College campuses have always been the training grounds for our future leaders and thinkers, and it is on these campuses that civilization is shaped and built. From company CEOs to Presidents of the United States, almost every one of our leaders began their journey in higher education. Traditionally, colleges have always been places of liberal thought and exploration, where students are free to develop new ideas that challenge society’s norms and preconceptions, without fear of persecution by the conservative and traditionalist masses. Academics and free thinkers have advanced our society’s norms and given birth to many of the ideas we now cherish in the west – tolerance, freedom for women, freedom for minorities, abortion rights, and the concept of an equal society. Today however, this culture of liberal thought is under threat, as old and discredited beliefs begin to infiltrate campuses in an ever evolving set of disguises, in an attempt to take hold in the minds of young people and undo decades of social progress.
There was a time when right-wing extremism was generally accepted in society, and freely reared its ugly head without fear of reprisal. However as society progressed, such views were increasingly shunned, and right-wing extremists were forced to mask their hateful views in order to fit into society. Now that such hateful views are no longer acceptable in society, right-wingers have had to find other ways to make their views more palatable to modern Americans. Ideologies like libertarianism have quietly invaded the minds of young people, carrying with them the very same hateful views once thought to have been exterminated from liberal college campuses.
Presidential candidates like Ron Paul and Donald Trump have made matters far worse. Not only have these candidates reintroduced extremism into the public eye and undone decades of progress in America and all of the world; they have also emboldened America’s closet fascists who now openly admit their hateful views without fear of criticism from their fellow Americans, the media, or the international community. Libertarians and Trump supporters masquerade as free thinkers who believe in equal rights for all, but delve a little deeper into what they actually believe, and you’ll soon discover the same detestable conservative dogma that progressives have been fighting for decades.
I’m a liberal, and I believe in Free Speech. But just as with all principles, there are exceptions, and hateful right-wing views simply aren’t acceptable in a forward-thinking liberal democracy. We desperately need to silence those who seek to destroy the only bastions of liberal exploratory thought and expression that have allowed us to shape the world for the better. We simply have no choice but to restrict bigoted conservative views on college campuses, whether by legally prohibiting these perspectives, or by vetting potential students for such views before accepting them. I wish we lived in a tolerant society where free speech could be upheld without exception, but unfortunately the consequence of doing so in today’s society would be a regression to the bigoted ways of the past. I firmly believe that it is only through preservation of open and tolerant college campuses, that our nation and the world can continue to progress.
A devastating critique of the draconian and antiquated ideologies of conservatism and libertarianism from a renowned blogger. MDB, per usual, conclusively refutes the cliches and platitudes that emanate from legions of these aforementioned stooges who seek to spread the insidious ideas of free markets and free speech (without consequence). Free Speech has always invited acceptable opinion, but I agree with the article that we must be moving forward. Speaking freely of the past, which involves the coercive white male patriarchy, blatant racism, a high degree of colonialism, unfettered inequality due to the evils of capitalism and the subterfuge of rights of women.We must move forward from this sordid past #YESWECAN
Thank you for your gracious words Victor. Yes, the fact is every sane person recognizes that there should be exceptions to free speech, and ideas that undermine the progress of society as a whole should not be protected along with other benign forms of speech. It’s just common sense.
Concur. Only those who realize that it is the present year and that they are on the right side of history are really capable of identifying these larger truths that everybody knows.
Free speech? Bah! What about the right of people to not be offended, ever, especially by bigots, white males, and other historical oppressors who refuse to check their privilege and atone for their racist sins? Is hate even really speech?
Colleges should ALL be safe spaces that necessarily exclude offensive thought contrary to what is socially just to think, never mind to speak.
Right wing ideologies are offensive relics of a racist patriarchy that did NOTHING in history but oppress women and minorities and by minorities I mean people of vibrant color inside the United States. Some bigots may claim that in certain areas, PoCs are actually the majority and that, worldwide, calling an east asian non-american a “minority” is laughable, but these are simply the thoughts and words of racists. What did the white male patriarchy give us, these frat infested universities and white males like Tesla and Edison and the Wright Brothers? Nothing but oppression and electricity, modern medicine, indoor plumbing, the automobile, airplane, telephone, and RACISM and MORE RACISM.
I honestly think colleges and universities that don’t ban white males should be shut down…for centuries, only THEY were permitted entrance, and certain bigots with their insistence on “test scores” would like to return us to these chattel slavery days where only white men had any power. Universities like MIT and Caltech, with their “meritocracies” clearly hiding racist oppression…they have even gone so far as to admit tons of east asians to HIDE their clever attempts to disenfranchise blacks! Shut it all down, I say. Nothing good comes from these research institutions.
You’re right Trav. STEM colleges such as MIT are an embarrassment to our country, and are an ugly reminder of how racist and sexist America really is. It also doesn’t help when many oppressed minorities are receiving criminal records from racist cops for absolutely nothing, only to find themselves barred from top colleges and higher paying jobs for life. We need to start admitting a minimum quota of students with criminal records to top colleges, in order to break the cycle of poverty and allow them to move up in a society that refuses to help them. #StopPoliceRacism
hear, hear…Richmond, VA is going even one step further to right these wrongs. It is using mentor groups OUTSIDE of the police, composed of ex felons to distribute $1000/mo cash stipends to other ex felons. And it WORKS. The murder rate has gone down slightly. No other research is clearly necessary and to suggest otherwise is to be racist. DC has voted to do the same program. Why stop there though? Why shouldn’t marginalized and disenfranchised blacks who are ONLY targeted by the police due to the color of their skin receive $10,000 or even $100,000 a month? What price can be put on the legacy of slavery and racism? Blacks are OWED this money because they BUILT this country! It goes without saying that agrarian labor picking a few crops in one relatively small area of this nation is responsible for ALL of the construction, wealth, technological progress, in ALL OTHER AREAS of the country for 100s of years following the use of slaves in that other area! Without SLAVERY, the GW Bridge could not have been built. Without SLAVES, would we have a Silicon Valley? The transistor’s invention was due to SLAVERY, along with things like the laser and microprocessor…CLEARLY! If you disagree you are a racist Nazi who wants to kill 7.0 million jews JUST LIKE HITLER.
Why do we even HAVE STEM programs? We all know how hostile engineers are to PoCs and women. This is why these STEM universities are clearly microaggressive climates for minorities and women and they don’t enroll there. Fucking ban this shit already! Social justice and inclusion mandate that! We don’t NEED math. We don’t NEED science. We can simply tax the rich and distribute their ill-gotten gains. Whites ALL have privilege and inherited wealth from SLAVERY. Don’t try to obfuscate this issue by claiming that the amount of wealth is a paltry sum compared to the economic growth of the USA or that most whites weren’t even here yet…simply, FUCK YOU racist HITLER for even thinking that. Tax whites for their inherited wealth…ALL white wealth is inherited and from privilege and slavery. And it needs to be returned to its rightful owners.
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Then by your own definition we should restrict you from spouting your nonsense here. Why?
Look at your ratings, the internet community has obviously shown what it thinks of your writing which is covered in 1.5-3 star ratings (3 star is an exception, 1.5-2 is the norm)
It has shown what it thinks of the intelligence of your rants.
If the “forward-thinking liberal democracy” that you so highly praise has deemed to rate you as such, then please do us a favor and stop. Any continuance of your writing would “destroy the only bastions of liberal exploratory thought and expression”.
I’m not afraid to write fearless and unapologetic articles that defend progressive values, whether or not you find them controversial. I’m well aware that this often means that I will be subjected to abuse by libertarians and conservatives such as yourself, but your hatred only makes me stronger, and more determined to keep promoting and fighting for the liberal values that have brought America into the 21st century.
Excuse me?
The internet hates women! This has been clearly proven by many feminists from as far away as brazil! So if the internet is voting him down, that simply proves the internet is racist. MDB is a champion of progressive values and I am happy to support him fully in recognizing that this is [current year] and that he is on the RIGHT side of the issues.
Tolerance DEMANDS the extermination of these views that are contrary to proper liberal thought! Every progressive thinks this way and it is the only proper way to think. Anyone who thinks otherwise should probably be exterminated. Only after the annihilation of all improper thinkers on the wrong side of history can we have a diverse, tolerant, inclusive, vibrant new reality with justice, happiness, and equity for ALL. And to those who might not be happy with happiness? They can go to hell!
I love this article and all of the comments. Jonathan Swift
“Constitutional” oppression was verified by the adoption of the First Amendment on 15 December 1791:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
1791?
1791? Wasn’t the country riddled by the evil of slavery, and no African-Americans nor women (and especially African-American women) were allowed to vote?
WHO voted for the First Amendment???
Easy to see, only the elderly white heterosexual misogynistic male patriarchy, because they were the ONLY ones franchised to vote!
Therefore, the so-called “Free Speech” card has consistently been played and used by evil white male misogynist racists from 1791 to the present day.
I think that the First Amendment should be consigned to the dustbin of a racist misogynist patriarchal past that we have all evolved from!
Thank Allah (swt) for the free-thinking students of today!
This sort of subjective policing always leads to abuse of control. Full Stop.