Though a well-trammeled topic since the Giffords shooting, the double standard that the Left maintains when crying out for “civil discourse” has nevertheless been wonderfully articulated by Peter Wood in The Chronicle of Higher Education.
[W]hat has pushed Piven much higher in the realm of name recognition is that she has been singled out by the radio and television personality Glenn Beck, who in the last two years has named her as someone who wants “to intentionally collapse our economic system.” Beck’s repeated criticisms of Piven have in turn stirred up a polarized reaction. Some share Beck’s outrage; others are outraged at Beck for his subjecting her to this kind of attention.
This controversy might in principle have remained in the popular press, but it has in fact rather quickly become a topic of academic debate too. The Chronicle reported this week that Cary Nelson, president of the AAUP, issued a statement saying that Piven is the victim of “what nearly amounts to an American Fatwa,” from Beck’s “virulent attacks.” Nelson says, “Amid these relentless tirades, Professor Piven has herself begun to receive threats of violence.” And he concludes by calling for—what else?—civility: “We join others in strongly urging those who are critical of Professor Piven’s writings to advance their positions in ways that foster responsible criticism and debate.”
“Responsible criticism and debate.” These are the cynosures of academic discourse. Who would be opposed?
Actually, it would seem, quite a few, perhaps beginning with Cary Nelson himself, who, by invoking the idea of “an American Fatwa,” indulged in the kind of rhetoric that can hardly be called responsible or conducive to debate. If you imply that someone is seeking to kill his opponents, you have pretty much ruled out the grounds for a respectful airing of differences of opinion.
This is the well-trammeled part of the topic, where we duly note that “Civility now, you ignernt teabagging racist!” which should never be more than a sitcom cliché, is actually the irony-free subtext of these pleadings.
But what about Beck? Are his comments about Piven fairly characterized as having crossed some line into dangerous irresponsibility? I don’t see it. … I doubt that he has factually misrepresented Piven’s statements. He has, however, offered a strong interpretation of what those mean, and his conclusion is that she is a deep source of intellectual mischief in American life.
Emphasis mine, because I love that line: “a deep source of intellectual mischief.” It’s a perfect distillation of Beck’s point, sans his drama-queenage.
Higher education has no special immunity from the angri-culture. On the contrary, it is a privileged haunt for those who delight in scorn, derision, and wrathful dislike of mainstream American culture. We cite academic freedom as guaranteeing our right to be vitriolic.
I don’t know of any simple remedy for that, but I do think it comes across to most Americans as hypocrisy. To claim academic freedom as a protection of one’s own diatribes while crying “no fair” when someone aims a diatribe back at you requires a clownish degree of self-regard. Unfortunately, what most Americans will take from this affair is that higher education has an abundance of that particular quality.
Yes and yes. And Insty, from whom I got the link to this article, points out that the article begins by detailing the deadly consequences of the Greek riots and Piven’s support for such violent unrest.
My favorite part, however, is in the comments. Go ahead and guess what is in the first comment. No, really: guess.
Wood?s sleight of hand here is ignoring that one obvious result of Beck?s rants was Piven receiving death threats. This is what alarmed her defenders, especially in the wake of the recent Tucson shootings.
We don?t seem to find death threats coming from the left aimed at conservative public figures criticized by say, Rachel Maddow. We do seem to find death threats frequently aimed at liberal and left figures highlighted by Beck and other right wing talk personalities.
Why the difference? Peter Wood seems unable to address this, and just looks the other way. Some might call it a double standard.
The reason I love this comment is that Glenn has to spend about $1 million annually just on security for himself, his family, and his staff. At any given moment, there are 15 active threats against his life: fifteen threats that law enforcement take seriously enough to investigate. The FBI makes him wear a flak jacket at book signings and live stage shows. The commenter is correct that the threats are not occasioned by what Maddow or Olbermann or Matthews says about him, because they’re spontaneous reactions to what Beck himself says. The Left doesn’t need “incitement” to be dangerous.
And let’s not forget the security detail that Ann Coulter and David Horowitz have to use when visiting university campuses, yet Piven can walk freely anywhere in academe, sans bodyguards and sans bullet-proofing.
The rest of the comments that defend Piven are equally predictable; go read them yourself if you’ve a mind.
People on the left really resent being questioned too closely about it.
Piven could walk freely at any Tea Party event or at CPAC and no one would harm her. Then again, no one would pay much attention to her either.
The hypocrisy is staggering to mind-numbing.
hey anyone know where Cary Nelson lives?
So I wonder at what point on the spectrum of angri-culture, in that commenter’s universe, the Booooooooooosh! assasination movies and books reside?
Never happened I guess. Kind of like the Holocaust…
Bob, the anger towards Bush was wholly justified, because Bush Lied People Died and Cheney is a war criminal. Whereas playing a videotape of an octogenarian calling for Greek-style riots in America’s streets is beyond the pale.
I’m glad you cleared that up for me Dicentra.
I always had a problem confusing the absolute moral authority, and metaphysical certitude, of progressive slogans and opinions with, say, lesser truths; like actually hearing and seeing someone speak words with my own eyes and ears.
I have to remember to stop listening to actual content, and judge right and wrong soley based on who’s providing me with that content.
For instance: Rachel Maddow-everythings always goodness and light. Glenn Beck-uselss hate-mongering and violence inciting wingnuttery.
There ya go, Bob. See how it hurts less to think?
From the Michael Totten interview with Paul Berman about Berman’s new book we see another overlap between the radical left and the radical Islamists.
That is a damn fine article.
Name me one single left-wing figure that can’tgo anywhere they want, at any time. That includes Michael Moore, in Alabama, on July 4th.
In seperate news, looks like Ohio State just got knocked off by Wisconsin.
I won’t read the comments again – I want to keep my mind.
Just on a side note, Jonah Goldberg’s older brother Joshua was killed in an accident this week. What a terrible thing to have to go through.
Also, no surprises, the Paulbots freeped the CPAC straw poll.
Reposted from JOM (CaptHate):
Wow, on Tammy Bruce’s website she’s announced that she’s resigned from the board of GOProud. I’m sure this is in reaction to the performance at CPAC and that she’ll talk about it on Monday. I’ve heard her have the guy that heads the organization on her show and his words there were quite different than his words over the last few days; at the time I thought she was being used and if she ever felt that way, Hell hath no fury…
Interesting.
There’s some delightful stuff in those comments. I really liked this:
Objectivity. Intellectual honesty. Why are they so bloody rare these days?
Yeah, it’s weird to see an article published by an academic in CHE (whoa, is that a co-inky-dink or what?) who has actually watched Glenn Beck and researched What He Actually Said instead of relying on Media Matters and the faculty lounge grapevine.
I hope Glenn sends him a cookie. Or at least some hoodie-footie pajamas.
OK. I just went over to the PajamaGram site and found a pet peeve of mine: almost all of women’s sleepwear is done in cool colors. Almost. All.
I don’t do pink or baby blue or gray, people. What does a girl have to do to get peach, hunter green, sage, gold, or teal?
I mean, look at this: 10 color options and only one or two that I could stand to wear.
And this: 11 options, and all of them winter/summer tones.
I’m a solid autumn in a winter world.
Too cool for school, di. ;)
Well, yes. It’s hard being too hip for any room.
Color talk is very complicated. Cool? Tones? Seasons? This part of my brain might not exist.
It’s a conspiracy. You need a woman to tell you what best matches so other women don’t snicker. Very clever.
I have an issue with $70 pajamas in a hat box and a “privacy” tag that tells the kids mama’s getting busy.
I get my pj’s from the Disney store or Walmart. I sleep with Tigger every night. When I’m not two timing him with Pooh or Mickey. Or Capn Jack Sparrow.
Plus, I tend to wear em when I’m painting and remodeling (they’re comfortable!) so I ruin alot of them.
You know those shirts that come with the tie as a matched set? I’ve bought them before just so I didn’t have to think about it.
Yes, but the cheaper PJ stores don’t have the $$$ to buy ad time from Glenn Beck.
bh: It is known far and wide that women distinguish between colors more finely than men. Whether that’s because women care more or because our brains are different I don’t know.
Dude from xkcd covered the issue last May.
bh: Who do you think matched the set?
Women subtly helping men since forever.
Although it’s funny that the xkcd dude talks about the RBG values of the colors and then shows the hex values. I know, they’re the same technically but try inputting a hex value in a Word color specifier.
Wow Sephanie…
Johnny Depp’s fair game. But layin’ up with all of those Disney characters? Sumpin’ wrong with that Girl!
Women or gay men.
Gay men can do the color-matching thing better than we can, sometimes, and usually have the lexicon to prove it.
Well, the fabulous ones do anyway.
Another reason why Home Depot carries 200 shades of beige.
If women didn’t shop there, they would carry one.
I mostly check how wrinkled stuff is and whether I can still get away with it. That might be just me.
The Fabulous ones yes. I’m going to the fabric store with a not so Fabulous one (but fab none the less) this week to shop for fabrics to redecorate his bedroom – at his request. His comment: ” I play fantasy football, not fantasy dollhouse.”
Right. I mostly wanna know how well it will cover what used to be that hole in the wall.
Who knew it was loaded?
my life is so simple all the rentals are painted white/eggshell.
Pablo, I bet you know enough not to wear plaid pants with a striped shirt, even if there’s blue in both of them.
We had Laotian refugees in our high school who were wearing donated clothing that inevitably clashed like that. They’d stand around in the entrance of their ESL classroom, smiling, but unable to communicate. I wasn’t a good enough person to try to befriend them.
I mean, look at them: no fashion sense at all!
I know enough not to own either.
I like those little booklets they have in the paint department. You don’t even need to pick out the colors. Just find a picture of a room that looks okay and say, “I’ll take these… yeah… just like the picture”.
Then I go wander around the tool area and convince myself that I need different attachments for the air compressor. And an air compressor.
OK, maybe some faintly striped dress shirts, but that’s it. Remember the rugby shirts thang? I still have nightmares.
Don’t forget a surge protector. You don’t want to be reckless, right?
That’s right, Pablo. And maybe replace that garage outlet with a GFCI, too. Just in case.
A thread on color choices, women’s pjs and Home Depot. There are more devilish traps to fall into here than in the Mitch Daniels thread. Time for some TV watching.
“And maybe replace that garage outlet with a GFCI, too.”
code compliant too in some areas
When it comes to new clothes, I want one of those Star Trek replicators. So when I need to replace something that’s worn out, I can just hold up the worn-out item and tell the computer, “This, only new.”
Anyone remember the scene in “Murphy’s Romance” where James Garner is buying shirts? I wrote that scene, and I still don’t understand why anyone thought it was funny.
Coulter is abashedly unafraid.
Wow. “Coulter gets results.” Heh.
I fell off a treadmill today.
For real?
I have 4 of the exact same white dress shirt, and 4 of the exact same French blue dress shirt. And I have the same suit in grey, navy, and black, and pinstripes in black and navy. It makes it easier to just say one of every color of this, the salesfolks are much easier to deal with that way.
That’s smart, JD. I pretty much do the same. Also makes it easier to mix and match ties and shoes.
I get a kick out of my wife. She’ll ask me what I’d like as a gift and I say “Tools.”
She asks me to be more specific because “she doesn’t want to get me something I already have.”
My wife doesn’t quite understand why having more than one of the same tool isn’t really an issue. As I explained “The good tool is mine, never to be loaned out. The beat up one, though, can be borrowed by the neighbor without my worrying about the tool coming back in less than pristine condition.”
I can’t really complain though. My wife has no problem buying me firearms as a gift. And I have even less of a problem heading to the local gun shop to help my wife pick out the right one.
Yes, I’m bragging.
My wife way that way too. I never worried I’d get her the wrong tool. Easy-peasy.
“I fell off a treadmill today.”
i read the news today oh boy
that first way one is a was
I forgot Valentines Day was Monday. And I am going to be on the road. I am going to hve to pull something off tomorrow.
I’m weird. I prefer things that plug in and don’t vibrate.
The tools in the garage? My mitre saw, my table saw, my air compressor, my drill, …
You kinda do that when the honey do list is sitting there stalled. Then you find out you like to do that kind of stuff and the hubby’s happy cause you aren’t nitpicking over any imperfections. Win Win!
I’ve been known to find a shirt that I like and order various colors thereof.
I’ve got about eight of these, in the patterns Global Abstract, Coffee Oasis, Sapphire Tribal, Tribal Green, Ombre Tropical, plus three more patterns no longer sold.
Lightweight, roomy, comfy, go great with leggings, jeans, or dress pants.
I’m double weird, cause I don’t do Valentines or Birthdays. I prefer more spur of the moment stuff. Plus a good power tool isn’t really on sale for Valentine’s Day. And roses? Don’t get me started.
Or course a shiny new 60 deg wedge…
The writing credits for Murphy’s Romance are Max Schott, Harriet Frank Jr., and Irving Ravetch. Them’s who’s listed, anyway. Who knows what really happened.
Or skirts.
Stephanie,
I never get a honey do list. Mainly because I’ve already taken care of it. I’ve rediscovered that I like taking care of minor household repairs.
Although, repairing and texturing the wall behind the shower probably was a bit more than “minor.” (shower leaked) Had a blast cutting new trim. the job even turned out well.
shiny?! The new matte black vokey and the CG15 are not shiny, but uber good.
All this money spent on golf could be spent upgrading your stereo equipment.
I’ve never thrown a speaker or receiver into a body of water. That’s gotta mean something.
Well shiny in the ohhh shiny new toy ohh shiny kinda way.
My Nike slingshots aren’t exactly shiny either.
Upgrade the stereo system? I’ve got an Iphone. /ducks
Bose 201s, 601s, 901s and the outdoor ones plus the Bose home theater system with an Onkyo receiver with a blu ray and a first generation Sony DVD player. What more would one need? I’m swimming in speakers. And no he won’t let me get rid of any of em. What is it with men and old toys.
They make nice plant stands, though.
Blake, it’s a blast when you figure out you can do it AND for just the cost of the supplies. Contractor wants HOW much to install tile, seriously?
I spent some coin on electronics this weekend. Mitsubishi projector, Nakamichi receiver, Klipsch speakers, Control 4 system … This was fun shopping. Very fun.
Oh, you guys could be wasting way more money on your audio equipment if you tried. I can send you helpful emails on it.
Klipsch is a speaker from Hope (visited the factory back in the day). Whichys JD?
Stephanie,
You could always convince the husband that old speakers are good for target practice and it’s cool when pieces go flying every which way.
Approach is everything…
I wanted B&O, but Better Half nuked that idea. BeoLink is cool, but Control4 more fun.
OH God, no. Then I couldn’t afford the spiffy little hammer drill I’ve got my eye on. Plus that sawsall reciprocating tool. I can’t decide which one, though. I’ve got a Dremel multi, but I think I like the Rockwell reciprocating thing better. Plus I want a router and router stand.
Damn, think I just used up the meager tax refund that I CAN’T FILE FOR YET. Grrr.
Sdferr – They are in-wall and in-ceiling. I heard audiovox may have bought them?
You could always convince the husband that old speakers are good for target practice and it’s cool when pieces go flying every which way.
You don’t want to know what happened when the idiot across the street installed an old style 7 foot satellite dish on his roof many moons ago… Good times. Same idiot that thought the woods next to my house was a good location to dump his old mattress.
Sometimes a pellet gun is the perfect weapon.
I heart guns.
dunno. Got a pair of Heresys that have given fine service though.
Stephanie,
This is the perfect weapon: http://www.gunshopfinder.com/springfield/PC9107L.asp (I’m trying to convince myself to buy this before I buy the Weatherby)
Colonel Colt may have been the first to create the great equalizer, but John Moses Browning revolutionized the equalizer industry.
Had a fixed Porter Cable router I would have mailed to you for free, Steph. My brother has it now and I assume it will kill him within the next couple years.
That’s gonna be awkward at the wake if the story doesn’t get a laugh.
I heart the bed right now. I got 4 hours of sleep staying up with the sick dog all night.
Niters.
Just shut up, Pablo. Not a frigging word, got it?
LOL, Pablo.
No biggie bh. I’ve got a lead on one from a guy who’s out of work – disabled. Fell off a ladder and broke his back and needs money.
Nice gun, Blake. I like my Taurus, though. Cheap and puts a nice big hole where I want it.
And my Remington 1100. And my SKS.
My husband isn’t a gun fan (go figure) and thinks I’m nuts. Daddy bought all the chillens an SKS when Clinton did the assault weapon ban thing. The Remington is from when I used to shoot trap and skeet.
Niters again. For reals this time.
Send me a $5,000 cashier’s check and I’ll send you an autographed copy of the script.
I hope you don’t mind if it’s composed in Microsoft Word and faxed from Kinko’s.
Heh. I’m very slow, McG. It’s a failure common to my family.
Hitting back.
McGehee, check’s in the mail, USPS will get it there sometime.
‘Salright, bh. You made my Saturday night.
But then I’m 49 and married, so…
#52
That reminds me, I have to borrow a trailer and pick up a new used lathe. I sold my South Bend in October and have been latheless since then.
Must clean garage.