Attack on academic freedom?

[Chewbacca]

So if a study is critical of current foreign policy, the school could lose funding? What if the foreign policy is flawwed? Are they scared of critical analysis and dissent? I hope this never becomes a law.

On another note, I love how this right-wing think-tank fellow Kurtz calls programs with veiws he disagrees with "extreme and one-sided" It does give me the opportunity to finally get to use this excellent photo I found on the web:


Link

On Oct. 21, the House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill that could require university international studies departments to show more support for American foreign policy or risk their federal funding. Its approval followed hearings this summer in which members of Congress listened to testimony about the pernicious influence of the late Edward Said in Middle Eastern studies departments, described as enclaves of debased anti-Americanism. Stanley Kurtz, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, a right-wing think tank, testified, "Title VI-funded programs in Middle Eastern Studies (and other area studies) tend to purvey extreme and one-sided criticisms of American foreign policy." Evidently, the House agreed and decided to intervene.

[WillowIX]

Come on Chewwie. You must teach those hippie students that disagreeing with the government is treason and will be dealt with swiftly. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

If someone teaches anti-American values to their students it ought to be the schools' responsibility to deal with that. But frankly university students should be able to form their own opinions regardless of what they hear in classes. If not, they'll be in for a heck of a surprise when they graduate.

[Timber Loftis]

I think teaching Anti-American values is VERY American, and I think most members of the Whig party would agree with me.

[antryg]

Originally posted by Timber Loftis: I think teaching Anti-American values is VERY American, and I think most members of the Whig party would agree with me.

That's strange. I don't even like wigs and I agree with you.

It's funny that nobody complained about my paper "Creeping Capitalism in the Soviet Union" that I wrote in 1972. Phil Gramm was still teaching there then and he didn't mind. Oh that's right, that paper agreed with American governmental worldview. I'll have to try harder next time. Of course Gramm left Texas A&M that year after stating that 18 year olds were just smart enough to follow orders and fight but not smart enough to vote.

Originally posted by antryg: quote: Originally posted by Timber Loftis: I think teaching Anti-American values is VERY American, and I think most members of the Whig party would agree with me.

That's strange. I don't even like wigs and I agree with you.

It's funny that nobody complained about my paper "Creeping Capitalism in the Soviet Union" that I wrote in 1972. Phil Gramm was still teaching there then and he didn't mind. Oh that's right, that paper agreed with American governmental worldview. I'll have to try harder next time. Of course Gramm left Texas A&M that year after stating that 18 year olds were just smart enough to follow orders and fight but not smart enough to vote. [/QUOTE][img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img] Phil Graham can kiss my grits. I used to live in the Lone Star state too and he's no Yoda wiseman eventhough he looks like a giant Yoda OR better yet, Mr Potato Head. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[antryg]

Yeah, Phil made his thought provoking remarks for the Houston Chronicle and the next day, there was a demonstration in front of his office by students, many of them in the Corp of Cadets, asking for a clarification of his remarks. Have you ever seen a demonstration of mostly conservative and right wing students against a conservative right wing political thinker. Strangely enough he never returned to the classroom and left his tenured position at A&M to pursue other interests. I would conjecture it was to get away from 18-20 year old students who wanted to show their original thinking and "smarts" to his person.

Just think; if he hadn't been such a complete ass and kept his mouth shut in this instance, the US wouldn't have been subjected to his economic wizardry. A&M's gain was America's loss.

Originally posted by Timber Loftis: I think teaching Anti-American values is VERY American, and I think most members of the Whig party would agree with me.

wasnt there a quote from the founding fathers to the effect that it is one's duty to question their government?

as other posts have pointed out, what is anti-american changes over time (reference our relationship with Iraq), which makes enforcement at the very least silly and at the most likely hypocritical.

anyway, if organisations like the KKK are protected by free speech, surely the schools are protected as well?

[khazadman]

From what I can see there is very little original thought coming out of the universities. Just a bunch of screaming hippy socialists allowing only their view points are the only ones being taught.

[Azred]

Regardless of the cirriculum specifics or the political leanings of professors, as soon as the Government begins granting support only to schools who "toe the line" then a very dangerous line has been crossed. "Teach what we want you to teach or we'll find a way to hinder you?" [img]graemlins/idontagreeatall.gif[/img] This is called ideological house-cleaning, and has nothing to do with America whatsoever.

I was fortunate enough to have at least one professor who thought like this in his Current Events course. He was quite liberal in his philosophy, but as long as you researched your position and presented logical arguments he didn't care where you stood; he wanted only that you backed your position soundly and avoided logical fallacies, even if you disagreed with him.

[Chewbacca]

Originally posted by sultan: wasnt there a quote from the founding fathers to the effect that it is one's duty to question their government?

Source

"Dissent is the highest form of patriotism."
- President Thomas Jefferson

"It is the duty of the patriot to protect his country from the government.
- Thomas Paine

"If ever time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin."
- Samuel Adams

"Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the President."
- President Theodore Roosevelt