Free speech on University campus?

Thoughts?

@lvenger@makhai@laflux@saren@granitesoldier

I think we should have free speech where ever we go. Unless you say something to purposely cause trouble.

Interesting.

He is overly hostile, and I don't appreciate that. I think if he had tempered his language a bit, he would have been more persuasive.

As far as the substance of what he said, I have no idea what specifically is happening in UK universities, but there is undoubtedly a totalitarian element to progressive thinking. The entire concept of progressivism is to give the power to ruling elites in the governemnt who can better decide how you should spend your money, what you should be allowed to do and what ideas you should be allowed to consider and express. The political correctness which many have often bemoaned is just the natural expression of the same top down authoritarianism that all progressivism represents.

Of course, it's not just the typical "progressive" groups that want to control people's lives and shut down dissenting voices. There are some groups with conservative social views that want to outlaw what they consider bad behavior and suppress dissension, and what label best fits these groups is open for debate. Regardless, these groups are united with typical Progressive groups in their big governemnt ideas and just have slightly different views on what standards the government should enforce.

Personally, I believe in maximizing liberty for the individual. Live and let live as much as possible.

For that reason, I don't believe we should ever shut down dissenting views. (unless that view is directly calling for violence against innocents) If someone wants to use the govenrment or public shaming to get someone to stop talking, then they are revealing their own insecurities and fascist tendencies. Only when ideas are freely discussed can knowledge and wisdom grow.

@averywetfrog:

As a small government guy, I can say that there is a huge liberal bias in college where many leftist Professors regularly shoved their political views on to the class. I think there is room for having great political discussions where the Professor plays Devil's Advocate and throws out ideas to challenge all people's views and push people outside their comfort zone, but that is never how these professor's operated. It was always a mocking of the right, a straight up proclamation of liberal views as superior or a challenge to anyone who disagreed with the teacher's views. Occasionally, I or someone else would debate with a professor, but it's very difficult to debate on a random subject that the Professor knew was coming and you didn't. It's also difficult because the Professor has built in credibility, so it's an uphill battle all the way. If you don't have an instant answer for every question which a professor thought of in advance. Then you look stupid.

Anyway, I never saw non-liberal ideas get officially shut down, but the culture is very biased, and it's a shame because it really does hurt those who aren't challenged to think outside the box. If professors would challenge all ideas, I'd have massive respect for them, but when teachers only spout off ideas from one side of the political spectrum and tries to take apart ideas on the other side, it's rather transparent that their goal is indoctrination.

@frozen: Honestly, I completely disagreed with this at first when I joined University, but after having Blurred Lines banned because it promotes a "rape culture", and being in a debate when I was told Men can't be part of movements of Equality, because we always like to stick our "things" in (and this side won), I've mellowed somewhat. Chris Rock said he doesn't like performing in Universities because they are far too sensitive and that's the vibe I'm getting too.

However, I think he's painting way too much of a wide brush though. I would class myself as a left of center and progressive, so it feel like he's insulting me even though I can sympathize with what the W!gga has to say

They banned a song at your Uni? Seriously?

Yep.

@averywetfrog:

I don't really see mockery as a particularly constructive tool at least not when you are trying to talk to someone who disagrees with you. In all the cases I experienced, Professors didn't need to talk about their perspectives at all since it was irrelevant to the class. If they wanted to be constructive and help students think outside the box, then that would be great, but they should challenge all world views. The fact that they didn't means they were not trying to push their students to think outside the box but to push students into a box of the professors's designs. Using your authority to promote a political philosophy when you are paid to teach a subject is unprofessional and an act that defrauds students of the education they ordered.

Eh.

Several times in my college, I have witnessed both liberal and non-liberal ideas get shut down; and I go to college in Manhattan (pretty liberal environment). You're overgeneralizing your experience with college faculty to all colleges across the country. Most professors are fair and professional (at least in my experience), but if you speak out of turn to bring up politics in class you better have damn good evidence as to why this rant is relevant to the lecture and why you stand by the allegation. It's not about persecuting students for their politics, it's about using critical thinking to separate fact from opinion.

Furthermore, empirical evidence isn't political brainwashing. Most leftist theories are well rooted in peer reviewed studies and have credible data to support them. Just because it's harder to prove trickle-down economics or harder to disprove links to man-made climate change doesn't mean that the colleges are going out of their way to support liberal ideology and undermine conservatism. Some viewpoints are just more compatible with the scientific method than others.