It is simply not true that radical leftists took over all major institutions and use them to crush the right, and mainstream figures should stop being afraid to say so
Nick- You confine your critique of the critics of DEI and the like to the populist right, who conveniently put forth the dumbest arguments being advanced against them. Try writing this article over, but this time taking on the smartest arguments. Those advanced by the guys at The Liberal Patriot, John McWhorter, Damir Marusic and Shadi Hamid at The Wisdom of Crowds, Glenn Loury, Andrew Sullivan, the wonderful essays in Claire Lehmann's Quillette . Perhaps the greatest irony you entirely miss in your piece are the habits of mind so broadly shared between the populist right and the post-liberal left. Their elevation of ideological narrative over truth. Their contempt for different points of view. Their certitude on just about everything. Their fondness for suppressing views they don't agree with. Thier increasing disdain for our Constitutional constraints upon centralized power and their longing to instead just flat seize power and rule.
While in general I agree that the right's fantasy of left-wing domination is overblown, it is clear the author has had little experience with academia. There are very few non-progressive university presidents (FWIW West Texas A&M is one--I know because he used to be president of a university I worked at; also the president of IU), but pretty much every university president I'm aware of at least votes Democrat. Football programs, of course, have no influence over what classes are taught or which professors are hired. As a retiree from an English department at a major research university I can assure you that I kept my political opinions (Classical Liberal) to myself until I retired because I didn't want the ridicule and condescension I heard all around me.
The New Right's Theory of Power is Insane
Nick- You confine your critique of the critics of DEI and the like to the populist right, who conveniently put forth the dumbest arguments being advanced against them. Try writing this article over, but this time taking on the smartest arguments. Those advanced by the guys at The Liberal Patriot, John McWhorter, Damir Marusic and Shadi Hamid at The Wisdom of Crowds, Glenn Loury, Andrew Sullivan, the wonderful essays in Claire Lehmann's Quillette . Perhaps the greatest irony you entirely miss in your piece are the habits of mind so broadly shared between the populist right and the post-liberal left. Their elevation of ideological narrative over truth. Their contempt for different points of view. Their certitude on just about everything. Their fondness for suppressing views they don't agree with. Thier increasing disdain for our Constitutional constraints upon centralized power and their longing to instead just flat seize power and rule.
I always enjoy your work.
Best Regards.
While in general I agree that the right's fantasy of left-wing domination is overblown, it is clear the author has had little experience with academia. There are very few non-progressive university presidents (FWIW West Texas A&M is one--I know because he used to be president of a university I worked at; also the president of IU), but pretty much every university president I'm aware of at least votes Democrat. Football programs, of course, have no influence over what classes are taught or which professors are hired. As a retiree from an English department at a major research university I can assure you that I kept my political opinions (Classical Liberal) to myself until I retired because I didn't want the ridicule and condescension I heard all around me.