Academics frightened by stifling regime on campus

[BovaryX]

There is an excellent article by John McWhorter about the threat to academic freedom on campus. He compares the humiliation ordeals suffered by dissenting academics as like struggle sessions from Maoist China. He also describes the quasi religious aspect of this political orthodoxy and makes the interesting point that some of its most fanatical adherents do not belong to the demographic group on whose behalf they are relentlessly offended.

To what extent would you worry about the following consequences?” To the hypothetical “My reputation would be tarnished,” 32.68 percent answered “very concerned” and 27.27 percent answered “extremely concerned.” To the hypothetical “My career would be hurt,” 24.75 percent answered “very concerned” and 28.68 percent answered “extremely concerned.” In other words, more than half the respondents consider expressing views beyond a certain consensus in an academic setting quite dangerous to their career trajectory. So no one should feign surprise or disbelief that academics write to me with great frequency to share their anxieties. In a three-week period early this summer, I counted some 150 of these messages. And what they reveal is a very rational culture of fear among those who dissent, even slightly, with the tenets of the woke left

Just like to point out that the Left has never supported women. In fact the opposite. The man earning the wage to support the family never went away. Anything the left do is lip service. Do you remember how patronising John McDonald was about Rebecca LB, just pointing out how recent this misogyny is. TU's are the labour movement. Look at latest stuff with the GMB

I'm on the left but this has always been a major criticism of mine. Women in academia take note - wokeness wont save you

We women have no one to vote for. No one represents us, lets just acknowledge that and see where we are. Right and Left should have no meaning for GC women

I only put the bit in about women academics so you'd know I'd read the thread

@BovaryX

but I'm very afraid there is currently such momentum behind the mob that nothing will slow them down. It's everywhere. You can even see it on threads on mumsnet - people who have totally fallen for this way of thinking and react with horror and outrage to anyone who questions it, however mildly or sensibly

queen
I absolutely agree with this. This hasn't happened overnight. It's been simmering for decades. There is a fanaticism in the air and the most outrageous, violent statements are justified, while previously anodyne statements result in cancellation. Some of the most fanatical denouncers of the new orthodoxy are also some of the most privileged people on the planet. The other thing which has happened is the legacy media refuses to report 'problematic' news. Or it reports it in Orwellian style. One much ridiculed example of the latter was a CNN reporter standing in front of burning buildings in Kenosha with the tagline 'Fiery but mostly peaceful protests.' It's not only freedom of speech which is facing an existential threat. It's the existence of external reality.

Yes. And, to reflect on some of the later conversation in the thread, I think it transcends left and right. I think it's now those of us who still believe in truth, justice, freedom and equality versus those who simply want power and for others to stfu. Admittedly the authoritarianism and purity politics is mostly coming from the left, but I don't think you can really apply the terms left or right wing to people who are so utterly in thrall to ideology that they are willing to lose every right our ancestors ever fought for. I'm not surprised academics are frightened - I think we all should be frightened.

Btw, did you know that newer versions of ms word have a 'political correctness' checker? So if you are typing your university essay and you happen to use a term it deems 'incorrect' it will encourage you to substitute a different one. They're programming AI with this ideology now. It is everywhere.

The Atlantic is the one remaining hope for sanity On the left in the US.