not to absorb them in the Jewish state. Now you can argue that the "natural right to the Land of Israel" does not draw such a distinction, but in fact the historical position of the Likud and the mainstream Israeli right has been that the Jewish people possess a right to the Land of Israel that is not inferior to any other claim. Reading this as Netanyahu and 80% of his coalition read it (far less the Israeli left), it a) claims that Jews may settle within Judaea and Samaria, not that they can exclude anyone already living there, and b) calls for the annexation to Israel of communities thus created. That's as far as this coalition's commitments.
However, to my mind the events of the last 30 years and especially since October 7th prove beyond reasonable doubt that Israeli and Palestinian nationalism cannot coexist, because no Palestinian can actually accept the presence of Jews in the Land of Israel, whatever they write in documents notwithstanding. This is a security, not a legal-possession argument. I believe that leaving the civilian population within Gaza will inevitably lead to the rise of another Hamas and another massacre, and that it is in Israel's vital interest that this population be moved elsewhere. The same I believe will be shown to be true in Judaea and Samaria. This is an extremely unpopular and particularly unprogressive view but I believe that to think anything else is sustainable in the long term is to believe in the kind of pipedreams that led to October 7th.
Times of Israel's translation of core principles of the 2022 coalition says "exclusive and inalienable right" to the land
https://www.timesofisrael.com/judicial-reform-boosting-jewish-identity-the-new-coalitions-policy-guidelines/
Don't believe everything you read in newspapers. I looked up the original Hebrew source.
https://www.idi.org.il/media/18950/%D7%94%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%93%D7%AA%D7%99%D7%AA.pdf
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/netanyahu-government-settlements-expansion-west-bank-ben-gvir-rcna63302
Really? You just removed all doubt.
That you tolerate earnest inquiry when it feels heterodox to you?
A respectful question always deserves a respectful answer! I, for one, am glad you asked your original question because I leaned something in the process.
I had the distinct feeling, Kelly, that the Israelis came to the conclusion some time ago that no matter what they did--if they did nothing or everything--Islamists
So why not? They already were under attack just for existing.
Like what, TC? What could society do to stop it?
The T-chart lesson is either heart breaking or infuriating or maybe both. Please tell me that this lesson (probably taught in an advance placement class) went on to challenge your conclusions with follow up questions. How do you think Louis Farrakhan would complete this chart? Where would you place Albert Schweitzer on the chart? If you are an oppressed person can you be a bully? How would a Hutu or Tutsi chart the other tribe and the impact on the brutality of their war? The questions need to drive home the point that it is incredibly lazy and poor judgement to categorize groups of people or a person without careful evaluation and impart the idea that people and events are complicated defy binomial definitions.
How many times are we told students are being taught “critical thinking”? If this lesson is just defining oppressed vs oppressor then students are being taught to be asinine and simple and “critical thinking” is a lie. The can’t think students are the useful idiots and puppets for the pro-Palestine agitators.
Several years ago, my daughter was attending an "elite" Northeastern school that was hosting a talk by Ibram X. Kendi on "reparations." Prior to the talk, she called me (an attorney) to ask "what's the counter-argument to reparations?" I responded that (at $75K/year) I was sure those would be presented during the College's discussion surrounding the issue. She laughed.
My friend just heard Ibram X. Kendi speak at the Health Law Advocates breakfast in Boston a couple of weeks ago. She said that it was a friendly crowd (all attendees work in healthcare in one capacity or another; the goal of the organization is to close healthcare gaps in Boston’s underserved communities), and that she was really looking forward to hearing Kendi speak. Apparently, he gave an absolutely dismal address, and she left the event confused as to how he could be the subject of so much adulation. #IntellectualCharlatan
Glad that your daughter understood that there was a counter argument. The loss of the idea that there is a point and counter point on most issues is tragic. Wondering how future citizens will make judgements in a courtroom or in their life if they can't do the simple calculation of pros and cons or understand that person can be both good and bad.
https://rumble.com/v1kdift-meghan-lukens-comp1.html
This teacher talks about an entire school staff learning how important it was to teach this idea. You can clearly hear she felt it was beneficial. My daughter was in her class. This teacher was incredibly bubbly and warm and personable. My daughter loved her. Thankfully we were engaged parents while it was being passed into the classroom. We explained why classifying people this way always ends badly.
Thank you for sharing. The teacher is charismatic, knows the buzz words, and is probably a very engaging as a teacher. The upside of these teachers with children who are sharing what is being taught in the classroom is that engaged parents like you can encourage your child to think deeper and evaluate. The child will encounter these philosophies in college or in many work places that have DEI classes and they need to be able to handle themselves with panache and teflon.
The step off the cliff moment is not incorporating better representation of different races, etc. in the curriculum and library, but assuming that the person next to you is a supremacist or oppressed because of their race, country of origin, religion, etc. This classification is why there are books published by Duke and Stanford that show an "oppressed" connection linking LGBTQ and Palestinians and allow Ahmad Abu Marhia kidnapping and beheading to be ignored.
Great point. Critical thinking is neither.
Careful. The ideas you express are the current definition of "racism".
Maybe it is "old and tired dog that can't learn new trick definitions" syndrome?
The craziness is that "inclusiveness" is being taught with a T chart that draws lines between people rather than a Venn Diagram that shows connections.
Amazing how critical thinking now equals no criticism or inclusive means exclusion. And up is down, coming soon!
That kind of dualism is also at work in the simplistic understanding of Americans about this topic. Many college students being asked "Israel or Hamas" are actually answering "Israel or Palestine". So, not good at all to me that they side opposite Israel but it's ignorance rather than an evil nature that makes them do so.
They. Are. Brainwashed. We need to get this in our thick skulls. Trying to reason with these folks or talk facts is futile. They remind me exactly of the members of the Manson Family. They are a brainwashed cult, indoctrinated by our K-graduate schools education system, funded by our taxpayer dollars. We need to destroy this pathology now and we will live (and unfortunately die) with the consequences.
Some are, but it's sufficient for the majority to be young and clueless. They simply conflate things, lacking good info. Clearly the young woman in the article wasn't "brainwashed" into thinking river to the sea meant the Tigris to the Black Sea.
Perhaps an argument for fewer classes on intersectionality and more on geography and history.
And these are STANFORD students.
As someone who has collected three degrees from schools not quite as prestigious as Stanford, but not too far behind, I have a few stray observations on this point:
First, I have no doubt that my wife's microbio/chemistry degree from a Cal State was a lot more challenging than my history degree from a top UC. I think it highly probable that her degree was also a lot more rigorous than any "fuzzy" degree from Stanford. Valences can't be graded on an ideological curve.
Second, when I was an undergrad in the early 2000s, there were already a few stray intersectionalist classes in the course catalog. By the time I got to law school a few years later, these classes had metastasized, and formed a dominant part of the curriculum. (As a harbinger that I wasn't prescient enough to recognize, my 1L crim law class skipped the unit on property crime so we could cover issues related to transgenderism and critical race theory.)
Third, Rob Henderson has written convincingly about how many of these ideologies are luxury beliefs. And given that Stanford and its ilk are largely populated by people who have only vicariously experienced actual violence or deprivation (luxury schools?), and given that these students are particularly unlikely to be injured by the practical consequences of their vacuous beliefs (they are, after all, right-thinking STANFORD students; someone will hire them), and given that adhering to "social justice" precepts is the social currency of the day, is it any wonder that these ideas have taken root?
I share the beliefs professed by many on these threads that we need to create alternate universities that adhere to traditional principles of intellectual inquiry. It's not going to happen at Stanford or Harvard. The 70s radicals who received grace (and jobs) from the academy were clever enough to play the long game and worm their ways into administrative positions and hiring committees, and they have winnowed away any semblance of ideological diversity. Better to move on and do it better somewhere else.
Yeah, that USED to mean something.
It is also possible to support Israel and also be sympathetic to the non-combatant Palestinians. Hamas is using many of them as human shields. Also, separating people into racial or gender groups doesn't take into account that there is a wide variability of opinions within each group.
And yet Palestinians keep supporting Hamas. Do those students not know that? Doubtful, from the recent demonstrations.
Perhaps. But this is war, and Gaza has become a war zone, thanks to Hamas. Everyone there, including civilians, is at risk. Israel never targets civilians, but civilians caught in the war zone are in real danger. That’s the horror of war—a war that will end only once Hamas is destroyed.
This is way too reasonable ; P
do you really think that?
Yes. Why would I have posted it if I didn't really think that?
Mari, be careful, be very careful. Keep going the way you are and you may become a thinker, someone who's capable of serious, independent, quality reasoning. We can't have that now, can we? We don't want the idiots to feel bad about themselves!
When ignorance leads to evil choice, doesn't that imply and inherently evil nature or a nature incapable of distinguishing between good and evil?
Intellectually, I can parse the choices made by Hamas and the terrorist cadre that has ruled Gaza by graft and fear.
But there is no way, either intellectually or morally, can I side with their choice and the disregard for the very rights of others that they are claiming for themselves.
They are evil in intent and deed, and there is no other humanistic way to assess them.
Not at all. Ignorance is simply not knowing something. It is not evil to help your neighbor with taking a big load of trash to the dump when you were ignorant of the fact that the bags contained a dismembered human body.
But by this point it’s not ignorance, but conscious avoidance. If the bag is reeking of human flesh, covered in blood and a hand is hanging out, you’re complicit in the evil
I do have to agree that knowledge obviates ignorance.
There will be even more of that once California's ethnic studies graduation requirement starts.
Inciting hatred is the point. The entire DEI ideology is simply a vehicle for incitement. Don't kid yourself.
I'll take "Things That Never Happened," for $1000
That’s so sad, but also infuriating. All I can say is these vile little antisemites better not ask the rest of us to pay off that student loan for a degree I wouldn’t line my cat’s litter box with.
Unfortunately, we are not being "asked." Our demented government is doing it on its own.
That’s a good point. Taxpayers are being forced to support institutions that are promoting terrible and destructive ideologies.
Exactly, and this administration wants to reward them with our taxpayer dollars!
I am Jewish and well armed. Come get some. Every Jew in this country needs learn how to shoot safely and have weapons at the ready. Never again.
And that, my friend, is the correct answer. Do you know why Hamas is in charge in Gaza? Because they are the ones with the guns.
My suggestion is to airdrop hundreds of thousands of cheap pistols into Gaza and seal it off. When they finish taking out their own damn trash we'll come in and help them rebuild. They need to excise their own cancer first.
Not a bad idea. Also offset the direct funding from rich govts like Qatar and Iran and youd have something for sure.
Fortunately, or not, I grew up when the draft led most of males to military service. As a result, I am proficient on three different weapon systems and hope I never have to pull a trigger again. I will, if necessary to protect my family.
Not Jewish but also armed and by your side.
We need 100,000 more like you.
Stevearino1020: Why do you identify as Jewish versus say "American" or "New Yorker" or human being? I'm really curious.
As for me, I don't identify as anything other than a human being trying to be a good man.
You should read “Social Justice Fallacies” by Thomas Sowell. It just came out. Fun fact the Eugenics movement of the 1910’s and 20’s was pushed by left wing progressives from elite universities. They used the term Social Justice back then too. They also had the same air of moral superiority and the believe that history is on their side.
It’s the exact same the thing just an adjustment in ideology.
Read the book!!!
Whenever anyone implies that history has a "side," it is a clear signal that they know nothing about history, and maybe about anything else.
This evil comes from the pit of hell and smells of smoke. I am older (65), and am stunned by the breadth and vehemence of anti-Jew sentiment. As a military “brat” I learned a lot from growing up in a variety of locales and cultures. I am a Christian, who understands that G-d chose the Jewish people to shine a light and lead all others to Him; I cannot claim to be a Christian without honoring His chosen people.
I appreciate your explanation of how “identity politics” have led our youth to this generation’s Kristellnacht. I hope it is not too late to course-correct.
I will continue to pray for, and do what I can, to support Israel and all Jews.
is there a reason you cannot spell God? G-D in my world means something entirely different
Jews are taught that they are not supposed not to spell out the full name of the Almighty in Hebrew or, by extension, English. That’s why many people say HaShem (literally, “the name”) instead of G-D.
That concept was fully embraced by American Christians for two centuries until democrats destroyed public display of religion in any form. It is still fairly common in other countries although certainly “old-fashioned.”
Your police work is off, as the poster claims faith in Jesus.
That's not the point. If the poster was being respectful to the Jewish way of writing it, that's nothing to complain about.
big if
Not really. Pretty obvious.
It’s a nod to the Jewish tradition of respecting the name of the Almighty. And the commandment about not taking the Lord’s name in vain. I do it too on this site because Bari is Jewish.
Thanks for getting it. Boy, am I glad I don’t think to check replies to my comments!
I used “G-d” out of respect for Jewish custom and practice, but more specifically in this instance because I was referring to the Lord in relation to the Jews. In my other writings, I just spell the word out.
Welcome to the most racist generation -- at least in my 65 years.
Really, I doubt there is a time in the past 100 years where 1/2 of all college students would have supported the kkk and its objectives. hamas is more virulent and bigoted than the kkk. In one day, hamas murdered more Jews than the kkk murdered in any decade.
So yeah, this is a substantially failed generation. A generation which, ironically, considers itself the most moral.
Sadly true. This generation has been hoodwinked into believing that we should define ourselves and others primarily by immutable characteristics. A far cry from judgment based on the contents of our characters. I can't help but think that we've failed them.
Cancel the check to Stanford, denounce them, leave, and finish at a state school. You'll save money and likely get a better education. Anyone smart enough like yourself to get into Stanford will be successful with or without the brand name diploma.
States schools in many instances, are no better than the Stanford's, Yales, or Oberlin's.
Exactly. We need to create an entirely new education system in this country. University of Austin and Ralston are great starts, but we need many, many more. Also, please send your children to parochial schools (it has nothing to do with religion).
Has to start way before university. The entire system is corrupted from the early childhood years.
Yes. My son is a freshman at a very small Lutheran college in a red state. Guess what ? None of this institutional capture sick woke-mind-virus garbage insanity is going on at his school. He’s probably, sadly, in the minority of Jewish kids on college campuses who actually feel comfortable on their campus right now.
Students at state schools generally come from less entitled backgrounds, so garbage "studies" majors aren't pursued in favor of more practical areas of study. But I see your point.
My son is at a state school in the Midwest is just as bad. My son says he is ashamed by his generation and their ignorance.
Thank you Julia. Thoese pro-Hamas (pro-rape, pro-beheading) people at Stanford are vile and evil.
But I'm afraid I have some harsh words for you: If you're at Stanford, paying them money, you're part of the problem.
Drop out NOW and finish your degree at San Jose State University. Or even De Anza College -- the nearby community college. Why are you going to Stanford anyway? So you can tell people the rest of your life you went to Stanford? A morally bankrupt institution. I will never hire anyone out of Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, or any other "elite" school. What has Stanford brought us lately? Theranos?
It's a real tragedy that once great institutions, who were all founded by WHITE MEN and still carry their names, are overrun with people who hate white men and everything that the West has achieved as a result of them, while enjoying a life made possible by them. All I can say is at least my alma mater, which is the best of them all, is still safe. Go MIT!
I am glad my daughter turned down Columbia to go to MIT. I was pleased with the MIT president's statement condemning the Hamas terrorist attacks. But even at MIT there have been pro-Hamas intifada demonstrations. Antisemitism, unfortunately, is everywhere.
That was a wise move . I went to MIT in the 70's . It sadly has gone pretty woke and is pushing some fake climate science but its still much better than the Ivy League. MIT has always had an open attitude towards Jews while IVY league schools in most of the 20th century had quotas. Richard Feynman went to MIT at a time when spots for physicists were limited to Jews at Princeton and other places.
Its funny that the favorite movie shown at Kresge Auditorium back then was Dirty Harry. My have things changed. MIT just hired a sociologist as president . IMO it was a very poor choice.
Go to Hillsdale.
DeAnza? Where they fired DEI co-ordinator Tabia Lee for including anti-Semitism in her work?
"One alleged instance resulted in Lee being called "a dirty Zionist" for having certain speakers on campus, which reverberated up to the college's Board of Trustees.
"I was elevating the wrong people," others allegedly said, according to Lee. "They called and referred to Jewish people as white oppressors. I had brought speakers into the campus to do antisemitism education and Jewish inclusion education, based on community members coming directly to us and saying they had concerns about our Jewish students at our school."
https://www.newsweek.com/dei-college-director-fired-not-being-right-kind-black-person-1813481
Her linked essay is also interesting:
https://archive.ph/ZVjEt
Yes. They had a rotten apple and fired her.
Do you honestly think this is better at state schools or junior colleges in California?
And SBF.
Not quite! Just his parents.---who teach _ethics_ at Stanford! And their hands aren't clean either -- money was funneled through them. We may see indictments. The whole school is rotten.
SBF was a Stanford grad too wasn't he? Or do I have that confused? To clarify, I was agreeing with the sarcastic comment about what Stanford grads contribute. Though I'm sure there are some incredible achievers coming out of that school, the rot of woke politics appears to be setting in there or the long term.
He went to MIT but grew up on the Stanford campus.
Gotcha. Thank you.
Reason #537 to homeschool.
And never let your kids have a smart phone. The TikTok stat is horrifying, for fucking up everyone's brains, but also for national security (b/c it's - all the screens and socials, really - fucking up our brains, in addition to the hacking potential).
The idea that Tik tok is a "national security threat" is beyond ridiculous. It's no more a "threat" than Facebook, Google, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Angry Birds, or Solitaire. The whole national security threat concept was cooked up by Americans angry that China has a popular social media site competing with the others, which are all American. It's a complete lie.
That's quite a naive sentiment. China should never be underestimated.
Very naive. Our government, tech and media companies have done some reprehensible things censoring and tweaking social media content, but at least we can investigate and work to change that. Not so with the CCP. No whistleblowers, no FOIA, no accoutability, no recourse…
Why do Chinese versions of TikTok focus on engineering and math and success, and western versions focus on racism and entertainment?
Training
Wanna by some really neat bridge company stock?
Ummm…
What we are seeing is the ugly side of liberalism, bastardizations of the beliefs of individualism and collective will.
It is nothing more than the braying mob, missing only the guillotines.
I recently saw an interview with two college students spouting CSJ theory (incl. intersectionality). One of them was wearing large dangling earrings in the shape of guillotines. They've already awoken the tactics of the Jacobins. Give them power and the real guillotines will soon follow.
Thank you Julia for this very important message that needs to be read widely. It’s a tragedy what has taken hold of our educational system and through social media. We need action against this and your essay is a valuable contribution.
Fight Back, Julia. Don't take this shit sitting down. This essay is a powerful start!
Julia, nice work here on an awful subject. It is terrifying that "smart" people are so stupid and that so many of our youth--and adults-- are so lazy and easily led. I have been putting together a primer of links for my own teens/early 20 year olds because I cannot bear to try to discuss when they really DONT KNOW WHEREOF THEY SPEAK. I make sure to select sources they can't say are crazy people conservative sites so my evidence isn't undermined before it is even evaluated (which is pretty sad because their estimation and mine of said sites do differ). Of course now I have overloaded my primer so I have to select the most important and get them out so we can have an actual discussion because I cannot bear for my children to parrot racist genocidal idiocy. The links comprise a range of specific subjects such as the creation of the modern Israeli state and Hamas' role in Gaza and the history behind it coming into existence (PLO etc etc) as well as accounts and video evidence from the horrific terrorist attack on 10/7. Because these kids are fed a lot of stuff and doubt the truth -- and these are MY kids whom we raised to question and be open minded and who went to a charter where the education is based on the Great Books and the emphasis is on America (as represented by our diverse sending districts) as melting pot, and so on. UGHHHH.
None of my business but I have been reading some accounts by other students here and there and I wonder, will you continue on there? I mean it is a huge deal to have gotten into Stanford and kudos to you all the way. But will there come a point where you will feel unsafe to the point that it isn't worth returning and/or the return? Or would you view leaving as giving the ideologically warped a win? I think this is going to become an issue sooner than later for many . The fact that you have vehement protestors who have no idea what they are actually saying or sticking on their computers tells me that these sheep can be led and are being led and no end of trouble as you know can come from this. I am very very scared for our world.
Anyway Julia very nicely done please keep up the good work and incidentally, how did that in-person meeting with Nellie go for your "performance project"? w(°ｏ°)w Looking forward to proof of life in the form of her TGIF tomorrow (kidding, I'm kidding, if we can't laugh here together although in the midst of nothing funny at all where can we-- I hope you agree...) Stick to your convictions and stay true to your faith and know that you are not alone even though it may certainly feel like that on campus. Be safe and God bless.
The modern liberal is morally bereft. He rejects the Biblical notions of evil and focuses on Hitler. Hitler was indeed evil in the extreme, but no one man can embody the manifold expressions of evil in the world. The devil is a seducer and a deceiver. He appeals to your best nature and perverts and debases it. Many of the vectors of this evil are identity-oriented leftist groups that Hitler would have hated merely for their ethnicity, so the modern liberal is blind to the evil within them.
So very superficial are the liberal's moral sentiments. It's all about feelings and slogans and social approval. So quick to condemn the use of the wrong pronoun, but so clueless in the face of actual genocide. So quick to ridicule those Americans that he deems unsophisticated. They try to deny and excuse this in public, but those of us who knew them when we were young and unguarded know what they really think.
Ms. Steinberg, young people like you give older people hope.
Don't let the bastards get you down.
The author got right to the point in this essay.
“In high school, my homeroom had an exercise where we made a T-chart dividing various ethnicities, religions, and other identities into the categories of “oppressor” and “oppressed.”
God help us all. We are being slowly destroyed from within. And anyone who falls into these so-called oppressed groups should consider how they would be treated in any Arab nation not named Israel.