Litnet

Ek het 'n tyd gelede oor Robert Paul Wolff se ideologies linkse belewing van die Amerikaanse universiteitswese geskryf (SêNet 25 en 26 Julie). Sy boek het my geïnteresseer omdat ek in die vorige eeu 'n anderhalwe jaar op 'n Amerikaanse universiteitskampus deurgebring het; een wat nie as links of regs bestempel kan word nie. Veralgemenend lyk dit egter asof universiteite inrigtings is wat hulle ideologies eerder links as regs van die samelewing waarin hulle funksioneer, posisioneer.

In die vorige eeu het veral die universiteite Witwatersrand en Kaapstad plaaslik in die uitlewing van linksheid uitgemunt. Deesdae is al wat 'n Suid-Afrikaanse universiteit is blykbaar tevrede met die politieke transformasie wat sedertdien plaasgevind het. Dit het my ook dikwels opgeval hoe die personeelvereniging van 'n universiteit neig om meer links as die openbare beeld van daardie inrigting te wees. Aktivistiese en anargistiese akademici soek benewens die klaskamer in die personeelvereniging 'n uitlaatklep vir hulle persoonlike oortuigings.

Maar naas die Wolff-benadering klink daar by hoë uitsondering soms meer regse stemme oor die Amerikaanse universiteitswese op. Ben Shapiro (gebore in 1984), 'n ortodokse Jood, is om sy konserwatiewe politieke opvattings bekend. Op 'n vroeë ouderdom het hy na aanleiding van eerstehandse ondervinding en deeglike navorsing 'n boek oor die ideologiese stand van die Amerikaanse universiteitswese gepubliseer: Brainwashed: How Universities Indoctrinate America's Youth (Nashville: WND Books, 2004, 256p, $10.99).

Die persone wat hieronder aangehaal word, is professore/dosente aan Amerikaanse universiteite. My kommentaar word tot die minimum beperk en verskyn tussen vierkantige hakies. Daar is baie van wat hier genoem word, wat weerklank in Suid-Afrika vind, maar die leser moet liefs self daaroor besluit.

Heel aan die begin maak die uitgewer verskoning vir die outeur se kaalvuisbenadering wanneer hy die "modern liberal view of lower living" (Kindle 80). aan die kaak stel. Dit kan moontlik deels aan jeugdige voortvarendheid toegeskryf word. Die voorwoord is deur 'n geesgenoot, David Limbaugh (gebore in 1952), geskryf, wat vanweë sy kritiek op Barack Obama en sy administrasie bekendheid verwerf het. Sowel Shapiro as Limbaugh het dit teen die eensydig linkse politiek in die universiteitskultuur, wat volgens hulle op ideologiese verslawing en indoktrinasie neerkom, want geen poging word aangewend om meerdere kante van 'n saak te belig nie.

Limbaugh: "While the Left glorifies diversity of race and ethnicity, it actively opposes diversity of thought, considering only leftist ideas acceptable for dissemination. The very ideal of education to create an atmosphere of open inquiry is tacitly mocked" (K 116). Robert Maranto: "While colleges strive for ethnic diversity, they actively oppose ideological diversity" (K 295). Shapiro dit stel soos volg: "The Right can do no right" (K 576).

Die mate waarin hierdie eensydigheid aan universiteite bedryf word, blyk uit die groot aantal voorbeelde in Shapiro se teks. Marxisme word bo kapitalisme verkies: "It is implicitly assumed that capitalism causes inequality and poverty" (K 654). "Students often graduate believing in the mythic power of Marxism and hating the 'racist American system'" (K 140). David Michael Smith beweer kapitalisme is "a system based on exploitation and oppression and domination and racism and war" (K 675). Kuba se klaslose samelewing word verheerlik: "People set up tables in the street for playing dominoes. There is always a corner grocery where people hang out. It is an atmosphere in which the social classes are leveled" (K 845). [Maar in hierdie aanhaling kom niks voor wat op ekonomiese produktiwiteit dui nie.]

Die kommuniste predik: "Property rights must be abolished to make the system more equitable ... 'Working against hunger requires a fundamental rethinking of the meaning of ownership'" (K 853). Radikaliteit en anargie word hoër as ewewigtigheid en die strewe na harmonie geag. "Only at university is a riot an 'uprising'" (K 1042).

Morele relativisme geniet voorkeur bo absolute waardes: "Truth is a social construct largely defined by power" (K 123). Die moontlikheid van neutraliteit en objektiwiteit word ontken. Maar 'n universiteitskanselier, Robert Behrdahl, word aangehaal wat myns insiens tereg gesê het: "Indoctrination is not education" (K 133). Die dosente reken egter dikwels dat dit hulle reg is om net hulle eie oortuigings aan die studente voor te hou.

Aan universiteite word daar, soos verwag kon word, oorwegend eerder 'n sekulêre as 'n religieuse benadering aangetref. "What these professors want is a jihad [heilige Moslem-veldtog] against God, a crusade against traditional morality" (K 1841). "Professors hate God, and they hate organized religion even more. They see it as outdated, a danger to modern society, and the cause of thousands of pointless deaths" (K 1876). "Unlike the Judeo-Christian tradition, Islam is tolerant and peaceful, professors say" (K 1906). "Tolerance extends only to non-Judeo-Christian cultures" (K 2112).

Boosheid bestaan glo nie werklik nie. Hierteenoor noem Shapiro voorbeelde van gedrag wat syns insiens ongetwyfeld boos is, soos moord, verkragting en bloedskande. Dit is na bewering fascisties of rassisties om waardes te verabsoluteer. Morele relativisme gebaseer op subjektiewe voorkeure word gepredik. Die ekstremistiese wandade van Moslems (bv 9-11) word goedgepraat deur dit toe te skryf aan 'n regverdigbare reaksie op die gedrag van die Amerikaanse regering. "Professors immediately blamed America for 9/11" (K 2123). "A panelist at a University of North Carolina teach-in suggested that the US government apologize to 'the tortured and the impoverished and all the millions of other victims of American imperialism" (K 2236).

Stuart Swetland "called on the United States to 'break the cycle of violence'" (K 2310). As die VSA na 9-11 optree, sou dit volgens Dane Archer 'n geval wees van "buying into the spiral of retaliation" (K 2324). Die VSA ly glo aan 'n "Vietnam hangover" (K 2338). "Patriotism is seen as a hallmark of stupidity" (K 2382). Daar word verwys na "wall-to-wall, unreflective patriotism" (K 2402). Jessica Quindel: "The [American] flag has become a symbol of US aggression" (K 2395). Daar is meer simpatie met terrorisme as met die bestryding daarvan deur die VSA in bv Irak en Afganistan. Shapiro stel hierteenoor sy standpunt: "The professors are the intellectual terrorists" (K 2430).

Die sterk anti-Amerikaanse sentiment en doodgewone opstandigheid teenoor alle gesag op die universiteitskampusse word belig. Hierdie gees word ook in die massamedia (pers, rolprent, radio en televisie) weerspieël. Dit word gou duidelik dat George W Bush, toe die Amerikaanse president (2001-2009), deur hierdie linkse elemente blykbaar heftiger gekritiseer is as wat geregverdig kan word. [Dieselfde negatiewe beeld van Bush het plaaslik in die nuusmedia weerklank gevind.]

Oor die Amerikaanse inkomstebelastingstelsel som Shapiro linkse dosente se mening soos volg op: "The rich don't deserve their money. Rather, the poor deserve the money of the rich. Therefore, the government should take the money of the rich and give it to the poor through high taxes" (K 348). Dit kom neer op "support [for] socialist programs that discourage hard work and favor reliance on the government" (K 361). Die soort welvaartprogramme wat voorgestaan word "keeps teen pregnancy high, work ethic low, and the upper class paying massive taxes" (K 439).

Sosialisme is 'n gewilde oplossing vir maatskaplike probleme. Dit word voorgestel as "beneficial cooperation rather than competition" (K 634). "The answer to every 'social justice' question is more taxes and regulation, say the professors. People are poor and have illegitimate children to support? Tax the rich and give money to the poor. People are unemployed? Tax the rich and pay the unemployed. A small percentage of the elderly can't plan for the future? Make everyone pay into Social Security [die Amerikaanse stelsel van staatspensioene]. A small percentage of people aren't getting proper health care? Nationalize the whole system" (K 502).

"Nothing signifies capitalists better than rich white guys. There's something inherently wrong with being rich. It means you stole from others. It means you're racist" (K 711). In die linkses se terminologie "progressive always means extremely liberal/communist, and 'social and economic justice' always means governmental redistribution of income" (K 810). "'Profit' [is] a dirty word. They do it by demonizing the rich as leeches sucking blood from the hard-working poor. They do it by depicting corporations as rapists of the environment and the Third World" (K 880).

Daar is beswaar teen die onderskeid "Us/Them" en "the Other": "We must be responsible for their behavior. It's all our fault. We must change our behavior. If you are unwilling to accept blame, you're a racist" (K 929). "When feelings clash with facts, facts just have to be changed" (K 962). Wat uitgebeeld word, is "Unbearable Whiteness" (K 948). "Noel Ignatiev of Harvard University identifies himself as an 'abolitionist' seeking to abolish 'whiteness'. 'White people must commit suicide as whites in order to ... change from the miserable, petulant, subordinated creatures they are now into freely associated, fully developed human subjects'" (K 990). Ignatiev: "Treason to whiteness is loyalty to humanity" (K 996).

"Those with a leftist mindset assault the English language" (K 1050). Geykte grammatika mag maar in die naam van ongebreidelde vryheid geminag word. "Professors equate bastardized forms of English, mainly Ebonics, with grammatical English" (K 1056). Robert Williams: "Teachers must recognize Ebonics as a language and not devalue it ... When children are criticized on the way they talk, their self esteem is hurt" (K 1056). "Insensitivity" teenoor nie-wittes is taboe. Baie universiteite "have instituted speech codes prohibiting students from speaking about certain topics" (K 1189). Geneva Gay: "Taking [Ebonics] away would destroy African-American culture" (K 1070). Sodanige geradbraakte Engels is volgens Richard Ruiz deel van swartes se etniese identiteit. [Vergelyk Michael le Cordeur se propagering van Kaaps as skoolonderrigtaal met hierdie opmerkings oor Ebonics.]

In 'n voorgeskrewe handboek staan daar: "Because slaves made up the overwhelming majority of the labor force that made the plantation colonies so profitable, it is fair to say that Africans built the South" (K 1084). Shapiro: "Professors continue to use this history of 'subordination' to justify demands for slavery reparations - even when those reparations will be paid by people who had nothing to do with slavery and will be paid to blacks who are not affected by slavery" (K 1091).

Dit word algemeen erken dat Asiate die etniese groep is wat deesdae akademies die beste aan Amerikaanse universiteite vaar; ook beter as die wittes. Die gewoonte het posgevat om studente met punte vir "lewenservaring" te krediteer, bv as hulle op 'n gevorderde leeftyd aan 'n universiteit registreer. Omdat Asiate uit eie reg akademies voortreflik presteer, word die regulasies vir lewenservaringkrediete nou bv soos volg aangepas: "'life challenges' will grant more credit to those minority races (excluding Asians)" (K 1149). [In die Amerikaanse konteks verwys "minorities" gewoonlik na nie-wittes.] 'n Koerantberig hieroor lui soos volg: "Starting this spring, all applicants were weighed under a process known as comprehensive review, which awards extra credit for surmounting a wide range of personal, family, or psychological obstacles - what UCLA [University of California (Los Angeles)] calls life challenges" (K 1149).

Shapiro: "University faculties love racial tension. They can't bear the idea that conservatives might be right about creating a color-blind society in place of a special treatment one" (K 1216). 'n Latyns-Amerikaanse [bv Meksikaanse] student het gesê: "I am against affirmative action because I made it into this university on my own merit, and everyone thinks I made it here because I am Latino" (K 1223). Veral die Amerikaanse swartes groepeer hulleself apart van ander etniese groepe op die kampusse. Latyns-Amerikaners beskou wittes as "foreign Europeans": "We are a bronze people with a bronze culture. Before the world, before all of North America, before all our brothers in the bronze continent, we are a nation" (K 3497).

"At San Francisco State University, Chicanos [Latyns-Amerikaners] and blacks have been holding separate graduations for years ... The University of Texas holds graduations for American Indians, blacks, and Latino students. UC [University College] Santa Cruz has a commencement [graduation ceremony] for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students" (K 3611).

Wat seks betref, word 'n "homosexual/bisexual/transvestite"-oriëntasie aangemoedig. Dit kan selfs 'n geval wees van "androgyny [die nie-bepaalbaarheid van manlike of vroulike kenmerke] as the human ideal" (K 1261). "They seek not just tolerance, but acceptance. If you don't accept homosexuality, you're labeled a 'homophobe'" (K 3454). Seks word graag by die hare ingesleep: "Anything longer than it is round must be a phallus" (K 1261). Die enigste soort seks waarvan studente afgeraai word, is "unprotected sex" (K 1339). "Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transsexuals all have equal if not superior lifestyles compared to straights" (K 1346). "Almost all major universities have Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual (LGBT) Departments that offer majors or minors [hoof- en byvakke] to students" (K 1374). Philip Jenkins: "Pedophilia, incest, and rape are 'social constructs'" (K 1437). [Hulle is dus nie inherent bose verskynsels nie.]

Aan universiteite word natuurbewaring geradikaliseer tot "extremist environmentalism that calls for bans on SUVs, blames American enterprise for all pollution, and tries to prevent all lumberjacking (as if that would prevent forest fires)" (K 1545). Vergesogte stories oor insektegif en globale verwarming word versprei. [Oor die gat in die osoonlaag hoor 'n mens deesdae egter heelwat minder.] Die mens word as die indringer in die natuur voorgestel: "Micro-organisms - it's really their world" (K 1558). Rekenaars word as "a colonizing technology" verdag gemaak (K 1727). Daar word ook beweer: "The plow increased soil erosion" (K 1734). Biodiversiteit word gepredik: "The preservation of all species - even at the expense of human endeavors" (K 1790). Daar is 'n "nihilistic anti-human tilt" in hierdie propaganda (K 1817). "The deep greens desire the destruction of mankind as we know it" (K 1823). Diereregte moet voorkeur bo menseregte kry. Joshua Muldavin: "Christianity [is] a 'harmful policy' because it said the earth was to be used" (K 1892).

Johannes Comestor