Manifesto for a new university in Austin

[mahagonny]

The fact that you see the issues as entirely political, with no basis for true academic discussion, makes your disdain understandable. When the activists on any issue can get it framed as entirely political, where there is no reason for academic research or debate, then they have won.

It is odd, to say the least, for academics to argue that no further research is needed or even desirable, on just about any topic.

It's worse than that: It is argued that because I don't want to consume x, it must be fake or evil. Hence, you shall not have it either. Well, people differ in their tastes, and they have agency.

If one doesn't like the new college one needn't work there or send one's kids there.

Their worst nightmare is their own kid goes there, and they can't stop him, and the government can't shut off their funding. Liberals hate diversity.

[Parasaurolophus]

My imagination cooks up worse fates for the hatchling than that.

Falling for a scam sucks, but it's not that bad. Hell, I once spent $200 on Mana Drains which an infamous ripper never sent to me.

[dismalist]

The fact that you see the issues as entirely political, with no basis for true academic discussion, makes your disdain understandable. When the activists on any issue can get it framed as entirely political, where there is no reason for academic research or debate, then they have won.

It is odd, to say the least, for academics to argue that no further research is needed or even desirable, on just about any topic.

It's worse than that: It is argued that because I don't want to consume x, it must be fake or evil. Hence, you shall not have it either. Well, people differ in their tastes, and they have agency.

If one doesn't like the new college one needn't work there or send one's kids there.

Their worst nightmare is their own kid goes there, and they can't stop him, and the government can't shut off their funding. Liberals hate diversity.

and likes it! The horror!

[Wahoo Redux]

The fact that you see the issues as entirely political, with no basis for true academic discussion, makes your disdain understandable. When the activists on any issue can get it framed as entirely political, where there is no reason for academic research or debate, then they have won.

It is odd, to say the least, for academics to argue that no further research is needed or even desirable, on just about any topic.

It's worse than that: It is argued that because I don't want to consume x, it must be fake or evil. Hence, you shall not have it either. Well, people differ in their tastes, and they have agency.

If one doesn't like the new college one needn't work there or send one's kids there.

Their worst nightmare is their own kid goes there, and they can't stop him, and the government can't shut off their funding. Liberals hate diversity.

and likes it! The horror!

Dream on, gents.

[mahagonny]

The fact that you see the issues as entirely political, with no basis for true academic discussion, makes your disdain understandable. When the activists on any issue can get it framed as entirely political, where there is no reason for academic research or debate, then they have won.

It is odd, to say the least, for academics to argue that no further research is needed or even desirable, on just about any topic.

It's worse than that: It is argued that because I don't want to consume x, it must be fake or evil. Hence, you shall not have it either. Well, people differ in their tastes, and they have agency.

If one doesn't like the new college one needn't work there or send one's kids there.

Their worst nightmare is their own kid goes there, and they can't stop him, and the government can't shut off their funding. Liberals hate diversity.

and likes it! The horror!

Dream on, gents.

Just when I was beginning to like you, I find out there are no racists or Uncle Toms in your family tree. This is not my day.

[ergative]

Apparently their Classics Department now has a twitter account: https://twitter.com/uaustinclassics

(NB: this is satire)

[apl68]

Though I have no sympathy whatsoever for libertarian ideologies (and don't consider myself a liberal, either), I don't "hope" that this new effort will fail.  I do strongly suspect that it will, for some of the reasons suggested above, and would not see that as any great loss.

[Mobius]

How many of you are going to apply for teaching jobs there?

[dismalist]

How many of you are going to apply for teaching jobs there?

Aaaah, if I were young... !

[Parasaurolophus]

How many of you are going to apply for teaching jobs there?

I'm somewhat tempted. On the basis that I think this is clearly a grift, they should extend an offer soon (I'm referring to this tweet by their resident theocratic fascist).

I imagine they're still in the phase in which they're promising pretty good payouts, so I'd like to get in on the grift while the grifting is good. My "forbidden" course could be "This 'University' Is A Scam", and the point of the course could be for students to try to convince me that it's not.

(My conscience compels me to use their money to buy up and forgive someone's education debt, but my avarice keeps whispering that I should just keep the money and buy all the beautiful baby things in the world instead. It's a tough call.)

[dismalist]

How many of you are going to apply for teaching jobs there?

I'm somewhat tempted. On the basis that I think this is clearly a grift, they should extend an offer soon (I'm referring to this tweet by their resident theocratic fascist).

I imagine they're still in the phase in which they're promising pretty good payouts, so I'd like to get in on the grift while the grifting is good. My "forbidden" course could be "This 'University' Is A Scam", and the point of the course could be for students to try to convince me that it's not.

(My conscience compels me to use their money to buy up and forgive someone's education debt, but my avarice keeps whispering that I should just keep the money and buy all the beautiful baby things in the world instead. It's a tough call.)

Does that mean you don't like them? :-)

[downer]

How many of you are going to apply for teaching jobs there?

Let's see what jobs they have first. I can't say that Austin is that attractive to me.

[Wahoo Redux]

How many of you are going to apply for teaching jobs there?

Our uni is listing heavily on stormy seas.

I would.  I've never been a party to grift before.

[dismalist]

A new grocery store opens, and people get this excited about it?

In the big market of higher ed, one new grocery store is trivial.

I'm sure it's the color of the  paint that's riling people.

[mahagonny]

A new grocery store opens, and people get this excited about it?

In the big market of higher ed, one new grocery store is trivial.

I'm sure it's the color of the  paint that's riling people.

Because Bari Weiss quit her job writing for the NYT, explaining that it was an intolerant culture, and implying it is nothing resembling the venerable newspaper it once was, and no one is dumb enough to try and dispute that. So the next best thing is to piss on her new project. Also there are people involved like Glenn Loury who have even more stature and are saying things the left hates, backing them up solidly, and speaking in scholarly, measured, polite tones. (Yet you never see his name in any of the media outlets that are dying to see black progress.*) They get miserable when there's no Donald Trump or Ted Cruz to fight with.

*One of the tenets of CRT is that whenever there's black progress, white resistance follows. But they neglect to prove their case with any of the following examples:

Clarence Thomas on the Supreme Court - white liberals smear him with sexual harassment rumors
Larry Elder runs for governor of CA, gets eggs thrown at him by white woman
Winsome Sears wins in VA, gets called 'black face of white supremacy' by white liberal journalists
Tim Scott says 'America is a great country' and gets called 'Uncle Tim' by white mob
Ben Carson
etc.