As recently as the early 1950s, the typical American university professor held social and political views quite similar to those of the general population. Today — well, you've all heard the jokes that circulated after the collapse of central planning in Eastern Europe and the former USSR, how the only place in the world where Marxists were still thriving was the Harvard political science department.
More generally, US higher education often looks like a clear case of the inmates running the asylum. That is, the students who were radicalized in the 1960s have now risen to positions of influence within colleges and universities. One needs only to observe the aggressive pursuit of "diversity" in admissions and hiring, the abandonment of the traditional curriculum in favor of highly politicized "studies" based on group identity, the mandatory workshops on sensitivity training, and so on.
A 1989 study for the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching used the categories "liberal" and "conservative." It found that 70 percent of the professors in the major liberal arts colleges and research universities considered themselves liberal or moderately liberal, with less than 20 percent identifying themselves as conservative or moderately conservative.[1] (Of course, the term "liberal" here means left-liberal or socialist, not classical liberal.)
Christopher Cardiff and Daniel Klein have recently examined academics' political affiliations using voter-registration records for tenure-track faculty at 11 California universities. They find an average Democrat:Republican ratio of 5:1, ranging from 9:1 at Berkeley to 1:1 at Pepperdine. The humanities average 10:1, while business schools are at only 1.3:1. (Needless to say, even at the heartless, dog-eat-dog, sycophant-of-the-bourgeoisie business schools the ratio doesn't dip below 1:1.) While today's Republicans are hardly anti-socialist — particularly on foreign policy — these figures are consistent with a widespread perception that university faculties are increasingly unrepresentative of the communities they supposedly serve.
Now here's a surprise: Even in my own discipline, economics, 63 percent of the faculty in the Carnegie study identified themselves as liberal, compared with 72 percent in anthropology, political science, and sociology, 76 percent in ethnic studies, history, and philosophy, and 88 percent in public affairs. The Cardiff and Klein study finds an average D:R ratio in economics departments of 2.8:1 — lower than the sociologists' 44:1, to be sure, but higher than that of biological and chemical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, management, marketing, accounting, and finance...[READ MORE]
Music
Pretty excited to find out that Snow Patrol and the Silversun Pickups will be playing together with OKGO in April down in Milwaukee. I've become a huge fan of the Silversun Pickups (who've been described as what the Smashing Pumpkins would have sounded like if they were together today), and Snow Patrol has always put out great stuff.
I also received a nice little thank you email from James Eric L., so make sure you don't pass up on this talented artist who plays a lot of really great covers and has some quality original tracks as well:
James Eric - "EmmaLee"
Featured Artist: The Cribs
As Christmas descended upon 2003, a cock sure triumvirate emerged blinking out the mist that engulfed their native homeland...The Cribs armed with nothing less than 100% confidence and an armful of songs partnered with a more than healthy disdain of most of the music being made by their contemporaries hit the road running.
The band criss crossed the ubiquitous small town tour itinerary...several times, before hitching up with Wichita Recordings to quench their thirst - sometimes more than literally as anyone who witnessed early shows can verify. The Cribs polarized opinions, those who loved em did so with reverence bordering on infatuation whilst others simply thought "this year's new band" and waited for the trip.
Early on in the life of The Cribs, the band made lightning strikes on the capital with hotly anticipated live shows as well as being part of the original guerrilla gig set although as Gary Crib noted "We did those gigs purely because it seemed a natural progression form our scheduled shows, we weren't getting paid much for playing and we'd turn up and play somewhere for free and we'd get fed and watered." The band were an important part of that burgeoning scene along side the likes of The Libertines, Razorlight and The Others before it all imploded and shit hit the proverbial fan.
Pundits and punters alike clasped the band to their heart and hi-fi's and were rewarded with the release of the band's debut album - the rather niftily titled "The Cribs" - which saw the Wakefield trio impart their own take on Britain's early noughties fascination with all things noo wave, post punk, The Cribs encapsulated both sides of the coin...[READ MORE]
The Cribs - "Hey Scenesters!"
The Cribs - "I'm Alright Me"
The Cribs - "Baby Don't Sweat"
The Cribs - "Another Number"
The Cribs "Mirror Kissers" video
From the Inbox: Two if by Sea
If Interpol and The Killers had a love child, it would be Two if by Sea.
"Safety represents a major evolutionary step for Two if by Sea...
.....a smart and surprising move by a band that’s made its name by
making
people dance." -BALTIMORE CITY PAPER
"These guys have the courage of their musical convictions, which is all
one
can ask for or expect" -ALBUQUERQUE TRIBUNE
Two if by Sea - "Report from Damage Control"
Two if by Sea - "High Water Mark"
Two if by Sea - "All the Reasons to Leave"
Two if by Sea - "Million to One"
Two if by Sea website