American Intifada
How years of capitulation fomented anti-western sentiment on university campuses
The steady decline of politically diverse viewpoints across institutions of higher learning, especially among elite schools, is a measurable one. There have been many studies, often using self-reporting by faculty, that show an incredibly lopsided political bent. The reader can instantly surmise, without data, which side of the political spectrum holds the supermajority. That alone should tell you at least how the country feels about the situation, but for those who want the data, analyses by Freiberg and others show that liberals enjoy a staggering majority among almost all disciplines - and nearly 80% among liberal arts’ programs. The data here is from 2017, and it is a pretty safe assumption this has only gotten less diverse, not more.
Many on the left criticize the findings, or more specifically, the effect. They do not dispute the facts but rather explain that during the normal activities of academia political leanings seldom make their way into the classroom. Why would national discussions around foreign policy, for instance, take place in a lesson on particle physics? This criticism is prima facie absurd, of course, and anyone paying attention knows exactly why. 2 + 2 = 4 after all, is covert white supremacy.
Similar disparities exist among mainstream media, where liberal outlets often circularly reference each other, giving stories more legs than they might otherwise have alone. Corrections and even outright deletions of incorrect information are quietly dealt with after the damage is done - the minds of the reader having been sufficiently propagandized. Rarely is a formal apology issued, and certainly not on page one.
President Biden in a now infamous speech decried “MAGA Republicans,” claiming that they “represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.” The speech was harshly criticized by conservatives for not only the content, but also the questionable choice of an ominous red backdrop that resulted in a new genre of internet meme: “Dark Brandon.” The President has since began using this in campaign material as a sort of troll, enraging conservatives to the delight of progressives.
Despite the obvious fact that Democrats have been doing their best since 2021 to label all conservatives as a “danger to democracy,” something far more sinister has been brewing in progressive circles. And as with all newly minted political machinations - it is bubbling up first in the universities. This time, however, the progressives are not happy with “Dark Brandon.”
The New Red Guard
Universities across the United States have in recent weeks been experiencing the natural consequences of “helicopter parenting” on steroids. A phenomenon described by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt as “The Coddling of the American Mind.” 3
Only this time, the ire of the mob isn’t just after conservatives. No, this time administrators who fool heartedly granted safe spaces, mandated trigger warnings, and cancelled speakers for daring to have an opinion on their campuses are in the crosshairs. The precarious house of cards ostensibly erected in the name of tolerance, but in actuality constructed out of fear, fell without so much as a whimper.
The first major twenty-first century example of illiberal students using terror tactics to advance their political opinions occurred at Evergreen State College in 2017, when a group of very loud and very angry protestors demanded action against a number of professors for what they deemed to be irredeemable offenses (opinions). Most notably, Bret Weinstein, a liberal evolutionary biology professor, was caught up in the conflict. The video of the events is well worth your time. Weinstein is now considered a hero of the IDW (intellectual dark web), a loose group of individuals who oppose identity politics and cancel culture that emerged during and after the events in Washington State. Classical liberals, in other words.
What should have been a minor headline in a local paper gained national attention for one reason: capitulation. Professors, administrators, the media, and the left in general were so pulverized with fear that they might be next on the chopping block eventually gave in. And thus was born a new tactic for American “social justice warriors:” fear and intimidation. I say new for Americans, because this well known strategy was employed throughout history - notably in 1960s China, where university students at the urging of Mao Zedong in an attempt to consolidate political power, turned first on university professors and then the population as a whole. Few resisted. Millions were executed.
American Intifada
After the success at Evergreen, similar tactics have been used for other “social justice” issues ranging from trans-rights to climate change. Many on the conservative side of the aisle have pointed out the similarities to a type of Marxist Socialist Revolution, or surmise they are one and the same. A serious rebuttal to this argument is nowhere to be found.
After the massacre on October 7, 2023 led by Hamas, which killed over 1,000 civilians including Americans, the world has been in political turmoil. The horrors of October 7 are too disturbing to even describe, let alone watch - though video evidence is available. Israel has responded with incredible force, in some cases leveling entire cities in Palestine. The point here is not to debate the current war, pick sides, or pretend to understand the situation during the current fog. We will leave that for international courts and historians to decide.
What has emerged on the progressive left, and most specifically the self-proclaimed “liberators” on college campuses, is support for the Palestinians as the “oppressed” and condemnation of Israel as the “oppressors.” Israel and “The Jews” often eerily used interchangeably.
Using the successful tactics previously employed for other ”struggles,” student protestors have asked, no demanded, that universities divest from any Israeli (and sometimes Jewish) business dealings. Most universities have once again capitulated - or at the very least are falling back into old habits - taking meetings and lending credence to demands for solutions that are often completely out of the their control. Administrators are now participating in struggle sessions of their own, having blessed or at least tacitly approved of those historically directed at conservatives. One wonders if impossible demands are the point. The subversive tactics being employed read like a Marxist blueprint. Indeed, many of the protestors are not even trying to hide their true intentions.
For instance, protestors from Climate Justice Alliance have been involved in the protests and robotically chant “Genocide Joe.” One could be forgiven for wondering what climate has to do with the current war, that is unless you’ve been following closely. This comes as no surprise to those on the right. On Sunday, Politico published a story linking the funding for the protests to some of Biden’s largest donors, who have funneled money through NGOs (a charge labeled a conspiracy theory just three short days ago). When arrests have occurred, a huge chunk of those arrested weren’t even students, and many of them have been identified as pro-socialist, “professional activists.” Institutions of higher learning are currently cancelling liberal commencement speakers out of pure, unadulterated fear, or cancelling graduation altogether under the pitiful excuse of “safety.” Columbia University today cancelled their campus-wide commencement, and having clearly not learned their lesson pretended the students’ preferred the smaller format meant to take its place. In a statement, they meekly wrote: “Our students emphasized that these smaller-scale, school-based celebrations are most meaningful to them and their families.” This is not how adults behave. This is bullshit. Michael Smerconish, the host of a daily political shown on Sirius XM and a Saturday morning news program on CNN, was just stripped of the honor of being a commencement speaker at Dickinson College because some students objected to out-of-context passages taken from a book he wrote after 9/11. No doubt those “objections” were accompanied with a hint of violence, if not an overt threat.
In an attempt to consolidate power, the Democrats have long been using impressionable college students to attack conservatives and sway public opinion. The mainstream media has been complicit, by either pushing false narratives or worse, burying factual stories in support of a political narrative. Now the outrage machine they have fastidiously built over the years has reared its ugly head, attacking the “tolerant left” with as much vigor as they have attacked Republicans in the past. It appears to be hell bent on one goal - destroying the liberal West and its way of life.
College administrators share the blame. Years and years of capitulation to whiny children who give the impression of never actually having opened a history book, let alone read one, has caused this. Inch by inch the New Red Guard has gained traction. The rot has fermented unchecked and now these young minds consumed with rage and unable to control their own emotions feel compelled to violate university policy, remove the American flag on public staffs, and vandalize property - with little or no consequences. We are to blame, too. Not enough of us spoke out early enough. Not enough of us pushed back when there was still time. Not enough of us sat the children down like one might a toddler and explained the horrors of Marxism and Leninism.
The only question now is where we go from here. Will the media, college administrators, and the public writ large accept the bed we made for ourselves? Or will we finally admit that to live in an open and free society is to accept that you may have to hear things you don’t want to hear. To accept that your feelings may be hurt, often deeply. And to accept that the world is a dark and dangerous place with terrible people. To overcome that and pour goodness into the world is the struggle - it has been since the dawn of mankind - and it will continue to be so as long as we walk this Earth.
A Footnote on Free Speech
Free speech is a critical ingredient of the American Experiment - up to and including hate speech. Flag burning, racial slurs, and downright anti-semitic speech is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Not without consequences, it is nonetheless protected speech. Many of these protests include abhorrent speech that I vehemently disagree with, but I will defend the right of the person to say it, with my life if I have to. The line is rightly drawn at violence, incitement to violence, vandalism, and general law breaking. That is where colleges have failed - and where we can never let them fail again if we make it out of this intact. Hopefully, this is a wake up call to the liberal left. As for the right, don’t let speech you don’t agree with usher in unconstitutional hate speech laws - for that really will spell the end of the Republic, and it will have been rolled out with red carpet to punish people you don’t like. Proceed with caution, for it will be your turn, tomorrow.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308181149_The_Liberal_and_Conservative_Experience_Across_Academic_Disciplines_An_Extension_of_Inbar_and_Lammers
https://www.stat.columbia.edu/~gelman/stuff_for_blog/Media.Bias.pdf
https://www.thecoddling.com/