<p>Kafka89 your posts all completely miss my point. I simply asked you to respect your language and to not verbally attack people. Is that too much to ask? Anyways its clear that this is going nowhere so I will stop.</p>
<p>There are not a whole lot of conservative schools, just degrees of liberal ones. Money talks. Look what academia is saying.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.campaignmoney.com/professor.asp%5B/url%5D">http://www.campaignmoney.com/professor.asp</a></p>
<p>
[quote]
Would you say that Noam Chomsky is not a key figure at MIT?
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</p>
<p>I would. He's a professor emeritus (being almost 80 and whatnot), so he isn't quite a 'key figure' at MIT right now.</p>
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That he is not the pillar of their linguistics department (hugely important part of MIT as a whole, it's more than just a tech school)?
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<p>I would say he was the pillar of their linguistics department, which in itself isn't a very large department and only represents one part of their many branching-out departments -- so I wouldn't say it's "hugely important." He obviously bolstered linguistics activity with his innovative and controversial ideas, but people seem to think he's still, even now, impacting linguistics as he did before. He isn't.</p>
<p>Sorry for the OT, had to address that.</p>
<p>He's the face of a very celebrated department at MIT - he's their most "recognizable" faculty member. EVERYONE knows him - he's huge.</p>
<p>what does liberalism have to do with college?</p>
<p>Explain please??</p>
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He's the face of a very celebrated department at MIT - he's their most "recognizable" faculty member. EVERYONE knows him - he's huge.
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</p>
<p>True, but he himself no longer has much of an impact on MIT.</p>
<p>urg why are the top universities liberel. i wish the ivies were conservative</p>
<p>
Liberal 36.3%
Moderate 36.7%
Conservative 22.2%
Extreme Liberal/Conservative 4.8%</p>
<p>Kafka89-- I am profoundly troubled that you would deliberately smear those who disagree with the actions of a state-- ie, Isreal with being for the destruction of an entire group of people-- as in "anitsemites" (a group much, much larger than just the jews, btw). But, I admit it is a very common tactic to try to smear those who disagree with you as immoral or unpatriotic. And it often works-- look how long Pres. Bush effectiviely smeared his critics as pansies who would make the US the terrorists playground.</p>
<p>I doubt you believe the nonsense you are spouting-- you simply see it as an effective way to silence criticism.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Liberal 36.3%
Moderate 36.7%
Conservative 22.2%
Extreme Liberal/Conservative 4.8%
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Finally, some actual statistics (and not just hear-say and general perceptions). Any other political spectrum statistics for the schools we're discussing (top 50)?</p>
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[quote]
1. Few conservatives choose to go into academia, because they prefer to make more money in other venues, while liberals are more content to do socially valuable work (education and research) even if it means they personally profit less. Hence: more liberals than conservatives in academia; or,
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<p>Or you could say "those who can't do, teach."</p>
<p>I'd love to hear how tenured professors studying the sociology of gender and basket-weaving in Medieval Europe are doing more "socially valuable work" than a businessman who starts a successful company and helps thousands of people put food on the table for their families</p>
<p>JohnnyK, many very successful businessmen are liberal. In fact, I'd say that a large portion of very successful business men and women are socially liberal and that the bulk of those that are "conservative" are only fiscally so...and for obvious reasons.</p>
<p>Furthermore, perhaps one can argue that a specific academic or intellectual does not contribute as much to humanity as a successful businessman. However, as a collective, I would say that the academe provides Humanity with a great deal...and academe, as a collective, is relatively liberal.</p>
<p>so kafka, anyone who doesn't agree with israeli policies is an anti-semite? it sounds like you need to open up your mind a bit and realize that not everything is black and white. israel is a political entity, with a government headed by human beings, not God.</p>
<p>Anti-Zionism is antisemitism - simple as that.</p>
<p>Very well-said, lilybbloom.</p>
<p>Kafka89 doesn't have a clue what he is talking about- criticizing the actions of a nation's government is NOT the same as criticizing the people, culture, and religion of that nation. </p>
<p>Criticizing (p)Resident Bush does not make me anti-American or anti-Christian. I believe that the president is NOT acting in the best interest of the American people. Similarly, Chomsky does NOT believe that Israeli government is acting in the best interest of the people of Israel or the middle east. For you to slander him as a racist for drawing such a conclusion only demonstrates your inability to think critically.</p>
<p>You have the right to your opinion but you do NOT have the right to attack others for having theirs.</p>
<p>Chomsky doesn't believe in Israel's right to exist - that's the difference.</p>
<p>Inability to think critically? Are you Jewish? Do you have any idea how hard Jews have to fight to get ahead in this world? Do you realize that the state of Israel is our home? That it's the one good thing the world has given us (even though we had to FIGHT for it, and still do) and it's being challenged every day?</p>
<p>For a wealthy successful Jewish man to stand on his pedestal in Cambridge, MA and start calling for a divestment from his own people's nation and lead an American charge against Israel is to be detrimental to the interests OF ISRAEL AND JEWS EVERYWHERE.</p>
<p>Also I never called him a racist, pal. You know why? Because Jews are not a RACE! Want to talk about thinking critically? Try this: JUDAISM IS A RELIGION. Israel is our one and only state - it is a religious state. "Racist" is a word reserved for a person who slanders someone of a different race --- do you consider Jews a different race? Maybe you need to reexamine what you said. Because no, Chomsky isn't "racist", he's an anti-Zionist, antisemitic, self-loathing Jew.</p>
<p>Guys, sorry to break up this oh so rousing debate, but you are missing the point. This thread is for classifying the top 50 schools based on their political leanings. If you want to debate about Noam Chomsky, do it elsewhere. With me being Jewish, I'm sure you all know how I feel about him. However, this is not the place to vent our feelings about him. Let us please get back to the matter I originally posted on this thread.</p>
<p>Calm down people. Set aside your personal political and religious beliefs. This subject cannot be adequately discussed or resolved on this forum. Instead, we should focus on the OP's far broader and more neutral topic.</p>
<p>Kafka89</p>
<p>I am not on this forum to debate with you about the pros and cons of the Israeli state. Nowhere in any of my previous posts have I stated my opinion on that issue, nor do I intend to.</p>
<p>You have completely missed the point of my previous post and of the other posters who espoused similar concerns with your slander against Chomsky. Chomsky is not an anti-Semite simply because he disagrees with you. He has never made any statement that I know of to the effect that he is against the Israeli state because he believes that it is BENEFICIAL to the Jewish community. In fact, he has stated unconditionally that he believes that the actions of the Israeli state, and the terms under which it was created, have damaged the standing of the Jewish community in the middle eastern region of the world and beyond. Let me state it again: I AM NOT SAYING HE IS RIGHT. I am saying, however, that you are 100% WRONG to label him as self-hating and filled with prejudice. He believes that speaking out against the state of Israel is in the best interest of all peoples of the middle east. </p>
<p>It boils down to this very simple concept: Two people with equally honest motivations can arrive at two very different conclusions. And yes, your inability to grasp this simply concept, and your obvious emotional attachment to this issue MOST CERTAINLY demonstrates your inability to think critically.</p>
<p>And to the OP and other posters: I did not intend to hijack this thread and I am NOT in any way engaging in a political debate. Although I did state in my previous post that I do not believe President Bush is acting in the best interest of my country, I did so only to illustrate the larger point. </p>
<p>Kafka89 is using the same technique of stifling debate that is used so prevalently in this country today, which is to label any opposing viewpoint as the product of "evil intentions". This is supposed to be a forum celebrating the College Institution as whole, and where else but College is there such an amazing convergence of diverging perspectives and ideas? I had to respond on principle!</p>