freecounterpoint: Barone on Buffaloes

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Barone on Buffaloes

13 comments:

My Frontier Thesis said...: It is tragic that American universities have silenced dialog, but it certainly was a no-no to spout the Marxist mantra back in the McCarthy days; and today it's a no-no to talk as though Adam Smith (and the Enlightenment in general) had some rather good and even great points.

So it goes, so it goes...; 10/08/2007 1:52 AM
Arelcao Akleos said...: Actually, MFT, I disgree with "it certainly was a no-no to spout the Marxist mantra back in the McCarthy days". More particularly, I disagree if it is suggested that there is some sort of equivalency or symmetry between the situation in the middle of the 20th Century and today
For McCarthy, his influence was highly limited--even in DC where he held most sway. Think of how easy, in fact, it was to stop him [particularly when we see how hard it would be stop the demagogues of today]. This even though we were at just short of being in a hot war against the centers of Marxist power he warned against.
At that time, 50-55, Korea was still ongoing; newly initiated was the expansion of Soviet backed revolutonary movements throughout Africa, Asia, South America; and half of Europe was being drawn firmly into the grip of Marxism red in tooth and claw. Even so, there were many large pockets in american academia where Marxism was openly espoused, or dominated the intellectual discussion.
There were pockets, mostly in still existing "conservative" universities [how many exist today??? 5%??], some private, some religious, some state universities in the heartland, where open support of Marxism was a no-no--usually because of outside political pressure [think of Montana intitutions in the late 50s], but in truth even in those days the heart of American university life, particularly in the more "important" institutions, was strongly to the left [and by left, I mean Marxism]. It is just that then there were also obvious strongholds for "reactionary" thought, and today these have all but vanished. In 1960 you might have had a 35-65 split [an estimate based on what I recall reading on voting patterns of professors] "right" vs "left", today it is roughly 5-95.
But this is just me blathering. I recommend strongly you read some of the autobiographical works of Sidney Hook. A card carrying communist party member when young, who eventually broke away to support "a rational democratic socialism". In terms of this discussion, his many comments on university life, in places such as NYU, Columbia, and Harvard [the bulk of his career was spent at NYU], form a rich personal chronicle of the triumph of a "Marxist" establishment in american academics from the late 1920s to the late 1970s. It is interesting to compare his description of the efforts of the "old guard" to stymy this rising tide [mostly individual, scattered efforts. A particular personality in a particular
institution offended by the "atheism" of Marx, for example] to the sytematic, nationally minded efforts of the "Progressives". In particular, compare the behavior of the chairman of the Philosophy dept. at NYU when Sidney was young, who quietly sought to deny him tenure for his Marxist views, to the behavior of Sidney's academic colleagues a couple of decades later-- after he had broken with the party as to the nature of Stalin and communism.
However provincial or stultified american universities may have been before the 1920's [although reading their own words, they seem to have been wonderfully unbureaucratic and free to pursue ideas], the "central" period, roughly 1945-1975, saw unparalleled intellectual strength, rigor of scholarship, and fiercely open discussion. in the Agora. Since then, the attack on that Agora, from within the academy, has been consistent and relentless. To the point now that a liberal Harvard president, of all people, for damn sake, is not permitted to speak at major universities for his "incorrect" thought [No, that never happened in the old days, MFT].
Pathetically [very much so], I was in schools in every decade from the 70s to this one. A year at Georgetown, 1976-77. A few years at Chicago in the 80s, Rice in the 90s, Minnesota in the 00's.
What is my personal chronicle through this 30 year vagabonding? I think I'll save that for another ime. But, MFT, I wish you could have had a taste of what a university can be like when not publically dominated by folks who prefer their dogmas to the sheer joy of sifting through the strange wonder of this world for true things.; 10/08/2007 3:21 PM
Mr roT said...: Fuck the World of True Things! Let us worship Baal!; 10/08/2007 5:03 PM
Arelcao Akleos said...: I always knew Llamas spoke Baal; 10/08/2007 6:47 PM
My Frontier Thesis said...: One: I anticipated at least some kind of response.

Two: there were understandable reasons that the boring Marxist Mantra was closely watched, and scrutinized along with the American Communist Party. Geeeez Mister! I've read my Orwell.

Three: there's no sameness between today and yesterday. Only analogy, sometimes similarities, and I think you and I are in accord with the idea that history does not repeat itself.

Four: Marxist Mantra is best defeated in the Market Place of Ideas, but I totally understand the need to back that Market Place with M-1 Abrams and MOABs -- from Marxist to Islamic Totalitarianism and whatever else the idiotic but interesting human race can conjure up for that Great Utopia.

Fuck. I'm going to go eat some beef tip chili, drink some beer, watch a little Chronicles of Riddick, and do a bit of laundry. I'd gladly share the chili and beer with you fellahs this evening: we could hash out all of this a bit more in real time... but ideal and real just aren't...; 10/08/2007 6:57 PM
My Frontier Thesis said...: AA: I e-mailed my phone number to your hotmail account if you're near a phone this evening and wanna try giving a call. Otherwise I'll be out in the archaeological field and won't be back until Oct. 17th (a Wednesday).; 10/08/2007 7:00 PM
Mr roT said...: This is not a hook-up board. Cambridge suggests this.; 10/08/2007 7:39 PM
My Frontier Thesis said...: Hen JJ also is an Operator now?; 10/08/2007 7:59 PM
Mr roT said...: Freecockterpoint?; 10/08/2007 8:20 PM
Arelcao Akleos said...: wow, how did 10 comments get on here? Crap, now I've got to read 'em.; 10/09/2007 1:07 AM
Arelcao Akleos said...: "AA: I e-mailed my phone number to your hotmail account if you're near a phone this evening and wanna try giving a call. Otherwise I'll be out in the archaeological field and won't be back until Oct. 17th (a Wednesday)."

Damn, I just read this. This would now be after midnight your time...so had better wait. Will call you the evening of the 17th. Take care, MFT, and enjoy the good life. Sounds bloody interesting.; 10/09/2007 1:09 AM
Arelcao Akleos said...: JJ said: "This is not a hook-up board. Cambridge suggests this"
JJ and Buddy Bear....Somethings we should never know.; 10/09/2007 1:10 AM
My Frontier Thesis said...: I'll catch you fellahs on the 17th. Unless I can find a kiosk at one of our many small-town Dakota hotels.; 10/09/2007 8:01 AM

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