The movement to increase political diversity in the university setting — meaning anything from increased tolerance of conservative views to enforced quotas of conservative professors — has now received some embarassing publicity at the hands of recent UCLA alumnus Andrew Jones. Jones has now rescinded his offer to pay UCLA students for tapes of lectures demonstrating liberal bias, but he’s still eagerly seeking those tapes and using them to put together his Dirty Thirty list of professors he perceives as radical. Perhaps because he hasn’t yet been able to get a hold of any tapes, the current Dirty Thirty list is based mostly on professors’ statements to the press and their extracurricular activism. Some highlights:

In any other group, Kent Wong, the dyed-red laborista radical, would be hold an undisputed title for heavyweight extremism. If Wong keeps up his public attack on everything to the right of Chairman Mao, he may still do it. Stay tuned!

As an Asian person, Wong obviously chooses the Chairman as his dyed-red leader. In an interview with a student publication he lists his heroes as activists Philip Veracruz and Reverend Jim Lawson. But Mao must be hiding in there somewhere — good investigative reporting, Jones.

Born in Argentina but raised in a Jewish Israeli household, Piterberg takes the term “self-hating Jew” to a new level. Piterberg has left behind all ethnic and religious affiliations for a new identity along the lines of the “new Soviet man.” Due to his tireless anti-Israel activism, Piterberg will always be within striking distance of a top-3 rank.

Combining anti-Semitism with support for Israel has always been a toughie for the far right. Congratulations, Jones, you did it!

While his father Goodwin was pursued by HCUA for good reason, Robert Watson was fortunate to become an outspoken radical in a far more tolerant time. Watson is best known for his Daily Bruin fecundity, typically cramming half a dozen wild-eyed anti-Bush accusations in a single sentence.

Ah, the requisite shout-out to the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Don’t we all miss those good old days?

Statements like the above have gotten Jones in trouble even with other political-diversity activists. David Horowitz, architect of an “Academic Bill of Rights” that would protect students with unpopular views, once employed Jones but now questions his integrity. Not everybody in the political-diversity movement is a wackjob, and may the rest of this post serve as a response to the non-wack alone:

1. When women and minorities complained about feeling marginalized on campus and in the workplace, many conservatives told them to work hard and take matters into their own hands, rather than relying on the government to help them. For conservatives like Horowitz to ask the government to help them protect their own values goes against the spirit of their earlier position. I don’t agree with it, but I might have respected it as an example of good old conservative pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps rhetoric. But apparently bootstraps are only for liberals.

2. It makes complete sense for universities to ask instructors to respect alternate viewpoints in the classroom. The best teachers do this without being asked, leading open discussions free of ad hominem attacks. The best teachers — like the best democracies — make a place for dissent. If they can do this, their politics outside the classroom shouldn’t matter. Their statements to the press and their after-work activism should not be an issue.

Back in the day, liberalism was about tolerance and broadmindedness, sometimes at the expense of rigor. Conservatism was about rigor and efficiency, sometimes at the expense of tolerance. Conservatives have lost their hold on rigor in recent years. When they get it back, it will be better for all of us.

Posted in at least partisan politics will make sense then

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