Via Major John, a look at how the “diversity” movement in the academy—which I’ve described on numerous occasions as anathema to classical liberalism and the product of a worldview that is, at its core, radically egalitarian and superficial (reducing as it does the human experience down to arbitrary cosmetic / physiological traits) — is growing in stature and influence, adding further to the already Orwellian atmosphere of institutes of higher learning that boast “free speech zones” and require cultural / and or sensitivity training seminars for incoming students during orientation.
What’s worse, the academy (in particular, the social sciences) is responsible for conducting the research that proves the “need” for a diversity ethos that it has itself invented, and that it is philosophically committed to seeing perpetuated—a social philosophical principle that as a kernel foundational assumption embraces / empowers group identity (which, ironically, is often based on something as completely anti-foundational as a shared “heritage” or a shared “gender identity”).
This empowerment, once it is accepted culturally, is one of the initial steps in undermining individual rights as the foundational imperative of classical liberalism. Because what it does is transforms “diversity” as a social goal into “diversity” as a political movement, creating the kind of collective-based identity politics that rely upon the acceptance of a group-sanctioned narrative. And once a “group” is defined by an official narrative, apostates can be excommunicated, and their identities maligned as inauthentic—creating social pressure not to break from the herd.
Too, what the diversity movement portends is an inevitable move toward proportional representations—the kinds we already see in parts of old Europe and other “progressive” / socialist enclaves. Which is precisely why its efficacy as a social experiment should not be judged by its ideologically committed proponents.
The longer we allow this movement to flourish—and it is easy for it to do so, having coopted language that makes it seem not only benign but socially ameliorative and emotionally ideal (after all, who coud be against “diversity”?)—the more difficult it will be to extricate ourselves from its machinations once its kernel assertions insinuate themselves into our culture the way they have already insinuated themselves into the increasinly illiberal academy.
True diversity, of course, is to be celebrated: a breadth of ideas and worldviews create a vibrant marketplace for ideas and encourage the very kind of intellectual and cultural cross-pollenation that has made this country so successful. But for true diversity to work, it must always—always—be founded on individual diversity, and must eschew easy shortcuts that reduce it to superficialities that are indicative of a the most banal (and, from an historical perspective, venial) form of diversity.
somewhat related
Basically voices go unheard for the benefit of the cause, right?
I am slow like that…
Agreed – let’s have a couple of profs from some engineering disciplines. Maybe Civil Engineering and Nuclear Engineering, two fields with notably low social-bullshit tolerances.
The reactor (and the reaction) don’t give a shit if you’re politically correct. The bridge will fall if under built even if you were admirably diverse in your hiring policies.
Diversre or not, If you find oil you have a job in my office.
And if you take the Q and O link, and then follow their link, you will find yourself reading Mona. Again. Same song, I’ve lost count of the verses.
TW: If you have an hour to kill, go read Mona’s drivel. Otherwise don’t. What did that hour do to you, anyway??
But they are “academics” and hence have the market cornered for critical thought.
The rest of us are peasants. At best we are merely students, our life experience outside of academia is trivial. Teaching diversity and living diversity will never equate to them.
Fuck them. Fuck them with a broom stick.
I will go to my grave believing that there is no better education a man can have than the traditional, classical liberal arts: grammar, logic, rhetoric, literature, mathematics, science, art.
Sadly that curriculum disappeared some 25 years ago.
Today, we have whole language, emotion, grievance, pulp, new math, pseudoscience, smut.
And we see the results in college campi across the country.
God help America, because we certainly aren’t doing anything to help ourselves.
Do use a condom, though.
There sure are an awful lot of big words in that post…
It is quite amazing, isn’t it?
I graduated high school in 1966 (Thank you, God!), and just slipped under the line of the insanity in education that followed. I was not a great student, but I feel like Aristotle when I run into most people who have graduated since the mid-70’s (Not all, most). They have no critical thinking skills and seem to think that group-think makes them individual. I refuse to go to concerts anymore (even though I am musician) because I CAN’T STAND THE FUCKING LIGHTERS!!!! All thesae fuckers need a lot more mushrooms, is all I can say.
It just amazes me that such a large number of our compatriots can take who-knows-how-many thousands of years of human experience and history, and piss it out the window because they fucking just know better than anyone who has EVER lived!. How much hubris do these people actually have, to dismiss thousands and thousands of years of hunan advancement?
When I was growing up in the fifties and sixties, WWII was not so far in the past, and I could never understand how Hitler managed to turn a whole country full of people into Fascist Nazis.
(Fascism, by the way, is not what the IslamoNazis should be called, technically. They are seventeenth century apes who have taken human form, but not fascists)
I am now beginning to understand how Hitler did it, and it is scaring the shit out of me.
Let me rephrase. Scaring the SHIT out of me.
OOPS! Not Buckwheat, but Lost Dog. I used that to post a Buckwheat quote last night. Sorry.
I changed it back, but apparently my computer liked Buckwheat better. Oh well..
– Sooooo then….Would that mean river dancing midget hookers are an “identity group” with the right to demand bidets, and mint flavored dildo’s in all public restrooms.
My Dad quit school after 8th grade, and went on the rodeo circuit, around 1950. He ended up owning a lathing/plastering company with his brother. After about 20 years, his shoulder and knees were shot, so he decided to go back to school, at 35 years old, and got his teaching certificate. He’s now retired after being a junior high principal for 20 years.
I tell this to say that when he graduated in the early 70’s, he always maintained that he got an indoctrination, not an education.
He went to the university of Alberta, in Lethbridge Alberta, a beatiful new campus with fantastic architecture, overlooking the Old Man River, and the Provincial Indian Battle Park, which was the site of a locally famous battle between the Blackfeet and Cree indian tribes.
One of the illuminating stories he tells is enduring a lecture on the evils of the white mans corruption of the innocent and peaceful indians, who never knew war, strife, need or sorrow, before the plunder of paradise by whitey. This from a classroom with a picturesque view of Indian Battle Park
My point is, this has been florishing for generations, and has already insinuated itself into our culture. That is why we now see half our population so bat shit crazy that 51% of Democrats want to see our president fail http://ace.mu.nu/archives/192222.php
And those are just the ones that admitted it.
So yes, it is going to be difficult to extricate ourselves, and I fear at this point it will only be done with another civil war. Perhaps not the set piece army battles of the last one, but violent and bitter none the less.
That, or the road Europe has taken, an accelerating slide to socialism, and eventual dimmitude.
By the way, I never went beyond high school, and I don’t feel less intelligent for the pass.
lee –
Absolutely perfect. The world knew no need or strife until whitey arrived? As much as we venerate the North American indians, they were not the nicest guys, either. And they stank (stunk? stinked?). Oh. And they killed each other so that they could carve marks in their coo(sp?) sticks. Nice Utopian guys I would have to say.
Anyway, once again, thank God I graduated before the 70’s, when the three R’s were buried beneath the sludge of “progessive” education. I have always said that if you can read, write and do a minimum of math, you’re in good shape. We learn by living, Ward Churchill not withstanding.
TW: I often long for the 70’s, when the drinking age in CT was 18, because that meant that most of the girls were sixteen or under. And just so no one takes umbrage, I wasn’t much older than they were – but I am now…
But for true diversity to work, it must alwaysâ€â€alwaysâ€â€be founded on individual diversity
Really, is there any other kind? Granting that there is any element of diversity in what they are selling, even banal or venial, is granting them something they didn’t earn.
As crude as it is, simply assuming an Orwellian inversion and making the appropriate substitution still ends up being much more accurate than I wish it were.
* WAR IS PEACE
* FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
* IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
* CONFORMITY IS DIVERSITY
Fits right in, no?
tw: Start. As in, if you can’t beat ‘em, start your own school.
I prefer to use the term variety rather than diversity; it’s already a way not to frame the debate as the diversity cultists do.
I prefer to use the term variety rather than diversity; it’s already a way not to frame the debate as the diversity cultists do.
Then they’ll just co-opt that term out from under you too.
Some terms are just too far gone and have to be abandoned (like the term “liberalism” for many, but not for all), but eventually we’ll have to draw the line, take up epistemological arms and take the fight to them, by getting underneath the words and defending the concepts. You can’t expect to stand against an enemy when you cede control of the very terms of thought to him.
tw: <a href-“www.pixar.com”>Cars.</a>
Frankly, I don’t understand why the hell they don’t wallow in their individual uniqueness, but maybe it’s just me.
To Cowboy Barney, with fewer big words.
“From Major John, a look at how teaching “diversity†in schoolsâ€â€which I’ve described before as being the opposite of classical liberalism and which comes from beliefs that are Commie and dumb ( and based on looks / race traits), is growing in popularity and makes for an unreal atmosphere in schools that claim “free speech zones†and then require the reeducation of new students.
What’s worse, schools (in particular social science departments) do the research that proves the need for a “diversity” morality that those same departments invented and now must continueâ€â€a morality that gains acceptance and money for all those who can now claim a shared “heritage†or “gender identity”.
These schools and groups are doing great damage to our beloved Republic by openly embracing socialism and communism and attacking the free individual.
Different people mixing together has made the USA great. But for this mixing to work, it must alwaysâ€â€alwaysâ€â€be based on the individual, and must not take easy shortcuts to a goofy belief in this overly simple and historically dangerous form of diversity.”
This is my very first comment here and I hope my free style editing for Cowboy Barney is ok with you Jeff. Cheers.
I’m not a big sports fan in real life, but I love sports movies because they are pure. There is no political correctness in sports. You either get the ball across the line or you don’t. The better team wins. Doesn’t matter if you’re white or black or purple. Doesn’t matter who your daddy is or how much money you have or what your politics are. All that matters is are you any good.
Hmmm. Perhaps this is why the new East Coast Liberal president of my small southern alma mater wants to get rid of the sports program. It’s all about individual and team achievement and not about “diversity.”