Flat-Earth Education: Part 2

The growing power of Neo-Conservatism on campuses is beginning to have serious effects on the quality of education. For Neo-Cons, the goal is not, as they make out, an equal opportunity to express their views without fearing retaliation. How many Republicans have been failed, removed or censured? We can assume none, because we know they would immediately be in court over it. Their true aim is to dominate classroom discussion to the exclusion of anything even remotely resembling liberalism. This should not sound odd. After all, domination is the basis of Neo-Conservatism. The problem is that they are achieving their goal.

A recent article in The Nation, relates the story of Juan Cole, a prominent Middle East scholar/historian and his inability to claim a professorship at prestigious Yale. Cole is a liberal scholar who holds an objective view of the region and that objectivity has led him to have a critical view of Israeli politics. Unfortunately for Cole and freedom of discourse, his seat was blocked by Neo-Cons who sit on the school board and who saw an opportunity to use the bigotry card to discredit Cole. They actively opposed Cole's liberalism and began a smear campaign against him be calling prominent Jewish donors and spreading the alarm that Cole is an anti-Semite. Many donors, in turn, pressured the school to deny his appointment. Many other professors have faced and do face intimidation from Neo-Cons and other pseudo-patriots who wish to see freedom of discourse meet a cold, calculated end.

David Koepsell, executive director of the Council for Secular Humanism (not a favorite with either the Bible-screwing NASCAR crowd or, for that fact, most mainstream Americans) and professor at the University of Buffalo, makes the case that the explosion of religiosity on campuses has led to professors becoming overly sensitive when dealing with religion-related matters. That being the case, he argues that free academic discourse is suffering.

Academia is being assaulted through religion, business and in its own hallowed halls by the pseudo-intellectual Right. Pepsi and Coke battle to control whole campuses. Religious fanatics demand Creationism, aka Intelligent Design, be taught in science classrooms. Teenagers are subjected to incessant advertising on and in their schools, in their textbooks, and on the mandatory, Bush-connected Channel One. John Yoo teaches at Berkeley. The Right-wing is in full-swing attack mode with organizations seeking to infiltrate and inculcate Right-wing fundamentalism into college life and basic education. Groups such as Accuracy in Academia, Collegiate Network, The Eagle Forum and its Eagle Forum Collegians, Intercollegiate Studies Initiative, Students for Academic Freedom, The Bradley Foundation and The Young America's Foundation are working feverishly to destroy academic freedom.